But my serious response is that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam all chose to go to the Undying Lands rather than live without the ring, even though that would mean certain death as they approached it in the ship and likely oblivion as they not of the Eldar. All three had lives worthy of envy in a virtual paradise before and after their time with the ring, Sam even held on till Rosey died, but all three chose death.
The fact that the Shire is a paradise is exactly why Frodo couldn’t stay. The people there could never understand what he had been through. The horrors of war, the hardship he endured.
Smeagol was redeemable, but it couldn’t be done in the middle of a warzone by two desperate men who are carrying the source of his addiction.
Smeagol needed years of therapy by trained experts far away from the ring.
Bro had centuries of essentially the opposite of a therapist. Not sure anyone would be able to fix that.
Ha, I can imagine Elrond actually trying that.
But my serious response is that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam all chose to go to the Undying Lands rather than live without the ring, even though that would mean certain death as they approached it in the ship and likely oblivion as they not of the Eldar. All three had lives worthy of envy in a virtual paradise before and after their time with the ring, Sam even held on till Rosey died, but all three chose death.
The fact that the Shire is a paradise is exactly why Frodo couldn’t stay. The people there could never understand what he had been through. The horrors of war, the hardship he endured.