I guess I could see Penguin killing his Mom if it’s well written and not done like GoT, when Khaleesi snapped and burned people to death using Drogon. There would have to be a build up over the next few episodes. I hope they soon reveal how his brothers died. Interesting theory about Julian, but didn’t she visit him at his office though?

Staring on with a glint in his eye as a mother and son burn to death marks another rung down Penguin's descent. So I agree with Paul. Offing the one who bore him would be the coup de gras. Plus, if the mother is pissed with her current living conditions. Imagine the insufferable nagging when he brings her down into the sewers.

Ooo i didn't think of Julian Rush being a figment of her imagination- that would be cool though. All i could think about when the henchmen were taking the stacks of money off the table was damn it's all soaked in blood! Haha

How fitting, Amazon finally locates Glorfindel hiding in Gondolin and then sends their Balrogs and Fire Drakes to ruin his character.

Do you material to discuss Sauron's tech decline or ascension?

I imagine they asked Turturro to reprise the role, but he was probably otherwise engaged in another project. This series is si good, Disney+ should be taking notes! Sofia’s shock treatments were difficult to watch. That doctor should lose his license! I can’t imagine her Dad knew about the torture she’d have to endure, do you? He should lose his license, unless Sofia gets revenge. I was surprised Vito was spared, I’m curious to find out what she has in store for him! Now that she knows Oz killed her brother, he should step up his security and sleep with one eye open!

Oh Magpie, gone too soon 😂

Great review! This might have been the best episode of television I've seen this year, its up there with Andor ep10 One Way Out. Cristin Milioti is doing great work, she just might have stolen Farrell's show from him. I was thinking that Sofia is and was actually the Hangman, her psychosis triggered by her mother's suicide/murder, and her father was trying to help her not frame her. But I'm off the Bliss now 😀 and I don't think it's likely. I thought Sofia was being an unreliable narrator mostly because Magpie only spoke to her; so maybe Magpie was imaginary? But it doesn't make sense with the tale bing told, it's better, storytelling-wise, if Sofia is an innocent corrupted by family betrayal and torture in Arkham. Batman could solve most of Gothams problems just by throwing some cash at Arkham for better food rather than wasting it on a new batcopter.

I love your summary of Frodo's irritation of Gildor 👌💯

This is basically a 70's Alice Cooper song.

SPOILER for The Penguin ep1x4 Just watched episode 4 but I'm commenting here (for posterity 😁) in case I'm the first to come up with this theory and its correct. SPOILER(ish) theory below: . . . . . . . . . Sofia is and WAS the Hangman.

How did Sauron carry the ring back to Middle Earth if it was just his spirit? 🤔

I like Paul’s idea of at least mentioning The Batman or other things in the Gotham universe- would be really cool 🖤

I really appreciated getting Victor’s back story. It was very well done. The scene where Oz holds a gun to his head and then lets him decide for himself if he wants to leave was impactful. It was so sad that Victor didn’t leave with his girlfriend and left her hanging. It’s the kind of decision that can change your life for the worse. I also liked the scenes between Oz and Sofia. I look forward to seeing how things play out after Oz left her. When will she find out Oz was the one who actually killed her brother? The next episode seems like an opportune time.

It’s tragic irony that Durin I got a celestial sign to build his kingdom where the Balrog lay under.

Lembas bread was rarely given out & only by the Queen up until this event. Gimli is the only dwarf to ever receive it. It wasn't just an energy bar for the road, it was much more than that. The longer you eat only lembas (I think i spelled it wrong) the more it works to not only sustain you, but it makes you more & more strong of mind & will. It was so much more important to the success of the company than people realize. The energy it provides is mind, body & soul.

For those of us who can't ball with the Tolkien purists but love his legendarium, nonetheless, you are an asset! You explain things so well. I love it!

Thank you for these two videos. I consider myself a relatively intelligent person, but when it comes to The Silmarillion, I struggle. It's difficult for me to read & keep up with. Finrod is someone I was very curious to know more about & i appreciate you giving me such a thorough understanding of him verses a two minute video with only a few highlights.

Excellent work here!!!!

I know this is unrelated but when I heard them speaking Farsi I got so impressed and excited. They did it flawlessly in my opinion. You can actually see all the efforts they put into this show...

I’m definite enjoying it as well. Either if Oz is lying about the things he says in his past or if they’re true and relatable to the situations, I feel he does always have a motive behind them 🤷🏻

How did Penguin's brothers die? They seem to have died together, the Oedipal context to me to implies that Penguin wouldn't be too unhappy that they aren't around. I won't go as far as to say he killed them but maybe he didn't throw them a lifebuoy when he could have. Vic is not surviving the season, he is definitely getting matted; that grave scene was horrific, it was bad enough that penguin had him digging graves but that was too much. Vic should just quit without 2 weeks notice, as I suspect Penguin's exit interview would not be pleasant. I'm seeing a lot of people (redditors 😀) complaining about the trend towards downplaying the fantastical elements of the Batman universe, I had forgotten but in Batman Begins Ra's al Ghul was not immortal so it's a long time trend, and it needs to stop. Maybe we should boycott the next Batman film if it doesn't have Clayface dissolving down into the sewers to hideout with Killer Croc.

You have an awesome voice for radio and narration my hat is off to you and how you read the scripts and stories is really cool well done

Unfortunately broken my toe in a very Tookish manner running into a box. This video has provided me with much needed comfort 😂 great video, I don’t need to keep saying it

I agree, this episode wasn’t as good as the first, but I still liked it. I, too, wondered how Oz was able to stab that guy from the front and not wind up with blood spattered over him. The Dexter Show certainly wouldn’t have made that mistake! Sophia may have seemed quick to want to kill the scapegoat, but she was patiently waiting for the other guy to wake up, only for Oz to have killed him. And yeah, I couldn’t have stuck around if I was Vic, not after Oz had him lie down in the grave he had just dug.

May i ask who the person is who was sharing their experience of being there? Wow so cool. My question is how deep do you think it was from the mouth of the sarlac pit to the bottom of the skiff, han luke and chewy were on?

Why the heck is there only 46 likes on this video and only a few comments far out this is insanely cool thanks for sharing this. I do have a question for the guy who was there when taking the photos

Hey there Matt. Rewatching your videos in order and in an earlier video, you theorized that maybe Gandalf having Narya and feeling close to the shire probably helped in preserving its peace and beauty the way Rivendell and Lothlórien were by their rings. What if with the One Ring’s destruction, that preservation was also removed and helped further the Shire’s marring with industrialization?

There was some more Tom Bombadil in Rings of Power that has concluded. Please do a show or shows about this. Tom Bombadil in my view was very well done. I liked the Dwarves too.

Happy belated Hobbit Day Matt! Glad you’re making LOTR content again!

Listening in 2024

Based on 37:00, The idea about comparing Nazgul and Istari in terms of power or threat level is an interesting one. There are 5 wizards and 9 nazgul, and usually if an order is less in number, they are greater in strength. Quality over quanitity. This is why Tolkien changed the number of Balrogs from up to a thousand to no more than 10. So while I still think one wizard is more powerful than a few nazgul, going above four could be a true threat that you know you can't win alone. Wizards are Maiar that have their divine powers reduced and mostly conjured, controlled and channeled their staves, or magical conduit sticks. They are also within elderly physical bodies, meaning they need to eat, drink, rest and sleep, even if at lower amounts than true humans. They are not able to utilize their full physical prowess or magical spells at all times, not just because their main purpose is to provide guidance, support, knowledge and wisdom, and doing so could be destructive, but because it drains them of their strength and energy. The more they use the less they have and need to regain, and in some cases when fighting an equally magical and dangerous threat (like in the case between Gandalf and Durin's Bane), a wizard could take so much damage, fight for so long, and use so much sorcery it kills their body. Nazgul are the greatest kings, sorcerers and warriors among the race of men who have had their spirits tied to the physical world while their bodies faded into the unseen. This gives them a form of immortality, the goal many desperate mortal men wanted, but they were fully loyal and tied to Sauron's will and power, losing their freedom. If Sauron was strong, they were strong, and if he was weak, they were weak. Just like how the 9 mannish rings were bound to the one, the Nazgul were not just Sauron's greatest servants, they were extensions of his very essence in many ways. They gained great power over evil spirits, ghosts and the undead, they projected fear and terror with their screeches, and they could turn others into wraiths like them. Some (such as the Witch-king) possessed powerful dark sorcery, using shadow, fire and lightning as a weapon. When Sauron's presence was even more greatly felt during the Dawnless Days over Gondor, and terror or hopelessness filled the city of Minas Tirith, when the Witch-king said "This is my hour!", I think he meant it. I think in that moment he was powerful enough to stand up to Gandalf the White, and the full extent of his wraith energy and Sauron influence was felt. In conclusion, I think the Nazgul and Istari are roughly equivalent in power, with certain situations putting one order in favor of the other. The Istari are angelic spiritual beings that are confined to the physical and magical limits of a mortal form, while the Nazgul are men greatly enhanced through the demigod-like power of Sauron to become immortal, powerful yet evil spiritual beings. One thing I wished Tolkien did was increase the number of Istari to 9, to equal the size and influence of the Nazgul. "9 Wise Ones to rival the 9 Ringwraiths". I wish we also had witches in their order to represent both the male and female Valar (or lower case g gods) the Istari once served.

I’m glad you guys are reviewing this show! And the synchronized “bye!” at the end was hilarious 👌🏻

Shame there’s no Justice League. Maybe Reeves felt it would have made the show less grounded? Batman doesn’t have any powers, whereas the others do. I really like the casting too. I’m glad the anti-woke critics I know of don’t Seem to be complaining about Vic being Afro Latino. I think Colin Farrell may get an Emmy nom out of this performance, he’s amazing! I heard they changed the name to Oz Cobb bc Cobblepot implies wealth, which this Penguin doesn’t. I love the purple (plum) car, it’s my favorite color! 😍 Don’t “Matt” Vic, I like him!

Glad you are reviewing this, I think it might be the best show of the year, Shogun included. Colin Farrell is more an underused than underrated actor but this performance is truly remarkable, only place Colin turns up is in the credits. I wonder why the current crop of directors and writers are so averse to the more fantastical elements of comic book stories? Mr. Freeze is apparently the villain in the next Matt Reeves' Batman, and I don't see how that can be done without some fantasy science. I wish they would, if not embrace the fantastical, at least give some references to it. I have enjoyed the more grounded stories, but Batman without Clayface, Man-Bat, and Killer Croc just feels less than it could be.

It strikes me that the third age saw 7 great alliances between men and elves. 1356 Seige of Rivendell 1360 to 1408 1409 to 1411 1851 1970-1977 (Frugmar's eastern offensive against Angmar.) 2941 Hobbit War of the Ring Maybe 2509 of the third age?

Would love to see a movie made about King Araval. In 1851 of the third age Arthedain, Rivendell and Lindon won a great victory over Angmar. King Araval, however, failed to resettle Cardolan.

Great video! You forgot "Felagund, who new no fear" (poetic Lay of Leithian) :)

If Frugmar, Thranduil, Rivendell, Lothlorian, Lindon, Tharbad, Arnor had united earlier in 1973 and saved Fornost, and then been supplemented by Gondor and the Istari, how would history have changed?

Wonder if Cirdan's Lindon had participated in the previous battle and evacuated many arnor survivors to Lindon or other locations? Also wonder what the rivendell forces were doing 1970 to 1974. Let us also not forget the role of Frugmar in defeating Angmar.

I’ve been a Tolkien fan for the last 40 years. This is by far, the best explanation of one of the more interesting and obscure parts of the history. It helps bridge the gap of what happened to the North Kingdom between the Last Alliance and takeover of Minas Ithil and the failing of the line of Gondor kings. I’ve always wondered about this period and have never been able to piece it together myself. Huge thanks!

Thanks for telling this part of the history. Excellent telling!!!

In the elf family tree, Galadriel was a little closer to the roots than Celebrimbor. I wonder if it's possible to deduce whether she is older than him.

Thank you Matt, for this excellent video in honor of Hobbit Day 😊 I always love to see a new LOTR video uploaded to your channel. I’m hoping my request for a biopic on my favorite elf Haldir has now moved a little closer to the top of the list of upcoming videos 😉

The year 2002 -Fall of Minas Ithil, the palantir is captured -Around this time, the Osbournes first appear

Great work matt...love your Arnor work ..fantastic :) matt from down under :)

Hello mellon nin Matt. A very happy Hobbit Day to you. I hope you and your family are well and happy. Thanks for another wonderful Hobbit Day video. So satisfying to see in the Return of the King, the Witch King finally meets his end by the hands of Eowyn , a shield maiden and Merry, a hobbit.