Current Events > Why didn't Gollum die after __________ ?

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after losing the ring?

IIRC Gollum turned into the creature we know due to the possession of the ring over hundreds of years

Bilbo got the ring and then like 60 years later passed it on to Frodo

Then after Bilbo lived a longer life than he normally would have, he rapidly started aging over the course of like 4 years

But Gollum was without the ring for like 60 years and still pretty much acted and looked the same. Why didn't the absence of the ring speed up his death?

Going by the movies btw

Basically while the ring is still intact it takes a long/uncertain time for the effects to wear off

The effects remained.

It stopped when the Ring was destroyed. Not lost.

Apparently if you spend enough time with it, the effects become permanent. Gollum had it for 500 years i think. He obtained permanent immortality.

Idk, but since the books are what counts for the lore, I don't remember anything about Bilbo rapid aging in the books.

In fact, if the books were more true to the books Bilbo should look roughly the same age as Frodo. I guess Peter Jackson wanted us to know Bilbo was old without having to give verbal context.

God_of_6strings posted...

Idk, but since the books are what counts for the lore, I don't remember anything about Bilbo rapid aging in the books.

In fact, if the books were more true to the books Bilbo should look roughly the same age as Frodo. I guess Peter Jackson wanted us to know Bilbo was old without having to give verbal context.

bilbo doesnt really rapid age until hes gone from middle earth which concurs with being around the time the ring was destroyed I believe

Bilbo looks noticeably older when they run into him in Rivendell, but hasnt like 15 years passed since he left

littlebro07 posted...

Bilbo looks noticeably older when they run into him in Rivendell, but hasnt like 15 years passed since he left

are you referring to the first time they run into him, which was in Fellowship? Because I thought he looked noticeably older too, and it was only like a few months

it was 13 months i think from when they set out to when the ring was destroyed

and I think something like 4 years from when they set out to when Frodo and Bilbo leave middle earth and Bilbo looks old as fuck

Gollum had the ring for significantly longer and it warped him more permanently as a result.

I always wondered this TC.

I'm currently at the Council of Elrond in my FotR re-read, and unless I missed a throwaway line, Bilbo's rapid aging after passing the Ring to Frodo was a movie invention; Bilbo's still just as active and lively fifteen-ish years later in Rivendell as he was when he left the Shire, and he even takes an active part in the Council itself.

*takes a long drag from a cigarette* the real Gollum died before they started filming the movie so they replaced him with a CGI double

The longer you have it, the longer it takes to wear off.

Does he look different between the Hobbit and LotR movies?

sabin017 posted...

Does he look different between the Hobbit and LotR movies?

No

There was a gap of 17 years from when Bilbo left to when Frodo left. He pretty much aged as normal.

When we see him next at the grey havens, Sam had kids already so must have been at least a few years from when they got back (maybe 10 as a rough estimate?)

Gollum also had centuries to be corrupted by the ring. By the time he lost it he was already fully under its influence. He also used it far more than Bilbo.

masterpug53 posted...

I'm currently at the Council of Elrond in my FotR re-read, and unless I missed a throwaway line, Bilbo's rapid aging after passing the Ring to Frodo was a movie invention; Bilbo's still just as active and lively fifteen-ish years later in Rivendell as he was when he left the Shire, and he even takes an active part in the Council itself.

I just read, or listened (got the audio books that are narrated by Andy Serkis, totally recommend) to that chapter recently too and I didn't hear a mention of it either. I imagine he was a bit older since in the books it's years between the party and Frodo's journey, but not super old like in the movie.

Southernfatman posted...

I just read, or listened (got the audio books that are narrated by Andy Serkis, totally recommend) to that chapter recently too and I didn't hear a mention of it either. I imagine he was a bit older since in the books it's years between the party and Frodo's journey, but not super old like in the movie.

Damn, super cool that Andy Serkis reads it. Does he do different voices for different characters ?

AlCalavicci posted...

Damn, super cool that Andy Serkis reads it. Does he do different voices for different characters ?

Yeah, he mostly does impressions of the actors from the movie and does his Gollum voice. He's great.

How does a guy lose a ring after holding on to it for like 500 years

Bilbo would have ended up looking like Gollum after awhile.
The One Ring is basically a Dorian Gray plot without the painting.

What if you keep aging until you are a ghoulish husk, like Gollum, then stop. Bilbo was on his way there