Rings of Power is Not Very Good: Breakdown and Analysis - Part 7: The Eye

[@MariaIsabellaZNN]

When I heard a second season is coming, all I could think of was "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

[@Mdhneo007]

Mine was like, Yay more Nerdrotic, Disparu, Little Platoon and Random Film Talk videos!

[@resathe6760]

@@Mdhneo007don't forget charlie hopkinson ;D

[@TallisKeeton]

@@Mdhneo007 and Johny Law :)

[@Sinewmire]

"I know, it's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here!"

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

At least go with a classical and not quite so overused memes like The Office's Michael Scott shouting "No, god, please no! NOOOO!" The ENG memes have long overstayed any welcome the way RFT abuses them.

[@ethanhunstiger4868]

The queen survived a pyroclastic flow but got blinded by some embers.

[@oldkingspook]

By all accounts it doesn't make sense

[@brandencullinan8886]

The sea is always right.

[@jeremymott]

Her father did say that if she went that only darkness was in her future

[@silviuvisan505]

​@@jeremymott😂

[@Karpfenkroete]

@@jeremymott I bet they felt really smart after coming up with that foreshadowing

[@wolfsong4720]

I hate the fact they wake up the Balrog here! I believe it even says in the movie that the Balrog was awoke because of CENTURIES of the dwarves mining mithril, and that they became too greedy with how much they mined. Rings of Power released the Balrog because Durin was loyal to his friend and trying to do something to help save his life.

[@Klickor]

It is also about an entire full age of 3000 years too early. If I remember correctly it was in the middle of the TA it awoke and RoP is like 1500 years into SA which spanned for over 3000 years.

[@BWMagus]

And then the Balrog just sort of sat around. Even with the condensed timeline this show is creating, there's still, what, 1000 years or something between the Last Alliance battling Sauron, and the events of LotR, and Moria was only somewhat recently destroyed before that, so what the fuck was the Balrog doing all this time? Did he have to dig UP to get to the dwarves or something?

[@TheGamingplayer12]

Durin and his father are too early too tbf durin’s bane is a third age thing Gandalf arriving is second age sauron’s rise is second age isildur and elendil are too early too they grabbed a ton of different events from the story and mashed them together

[@Sinewmire]

​@BWMagus trying to hide from God!

[@MichaelFrenchCPA]

@@Klickor Bah, nobody ever gets out of bed on the first alarm. I'm sure he hit the snooze for another couple thousand years.

[@breendart134]

The changing name card to "Mordor" legitimately made me laugh, it's such a goofy, unnecessary, immersion-breaking thing to do. Like the writers reaching through the screen to say, "Look! It's Mordor! See? We made a Mordor! It says Mordor on it! Isn't that clever? How we made it do a dramatic change? Isn't that a cool effect with the letters? Because it's Mordor now. Get it?"

[@lesdeuxanes6203]

Which in any Tolkein work evil and corruption is a slow process. It even shows in the trilogy with Sauruman that he has to have the orcs and Urakhai burn and build for a long time for Isengard to become as it does by the events of the Two Towers. Which you know, had depth and meaning. Here a volcano erupts and poof a mordor appears.

[@tonys9397]

And then they didn’t do it for Sauron 😂 smh

[@invidatauro8922]

The only good thing about this show is that it's introduced me to two new amazing content creators. Little Platoon and of course Random Film Talk

[@Razzlion]

Disparu is great too if you don't watchi his stuff already haha

[@invidatauro8922]

@@Razzlion Oh I knew about him already before this show.

[@HateshWarkio]

It introduced me to Random Film Talk only BUT Subscribed and now even with the dumb Bell

[@BrainDamageComedy]

check out: just some guy, reaper, the woke critic, critical drinker, crappy film reviews, will likes movies - all uniquely funny and hate ROP, tearing it the proverbial new one.

[@yagamifire7861]

Hear Hear!

[@saddlerrye6725]

Guys... I had a revelation... Rings of Power is NOT about Galadriel and Sauron. It's about Feanor and Morgoth! They just reskinned them because of contractual reasons or so that the movie fans could also recognise the names of the main character and the BBEG Feanor in the books: - a condescending jerk - swore revenge on the BBEG after the death of a family member (and because of the silmarillion) - dragged a bunch of people into his revenge - refused to stay in (in Galadriel's case return to) Valinor and pursued said revenge instead - demanded ships from a seafaring nation to return to Middle Earth - when he didn't get the ships he massacred them all (Galadriel only threatened to do so) Morgoth in the books: - after his first major defeat he saw the error of his ways and genuinely tried to better the world - couldn't deny his nature for a long time and started to create things that are not quite innocuous - after slipping back into his darker side he became as evil as he could - he was injured by a creature that he corrupted to be evil (Ungoliant for Morgoth, Adar for Sauron, though Ungoliant's origins are not really sure) - obsessed with the shinies

[@shadowdante1102]

Damn, that makes way more sense

[@Xapheion101]

This is a brilliant theory

[@alexkats30]

That's way too smart for the writers, given how they have failed in most things they tried to do in this season

[@plebisMaximus]

Feanor was a lot more likable and justified

[@rosiehawtrey]

That does make more sense than this drivelling cack but the weakness of the theory rests on there being enough space in the writers brain to process so much information at once. This is like watching something scripted by AI running dual networked BBC 'B's compared to the supercomputer material of LOTR or (arguably) The Hobbit.. Hmm.. An AI that runs off a 64k 6502 and loads off a tape deck- well Colchester Hospital managed to run a MRI scanner off precisely that... 🥺

[@dandare9055]

You forgot one crucial character that cannot be dead by any means... in fact considering timeline: two characters. Celeborn and Celebrian both need to be well and alive, for many reasons but one of main being that Arwen needs to be born.

[@brendancoulter5761]

Yeah most people dont know Galadriel is Arwen's grandmother. Seemingly Amazon doent either.

[@ChallengeIdeas]

@@brendancoulter5761 They certainly don't seem aware that Galadriel is Elrond's mother-in-law.

[@morbidone88]

@@brendancoulter5761 ofc they don't know, they've admitted as much and more... the single worst travesty since star wars, and trek if you are a trekky

[@whom382]

@@morbidone88 I hadn't thought about this till just now, but RoP is worse than Picard Season 2 and infinitely better than The Last Jedi (never watched RoS).

[@morbidone88]

@@whom382 i.I.. I agree lol.

[@TallisKeeton]

If Galadriel's husband was lost after the birth of their daughter Celebrian than this means that Galadriel in the series forgot to tell us also about the existence of Celebrian and where she is all the time when her mom is traipsing all over the world? :D

[@paulvontarsus729]

They killed off Celeborn because they wanted Galadriel to be a strong independent woman

[@YouWillBeHappyOrElse]

Ironically, while Galadriel was the worst choice for the character they have created, Celebrian might have been better. 1. "I'm looking for my dad while my mom is busy planting a forest kingdom, and also if I happen to take out Sauron then that's a bonus" is a solid character motivation. It would also explain why she has zero interest in going to Valinor (and make her later journey because of her PTSD the more poignant). 2. The potential tension with Elrond! They're both young and trying to find their place in the world, so that would make them foils; they're way the hell in love but can't stand each other sometimes; the possible fascination triangle with Halbrand (and this giving a personal reason for Elrond and Galadriel to question this guy's motivations). 3. There's not a lot of description of Celebrian in Tolkien's actual work, so liberties can (indeed must) be taken. It'd be a chance to also give a stronger character to someone whose primary acts in canon were "follow Mom around, be a wife and mother, and then be a damsel in distress before fading off to Valinor." (I'm not complaining of those things because most people, male or female, have pretty much that story, but others with a taste for Strong Independent Women Characters frequently do, so there you are.)

[@TallisKeeton]

@@YouWillBeHappyOrElse yes, strong points of how to fix it :)

[@pinkminipuff]

@@YouWillBeHappyOrElse You literally just made a better story hook than this entire show.

[@laurie6736]

I don’t know what I was more excited about- sitting down to watch this video or seeing that it was 1 hour and 45 min! Pretty certain that length equals a certain amount of pain for you- please know it is appreciated by the fans of your work. Thank you!!

[@RookieTravelDiaries]

Honestly, thanks to this show, I have been introduced to whole new style of storytelling. There are stories that are character-driven. there are stories that are plot-driven This masterpiece right here, is writers-driven! They literally write whatever THEY want to happen. it doesn't matter who does it, how they do it, when they do it and to whom they do it, as long as it happens. It's bold! Stupid, but BOLD!

[@TMH-z8o]

My wife and I hate watched this series. It is so great for someone to document the absurdity! You are providing more entertainment on your channel than that billion dollar joke of a show! I am a enthusiastic subscriber, keep up the great work!

[@ja-vishaara]

- Doesn't trust elves - Trusts elves Peak character design

[@eno6712]

Reminds me of a Spielberg movie . Which one? All of them 😅

[@eugene8498]

Elrond: I never broke my promise. I told no one the Dwarves found mithril. Also Elrond: Gil-galad apparently approved of my mission to buy mithril from the Dwarves and must be informed of the result.

[@JohnnyOrc]

I want to call out and criticize something about "Prince Durin". Despite him being one of the few enjoyable characters for most of the season: He let Elrond in to do this made up ritual to maybe get a boon. This is despite the fact that Elrond has been apparently absent with no word for 20 years. In that time, Durin has gotten married, and supposedly had 2 kids (though I don't believe we've ever seen them). Now, Durin is the crown prince of Khazad-dûm. Royal weddings are no small affair. This means, reasonably, that the elves would have been at least notified about it. This also means, reasonably, that Durin would invite his good friend Elrond to his wedding. Thus, Elrond not only ignored the personal invitation of his friend, but also ignored the formal notice of one sovereign nation to another. This means that Elrond being personally banned from Khazad-dûm is entirely reasonable, and should be expected. Heck, there would probably also be a formal notice to Lindon that their initial friendship is on thin ice, and that Elrond in particular is no longer welcome. What am I getting at with this? Despite all this, Durin has tried to mend fences with Elrond. He allowed him to stay even though the special made up ritual means he was supposed to be banished. He made him welcome in his home despite Elrond's terrible apology. And now Elrond has admitted that he voluntarily flubbed the ritual, and is only here to take advantage of his friendship with Durin to get mithril. From Durin & Disa's perspective, Elrond is evil. He has repeatedly abused their trust and friendship. Sure, it is revealed this was to "save" the elves from having to flee back to Valinor, but this hardly excuses all of his prior actions. King Durin is entirely in the right to kick out the elves and forbid them mithril. That is the least of what I would do in his place. Prince Durin fighting back in regards to this only shows to the king that the prince is entirely unsuited to being a king. He doesn't have the requisite ability to judge character.

[@cy-one]

Just FYI, we do _hear_ his children in one episode. Besides that I generally, if not in every detail, agree with the remainder of what you've said. As Random Film Talky Person has mentioned, Elrond is a dishonest liar at this point.

[@JohnnyOrc]

@@cy-one I'm aware we hear them, that's why I used the word "seen". :) Given that they used child actors for various other scenes, I can't imagine it would have been all that costly to put a couple of kids in dwarf costumes for Durin's home scenes.

[@Takaoshi]

The show was terrible, but we did see his kids the first time we were at their house. The kids ran into each other wearing durins giant head things on their head. Never saw them after that

[@shamrockdragon7634]

we do 'see' them, they're wearing those helmet head things, but I don't think we actually see their faces at any point

[@awsome182]

What bothers me even more is that a King Durin and a Prince Durin exist at the same time.

[@Henkvanpeer]

I think the writers did not really write this show. They found a scroll of fan fiction on the beach.., made some small adjustments, like “The sea is always right”….😂

[@zenocrate4040]

I read fanfics as a teenager, Illuvatar help me, but despaired of humanity and stopped. But having that trauma in my backlog I don’t think there are enough ‘slash’ or Mpregs in this show for your hypothesis to hold true. But then again, I read Tolkien and therefore didn’t watch it so you might well be reading correct.

[@tsubakiwi]

i can't agree, most fanfics are written better than this show :/

[@clpearson991]

I'm living for the Yzma Kronk face fusion and constant emperor's new groove-ing that happens here

[@phantomstarsx9343]

Omg I did not put together it was yzma

[@blinkanimals9720]

I cannot WAIT for episode 8 🤣 You've managed to create INFINITELY MORE anticipation for your final video in this series than the actual BILLION DOLLAR series was able to inspire in me, I can't wait, it's going to be EPIC😂

[@zirkalda9502]

You know what the kicker with the Mithril storyline for me is? That the writers can’t even capitalize on their breaking the lore. They decided to have Mithril created via the power of a Silmaril. We have seen this to be true. The Mithril should be completely irrelevant to the elves. They should want the jewel and that creates a whole host of personal conflicts just ripe for storytelling. The elves could easily be divided over it. On one side you have Elrond wanting to leave the jewel where it is due to the Silmarils causing nothing but problems and that the elves should be content with negotiating for the Mithril. Celebrimbor on the opposite end wants this heirloom created by his own grandfather and is fully behind reclaiming it by force. Both can go back and forth over the issue as they try to convince Gil-Galad to support their course of action while there is a ticking clock on the Elves adding even further pressure. The fact the Silmaril is inside Khazad-Dum creates an even greater conflict for Elrond as the Dwarves would naturally claim it as theirs as it is inside *their* mine in *their* mountain. Elrond could have been sent to Khazad-Dum to verify the Mithril and thus the Silmaril under order of secrecy but his conscience wins out and he confides to his friend Durin the truth. They’re trying to negotiate to quietly get the Silmaril out when word reaches the king of the Jewel so now it is his decision and he is fully in favor of withholding the Silmaril and making the elves pay for access to Mithril on top of it. I can go on but I think you get the idea.

[@Mr.Silver78]

Babe, wake up. Random Film Talk released a new video

[@dtl19]

I’ll put the kettle on ❤

[@troffle]

I'M AWAKE I'M AWAKE gimme a sec

[@-MrFozzy-]

Haha…yooooooou don’t have a girlfriend!😬

[@neonwolf9526]

Sigma energy😎

[@Natusian]

Hey, you. You're finally awake.

[@anapoda3081]

sad thing is, Finrod's story in lore is actually very cool

[@jeremymott]

Finrod's death was badass and heroic

[@drakonlegend4452]

@@jeremymott was he the one with beren? Enlighten me…

[@TeutonicKnight92]

@@drakonlegend4452he died fighting werewolves in the Sauron’s dungeons after losing an “epic rap battle” with Sauron. His death would allow Beren to escape

[@GeordieSwordsman]

@@TeutonicKnight92 With his bare hands no less, after bursting out of the chains that held him. And lets not forget, Beren was expecting to get the aid of some of Finrod's household troops at most when he went to Nargothrond, not the Lord himself going "Come on lad, lets go." Finrod was the biggest bro in Middle Earth.

[@caskinfg]

@@GeordieSwordsman And he was the original owner of the ring Aragorn is wearing in the LotR movies (the one Grima tells Saruman about)

[@invidatauro8922]

Wouldn't the entire Harfoot story make more sense if it was about Brandy wanting to STOP going places? That she didn't like migrating and wanted to find a place for the harfoots to settle down and cultivate and grow to their own community? You know, to give a backstory to the Shire (I know Tolkien has one but these writers suck so....)

[@doomsdaybooty1072]

That would make tremendously more sense, so you can guarantee it never occurred to them. It would also have made sense to disclude the entire Harfoot plot, along with discount stoner Gandalf

[@bry8636]

It would make the most sense to leave hobbits out of the second age altogether. That’s not a small detail. Bringing hobbits into the second age diminishes their emergence and deeds in the Third age. So it has a greater effect than the simple appearance of hobbits in the SA. It lessens the impact of their triumphs in the Third Age. Which is also why the Balrog is a problem. Gandalf had a hard time believing a Balrog could still exist given that they’d been gone for an entire age (all of the SA and almost all of the third). He almost certainly wouldn’t have taken the fellowship to Moria had he known a Balrog still existed. More importantly, it diminishes Gandalf’s iconic scene if balrogs are more commonplace. The wonder of the Balrog comes largely from the fact that it was an ancient beast, no more than a myth to all but the oldest elves, from an age of great power. So throwing in a Balrog, whether it’s Durin’s Bane or not, steps hard on Tolkien’s most iconic work.

[@TallisKeeton]

@@doomsdaybooty1072 discount stoner Gandalf 🤣🤣🤣

[@craigmartinj]

The pyroclastic blast didn't even singe Galadriel's hair.... is Elf hair made of the same substance the ceramic tiles on the Space shuttle are made of to survive re-entry? Another great review!

[@troffle]

Now you know why Gil-Galad wants mithril so badly.

[@Makkaru112]

@@troffle turns out mithril was already a thing in the first age and it definitely wasn't the dwarves first using it. ;)

[@hans471]

Short answer: yes! 👍

[@dariovirga7711]

Great! I disagree on the writers being manipulative swines, as it's both an insult to swines and implies that they're cunning enough to manipulate, instead of being just egocentric zombies

[@maximillian1109]

Pigs for sure gets the short end of the stick when it comes to metaphores... They are amazing animals!

[@maxtracker2904]

Greatly appreciate the focus on lack of story-telling rather than nit-picking the (admittedly woeful) lack of adherence to the lore. The writers want this to “be it’s own thing” and it’s nice to see it dissected on that basis 👍

[@bspitler0]

The writers used too much from not their own thing for that to be true lol

[@shannonharris3233]

Ive literally been waiting weeks for this. I am ashamed to admit how many times ive watched part 1-6...love the analysis and humor. The humor is sublime. About to binge this one. Straight from Jamaica! Keep up the work @RandomFilmTalk

[@DarkestApe]

The way I see it is that Miriel is actually declaring war on the volcano. What reason does she have to believe that orcs had anything to do with the volcano erupting? Emmy level writing!

[@perkypink]

I got so BORED watching ROP (quit watching in the the middle of episode 5) but your analysis is infinitely more entertaining! It’s well done, beautifully thought out, and i just appreciate how justified you make me feel in not loving something I was pumped to see. BRAVO

[@DarkValorWolf]

I have been so engrossed in these videos that I'd forgotten to subscribe... Best Rings of Power analysis vids out there, by far! You're the only one who doesn't constantly attack the actors and more, but actually focuses on the writing.

[@evdweide]

Dude, you're awesome for doing this series.

[@slavoljubd6036]

I think that the amount of time I've spent watching content ridiculing this limo-wreck of a show is 20 times longer than the show itself. But nothing provided more of that perverse catharsis than your analyses. Thank you!!!

[@OldKnightAMV]

I went back and watched The Lord of the rings trilogy and it definitely helped. It's amazing how things made so long ago can be so much better in so many ways than what we produce now.

[@matthewmiller8297]

"Mediocrity combines into amorphous cosmic soup" Wow i love this channel

[@TallisKeeton]

and this cosmic soup created the Turtle :) And all will make sense again if we agree that its not Middle-Earth but the Discworld :)

[@shamrockdragon7634]

Also, remember that Isildur's horse runs off when the volcano erupts. How much you want to bet that they're gonna rip off the horse finding Aragorn in Two Towers, by having Isildur's horse find Isildur in season 2?

[@sharksbreath7]

The time wasted on the interaction between Galadriel and Theo is puzzling. Did they just pull two names out of a hat and put them together? If they had done the same with say Halbrand and Isildur that could have been interesting - considering what the future holds.

[@Janx14]

The volcanoe was clearly so evil it had no heat...unless you weren't a main character?

[@troffle]

The surviving main characters were the cold-sinks of evil.

[@brandencullinan8886]

I can't believe it's taken me until episode 7 to realize that Nori and Poppy are meant to allude to Frodo and Sam.

[@CptAvenger]

"You've kind of got to have worse eyesight than Ray Charles or worse cognitive ability than well...Patrick McKay and John D. Payne to not see what they are doing here." So damn right!

[@mayobandit]

Very happy to have found your channel through this, love the absolutely insane detail you go into with each one. If the writers of this show had half the talent or passion you've displayed we might have actually got a decent show. What a shame.

[@emptystring4530]

It would have been brilliant if they actually did start a reboot with Galadriel having a dream about this season and commenting on how bizzare the dream was. Now thats a payoff!

[@glanni]

This eruption was like in a dream, you get a muffled experience of it, but you just don't die or suffer any consequences (because it's just your mind processing information).

[@vyntarus9618]

Great analysis as usual! I also watched Fellowship of the Ring extended edition as a brain cleanser. I even decided I'd try to be more critical in my viewing this time than I have in the past, and while there's a few things you can definitely nitpick about it the good so far outweighs the bad that it's very easy to forgive.

[@aglaia3164]

I haven't watched the Rings of Power at all, and don't intend too. All of the wonderful commentary and breakdowns are far more entertaining than the show ever could be! And you have a lovely smooth voice for commentary btw

[@Panz82]

the father's reaction in 300 when his son gets beheaded by the persians is waaaaaaaaaaaaay more belivable

[@TallisKeeton]

I always expected to see in this TV show Pharazon you got in avatar. You know the proper Pharazon :)

[@GreatGreebo]

I’m rewatching your RoP series this weekend. I needed some cheering up and these have done it! I’m actually looking forward to your reviews of the season 2 episodes now. This show is a joke but nobody can make this train wreck funny the way you do and I’m looking forward to the laughs 🤣 *Thank you Random Film Talk* for doing these videos. We all truly appreciate you taking one for the team🤘

[@Gmex_ONE]

It has finally arrived‼️ Been very much looking forward to this video 😃 will let u know what I think after I view it proly this evening 👍

[@kenthehobo]

As a fan of the works of Tolkien and a fan of Kronk, I am grateful for your videos!! Great job sir!

[@TheNoonish]

Turned out that Mount Doom was something of a misnomer since its eruption is unusually safe to stand near.

[@tobybuckle7818]

I had to suffer through watching all of those episodes but honestly these are the best parts about the whole thing watching your videos is more entertaining than all of the Rings are power

[@karenlusted298]

I've been catching up with your videos and enjoying the show with your commentary and humour! Thank you for all the hard work you've done for our entertainment! Well deserved subscription.

[@arisenomega]

I have watched ROP and I have no desire to ever re-watch it, but I WILL be spending probably hundreds of hours watching YT videos tearing the show apart, and loving every minute of it!

[@justinwebb2214]

I just found your channel and binged all the ROP episodes. I'm slightly bummed i now have to wait for the two next videos lol. A few things i can conclude: you put for more critical thought into consistency, character development, logic, flow, and general writing prowess into your review videos than the writers of ROP have demonstrated. Also, Emperors New Groove some how works incredibly well as gifs, meme, and short clip inserts for youtube review content; you used them to great affect. I must also conclude that the wildly overlooked movie of Emperors New Groove is a better display of writing and world building than Rings of Power lol

[@NocandNC]

Fantastic entry yet again. The scene of Gal and Theo reminded me once again of how damn short Gal's actress is and how they did absolutely nothing to hide it. Theo's nearly the same height!! But sure, she's an ancient and awe-inspiring elven warrior, sure.

[@ChallengeIdeas]

It almost made sense in Numenor--Galadriel being 6'6" in a place where you have to be nearly 8 feet to be called "tall" (Elendil)--but everywhere else, that's a bit much.

[@magister343]

@@ChallengeIdeas Galadriel is only 6'4", but even among the Numenoreans most of the men aren't much taller than 7ft.

[@ChallengeIdeas]

@@magister343 I don't know why I thought it was 6'6". Must've confused her with someone else. Shame on me.

[@JamesMC04]

@@ChallengeIdeas Unfinished Tales say Aragorn is 6 foot 6 inches tall, as compared to Elendil’s 7 foot 11.

[@TallisKeeton]

If I was to write a fanfic about Galadriel jumping in the sea - I would explained her survival by assuming that - In Valinor Galadriel's mom is Earwen, daughter of Olwe - who is the king of Teleri, who are one of 3 elven tribes - the one whose main patron between Valars is Ulmo, lord of the waters, Tolkien's Poseidon. Ulmo's servant Uinen, one of Maiars - she was the protector of Numenorians on the sea they even called themselves Uinendili - Uinen's friends. So Ulmo took care of Galadriel - granddaughter of Ulmo's fav king :) and send her this raft on his waves. But thats only my fanfic, not 1B dollars blockbuster writing :D

[@theother1281]

Hurrah! Been enjoying the anticipation of ROPINVG part 7 and now it's here; yippee! Your shows are so enjoyable and you keep hitting the mark. I have watched the RoP episodes once but I have watched all your reviews at least twice. And now the good news that not only do we have part 8 to look forward to, but also a post-match overview of the series. Much appreciated.

[@BrainDamageComedy]

been waiting for this one - one of the best channels. top of the pile breakdown of this show. cant wait to see your review of the finale. looking forward to what happens with those character notes...

[@TallisKeeton]

one of the main problems with those screenwriters is that they seem to belive that some heroes leaving behind other heroes - esp their own family and their own ppl - is something obvious and natural ! but for me thats insane. Galadriel not searching for her husband, and even does not think that she should explain why not search for him, Elendil not searching for Isildur, even though Isildur could be alive still, Galadriel leaving behind her soldiers who were exhousted (on the iceberg I guess), hobbits leaving behind their families becouse of any small trouble - like a broken bone. And even the elves on the boat who seem not to care to return for Galadriel after she jumped in the ocean, Galadriel not caring for wounded and burned ppl when she walks away in the forest. What is that ?! How can they even think that they are able to present to audience the heroes of Middle-Earth, the good guys you know, actualy some of the best heroes M-E ever produced - with such behaviours as their constant theme ? How can anyone believe these are good guys and not psychopatic monsters ? It seems that all of those scenes with leaving behing others or not caring to help others have not much of explanaition in the show. Its not ok and it never could be ok. Those writers write about pathological heroes.

[@BarrieGledden]

Just wonderful. Thank you so much for the time and effort you clearly put into these uploads. By all accounts I'm sure it will all make sense by the end of the last episode!

[@epifaerae5100]

This is the, to me, most accurate and detailed summary of all of the episodes problems. Then again, the more often you look into a scene, the more flaws you find... Thank you for your hard work, and pleasant to listen to voice!

[@kkavehma1]

While I agree with most or almost all your commentary, I should say I thought Elendil crying was as meaningful and made sense. All the sadness and burden was piling up on him and he was trying to show a strong face but he broke at some stage. It was one of the rare scenes that made sense to me 🤪

[@lordlossize]

i disagree. the placement felt really off. it WOULD have made sense if they decided to build on it with urgency. i.e. have elendil coldheartedly say "we move on" to the others, then when isildurs friend says "what about your sons body?" he says "we cant afford to let more die trying to get it", to show that he is trying to keep his own personal attachments separate from his duties to his mens lives. hell, put his "fuck galadriel" sentiment in that scene! have his reaction to his sons death be "i hate the elf for getting my boy killed" but instead they decide to have him cry during a moment of patriotism for his country. its not like the queen was talking about isildur to bring up the tears. its really feels like a stretch what youre thinking, and it wasnt at all how they portrayed it in the show.

[@Ellebeeby]

Maybe they just turned the cameras on him whilst he was reading the script

[@faceitgm]

I've been binge watching your reviews. Eagerly anticipating the remaining reviews for rings of power and will check out your other content. I've been watching a lot of rings of power reviews and yours are by far the most satisfying and funny I've come across thus far. Keep up the amazing work.

[@fractalfae5418]

Oh my goodness Random, you just get better and better with these breakdowns. RoP is truly atrocious and I quit watching after episode 6 but your analysis makes the whole experience a huge win. At the risk of sounding like a groupie (though I just might be) your humour and insight are awesome, and the work that you put into each episode is simply breath-taking. As a fledgling wannabe writer (a girl can dream) I also find your analysis hugely constructive when pondering my own work, as your dissections are both well considered and very educational - though I guess that already means I am already overqualified for a job at Amazon Studios. It's also great seeing your channel go from strength to strength and each highly anticipated upload just gets better and better, which leads me to a request: when you've finished with RoP, would you please consider breakdowns and analysis of more shows and movies? Your insights into Blade Runner 2049 were fabulous, you have a serious talent for this, and I'd love to see more after RoP. I also think you also deserve to review some shows and movies that are not such a toll on sanity too!

[@cosmicmuffin322]

Good luck with your writing! Fifty Shades of Grey was my lightbulb moment when I realised that I was already a better writer than some hacks who are published and famous - therefore I should put aside my perfectionist self-criticism and believe in my work. If EL James and Dumb and Dumber 2 here can believe in themselves, we certainly can lol.

[@bry8636]

If these hacks made it this far, I’d say you have a great chance at success if you meet the minimum requirements of competence. Which is sad. Because there are genuinely hundreds of thousands of aspiring writers who could’ve done better work than this. Apparently writing ability has become secondary to who you know in Hollywood. Which is explains perfectly why Hollywood has fallen so far so quickly. Hollywood has been increasing its nepotism from actors to directors and producers. Which they can get away with because being a decent actor isn’t particularly difficult. But writing…well, it takes far more than just having parents who are in the industry to be even decent at. Writing well is hard. Take this as the ultimate example of what not to do. And always assume your audience is intelligent. Personally I get offended when authors insult our intelligence with scripts like this. In the case of this series I genuinely get the impression that the authors really view their audience as being so ignorant that they could get away with such overt plot flaws. Good luck.

[@fractalfae5418]

@@cosmicmuffin322 Thank you! A tutor told me that 'Perfection is the enemy of good' and it's something that has stuck with me, though self-criticism is something of a tight rope - on one hand it can be a drive to keep improving, but on the other a trap of continual doubt, despair and endless rewriting. You are absolutely right though, holding onto belief is the key and it's much appreciated advice and very timely too, thank you. Good luck to you too, and may your own writing always be a rewarding pleasure!

[@fractalfae5418]

@@bry8636 Thank you, and you are right about so much of modern writing in Hollywood. RoP is as bad as I've seen, but sadly it's far from alone and contempt for the audience is certainly a major factor. Too often it seems that the assumption from producers is that popcorn set pieces and CGI are all an audience wants, and while in some cases that might suffice (sometimes it's probably okay to just switch off and let the pretty images pass before our eyes) it's now become the norm it seems and there is no room for a good writer in that kind of approach. The intricacies and subtleties of a well crafted, well-written story, with complex, believable characters seems to actually be frowned upon and it's maybe then no wonder that so many so-called adaptations crash and burn these days, with everything that made the source material so engaging either dumbed down or simply removed. Producers seem to want to do the bare minimum and assume audiences aren't bright enough to want something more engaging, so why bother actually hiring competent writers? It's especially frustrating with RoP though, given the beauty and depth of Tolkien's source material and it's timeless appeal (I'm far from a Tolkien expert but I have read enough to enjoy the magic and depth of his work). Not only are the writers of RoP inept, but their arrogance in presuming that they are actually better than Tolkien is shocking. 'Write the story that Tolkien didn't' or whatever it was they said? Yikes. Though technically I guess they weren't wrong as Tolkien actually wouldn't have written this trash. Heck, RoP's only link with Tolkien's original works are a few names that these 'writers' stole and pasted onto their own idiotically conceived, absurdly structured, plot-hole-strewn nonsense. Was there no-one in production meetings that actually held up a hand and said 'hang on, this stuff is rubbish'? I'd argue that it doesn't even look good either. Despite all the money RoP looks cheap. What really rankles however is exactly what you mentioned about the hundreds of thousands of writers that could, indeed, have done better work than this, and as a fledgling writer this really hurts. Sure, it's no mystery that the world is very much based upon who-you-know and original work succeeding on it's own merit is uncommon at best, but to witness it so glaringly obvious as RoP is deflating. Two of my friends are also writers, and they are both more experienced - and honestly also much better with it - than I am and simply trying to get publishers engaged is hell even for them. Though we don't know JJ Abrams, so it's perhaps not surprising. You are absolutely right about assuming the audience is intelligent, and this is also one of the reasons that I really enjoy Random's breakdowns, they aren't the usual youtuber rants but actual analysis of structure, plot and characters. He actually dissects and explores WHY something doesn't work. It gives me hope that a well informed audience might actually demand better, and maybe publishers and studios might listen, though optimism is a common failing of mine. But I'm droning on so will simply conclude by saying thank you for wishing me luck. Good luck to you in all you endeavours too!

[@bry8636]

@@fractalfae5418 No! You’re not droning. I found myself nodding along with each and every statement. Particularly when you remarked of all the people who must’ve read this script, not a single person raised their hand in protest. I’d have raised two hands. And I’d need 2 or 3 more for the facepalm such a script invokes. Did they deliberately surround themselves with sycophants? Or is this the result of the HR department pursuing ideology over merit? It is arrogant. But it’s arrogance to the result of tunnel vision. Where they’re not open to any criticism. Even avoiding constructive criticism. They’ve built themselves this bubble where nothing can be challenged. Chris whatshisname put it aptly when he stated these writers and showrunners are ‘shielding themselves from criticism’ by accusing all criticism as being racially (or whatever ‘ism’ you can think of) motivated. So they gave themselves a pass. Any and all criticism is irrelevant because it stems from darkness. ‘Patently evil’ as one of the RoP showrunners said. Well no wonder it sucked. Two inexperienced showrunners put their heads down and created something that more than likely would’ve never even made it to a pilot episode much less an entire series. They gave them free reign and then the writers stuck their fingers in their ears and yelled ‘nyah, nyah, nyah I can’t hear you’. As if the criticism would just disappear. Take heart. GOT proves definitively there is a market for great writing. The good thing is that studios have to remain profitable. Meaning they can’t entertain shite ideologically motivated writing indefinitely when it’s clearly losing the studio money. Now Amazon and Disney are different animals- because of their enormous wealth. They can back this type of stuff for far longer than your average studio. But sooner or later it will come home to roost. For instance Warner Bros nixed a recent movie that was both preachy and terrible. After it was fully completed. They just ate the 80-90 million dollars in production rather than put the movie out there where it might at least mitigate their losses. So it’s happening, slowly but surely. We might see Amazon and Disney hold out longer, but the change has already begun. Keep writing and trust the intelligence of your audience. There will always be a place for such good stories. But yes, it’s a complete travesty that hacks have stolen opportunities from thousands of better writers with better ideas and far more talent. Hopefully studios will realize that a company built on meritocracy will always be far more successful than one built on nepotism and ideology. The problem of course is having to thread the needle through the HR department who have all control of hiring and can change a company rapidly by seizing the reigns of only a single facet of the company…who is hired. ‘Why does a stone sink and a ship float?’ Ummm… That is bad writing on multiple levels. It’s a terrible attempt at feigning profundity when it’s nothing of the sort. Is it a metaphor? Metaphors work because they revert to universal truths as a comparison. Something everyone knows to explain something more obscure. Why a rock sinks is a fundamental and universal truth. You don’t redefine that truth and expect such phrasing to still hold water. This doesn’t qualify as a metaphor, a simile? I don’t know, but it’s wrong a fundamental level as well as being undeservedly pretentious writing.

[@hatuletoh]

There aren't many one hour, eight minute, and 36 second videos I watch all the way through, but a review/takedown of Amazon's Lard of the Rings: Rangs o' Power by Random Film Talk is one of them.

[@whom382]

There is a 5 hour breakdown of what was wrong with a couple of Doctor Who seasons that is on this level that I've watched.

[@HVjugo]

thank you, I much rather use 1 hour of my life watching your analysis than the actual episode. Keep up the good content!

[@ashleytrepith887]

I personally like Disparu's thought's on Elendil crying, essentially Elendil is thinking to himself: "There's two women behind me who are going to destroy the world, and I don't the authority to stop either of them. Also, great videos man. XD

[@johnconcerto8721]

I’ve listened to all of these videos about five times now, as I put them on when I go to sleep, they all play through, and I try to figure out where I was the next day, and also listen to them during the day, while also listening to snippets when I wake up in the night during sleep cycles. I’m all over the place. The good thing is, I just love listening to the sheer forensic analysis again and again. Something about it, the rapid onslaught of shocking plot holes, contrivances and general tearing apart this monstrosity for endless hours is so stimulating to the brain. It’s like a brain massage.

[@dualwieldroxas358]

Something even worse about the Celeborn and Galadriel situation is the writers lifted the story from Beren and Luthien, the love story Tolkien made dedicated to the love he had for his wife, whom he saw as an almost sylph-like and otherworldy beauty full of elven grace. It was one of his most precious works, and meant so much that he had his wife's tombstone have Luthien engraved upon it. They basically stole the most personal and precious story of Tolkien's and shoved it in thier OC's backstory...

[@big_red01027]

"Give me the meat, and give it to me raw", ha ha. Elendil should absolutely NOT be shown crying...but one look at that photo of Payne and McKay clarifies why it was done instantly.

[@skatman3278]

Been waiting for this! Can't be easy picking the best 'worst' bits when it's so full of bad bits.

[@roushannah]

Perverse catharsis is the most fitting description. However, this all goes far beyond the guilty pleasure, because I have learnt many things about story-telling thanks to your videos.

[@Mdhneo007]

Never seen RoP, but watched about 45hrs of reviews of it 👍👍

[@tyranomu]

Now I've definately watched twice as many hours of content reviwing ROP than ROP's runtime. Half of that was your content! Thank uou for voicing much of what I think about this crappy show and pointing out a lot else I didn't notice. Looking forward to the next video. Also, I've no Idea what the season 2 will even be about.

[@paulderosa3065]

1:18:00 I’ll admit I couldn’t stop chuckling when Largo was giving his speech talking about how “ Our hearts are bigger than our feet!” I kept thinking “Yeah! Unless you slow down slightly!” Then you’re wolf chow!”

[@NarcissistAU]

1:22:09 "... because she was too busy being a fat." I laughed so hard I thought my socks would never dry.

[@Chewie2208]

I love the sneaky meltagun in there. Never has there been a better visual clue as to something getting vaporised.

[@randomft]

The extra damage when within half range burns my ass.

[@Chewie2208]

@@randomft At least we know that Mount Doom was more than 6 inches away from the village now. Which is consistent with what we saw in the show. It's about the only consistency though.

[@noveltea9593]

Hearing the amazon writer's attempts at Tolkienian speech makes me sad

[@raimondv4424]

I became aware of you, RFT, after your guest visit on EFAP. Having seen your Hobbit reconstructions and 6/9 parts of ROP I conclude I like your style, dry sense of humour, and ability to break down content in a coherent, clear, and articulate way. Great job! Keep them coming! I thoroughly enjoy them. Appreciate your hard work! Grtz

[@Yattayatta]

Amazing content, just found you randomly on my recommended and this is top tier stuff

[@domzdaman373]

Just wanna say, I stumbled across your first video on RoP and I’ve watched them all up to this point - your content is very funny, well thought out, and detailed in all the right ways. Keep it up man.. you’re doing an amazing job :)

[@omaroba1490]

Another great breakdown. i alost want to thank Amazon for making Rings of power of bad. i gotten hours and hours and hours of super smart entertaining breakdowns from my new KZbin favs.

[@hugomouro6555]

Still some of the best content related to ROP. Bring on number 8! Cheers.

[@Absyss]

I can confidently say I watched pretty much all LotR RoP roasts but Random Film Talk does the most indepth and thorough reviews. Great combination of humour and information - also love the fact there is this Elevator Music when he writes his notes. Nice touch :D

[@UkiWoDao]

Thoroughly entertaining. I think this kind of quality and effort will result in the sub count it deserves. :)

[@TurielD]

Thanks for writing and recording all this mate. It does indeed give perverse catharsis

[@michaeljbuckley]

Listening back to your season 1 review. The increase in your quality both editing amd scripting from episode 1 to this is stark. Excellent work rando!! Also this episode is you most unhinged! 😂 Possibly RoP has broken your brain!! All the best with season 2. I have no intention to watch it but your videos are topping my list 😂

[@dikdik9309]

man ive watched and rewatched your video series so many times, i almost know it by heart hahaha can't wait for the next one!

[@nouyellowmoon]

Omg! I’ve been waiting patiently for this ❤ grabbing the popcorn 🍿

[@ariannatokhi7877]

😂 im just here to say that im a diehard LOTR fan and this commentary is pure gold!! What made me giggle 😅 aloud was you calling the one of the Androgenites fEminem😂 i love your content ❤you got a new subscriber 🎉

[@HateshWarkio]

1:40:25 "Thematic aspect of Galadriel seeing herself in Theo, no, not in that way, you pervert." I don't know man, it is also the first time she brings up her missing/dead husband

[@nategraham6946]

Elrond understanding Khuzdul violates canon, as does a dwarf speaking it in front of him. Dwarves are very protective and secretive of their language, considering it sacred and learned from the Vala Aule, and they never speak it in front of a non-dwarf, ever, even their names are kept secret. And Elrond's line about being half-elven is rather stupid. At the end of the first age, all half-elves had to chose whether to live as elves or as men. Elrond chose to live as an elf, and his brother Elross chose to live as a man and was the first king of Numenor. So he is for all intents and purposes, now fully elven.

[@Geminik87]

Man.. I can't wait you to see episode 8.. That one will test you to your limits, they saved the best for last..

[@kostantza1]

The way you described what Norrie's rational reaction to the consequences of her action reminded me so much of Powder/Jinx in Arcane, and I think that comparison with a much, much better character in an infinitesimally better constructed world makes it even more obvious how unnaturally everyone reacts to the weight of past events in this series....

[@andrzej_autko]

Please, release the last part, I cannot live without it!!! It's already been 11 days FFS\

[@shetlandapache949]

Best thing about this show is realizing afrock might have a name, but it's not worth finding out

[@AriseInGondolin]

I would love to listen to you and Little Platoon tear this show apart as a team. You should see if that's possible. It would be legendary. 🤟

[@lexnight8345]

This is actually an insane ideea

[@AriseInGondolin]

@@lexnight8345 Insane in a good way, right?

[@lexnight8345]

@@AriseInGondolin Yes they both have best type of criticism I discovered from when the clown fiesta named Lord of the Prime started

[@AriseInGondolin]

@@lexnight8345 Right? That's why I wanna see them together. It would be great. Similar but different, complimentary.

[@lexnight8345]

@@AriseInGondolin Agree

[@sotiriospeithis6659]

Your sacrifice in providing us this catharsis will not be forgotten.

[@mistybehaviours]

The things that I am sure about in TROP is that nothing makes sense and the sea is always right

[@Violaphobia]

I love that in part 7 of a 10?hour series made by a 10 sub Andy is still injecting New clips into the Groove of his critiques, and they're still perfectly chosen 👏

[@zeraphking1407]

This is seriously some of the best content on KZbin.

[@offtheshelfET]

I just now put together that the weird face on your avatar is Yzma's. Your avatar is just a mixture between Kronk and Yzma, I love that😂

[@JackChurchill101]

Another long night drive and another RoP analysis... Sick!