Rings of Power is Not Very Good: Breakdown and Analysis - Part 4: The Great Wave

Join me as I continue to dismantle Rings of Power. It gets messy.
00:00 - Dey Took Yer Jerb
05:33 - The Tempest
11:38 - Isildur Quits
14:43 - Arondir and Adar
15:39 - The Garrison pt. 1
17:30 - Aquiring Food
20:30 - Elrond is a Spy
25:00 - Elrond Continues to be a Spy
30:13 - Galadriel Escapes
33:52 - Galadriel Continues Escaping
36:37 - The Prophecy
41:56 - Theo is Rescued
46:01 - Cave-In Aftermath
49:29 - Durin and Durin
51:08 - The Garrison pt. 2
54:01 - Galadriel's Army
56:32 - Arondir Plot Analysis
58:36 - Elrond Plot Analysis
1:00:15 - Galadriel Plot Analysis
1:03:52 - Conclusion
1:07:32 - Outro
Second Channel - / @randomft2
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[@Violaphobia]

To be clear, Halbrand advising an elf isn't the core issue, but that an elf as ancient as Galadriel requires such basic advice as "stop being such a dick to people whose help you need", advice which she still doesn't heed

[@exantiuse497]

It's not unrealistic that she is undiplomatic and arrogant despite being old. There totally are old people in real life who act like that. Of course Galadriel is many times older than any human but the point is, age doesn't necessarily bring wisdom. Iirc she is a princess or at the very least nobility. If she was taught she deserves to have her way and doesn't need to respect anyone who isn't a fellow elven noble, and especially not a human, then it's totally believable that would be how she remains. Of course it's not how she behaves in the LotR movies and I presume she will learn humility over the course of the series (THAT would of course be unrealistic, a millenia-old person wouldn't change over the course of a few weeks/months/years), the creators of this show have totally butchered the character. And I don't know why they made the protagonist so unlilable in the first place. Her behavior may not be unrealistic but it is bad writing nonetheless

[@roronoadzoro9429]

Shes much much older then a millenia she is thousands of years older the gil-galad and celebrimbor she is older than the sun and the moon 😂​@@exantiuse497

[@donaldjgumpofficial5754]

@@exantiuse497 They could've made her undiplomatic and arrogant only towards non-elves. They should've shown her being kinder to her companions, Elrond, Gil-Galad etc. Maybe she struggled to fit in with the first but Finrod helped her and she's very thankful for him doing so, making us empathise with Galadriel more when he dies. They were clearly willing to include racism and racial tensions in their story so have her arc start off with her being racist only for the events of the show and characters like Halbrand, Elendil to change her mind over time. Then you deliver the sucker punch of Halbrand being secretly evil(preferably with a lot more subtlety). We would see her values challenged where she becomes very hateful and there are many interesting ways to take that story forward. I also would've preferred her to be presented as more of a military strategist who is very talented with a bow but her being a warrior can work of course.

[@zardox78]

-"Are you a castaway... grasping for handholds in a tempest?" -"THERE IS A TEMPEST IN ME!" -"Alright, you're on thin ice right now!" -"THERE IS THIN ICE IN MY HEART!" -"Goddamn it! Stop mixing metaphors!" -"................... THERE IS A METAPHOR MIXED IN MY SOUL!" -"Guards, kill her with fire!" -"THERE IS FIRE IN MY BELLY! Wait, what?!"

[@AikanaroSauron]

I want AI to make this real.

[@nukenugget]

"drop it idiot you're not getting my army" "there is an army in me!"

[@AVeryConvincingDisguise]

@@AikanaroSauron wouldn’t be surprised if it was AI that made the actual scene happen tbh lol

[@HateshWarkio]

The most impressive thing in this show is that Sauron has his own brand of merch that includes fortresses, swords, notes and stamps for dead guys

[@cy-one]

inb4 the next Ep just starts with "but before we go on, a word from our sponsor: Raid Mordor Legends!"

[@Ni-boo]

Gotta get that funding.

[@scambammer6102]

I always knew that aragorn guy was fishy

[@Terra_Lopez]

Yeah, that's what it seemed like to me too! Well said.

[@FjreHazard]

NFT's incoming...

[@iksarguards]

"Find out what your enemy fears, then use that to become their master!!!" -- A normal man that's definitely not Sauron

[@Kernwadi]

Move along, citizen. Nothing to see here.

[@eugenmalatov5470]

I was really looking forward to a normal sly and realistic politician. A pity that he really turned out to be Sauron.

[@ageoflove1980]

Seems like pretty standard political rhetoric to be honest

[@zechcole9455]

Kcz fee as

[@Barnesofthenorth]

lol, even before that I was thinking "he'll be Sauron in disguise won't be..." just as hes acting sketch and I could imagine the writers think they are the height of smart for making Galadriel be sorta friends with him when hes actually the enemy she is hunting.

[@TheBelieveit1]

Everytime I hear Karen Guyladriel go "There is a tempest in me" all I can think is "That's just gas sweetie"

[@jlogan2228]

especially delivered by a 5'3'' tiny person with flat delivery and a scrunched up little face. She legit looks like a child trying to act like an adult while throwing a tantrum

[@nothingman7163]

I don’t understand how any of the “writers” could have watched the LoTR films and Hobbit films and upon seeing the gentle, controlled, elegance of Cate Blanchet’s Galadriel which exuded such wisdom, control, and power and yet hid a deep seated potential for chaos to equate to “angsty teen with a napoleonic complex and more built up stress / anger than a 17 year old boy 3 weeks into no nut November”

[@SweetDeeJay]

She has the rage of the sulkiest Kyle with contempt in his heart for the nearest drywall 😂😂😂

[@DeepFleeceheart]

It's like this show was written explicitly to be an example for bigots to point to when they screech about "strong female leads" and "forced diversity" apparently ruining "good" stories.

[@ToaCody1]

"It's a paradox! You have to know the [material] to understand what's going on, but if you understand what's going on, _you will hate this!_ "

[@Drengade]

God, Durin's actor acts his heart out. It's pretty much the only complement i've had so far

[@xenomorph6599]

Another important thing about Tolkien is that he actually HAD experiences to draw from

[@BernardLangham]

1:00:24 - Tolkien clearly states the reason for the dislike in the LOTR Appendices (which the show has the rights to). over the centuries, the Numenorians have grown to fear death and become increasingly envious of the Elves' immortality. their first King Elros (who chose mortality) has been dead for untold generations, while his brother Elrond (who chose immortality) hasn't aged a day. this morbid fear and envy is absolutely central to Tolkien's tragedy of the Downfall of Numenor, and the fact that the writers have not only failed to mention it but have gone to bizarre lengths to invent illogical reasons for the animosity is... puzzling. i say that charitably.

[@randomft]

That is actually fascinating I honestly didn’t know any of that. They could quite easily have explored this in the Hall of Lore scene. Ah well they had contrivances to contrive and logic to deduce…

[@BernardLangham]

they even showed a tapestry in the Hall of Lore depicting Elros and Elrond together (in ep 3?) and mentioned that they were brothers, and that the former was the first King, so... i don't even. (fun fact: Aragorn is descended from Elros, which makes Elrond his great-great-great X 100 grand-uncle... which might shed some light on why Elrond was not entirely onboard with Aragorn marrying his daughter Arwen)

[@evenmoor]

​@@BernardLangham I believe that there are around 60+ generations between Elros and Aragorn? Regardless, Elrond's reticence towards the romance had much to do with the fact that Aragorn is mortal, and Arwen in binding herself to his fate would eventually die as well, and thus Elrond would be parted from her forever, as he was with his brother thousands of years before. Elves, when they die, are re-embodied (see: Glorfindel) and ultimately tied to Arda until the end of the world. Meanwhile, when mortal Men eventually die, their spirits pass beyond the knowledge of the Elves. For the Elves, the concept of "forever" isn't some sort of abstract as it is for us. It is quite profound and real for them. Elrond loves his daughter and doesn't want to lose her. So he, like his ancestor Thingol, King of Doriath, presented her mortal suitor with a seemingly-impossible task: become the King of both Gondor and Arnor. (This could only happen with the defeat of Sauron.) Aragorn, like Beren, was not daunted by the task; he spent decades working towards accomplishing it. Here's what _The Return of the King_ had to say about the Elrond and Arwen in the end: _None saw her last meeting with Elrond her father, for they went up into the hills and there spoke long together, and bitter was their parting that should endure beyond the ends of the world._

[@rageagainstmyhatchet]

Well said... It's almost like these California yuppies don't think that "fear of death" and "jealousy of immortality" are good enough themes to explore... Instead it's "the migrants are coming, and they'll work for half your pay"... How mature...

[@luiseescartin8026]

@@BernardLangham well yes but actually no. Elrond is against the union more on selfish grounds. Elves and humans don't have the same "afterlife". Elves go to the halls of Mandos to reincarnate while humans go to Eru's side and no-one knows for what. effectively Elrond would have to definitely say goodbye forever to his daughter with no hope of ever seeing her again.

[@andrewalt6060]

That info about the writer’s credits is just mind boggling. As I have also not written a Star Trek script I will be applying to Amazon to take over next year’s effort.

[@Elcarsh]

You can use me as a reference if you'd like. I, having not written thousands of Star Trek scripts, am a bit of an expert on the subject.

[@rdchristley]

“Just establishing this for when the writers forget they established this” made me belly laugh 😂😂

[@40X70N]

It's been fun having someone with a very opposite starting point of me, my experience with the show has been watching it with friends while yelling about all the stuff wrong/missing from the books, so hearing someone who is coming at it from purely a movie/standalone view point has given me a lot of insight in stuff I missed while blinded by rage and drink.

[@meganhuggins7494]

It’s absolutely the book that Tolkien would never have dreamt of writing! 😵‍💫

[@matthewsmith1779]

This is clearly the end of the second age so she should be closer to 5000 solar years old. When you consider that Galadriel is literally older than the sun and a lot of her years were counted as Valian years (which are 144x longer than solar years) she could be several times older than the 5k year estimate. That being said, she's FAR to ancient a being to use youth as an excuse for her petulance. These show runners are idiots...

[@NoxAtlas]

In LotR Legolas is around 2300 years old, maybe a little bit older and considered quite young for an elf. And even he was way more composed and level-headed. Galadriel is painfully obnoxious and acts more like a blonde Feanor with boobs. You know... her obsessive uncle that she disliked so much she wouldn't give him even one strand of her hair

[@aden5122]

We NEED a "by all accounts it doesnt make sense" counter for all future videos. The fact that a lot of lines from emperors new groove fits so perfectly is amazing.

[@jconrad38]

You’re in-depth analysis has reminded me what a great movie “The Emperor’s New Grove” is. Too bad it’s not on Prime.

[@musicilike69]

The whole thing is absolutely terrible..the art direction is it's only plus as it's driven by artists who have drawn and painted Tolkien's world for years..This Galadriel..it's not the actress fault either as she seems to be getting hammered and it's not fair. It's those goofy looking writers who clearly don't get Tolkien and have barely read the material who have done this plus director. This Galadriel and her growing pains is LUDICROUS. She grew up in Valinor under the light of the Trees. She personally knew Feanor, knew Fingolfin and also the first high king of the Noldor and one of the 3 who awakened first, will have seen and spoken with many of the Maiar. She didn't join in with the Kinslaying at the harbours of Alqualonde when they opted to go back to Middle Earth and fight Morgoth. She spent much of the First age under the tutelage of Melian the wise, Maiar, in Doriath and learned a great deal in the arcane arts and also knew Luthien Tinuviel who spellbound a god. There she met Celeborn, Thranduil was there, Elwe Singollo another of the 3 who woke first was there....that she is some teenage rebel with a cause and much to learn by this stage is mental, she is already thousands of years old. A Valarin Year is measured differently also so 1 year in Valinor was 7 elsewhere.

[@samuelstuart3856]

If you read the books then you would be surprised to see how little of the show is still answered. The writers changed the lore so the books only answer some of your questions that you have and think the books can answer. I don’t think the writers even know the answers to the questions the book can’t answer.

[@theaveragegatsby4125]

Wow I’m glad your channel popped up on my recommendations. Love that you hold the show on its own merit without trying to constantly reference the lore. Looking forward to what you think about episode 5 lmao

[@kimmmwest2722]

Exactly like come on y'all ... It's its own show not an exact copy of the books people ain't even read them damn books should still be able to enjoy the show if it's a good show ... House of the dragon change plenty of things from the books it's still a good show

[@troffle]

@@kimmmwest2722 ... you haven't watched any of these videos, have you? Imagine a hundred people who all ate a bad curry, toilet-squirted the results into a trough, mixed with straw, fed to a bunch of sickly cows who squirt all of THAT out back into the same trough, to be fed to a bunch of sickly elephants. Saying that this show should be watched is having somebody stand you behind the elephants. The elephants' stomachs exploding backwards, killing you by drowning you in the result, is watching the show. People saying "it's not an exact copy of the books" are a part of the stuff drowning the elephant victims.

[@killahp123]

@@troffle couldn't have phrased it any better, thanks for the very, VERY easy to picture metaphor of this tectonically moving heap of various excrements

[@LargeMetallicFellow]

I was not expecting a Rammstein joke to make me laugh so hard. Also, new fan of your channel and currently binge watching your Rings of Power critiques. Fantastic work, loving your style of criticism and the humor used in it.

[@jonathankool1997]

That was one of the funniest jokes i have heard regarding Tolkien and related things. That whole joke, metaphore and delivery was brilliant!!

[@alex630710]

I'm blown away by the way these videos breakdown Rings Of Power episodes. I have no clue on the amount of work, research and analysis it required but it is extremely well done . And may I add your study on the matter is way more entertaining than rings of power. A big thank you.

[@DarthSidian]

It's insane how they've turned Elrond, a kind and passionate and strong warrior and leader, into a twinkish, timid, lying little charlatan who would seek to use an apparent friend as a tool.

[@Kernwadi]

Every time I saw Galadriel on the screen I thought to myself "You hate to see it".

[@connorarmstad3582]

"Noooo you fucking...absurd character, you absolute joke of a person, WHY?!" I'm dead

[@hypers829]

The recurring theme for Galadriel here, that she never actually convinces anyone of her skills or wit through her actions but snaps out at people, telling them how good she is at something is hilarious. It is so reminiscent of a young child throwing a tantrum.

[@shadowdemon2272]

It would have been so easy to resolve the issue of how Elrond should official be banned from Dwarven lands after losing the ritual of plot convenience: just have Disa mention (during the introductory/background conversation at the first dinner) that the consequences if the ritual haven't really been enforced in centuries. Quick, easy, in the background so not interfering with the rest of the scene, and consistent with Durin's character trait of being a drama queen and exaggerating things.

[@MerDuke]

Idk why i was recommended the 4th part in this series, but damn you sound amazing and the content is very entertaining. This is genuinely like watching the show itself without having to pay a dime to Amazon. Now i will go watch the previous parts as well. Take care dude and thank you for the content!

[@randomft]

Thanks so much, glad you are enjoying!

[@zauberholz8357]

Exactly! There was no way I was going to pay Amazon to watch this trainwreck, but I was curious and this is exactly what I needed

[@TheBelieveit1]

Don't forget that Not Elrond in this episode said that "there's no secret worth keeping through deception" even though that's literally what you do. Secrets are not meant to be told so of course you deceive others you don't want to know the secret. He, as a politician, should understand this more than anyone. I feel like the what they MEANT to convey was something akin to "friends don't keep secrets from each other" but because they are talentless hacks trying to sound deep and intellectual couldn't figure out another lame metaphor so instead they tried out THAT sort of argument and because no one was gonna even dare question them on this it ended up in the final cut.

[@theother1281]

Your analysis of what is a magnificently abysmal show really enriches the whole car crash television experience. Much appreciated. Do hope you continue.

[@LoveToSpootch]

Just got done watching all your videos on Rings of Power, and holy shit, what a dumbster fire of a series XD

[@Lumberjack_Linnie]

After watching nearly a hundered different review channels on YT (mostly bad ones, because good ones are really rare) the algorithm gave me the biggest pre christmas gift it could have given me - your channel. Not only are your videos funny, they are also informative. And they really are a good way to distract me from worrying about my pregnant wife in the hospital 24/7 and missing her all the time. (Not that there is much to worry about, she's fine for the situation. She's there just to be safe because high blood pressure, but still.)

[@OldKnightAMV]

I hope you like doing this bud, because your pretty damn good. Your transitions and jokes are great, voice is butter, accent is icing on top of the delivery cake. Binge worthy. Congrats on your future success!

[@wyattwebb6963]

Maybe instead of running out of food, you could have the child go back to their home because he forgot the magic E in the rush to leave, having become very interested in it. This would both leave him alone and put him in danger without making the rest of the village looking like halfwits for leaving necessary resources behind. Have the elf come back here looking for his lady, not knowing they left, and he rescues the boy with a very clear reason to be there. For Galadriel: She knows the queen worships the valar, why not take advantage of this? She could manipulate things to create a "sign" in a similar fashion to Elizabeth Swan's ghost trick in Pirates of the Carribean and get her way, showing that she can be cunning. For the palantir, while it's use here is very odd, it could have been used for a neat setup. Have it shown that they do not know what it actually is, and believe it to show the future. Then, in a later episode show it is actually someone taking advantage of their naivete and simply communicating by imagery, similar to how Pippin saw the Tree of Kings. There is so much they could have done and yet they barely thought about how any of this really works as a whole.

[@jlogan2228]

the worst part of watching the galadriel fight scenes is its obvious the stuntment are just standing their waiting their turn and not even aiming anywhere near her, but rather putting themselves where she needs them to be and they are also like 5 feet away from her. You can do all the spinning and jump cuts you want but this is PATHETIC

[@StinFriggins]

I didn't know I was able to endure hundreds of Emperor's New Groove memes in the course of a day. Thank you for unlocking this ability in me.

[@ingloriousbaxter]

I feel like the Tempest line isn’t inherently bad if it’s in a time and place that’s appropriate. It’s really obvious that the writers came up with this line that they liked and manipulated the dialogue in order to give her an opportunity to say it.

[@GD-os8mz]

Thank you! LOVE IT. Is it wrong to think that Amazon gave us such a gift? They have crossed the line by making something so bad it is perfect in its own way. This is The Room for the fantasy genre.

[@sidnew2739]

I never thought about it like that, but you nailed it. "You're tearing me apart, Galadriel!" -HALBRAND AKA TOTALLY NOT SAURON -

[@whom382]

I told a friend about how bad it was earlier today. I think I accidentally convinced them to watch it.

[@Pulapaws]

That the kind of bad I like. Like the resentment evil movies my guilty pleasure.

[@nostalji75]

From what I gathered so far: The Valar are not only the gods of the elves, but all beings in Tolkiens world. Everything was created by Illuvatar (THE VALAR). The elves are just clother to this godly kind since they are basicly immortal beings and some even lived among them. So their connection is a lot stronger. But when it comes to humankind the Numenorians should be extremely religious and connected to the gods, because they literally recieved their island and other blessings as a reward from them. A reward for fighting with the gods (Valar) against the big bad god Morgoth. (who corrupted big parts of Illuvatars creation (like Satan)) So imagine the origin of your country is being literally a gift from the gods after physically intacting with said gods. A huge island clothest to the place where immortal beings (elves) and gods (Valar) live. The idea that Numenorians, who are known to succeed in surpacing every other species including the elves in technology and craftsmanship would fear for their jobs when Galadriel is swept to their shoreline is ridiculous to me. Thats like meeting an angel and being afraid he wants to replace your workforce. -.- [Spoiler] the vison RoP shows with the palantir should be the fall of Numenor. The reason for the fall should be the actual cause of tension between Numenorians and Elves. Even they were belessed by the gods the Numenorians became more and more arrogant and jealous of immortality. On the one hand they were the closest to the gods in skill and also physically closest located to the immortal lands and yet they were denied this one blessing. They were to ignorant to see their mortal lives as for what it is a gift that enabled them to live a finite life to its fullest. Thats why they were even superior to elves in some aspects. But in their arrogance and ignorance they attacked the lands of the gods. Long story short: You dont fk with the gods like this so Illuvatar goes full old testemony and floods Numenor.

[@Rodoet001]

It also leads to the world becoming round, as to forever seperate the mortals from the realms of the gods. So Middle-Earth is actually flat until the fall of Númenor, which caused Illuvitar so much grief, he reshaped it into a sphear. Though, if I recall correctly, this does not apply to the elves, who still percieve the world as flat. It's why they can see so far, as well as why they can take the "straight path" to Valinor, despite the world being round.

[@TallisKeeton]

Illuvatar in not one of the Valars, Eru Iluvatar is the God actualy and he creates Valars - like demiurgs - angels who descent on the material universe to create it, to construct all on it - the earth, stars, oceans, plants, mountains, rivers, trees.

[@Leashpole]

My plan was to continue watching the series and to watch this after each episode. I had started the series late because I wanted to read the Silmarillion before watching it (which I did). I was already not enjoying the first three episodes, but I made it ten minutes into episode four before I gave up. It's just not worth the painful watching experience, so I'll enjoy your breakdown

[@sarahgould5435]

Same here. I was trying to watch it as it came out so I could keep up with Shad's breakdowns on Knights Watch. But after episode 3...just...no. I'm quite content to find out what happens from the spoilers in the roasts.

[@ferrishthefish]

10:12 That "tempest" line... I realize Morfydd Clark is no Sigourney Weaver, but even she looks unhappy with her delivery for a brief flicker. Did they really just roll with the one take?

[@tyranomu]

He says Durin couldn't be mining because he left his favorite pickaxe. But in fact Durin was mining mithril, so that line didn't mean anything

[@randomft]

Good point!

[@EvilChibi]

I can't get over the guard, from behind the door/gate, that just walks into the jail cell. 😂🤣

[@michaelsnow3536]

The response to the tempest line had me actually snort with laughter. First time that's happened 😂

[@Thecrocodiemanmask]

Again, another home run. Beautiful analysis informative, professional, and funny. The fact that you are not a bigger channel is mind-boggling. Subscribed, liked, and shared. Keep it up man these are great.

[@randomft]

Thanks so much, glad you are enjoying!

[@fractalfae5418]

Thank you so much for these brilliant breakdowns and analysis! Your dissections of each episode, point after point, in such entertaining but also insightful depth is simply wonderful. I've not simultaneously learned and laughed so much in ages! Your ability to pick this atrocious show apart with such surgical skill and razor-edged, murderous humour is extraordinary. I can only imagine how much time and work goes into each part, but I really hope that you are able to cover each episode of this train-wreck of a show because your analysis is honestly one of the most enjoyable things I've had the delight of watching. The show itself is a truly dire hate watch but it's led me to your channel and I'm pretty sure I'm now not the only one eagerly awaiting not just Part 5 and the rest of your examination of Rings of Power, but also whatever else you set your sights upon beyond it. Brilliant stuff!

[@randomft]

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@Princess_Feona]

Even the show Bob’s Burgers places more importance on time and distance as Bob is rushing to get to Louise’s poetry reading. He jumps in a cab, goes the wrong way, and has to run across town. The show is less accurate than a cartoon that features a dysfunctional but loving family with a burger restaurant.

[@weizilein]

One of the things that irked me the most, was that Adar gave Arondir his weapons back. Which he used nearly instantly to kill orks, Adars children... Adar is more or less the "best" character in the series for me, but this decision was simply dumb.

[@dannenbergdavid9133]

I’m so glad I found this channel! Very well done!

[@odysseasmamalis8525]

DEUTSCHLAND DEUTSCHLAND UBER ALLEN!!! With Sauron inside mount Doom it looks even more amazing than the actual video clip of Ramstein. Pure gold

[@d_jedi1]

The flooding of Numenor is a little bit weird. Basically, at this point in the story, Arda (earth) is flat. They may change the details but in lore, Numenor decides to invade Valinor and the Valar retaliate by turning Arda into a spheroid, which floods Numenor

[@YouWillBeHappyOrElse]

Rather, Eru Iluvatar lays the smackdown. I don't think even the Valar have that kind of power.

[@d_jedi1]

@@YouWillBeHappyOrElse yeah, that's probably more accurate

[@kkavehma1]

These reviews are amazing. Thorough. I like the character and plot development approach/analysis. I think you are quite fair. Even mentioning when you are making emotional arguments. I love many of your scene by scene analysis. Love the end part with addressing each plot line separately.

[@johanandersson8252]

Thank you Random Film Talk, there is also a tempest in me to

[@whitegoose2017]

I don't really understand how the writers of this show could reach the conclusion that this budget version of Galadriel could ever endear herself to any audience. It's not really the actress' fault, the dialogue is beyond wooden and would it be a leap for me to assume that the writers have never really been involved in grandiose projects like this?

[@ElasticGiraffe]

Every character they want us to sympathize with is unsympathetic. It's like the writers aren't merely bad writers, but bad people. If they wrote Galadriel and the Harfoots with the idea that we would find them likeable and admirable and want to see them succeed, I just don't know what else to make of that.

[@whitegoose2017]

@@ElasticGiraffe Well, if you make a bad product and then call the people who say your product sucks evil or something.. that's uh... yeah, I think the writers and the people behind RoP are just bad people.

[@JohnnyOrc]

Episode 4 also has the benefit of not having the murderous harfoots in it!

[@TallisKeeton]

In the book the palantirs were a secret gift from the elves of Valinor to the faction of elven friends of Numenor (Elendili faction) when this faction become the opposition of kings faction (King's men) and becouse of that were never used by kings and the rulers never discovered their existence. When the kings law forbidden the Numenorians to meet with elves and banished elven ships from Numenor, thats why Elendili were given the palantirs - to confer with elves secretly. The main palantir was acualy in Valinor.

[@jassijoanna3466]

Sauron singing Rammstein would actually be hilarious 😂

[@AlexanderMcArthy]

Love this, but the island was drowned by Eru Ilúvatar. The only time Eru directly gets involved in events within Arda.

[@theaveragegatsby4125]

Gandalf’s return

[@Aledahal]

When gollum tripped into the lava

[@keleynal4424]

Thanks for taking the time to highlight some of the best scenes from this timeless classic. I have seen Emperor’s New Groove for years. So this was fun!

[@michaeljbuckley]

As a self declared causal LOTR fan, I haven't seen RoP but these critique are great listens. The cut aways are so slick and it's highly entertaining

[@AlexLawngtv]

Your conclusion at the end is put really well and i look forward to the rest of your series and the final conclusion video. The work you've put in on this is amazing!

[@hatuletoh]

No. The palantiri were not crystal balls that showed the future. They were long-distance communication devices given to the humans by elves; the reason that Gandhi is so worried about the Isengard palantir in the Peter Jackson films, and the reason Denathor is so demoralized by what he sees in his, is because Sauron has at least one palantir and is able to manipulate the minds of people who use the palantiri. And no one knows who possesses the rest of them, or what they might be doing with them. But before the fall of Numenor, the palantiri network was intact, and again, did not show people who touched them visions of the future, apocalyptic or otherwise.

[@randomft]

Interesting, do you know if Rings of Power just made up this idea that they show the future, or is there any basis for it in Tolkien's work?

[@cy-one]

@@randomft As far as I am aware, it's entirely made up. They saw a magical smartphone that looked like a crystal ball and went: but what if it is a crystal ball?

[@cbhlde]

Binging since I saw The Final Autopsy and I feel happy, that I have a few hours of your fabulous content left to enjoy. :)

[@shoesmith8357]

This is great content. It's probably the best critique of the series I have heard. Keep 'em coming!

[@opinionpaladin6007]

I think the writers played Shadow of Mordor/War. So they had to give Galadriel the elf climb ability from the games. Basically butterfly-stroke up the wall

[@troffle]

> Yep - the time has come to do unspeakable things to episode 4 of Rings Of Power HEY. IT DID THEM FIRST. > so I think it's fair to assume that this guy really really doesn't like elves so much so that when he gets beaten to a pulp by... uh, Halbrand, who is not an elf he decides to start rallying people together with anti-elf rhetoric Well, OBVIOUSLY it wasn't the same guy, CLEARLY it was one of the copy-paste copies of the guy. > actually on second thought you were in the palace when this happened so YOU KNOW THIS See? Copy-paste. > and as Cowladriel has the diplomatic skills of a toddler who is demanding sugar and threatens to slaughter its way out of the kitchen > so Elwrong then decided to travel back to Khazad-dûm, and when I say "travels" I mean "teleports" because once again the show doesn't understand time and distance Well that's what you get when you compress thousands of years of the Second Age into a five season show, I guess... > Elwrong maintains that he has no idea what the mine is and that he does not know what the mithril is ... which does raise a question. It seems like going into this, it was only Elwrong who DIDN'T know about the mithril... how exactly did Gil-Galad know about the mithril, where it was specifically (The One Ring KZbin channel comments supposedly the site of the Elf/Balrog fight was atop the Misty Mountains...?) and specifically that THE DWARVES HAD FOUND IT? What exactly was the purpose of sending Elwrong to investigate ANYTHING as apparently he was the only one in this entire mess who DIDN'T know about the mithril. But that's not my question. My question is "how did Gil-Galad know Elwrong needed to be sent?". > then we cut to my two favorite characters, Isildur and Eärien No comment on the video, just a personal theory I would really like your take on: Eärien looking worried at the THEY TERK ER JERBS meeting; the name apparently being a Quenya combination meaning "daughter of the sea"; her father being an "Elf-friend"; although there's been some fine perspective on... erm... two reasons why that young boy was trying to become better acquainted with her, we haven't seen past her hair to the tips of her ears... ... how certain are we that this non-canon invented character isn't *biologically* Isildur's brother? Or, even crazier thought, Isildur's mother was lost at sea but now there's this "daughter of the sea" who certainly doesn't seem to have aged particularly...? > and it means that the guards didn't enter the tower, meaning that the ex-King is entirely unguarded and vulnerable But to be fair, we find out thanks to the artists in a later episode APPARENTLY THIS IS STANDARD PROCEDURE. > Bronwyn Um. Why is she the only person in her demographic apparently there? Female, relatively young but still a mother? I mean, if she dies, then that's pretty much an entire generation gone? How small is this population and how viable could this village have been if there's only one child-bearing-eligible female? > if you were a talented writer or even a semi-competent rider how might you explore or expand upon the idea that the men of numenor dislike elves ... in spite of the fact I find the ideas personally horrific... Having Elendil the filthy-knife-ears-language-speaker being strung up by the crowd? Or that filthy Elf-friend's "daughter" with being attacked - and possibly saved heroically by Isildur, earning him his father's trust again? Or the sacking and destruction of the Hall of Lore before Galadriel had a chance to get her information out of there? > even though we are only halfway through season 1 of Rings Of Power Galadriel has already reached the top five in terms of total screen time falling between Gandalf and Pippin mygods Sir, I wish to never, ever, ever hear you talk about "autistic" - or, for that matter, disparaging your own emotional reaction - ever again. Any ONE SINGLE ASPECT of your viewing, review and analysis, even if it's JUST the screen-time count. Your solo work is already sterling in comparison to the ENTIRE COLLECTIVE TEAM with the entire funding of the Amazon corporation behind it. > but anyone who is parroting that this show is in fact good and that everyone who dislikes it is a hater, you are the reason why Rings Of Power is this bad. When your standards are this low, there is no reason why the creators of Rings Of Power needed to put in any effort I love you. I just want you to know that. Straight guy, choosing to be single, other side of the planet and all that. However, just intellectually, platonically, literarily... you are a beautiful, beautiful man. And that's just for your motivations and forthright inclination. Then add the thoroughness of your work, the intellectual capability required for all of this, the humour balancing the intellect with the occasional and warranted crudity... Didn't know your work before this series. Don't know why you left KZbin or what you had here before. Certainly don't want you to burn out, get hurt, whatever that might make you leave again. But this is fantastic. Your work and these aspects of yourself that are expressed in this work... a science conflatable with *art*.

[@TheSupervince003]

Found your channel in my recommendations. Glad to be in the first 100 subscribers, your videos are awesome!

[@brucehunter4523]

But Durin apparently doesn't have to leave his home to go mining, the door to the mine is in his living room.

[@This.ability]

Another great breakdown. Keep them coming :)

[@Dinosreviews]

She should be about 5000 years old at this time. She’s over 8000 years old in LOTR.

[@SkyHighGuys]

I freaking love your sense of humor Random! Got me laughing my a$$ off in the gym in front of everyone 😂😂

[@hugomouro6555]

This is one of the best reviews all around, bravo sir.

[@RichardBirdsall]

Keep on with the breakdowns, your hard work and organization shows and entertains anyone looking for insightful reviews! Happy to find your channel, love the format and can't wait to see where the series takes your storytelling spider-sense!

[@Keram-io8hv]

I was so much shocked when evil old white man Waldreg turned to be bad guy Was nog expecting that!

[@HannahKayW]

Hey your reviews have been amazing and I really appreciate your humor and editing can’t wait for future analysis

[@michiganscythian2445]

I know I’m one of a very few people who would chuckle at this, but there was famous Arabian horse stallion named Ferazon so every time I hear Pharazon, I’m thinking of the horse instead of the character

[@sortitout3903]

As much as I hope they don't release a second after this disaster I'm really looking forward to your reviews loving your content keep it coming 😄

[@TheMadmatt7]

More outstanding, thorough, entertaining, spot-on commentary that is juuuusssst right. Goldilocks would most certainly agree.

[@brianlaferriere6326]

I just want to say great reviews! You actually make going over this "content" again, much more enjoyable than consuming it for the first time! Thank you for your efforts.

[@yilz123]

Love it!!!! Subscribed! ❤ please keep doing this

[@luciferthedoberman8991]

Excellent video! You are a cunning linguist and stellar with your timing. Subbed!

[@free_at_last8141]

Your videos are almost as good as your spinach puffs.

[@Deymosification]

Very well analysed and presented. Count me in as a new subscriber and keep up the good work.

[@youneskhouloud2504]

bro do more content , you got more talent than most of these channels on the market rn

[@Ragitsu]

These are great videos which in no way require the cartoon cutaways.

[@strawbbtarte]

The elven "gods" are the Valar, which ARE pretty universal, so a human putting her faith in something very real like that makes sense. BUT they never explain that or any of the lore in this show and just expect everyone to know it i suppose, while also twisting huge pieces of the lore when they feel like it while still never explaining what parts are wrong. This show has no reward for watching, and just says, "screw you" to anyone who thinks they can try to understand it.

[@nont18411]

15:03 Adar, a bad guy, gave the respect to his comrade before freeing him from suffering. Meanwhile, Harfoots, the heroes, left their own people who are disabled to die and then laughed about it.

[@elechliter]

the setup starting at 32:14 made me laugh, embarrassing myself at work 🤪 classic!

[@omaroba1490]

Happy i found your channel really entertaining stuff, thanks as a Big Lord of Rings movies fan also.

[@hangoutwithme346]

The guards falling into the prison cell as if being pushed by a cartoon wind is hilarious.

[@undefined7141]

Love this channel. Very high brow sht talking, well done.

[@GangstarComputerGod]

This is an excellent analysis and I especially loved the comparison you had at the end that shows character screen time in Peter Jackson’s films vs this show. It really drives home how incredibly bad this show is. Which is sad precisely because they had a BILLION dollars to work with. I think the accountants at Amazon better take a real close look at that budget and figure out who was skimming money because this show is barely with six figures.

[@Guilherme-ow3wb]

Absolute horrible that the villagers go to the tower and don't carry food specially since they walked there in plain daylight and would've all the time in the world to carry as much stuff as they could... And of course Bronwyn becomes their leader, who would have thought... "Are you gonna lecture me on the Art of War?" I'm amazed Galadriel knows about Sun Tzu. Too bad she doesn't apply any of it. Actually amazing that the guard scene in slow motion in your video shows so absurdly clearly Galadriel fighting with one guard and the other three just walking inside the cell instead of doing anything 🤣🤣 Galadriel also has Spider Man powers - that actually makes it consistent with the 1st Episode where's she climbing it with just knife and no climbing gear compared to her followers. How the fuck Bronwyn just stumbled exactly upon Arondir and Theo... my lord, the convenience of everything in this show... Arondir is also depicted as very strong, he collapses the orc's tent, deal with a Warg 1v1, so instead of just carrying the boy on his fucking back (or with Bronwyn's help too) and keep running they just stop and sit there within bow range... it's unbelievable. Durin is distressed that dwarves were in danger from that collapse. Then he bemoans his father for being a coward for closing the mines to... protect dwarven lives. So Durin would just send them to dig and fuck it all if they died? How is this consistent with someone utterly terrified of losing them before? Elrond just conveniently eavesdropping on Disa and Durin conveniently bringing the exact subject up in public for no reason while the children conveniently knowing the password and conveniently singing it around when Elrond is around and him conveniently linking the song to "Open Sesame".... fucking unbelievable. Also amazing in the same episode they show Elves with powerful eyesight and hearing, yet the fucking Elven garrison couldn't see the fucking orc encampment and villages burning even from the top of that tower that we get many shots how much sight of the land it has... Didn't even think Adar didn't fucking needed Arondir for the message. He could've just gathered the fucking orcs, marched and then make his demands... like he does in the next episodes... The Durins conversation was the only convo in the entire show that somehow feels like a genuine conversation. These two actors are just too good or maybe they highlight how terrible everyone else is. When you give numbers you need to make sure they are consistent. So the army will march to the Southlands in 10 days, according to the characters. Since the army will arrive just in the brink of time in the future episodes, that means Adar having the information the what he seeks is in the tower, just sits around doing nothing for 10 days and the villagers stay there also for 10 days despite in the same episode telling us they barely had food. Then in the next epis not only it takes 10 days to gather and launch the army, but the distance from any port and that tower is immense, yet the army will arrive in the village just in time - and somehow also fully knowing where the orcs are. So Adar and the villagers just sat there doing nothing for at least 2 weeks? Galadriel offends and fails to connect with anyone in Numenor, yet gets the army she wanted anyways. The most powerful human nation in the world apparently doesn't have an army and needs to recruit in the square whatever peasant shows up. Pharazon hates elves and to quell a rebellion he makes a grand speech against elves. Within minutes not only he but the entire town decide to leave their homes and go to war for... the elf. Against an enemy they never even saw and that wasn't doing anything against them. The show practically has hours of nothing happening and feels slow, then the characters (and the world) have massive changes in mentality, personality and ideology within minutes and feels extremely fast... pure amateur work.

[@Dessarius]

An update; the Valar are effectively, to take reference to the bible, Angels. They are Angels who have in the past and continued to (in the Silmarillion) take a physical role on occasion to intervene in problems. They serve under Eru Illuvatar who is "God", and "Morgoth" was... well, basically "Satan". I don't believe we've been given an exact number of how many Valar there are, but we do know that the Valar lived in Valinor where the elves briefly lived (though not in the way the show presents), and the Maiar (the five Wizards as referenced in Lord of the Rings) were under the Valar. The Balrogs are fallen Maiar, and thus there is some slightly deeper meaning to Gandalf when he stops to fight the Balrog in Khazad-dûm. The Valar are as close as the common person in Middle-Earth know as "gods", and I believe were worshipped by some people. There's absolutely a lot more but I'm just going along and picking out pieces I think I an expand upon slightly and trying to do so.

[@whom382]

The Silmarillion covers the exact number, names and roles of all the Valar. It's the second part of the book.

[@berengustav7714]

There's fifteen,Morgoth is one and then the thirteen remaining include Manwe,Ulmo,Mandos,Aule,Lorien,Varda,Yavanna,Nienna... A new Vala came named Tulkas to make them 14 again.

[@TallisKeeton]

Valars are 7 guys and 7 ladies, and the number of Maiars is actualy so many that they can form an army or many armies. A host of Maiars can serve (as warriors and as cratfsmen and as messangers) to one of the Valars.

[@chuntoon1]

I'm binge watching these ROP review .. they are so well done & far more entreating than they should be. You've only done up to episode 6, can't wait to see the rest come out .. I'll 100% go back and watch your reviews on other things too .. I'll watch tv a bit more critically with interesting ideas I've learned about tv script writing listing to these reviews and your comparisons to great shows and movies and how they compare and contrast to this

[@jfh9219]

I loved your review! Now liked and subscribed!

[@nikczemna_symulakra]

I wonder if Cate Blanchett had ever happened to see glimpses of her successor's feats and accomplishments. Of a successor to whom she allegedly was - as joyfully stated - "an inspiration, all the time". Though, it doesn't sound like a compliment somehow:/

[@Verolef]

Feeding the algorithm. I watch this for the utmost time 😊 amazing videos.

[@theresachung703]

You're good at this!

[@Yattayatta]

I'm one of those on your one hand, read the silmarillion 3 times as I'm a huge Tolkien nerd, watching your excellent breakdown of the show to help further cleanse my palette of the filth that is this show.