The Council of Elrond meeting at Rivendell was an element that took place during the events of the Hobbit, but not directly in the story, and as such, Saruman and Galadriel were not present in the Hobbit when Thorins company arrived. The most interesting element of Sarumans presence was the tone of his character. His constant denial of the Necromancers existence echoed his behaviour in The Fellowship of the Ring. As interesting as this was, it was something completely unique that was not created by Tolkien. By the time this scene took place, it was very clear that Jackson was stalling to add to the length of the film. As for Galadriel, her presence added even less to the story. Her only purpose was to side with Gandalf in his debate with Saruman, and in her departure hinted at a closer bond with Gandalf than originally thought. Though both Saruman and Galadriel were interesting characters, they did not belong in this story. They belonged in the Lord Of The Rings, where their actions impacted the plot in more significant ways. In Jacksons work, they were nothing more than tools for exposition into details that had nothing to do with the Dwarves journey, and as fan service that was little more than distracting.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
