The people mad at this show are the same people who memorized Silmarillion knowledge. That memorization act for many decades was street cred in the fandom. Now

The people mad at this show are the same people who memorized Silmarillion knowledge. That memorization act for many decades was street cred in the fandom. Now the fandom has opened its borders and rapidly taken in new members who don't share the same value system as the long-time fans, and the old fans are experiencing a devaluation of their dedication and a rejection of their culture. They very predictably try and gatekeep the material. It's not unlike what happened when Disney bought Star Wars and struck down the entire Extended Universe. I suspect when Disney gets around to retelling some of the SWEU's more famous works, that their creative liberties will be similarly challenged.