I agree, the story would have had to go: Shire -> Buckland -> Old Forest (Tom) -> Bree -> Rivendell Instead of: Shire -> Bree -> Rivendell Part of me still

I agree, the story would have had to go: Shire -> Buckland -> Old Forest (Tom) -> Bree -> Rivendell Instead of: Shire -> Bree -> Rivendell Part of me still wished he featured; or at least the spirit of Bombadil's relationship to the ring was embodied by something/someone in the story.