Frodo and the Cracks of Doom

Oh really? Which board?

But anyway you can argue about LotR here to your heart's content, as long as you're civil

Yeah that right!
Look, I'm still here!
But I'm going with everybody. I think Gandalf had an idea about Gollum's role, I mean, why else would he insist on not hurting Gollum, a creature that is so evil?

I too have to agree with everybody. Gandalf sensed Gollum´s role in the destruction of the ring. One thing that interest me is that Frodo does not kill Gollum ( in the beginning of Two Towers I think ). When I read that passage I thought that Frodo acted the way he did not only because of what Gandalf had said but also because he could sense there was more to Gollum´s part than it appeared.

That's right. I also think there was some pity in it too.

i'm not going to retype it here, but read The Taming of Smeagol, approx. p. 639-640.

for those who aren't looking this up right now, Sam suggests killing Gollum, Frodo won't (b/c of foreknowledge?) & also won't abandon him in the wilds. THEN Frodo remembers Bilbo's & Gandalf's lines about "pity?" from Book I, & says that he won't touch Gollum & pities him, but won't let him go wandering through the wilds unchecked & so takes him with them.

it seems that we're all in agreement, & this just corroborates (sp?) our point.

but also, Gandalf says "not even the Wise can see all ends," so i think Gandalf & Frodo were both merely suspecting that Gollum had a part to play. of course, they were right, but neither one of them really knew what the future held while they talked at Bag End.

aryne *

perhaps gandalf being a maiar had a more developed sense of destiny, meaning everyone involved had a part to play in the final events of the destruction of the ring. also any good story has to have forshadowing and this is apparent in passages like those qouted above.

In the middle Earth roleplaying game, there is a stat called "Intuition" (in french). Remember that it is approved by Tolkiens Estate.

I guess
Gandalf had a high score in that stat!