Rings of Power S1 - One Year Later | Reflection, Controversies, Looking Ahead - Video Essay

It has been one year since season 1 of the Rings of Power officially released, and today, I thought it would be interesting to go back, reflect on the show, take a look at its impact, and attempt to conceive of what lies ahead. Thank you all so much for joining me today, let me know your thoughts on ROP now that one year has passed in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
#RingsofPower
#Tolkien
#Lore
Castle Kon Replicas:
castlekon.com/
Mythologie Candles:
mythologiecandles.com/?ref=kB...
Consider donating to our Patreon for the Westernesse Podcast and Discord Server:
/ menofthewest
Check out our Merch:
www.spreadshirt.com/shop/user...
Check out our music channel:
/ @musicmotw
Join us on Facebook at:
/ yoystan
Join us on Twitter at:
/ yoystan
Rings of Power - Season 1 Reviews:
• Rings of Power - Seaso...
Thank you for your (Valar and Elf tiers) patronage and support!
Moon Viper
Theodore
Robert Bogue
KingofGames2500
Kings Wild Project
Bryan Garwood
adam petrlik
Anthony Harmon
Arthur
Blair Scouten
Merlin
Elizabeth Calvert
John Hume
Jonathan Putnam
Kyle Wetzel
Maz Gibs
merten
Peter Sheppard
Rhys Jenkins
Sam mcbee
April Green
Brent Paredes
Chiara Siaset
Corwin Nemeth
Dale Starbuck
Helko
Jpcjr
Matthew Jacoby
Matthew Rivas
Memory Troll
Peter DeVault
Psynexus
Susan Henry
Tobias Göldner
Van Hardison, PhD
metalguy87
Saoirse Rose
NicthevikTv
Marc
Paul Leone
theo
Jake Pedsneuro
Bryan Garwood
Inge Marie Schmidlin
theo
Mason Mathias
Estellise
Ashley Dilley
Tyler Lund
Bryan Sowder
(These are active patrons, if you don’t see your name, there may be an issue with your donation)
The new Men of the West thumbnail logo overlay was created by Raffe:
@RaffetheRandom on Twitter
The new Men of the West logo was created by Beau:
beauy.art?...
The new Men of the West intro was created by Tyler Lund:
tylerlund.mystrikingly.com/
The image “Bag End” was created by Wayne Glassbrook at designly.net
The first song used in this video:
Peace of Mind by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
License: filmmusic.io/standard-license
The last song used in this video is from:
library.techsmith.com/
Many related and/or used art come from these artists and sources:
Ralph Damiani:
www.deviantart.com/ralphdamiani
www.artstation.com/ralphdamiani
Ted Nasmith:
www.tednasmith.com/
Jenny Dolfen:
goldseven.wordpress.com/
Alan Lee:
www.iamag.co/the-art-of-alan-...
John Howe:
www.john-howe.com/portfolio/g...
Hildebrant Brothers:
www.brothershildebrandt.com/Br...
Magali Villeneuve
www.magali-villeneuve.com/
EKukanova:
www.deviantart.com/ekukanova/...
steamey:
www.deviantart.com/steamey
SaMo-art:
www.deviantart.com/samo-art/g...
Anke Eissmann:
anke.edoras-art.de/anke_illust...
Kip Rasmussen:
www.kiprasmussen.com/
alystraea:
www.deviantart.com/alystraea
peet:
www.deviantart.com/peet

[@Skeletongentleman7808]

Rings of Power made me appreciate The Hobbit Trilogy much more I’ll give it that

[@elidasilva5558]

Like the Prequel Trilogy of Star Wars compared to the sequel trilogy

[@Skeletongentleman7808]

@@elidasilva5558 I was fortunate enough to grow up with the Clone Wars TV show so that kind of already made me appreciate at least the world building aspect of the prequels but your point still stands for the broader Star Wars audience I’m sure.

[@pentegarn1]

Yeah The Hobbit looks like the cream of the crop now!!!

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

Tolkien Legendurim is not canon, its legends loool

[@bennruda11]

Isn't it odd when a corporation buys up IP and ppl enjoy what was a hated prequel, makes you think. Prequel for SW n LotR still sucks but at least it had better structure

[@ShadowDragon-cw7wb]

This show must be cast back into the fire from whence it came!

[@dimitrilitovsk2372]

Even the hell fires of mount doom won't cleanse this poor interpretation of tolkiens works All jokes aside, they could've done better but the show wasn't offensively bad, just something I will never watch and something i wont recommend to any LOTR fans

[@CalebBryantDurham]

😂😂😂😂

[@grallonsphere271]

@@dimitrilitovsk2372 I have to disagree, it WAS offensively bad!

[@neildaly2635]

Destroy it!

[@LandStrider23]

​@@dimitrilitovsk2372dafuq? That shi1 was terrible. Definitely offensively bad

[@johnallen6254]

This wasn’t just bad “lord of the rings”, it was just a bad show all around. Case and point: Harfoots: “our hearts are bigger than our feet!!” “Nobody walks alone!!! 🎶” Also Harfoots: ruthlessly abandoning the sick, the injured, and the inconvenient people……

[@stevenstehling]

It's almost as if the show was written by a bunch of different people that didn't communicate and the director didn't care that nothing was consistent.

[@TalonSky]

I mean, humans IRL are the exact same way. Everyone thinks of themselves as a good person, but most societies as a whole utterly abandon veterans, the unhoused, and the disabled.

[@stevenstehling]

@@TalonSky There's a big difference between a massive society comprised of millions of people and a small tribe compromised of a handful of families and every individual knows each other. The differences are so glaring that I'm surprised they hadn't occurred to you and resulted in abandoning that comparison. It also doesn't explain away the inconsistent characterization. Through exposition the writers claim that they are loyal and caring, but then demonstrate the opposite. This wasn't deliberate artistic choices. This was just incompetence on behalf of the writers and director.

[@NetherCrafterSMC]

Gotta walk to be able to not walk alone lol

[@SvenTviking]

How, How the hell did the not see that? Somebody has got to interview Lenny Henry and put that point.

[@Stratos.2]

Unfortunately, it's beyond repair with what they already did. They literally changed everything, and just because they could, for a variety of reasons. It doesn't feel anything like Tolkien's world because it is not his world.

[@MWhaleK]

Agreed! They took out everything that made LotR great and replaced it with very shallow ultra modern dumbness. It was a very cheap and shallow attempt at cash grab.

[@purefoldnz3070]

why even try to adapt the second age when they had no rights to the Silmarillion?

[@glennross85]

Agreed. Horse has bolted. Put it down.

[@flavio17021979]

Fully agreed 👍 unfortunately I expect another total flop 😕

[@Alexs.2599]

Agreed, Amazon has not and will not learn a big lesson from this. They're too arrogant.

[@johns1625]

My brother in law knows I'm a Tolkien nut, and he was always a big fan of the movies but not much more. We watch the movies every Christmas and last year he told me "Man isn't it crazy that Sauron used to be a super handsome and kind and misunderstood man who was friends with Galadriel?" and I wanted to projectile vomit onto the puzzle we were working on lmao.

[@goyonman9655]

What an unfortubate comment

[@mordorobsidian]

In one aspect, I think your brother was correct (although he only derived his opinion from the show.) According to Tolkien Letters: "At the beginning of the Second Age he [Sauron] was still beautiful to look at, or could still assume a beautiful visible shape..." Heck, in my opinion, Halibrand looks rather 'conventionally' attractive, but in a rather boring way. In my head canon, Sauron looks more like a very fair elf (this is a contentious subject.) Google "Sauron beautiful" and take a look at some of the images, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[@shawn092182]

​@@mordorobsidianWell, the only difference between beardless Men and Elves were their height. On average, Elves were taller then Men.

[@gretimedgyesi5325]

this was not really nailed in the show tho@@shawn092182

[@fantasywind3923]

@@mordorobsidian the technicalities being Sauron in fair form is supposed to be charismatic and cunning deceiver but the whole thing about "kind and misunderstood man who was friends with Galadriel" is completely wrong :). In any case the show's depiction of Sauron 'fair form' is complete garbage for that form of "super handsome" wouldn't pass so to the Elves...the show doesn't have any sort of continuity with either films or books so let's not confuse things, the show being such garbage fanfic doesn't deserve to be counted as 'official representation' of Tolkien's vision! So it cannot be part of larger continuity being impossible to be compatible with the any sort of continuity.

[@xtremeranger30]

Without Akallabêth and Unfinished-Tales rights you really can't make a Second Age Show, but they failed to even follow the Appendices for the Second Age.

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

Tolkien Legendurim is not canon, its legends loool

[@Ka_T_ya]

They choose to make it , though . They have LOTR not just the appendices and The Hobbit rights . There are some key stuff they could have taken as a legal source such as the council of Elrond chapter in the fellowship for some bits and pieces of info to help ,as well. But even if they wanted to create their entirely new narrative , they didn’t have to go in a way to fully contradict the existent . And could have made a better job in writing and following some logic within their own frame . But they choose not to.

[@xtremeranger30]

​@@Ka_T_ya You're right the Council of Elrond does provide a good framework to work within for adapting the Second Age since Elrond's exposition on it. Also some of the poetry like the Fall of Gil-galad, but we saw how they butchered Gil-galad's character as a manipulative and deceitful king.

[@purefoldnz3070]

@@Ka_T_ya they choose to rewrite the second age and repeatedly fell on their faces. How they thought a first time tv writers could do better than Tolkien is beyond insane.

[@georgiosFreeman]

As Yoystan had said right from the beginning there are themes. You don't have to be strictly accurate on events, but when you have the High King punishing Galadriel for seeking out Sauron by exiling her to Valinor... well that was the moment I knew the showrunners have no idea what they are doing. And that was the first minutes of the first episode. How could they mix up Mithril and Silmarils and Balrogs with the diminishing of the Elves? How could they reveal Sauron before the Rings were made? Will he have power over them because he suggested basic metallurgy to the greatest Elven smith of his time? As I like to say anymore, the script was like they entered a high school class and asked the students who liked the Lord Of The Rings movies to right an essay.

[@yair1010]

One year for the abomination of a show? My how time flies!

[@Joreel]

And at least 5 more years to go according to Amazon.

[@TallisKeeton]

😮‍💨🤦‍♀🤬

[@pheunithpsychic-watertype9881]

Time flies because there's nothing new worth remembering

[@rulotron]

This was an insult to Tolkien's work, I hope they cancel it, complete an utter garbage.

[@MWhaleK]

Very much so, they seeming took a quick look at the themes of Tolkien's work of love dedicated to the things he was a fan of and then not only threw that out but went in the exact opposite direction with putting much if any deep thought into it. They took a world that a scholar, a professor spent decades carefully building and thought they could replace it with something worked out over the course of a few days at best.

[@Rakonax]

it was great.

[@Alexs.2599]

Amazon is contacted to do 5 seasons. But they have to do at least do 3 season before they possibly cancel it.

[@Parasmunt]

I would rather they went on with it and it cost them a lot of money. This was an insult and punishment is due.

[@orion848]

I was so disappointed with Rings of Power that it convinced me to finally read The Silmarillion and appendices, and I'm so happy I did, because it made me love Tolkien more than ever. So thanks to ROP for being so bad that it inspired me to do more reading.

[@jeffreybeckham1130]

Please no more about this bastardization of Tolkien. "Rings of Power" will only be an insult to his memory, and a huge mistake on the part of his estate that they allowed a company like Amazon to do such a thing.

[@MKucheran]

But that’s the point. If nobody covers how bad this show is then the only people talking about it will be saying how good it is. That is how garbage like the rings of power is able to perpetuate. Also, by making videos talking about how much better the lore is, it creates an opportunity for people unfamiliar with that lore to get an introduction and perhaps that intro sparks the flame of curiosity in them. They delve into the lore and then the realize what a poor representation the rings of power is. They stop watching and start calling for a more lore accurate offering. This is how positive change happens. So while I agree, the rings of power is trash and undeserving of any sort of coverage, the fact that it is so bad sort of demands that it be spoken about in those terms.

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

Tolkien Legendurim is not canon, its legends loool

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

the amazon show is neither canon and the same with the first age stories in general

[@LandStrider23]

​@@ChosenOne-il4bmit is NOT the same. Read The Silmarillion

[@JoSan3]

​​@@ChosenOne-il4bmWhen you're clueless but trying to act smart

[@thormadsen3173]

My biggest problem is with RoP and a lot of other adaptations, is that the writers think they are writing their own story instead of telling the story of someone else to their best ability.

[@shannonceleste5557]

imagine all the good in the world Bezos could've done, while saving himself a billion dollars and even more public ridicule, and still could've put energy into hiring competent writers to produce fantastic original series for their streaming service Instead Jeff Besos continues to display in the most shallow way possible why 'no one man should have all that power' (I hate to use a Kanye reference but I liked the play on words :/ )

[@Donnirononon]

One year later it is still incredibly shit and i despise every single part of it

[@dominushydra]

Amen.

[@johns1625]

3:35 This screenshot actually summarizes the whole show pretty well. Galadriel has her blade to the throat of Sauron himself. She's sworn to pursue him to the end and stop him at all cost. Many have died under her command thinking she was insane but she did not stop. Now she finally has him. But rather than saying nothing and just cutting his throat she opts for some "You will ALWAYS be evil! I will NEVER date you!", because obviously the story is all about her and her selfishness and her vanity, but all of this literally flew six inches over the show writers heads the whole time 😂😂🤮🤮💀💀

[@gunkulator1]

Yes, the implication was that Sauron turned back to evil after being rejected by Galadriel. What a ridiculous notion.

[@banan_woo]

​@@gunkulator1 he was never planning on being good because he has a convoluted notion of what saving middle-earth means. he was just trying to manipulate her. so he never "turned back", he was always evil, he just took the "it's-for-a-good-cause" stamp off and showed his true intention, which was to rule. this incessant annoyingness about a show that's really not all that bad (though it has its flaws) is really irritating.

[@rileycord1248]

If anyone hasn't seen it yet, Tolkien Untangled made a 5 part series about a second age series with the the rights Amazon has and manages to make it fantastic.

[@123nody]

I literally got goosebumps when I listened to him. It was amazing

[@carlpeters8690]

Excellent indeed!

[@Rootcauz]

I love love love Tolkien Untangled. Rainbow Dave is an amazing storyteller

[@stanleyfranks9891]

Rainbow Dave is doing the Lords work!!

[@OpalLeigh]

Thank you for the heads up!! I hadn’t watched that one yet:)

[@OttoRoesch28]

One year later: yeah it still sucks.

[@CelebornGaming]

Rings of Power lives rent free in your head, man.

[@rafaelgustavo7786]

The big problem I felt watching the Series is that it didn't feel like a "love letter" of Tolkien's mythology. I did not feel the "spirit" and essence of the work, regardless of whether it is the appendix or the "main" work. I think they needed to adapt the "concept", even if they didn't respect the chronology of the timeline. Personally, I think that Peter Jackson's adaptation lacks in many aspects of Lore, but he knew how to adapt the emotion, adventure, friendship of the characters, courage, sacrifice, etc. Rings of Power wanted to "reflect the modern world". They wanted to "write the story that Tolkien never wrote". And look at the bad result. Even though the appendices lack details, the producers could have relied on Tolkien's sources: Celtic, Finnish, Germanic mythology, etc. For example, how to adapt Second Age Sauron? IMHO Sauron was a pseudo Promethean figure generating religious engineering in Harad and Rhûn with the metallurgical revolution he made in the east and south. They could make Sauron inspired by Mephistopheles from Goethe's Faust or Azazel from the book of Enoch or Lucifer from Paradise Lost. How to adapt Second Age Galadriel? She was supposed to be a sage and a political opponent of Annatar's reformist ideas. She was a philosopher-queen archetype. In the series she was a Karen. How to adapt Númenor? Númenor is a moral and theological story about life x death x immortality x human nature. In the series Númenor was about "Elven workers taking Númenóreans jobs". How to introduce black and asian characters? Tolkien said in an interview that he was inspired by ancient Aethiopia and the Saracens for the creation of Harad. About the east he was inspired by Asia (China, Japan, etc). They could make homage to North African, sub-Saharan African myth and Asian cultures and stories. But the woke writers used tokenism.

[@paulsteinhauser434]

Exactly listen to this man.

[@Donnirononon]

A love letter to Tolkien? They dug out his skeletton, bent it over and raped it

[@melkhiordarkfell4354]

​@@paulsteinhauser434Probably shouldn't listen to anyone that says "woke".

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

Tolkien Legendurim is not canon, its legends loool

[@fcsimo]

@@melkhiordarkfell4354so then what’s your argument then? The show was woke by design.

[@markoconnor7163]

I wanted to see a TV show or some kind of adaptation of The Silmarillion for 20+ years, and when heard that it was finally being made I was so excited. Over the years since it was first announced until the time it came out my excitement slowly gave way to, curiosity, then shock and lastly horror and the bastardisation of one of my most beloved stories. By the time it came out I'd already decided to never watch it, and judging on what I've heard about it from most people I think this was the right decision.

[@Alexs.2599]

You made the right decision. Watching the series would have just been so frustrating to the point of making you want to throw things at a wall lol.

[@shawn092182]

There's no adaptation of the Silmarillion.

[@tripbreaker]

It was very convenient that 1000 years before LOTR all these meaningful events happened within a 6 month time period of each other. That’s the impression I got from the first season.

[@sethbartley2212]

Yeah. how did just the fellowship movie feel like it covered a longer time period than an entire season of a tv show?

[@purefoldnz3070]

its more convenient that Mordor literally had an on switch.

[@Rakonax]

because noone would watch a show that shows one event and then 999 years of nothingness

[@M4tJa2]

6months? Meteor falls in the first episode. And later Waldreg says it has been weeks since the fall. Unless by weeks he means months.

[@neildaly2635]

“It was bad plain and simple.” You said it all, the lame show doesn’t deserve any further analysis. My hope is season two will be so bad, it will be scrapped and soon to be forgotten.

[@Joreel]

They're guaranteed 5 or 6 seasons upfront, so we'll be seeing this garbage for at least 5 more years.

[@beyondlimitationsvideo]

@@Joreel Unless... hear me out... you don't watch it! Because watching this crap and then ranting online about it still gives it attention. The very best thing is to give such shit zero attention.

[@lukeluke333lukeluke]

While I didn't like the first season at all. I hope the second season so bad it gets scrapped like you said or better, it turns things around is gets better. I don't have any hope it will get better but I still wish for it to get better.

[@seufererfamily]

The real problem I had with the show was that they didn't follow the lore, not even close. And then the show runners would lie about how close they were following the lore. Which was obvious they weren't. I hate it when people lie to me. Especially when they think I'm too dumb to know it.

[@shannonceleste5557]

Unfortunately so many projects that get greenlit recently tend to talk down to the audience. Which is like, rule 2 of what _not_ to do in storytelling (right after "show, don't tell")

[@SOUL-KING-93]

Rings of Power made me rethink my life and how precious time is to not be wasted on such a bad show.

[@Don9872]

My favourite part of season 1 of rings of power was when the Numenorean blacksmith guild dude, who Sauron beat up, gives the 'elves are gonna take all our jobs' speech. Truly one of the most epic moments in any fantasy story!!!

[@rluppi]

I have to ask if that is true. I have not watched the infernal thing, and I will never watch the infernal thing, so I have to ask.

[@Don9872]

@rluppi I can't find a clip of the scene, but I'll briefly sum it up. Galadriel is stranded at sea and is rescued (along with a man who turns out to be Sauron) by Elendil and is taken to Numenor. It turns out numenor has shut itself off from elves for generations, and the arrival of Galadriel is controversial. A smithing guildsman addresses a crowd saying that elves don't age and don't tire so will take trades from the Numenoreans, despite there being only one elf, Galadriel, on the island who wants to leave as soon as possible. Ar-Pharazon then comes along and calms the crowd, saying he'll never let Numenor be dominated by elves. Yes, it is as eye roll inducing as it sound.

[@CounciloftheRings]

I respect you covering the series again, I simply couldn't be bothered any more. I like your commentary about the "the sea is always right". I'd like to add one thing to that, that also bothers me now, that I think about it. The show personifies the sea, like if it was 1 single person/ being with its own will, but that's not what it is in Middle-earth; instead there are several beings that have powers over the sea. The most obvious one is Ulmo, but the Númenóreans also feared Ossë and his unpredictable nature. Likewise Uinen, was revered by the Númenóreans, so they didn't praise the sea, but rather those that tamed it and blessed the Númenóreans. I think that's a major difference. Interestingly enough the text in UT also indicates Sauron had control of the sea and its winds, which caused a lot of trouble to Aldarion on one of his later voyages. So to personify the sea is just such a different take than what the lore actually provides. Anyway I just thought that was an interesting note to point out. and yes I agree with you; the show should probably be cancelled. I don't think they can "start sticking to the lore", it's simply too late for that with all the "mistakes". If season 2 fails (as I expect it to) it's more likely. Time will tell. I agree that I hope we'll eventually put it behind us and move forward united instead of divided. Cheers ✌🧙‍♂

[@paulsteinhauser434]

It never felt like Tolkien at all just a modern fanfiction to mimic game of thrones.

[@jeffreybeckham1130]

It's so much worse than that

[@paulsteinhauser434]

@@jeffreybeckham1130 I know that's just the tip of the iceberg.

[@CelebornGaming]

What part tries to replicate Got?

[@paulsteinhauser434]

@@CelebornGaming helms deep but the audience couldn't see the fighting.

[@dimitrilitovsk2372]

@@paulsteinhauser434 fanfictions have done better for free (0$ budget) than Amazon did with an enormous budget

[@sladelawton]

Honestly the only thing I’m looking forward with Rings of Power season 2 is watching Nerdrotic and Yostens’ reviews.

[@chase3283]

Like everyone else here, I’m a huge Tolkien fan. But I got a few episodes into the first season. Then i forgot to watch the next episode when it dropped. Then I forgot again. Then I just realized I almost forgot about it entirely and never finished it. The show made me, a die hard Tolkien fan, forget that it even existed.

[@Layla5067]

I found I just did not care what happened to the characters. I lasted about 4 episodes until I started forgetting.

[@ShotgunWizard]

Regarding the chills… some content creators were clearly paid (directly or indirectly) to promote the show, and that’s why they received a lot of deserved criticism. I mean come on, when you get invited to the UK to go spend a week in all the cool spot and get free stuffs from the studio… you become a spokesperson for Amazon and they know it

[@AnnaMarianne]

Yep. That's why it's called the access media. You speak favorably of the product and you get access by the producers of the product.

[@killgriffinnow]

Slimy, honourless vermin. Like Grima Wormtongue but worse.

[@SAINTOBVIOUS]

Like NERD OF THE RINGS. Fraud.

[@darkoilic8553]

​@@SAINTOBVIOUShis channel is very good but but i personally unsubscribed from his channel after i sow that he supports this garbage tv show

[@allthatishere]

@@darkoilic8553 I just think you guys are be being complete babies about this. The man when to an event for the show, so what? I watched his review for the series and he had alot of criticism for it, but none of that matters because he didn't shit on it as hard as Nerdrotic, right? What I truly find interesting here, is that Amazon gaslit the Tolkien community by calling you guys toxic, and you guys ended up proving them right in every sense of the word. Yoystan comments on this in this same video, about the gatekeeping as well. I'm either on your side or I'm against you. There's no fucking middle ground here.

[@dimitrilitovsk2372]

I'm thinking that amazon just assumed they could throw money at a popular franchise and make profit without legitimately understanding Tolkiens vision. Not that the show looked bad, the graphics were great, but the style and the story weren't what i was hoping for. They could've given us a new movie about the last days of ungoliant or something else that doesn't have a concrete answer so that it could be entertaining to Tolkien lovers and new fans

[@rksnj6797]

They did the almost the same thing to Wheel of Time. It was terrible! Even if they threw ROP money into WOT, it still would be bad.

[@Alexs.2599]

Agreed, they obviously do not understand Tolkien's vision in any shape or form.

[@dimitrilitovsk2372]

@@Alexs.2599 I've read fanfiction that did Tolkien better for free than Amazon did with an absurdly high budget

[@mondkalb9813]

@@rksnj6797 Exactly. And they do the same thing in RoP and in WoT: Deviating from the source material in bizarre ways, cutting important stuff, inventing their own garbage, and populating regions where very distinct people would reside with a forced-in diverse medley of a range of people like it where a modern city. It's fantasy people, there are no plains and stuff to achieve that. Heck, in some far-off villages in WoT there is way more diversity than in my own village in the 21st century. That's just absurd. It also fails to give different places their distinct flair that they have in the books.

[@gunkulator1]

@@mondkalb9813WoT upset a lot of people because they assumed the characters from the Two Rivers would be white. They're not and there's no reason they need to be. Rand is the exception which is why he stands out as being of foreign birth. American audiences aren't used to a world where white people are the minority.

[@thedoor43]

Before this show started to be marketed, I was very much against gatekeeping. After the marketing push started, I completely flipped on that. The leading Amazon approved voices of the Tolkien fandom are now people that are not even trying to hide that they think Tolkien is "problematic" and that his works promote "white supremacy" I would absolutely support gatekeeping people who hate Tolkien from the LOTR fandom, if it was possible. ROP is the result of people like that taking control and it hurts my soul to watch it happen.

[@neurotraveller]

Better to not even give it any thought and ignore its existence.

[@dominushydra]

Yes that's the best thing this channel can do to be honest.

[@kreestuh4367]

I'm the resident Tolkien nut to most of my friends. After the release of the first two episodes, I had two separate friends, in two different countries, ask me if the show!Galadriel was the book!Galadriel's grandmother/distant relative. They legitimately didn't think she was the same character at all because her personality was so dramatically different from LOTR (novel and movie). That was a real laugh or otherwise you'd cry moment. I had to explain that the show is barely related to the book version(s) of events so it's hard to say what they were going for... I understand that the Second Age is a hard storyline to adapt at the best of times, not counting the rights issues they were dealing with. But what they produced was so lackluster the narrative barely stands on it's own. Both friends ended up dropping the show because they were confused about what was happening or why they should care. Which is a tragic waste, considering the richness of Tolkien's world.

[@TheGiantTiger]

I think that it was so disappointing that most of us deleted this creation from our memory. That is why you don't hear so many comments about it. It is brave of you to have made a video on it, and for that, thank you!

[@kevinknight287]

“How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep.” -Frodo Baggins

[@geviesanta3631]

Man, who would've thought that after a whole year, I never got to see that show. I'm not sure if I should be happy that I missed out on it or if I should be disappointed in how it actually turned out.

[@jeffreybeckham1130]

Your time would be better spent watching grass grow, methinks

[@geviesanta3631]

@jeffreybeckham1130 Maybe you're right. Maybe there's just some things that are worth doing alot better than watching this crap.

[@bauchbart]

Spare yourself the grief and just ignore its existence. No rant I made, no argument I had and no frustration over this pile of shit was ever worth my time or the straining of my nerves and spending of my energy. Do yourself the favour and watch the movies again instead. That is time more wisely spent.

[@LandStrider23]

I have no regrets never watching the show. And never will do so willingly

[@Rakonax]

the show was actually pretty good, sure people will answer to my comment saying i am so wrong because this and that, but i don't care. i liked it and no gatekeeper with some opinions he thinks are facts can change that

[@scottcameron174]

I am still just baffled at how they took the concept of mithril and bastardized to such an extent.

[@Alexs.2599]

I know that was so stupid. Mithril having a connection to a Silmaril? Come on!

[@Parocha]

@@Alexs.2599they actually did THAT? I tend to steer away from ROP videos and content, so this is news to me (and flabbergasting ones)

[@Alexs.2599]

@@Parocha @Parocha Yeah They subtly put that in there. A Silmaril lost in the ground and Mithril is the result of that, so stupid. Seriously bro this series is terrible.

[@Parocha]

@@Alexs.2599 thanks for replying. That’s a terrible idea! What’s next? Hobbits are the result of Elves and Dwarves interbreeding.?

[@alexmalcolm6309]

I always say that one of the good things about Middle Earth is that, unlike an ongoing series like a comic or a show, the story is already written. Anything that is done with it afterwards can ignored if you wish without losing any enjoyment or missing out on lore, because ultimately, what you came for is still here and can't be taken away.

[@sto3359]

It was crap in this age, and it will continue to be so in the ages to come.

[@stevenv2190]

Just like most of what came out last year. Utter dumpster fire material.

[@kaidorade1317]

Yesterday our favorite author passed into the West. I believe we all know what video Yoystan will do today one year from now! ;) also season two of ROP? Let it stay there; let it rot!

[@CelebornGaming]

No

[@ethanmillward675]

This show stripped away just about everything I love about Middle Earth. Gone is the great sense of time and scale making it feel much bigger and greater. Gone is Sauron’s legitimacy as a villain. Instead of a schemer and master manipulator we got a washed up guy. Not to mention it makes no sense as to why they trusted him. It makes sense when he appeared as Annatar but even then he came across as suspicious. Also they were making the rings anyway before he stepped in to help rather than him giving them the idea. The elves don’t feel powerful and ethereal but rather just normal people and not to mention some looked too old. On top of that I noticed that the Numenoreans acted more like modern Americans than people of an ancient era. No one in that time would view their job as the most important thing. I couldn’t agree more with your analysis of it being a very average product and to me that’s even worse than just straight up being bad because in that case it would at least stand out.

[@martherius3325]

I decided to do the right thing and show RoP to the generation before mine (im a 90's kid) so my parents watched the first episode and just said.... is that lady the actual villain in disguise? she is so despicable.... they didn't watch episode 2, they really disliked galadriel

[@Rakonax]

sure thing, what else do you think your parents told you?

[@martherius3325]

@@Rakonax that it was no better than willow 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@brianhunley5302]

You’re definitely my favorite Tolkien lore content creator.

[@Diego-Designs]

Can't wait for S2 so that it gets trashed, just like it happened to S1!

[@CelebornGaming]

Yeah... 'trashed.' Let's go with that lmao. Let's not look at the fact that it's Amazon's most watched show, is critically acclaimed, and is emmy-nominated.

[@Diego-Designs]

@@CelebornGaming whatever helps you sleep at night....

[@LandStrider23]

​@@CelebornGamingimagine shilling for corporate hacks. 37% completion rate for those who actually watched. Amazon is hiding those real numbers. They were desperate with the damage control. Now the studio is being questioned by the tool ceo . where did all the money go?

[@Rakonax]

what a despicable way of life

[@Diego-Designs]

@@Rakonax indeed, they are dispecable for ruining a great story.

[@userAsh2125]

Yours is the only channel I watch now when it comes to the Lord of the Rings. The other channels who took that free trip and received the swag bag gave glowing reviews and said the show was in “good hands” was very telling. This show was CW quality made for modern audiences which is code for the lore and canon is every kind of “ist and phobe”and must be changed.

[@MC-810]

Thank you for keeping it real and not selling out to Amazon to get the insider access and perks like some of your contemporaries.

[@bharat5277]

I don't even remember the show and I am not even bothered about season 2

[@davidbrennan660]

I pity the writers.... they have fallen into shadow.

[@rockaboujaoude399]

You haven’t lost your touch man! I fully respect you for taking this position. Please keep making content like this

[@bluediamonddirector]

As a video game character once said: "Apathy is death."

[@markgregorygacosta531]

Thank you Men of the West for fighting for us and specially for Tolkien! I hope we continue to fight against this travesty.

[@anttibra]

I feel Rings of Power season 1 was like Game of Thrones season 8. GoT was the show everyone was talking and making theories, but season 7 and especially 8 were so bad and soulless, it killed all the hype around the series. I've heard people who used to rewatch the whole series annually just dropped the habit after season 8. I believe almost nobody talk about Rings of Power is not because how bad it was, but how soulless it was. And in many aspects, that's far worse crime against Tolkien's mythos in my opinion than just being bad.

[@easyislander]

Nah GoT season 8 wasn't great but forgivable. It is no where near the disaster RoP is.

[@JS-mp7fy]

I see Tom Shippey leaving the project, in the same vein as Henry Cavill leaving Witcher. Something they were both passionate about being destroyed before their very eyes, they were powerless to stop it and just couldn’t watch it anymore.

[@x0UncleSam0x]

Yeah I can forgive trying to do something different, but the excessive contradictions make it unbearable. Like how Galadriel said Sauron's old lair was so evil no warmth could be felt from fire (ie evil is = cold), but moments later the mark of Sauron melts snowflakes and his "very hand is Flame unequenched". Or how in the intro we see Galadriel's childhood, and she describes how perfect it was, yet half of what we see is her being brutally bullied - not exactly perfect. The show lacks clear vision and intelligence, I e. it doesn't persuade the viewer that there truly is a magnificent world of sense making in it. Honestly the completely diverse cast of 'tribes' seems pretty farfetched as well, like how Numenoreans seem to have no common ancestry.

[@garywood97]

You made the political stuff sound like an unfortunate accident of some kind. The whole forced diversity thing was literally part of their marketing campaign for the show, they mentioned it in dozens of interviews and media pieces. Very non-accidental.

[@chriskoeder1229]

That even went so far as to delete that cringe video with the "super fans" and pretend like it never happened.

[@tacocat9412]

He also doesn’t bring up how Amazon paid KZbin commentators to fuel the political stuff. No one asked for this. We are tired of it.

[@tonywondaal7942]

Absolutely

[@gunkulator1]

Diversity isn't the problem, forced or otherwise. Bad writing is. In the original Stephen King story on which The Shawshank Redemption is based, the character of Red is described as a red haired Irish-American. In the movie it's Morgan Freeman. And it's not a problem.

[@chriskoeder1229]

@@gunkulator1 But almost no one knew that. Everyone knows who tinker bell and snow white is.

[@ekszentrik]

"The sea is always right" is really something just a 100 IQ writer would come up trying his hardest to create a saying an actual culture could use as a important touchstone of its philosophy. In actuality, such a saying would sound both less inane, and have a less inane in-your-face meaning. "The waves portend bearings" or something could such a plausible saying e.g., I don't know, I literally just came up with in the past 5 seconds. But it'd have to be something to that effect.

[@eamonreidy9534]

I'd have tried to combine the fact the the sea is the least corrupted part of Arda by Melkor which can often carry strength and music (the elves revere much of the sea/rivers and the numenoreans were once close with elves and Ulmo is ever present near the children of Eru) into a saying.

[@dominushydra]

Fish poop in the sea

[@gunkulator1]

Not only is "The sea is always right" inane and cringey, it exists without context. Why is the sea always right? For that matter, what on earth does that saying even mean?

[@bobs2809]

in my humble opinion, the fact that you would consider this Amazon product to be a part of Tolkien lore absolutely undermines my belief in your comprehension and appreciation of Tolkein.

[@tren380]

I’ll not watch S2…there is no way they will do it Justice.

[@Rakonax]

what exactly? the silmarillion that clashes with the letters, or the letters that clash with the silmarillion?

[@tren380]

@@Rakonax Sorry I assumed people reading my comment knew the lore and had watched the show.

[@Rakonax]

@@tren380 oh i know the lore, and i watched the show.

[@tren380]

@@Rakonax oh, then you know how the silmarils weren’t even mentioned. That and soooo many other things are what I mean they won’t do it Justice. Fill in all the other blanks they ignored easily yourself :) It’s bad.

[@Rakonax]

@@tren380 nah it's not. this show is not meant to replace the silmarillion or anything. it's there to tell more stories from the world most people only know from the movies, that btw used to be hated even harder by tolkien purists, and look where it is now

[@CedarRose7]

One big thing for me was that there were far too many characters and different storylines all at the beginning that it kept it all shallow. It was hard to care or follow any of them. There wasn't any build up or suspense.

[@MichaelPhillipsatGreyOwlStudio]

"mid-tier product" not worthy of much thought afterwards. Spot on!

[@robertgamer3112]

This is the most wholesome conversation surrounding The Rings of Power that I have seen.

[@Graywolf335]

This show makes the Hobbit trilogy look like the LOTR trilogy and the LOTR trilogy even better.

[@sethmoldenhauer6403]

I didn't have any inkling to go rewatch any of the episodes. I've reread the books twice since ROP came out.

[@AegisRick]

Since you did briefly mention the political aspect of it, all I want to bring attention to is how common this tactic has become. - Take a well established and beloved IP. - Use it as a vehicle to promote your own message - Bastardize it and rip it to shreds in the process - Blame the fans who take offense as- ists and phobes - Sew division between purists and activists - Move on to next beloved IP. The "Evil cannot create" trope is proven once and for all as we see remake after remake getting worse and worse every time. Star Wars, Star Trek, Wheel of Time, Halo, Willow, Marvel, LotR, Indiana Jones, Anything Disney related, Anything Live-Action related, like Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, The Little Mermaid and Snow White. Then we go into video games and it's much the same. Point being: It's no accident that this is the current state of modern pop culture in the West. Or are we to believe that what happened to RoP was just one of many coincidences? There is a very deliberate and concerted effort to bastardize and reshape everything that the west might hold dear into an unrecognizable shell of it's former self.

[@killgriffinnow]

You're abosolutely correct. I always called people who believed there was some attack on the West "conspiracy theorists", but after all of this I would have to be a total idiot to not notice what's going on.

[@riffmagos]

I'm hopeful too . . . . . hopeful that more people will come to the books, and realise how great they are, and forget that Rings of Prime was ever made.

[@istari0]

I was excited when the show was announced. Then, as information started coming out my excitement slowly turned to fear about what was being done to Tolkien. Then the show premiered and it was worse than I could have imagined. I suffered through it for much the same reason as MOTW did; somebody needs to report what's really going on. They've already wrecked the shows foundation; that can't be fixed in subsequent seasons.

[@SevenStarsandSevenStones]

One of the things I really love about The Lord of the Rings is that the more time you spend thinking about it, the better and deeper it is. It is worth thinking about and evaluating. Worth having a KZbin channel about! For RoP, I feel like the opposite is true. I couldn't imagine devoting time to studying just the show itself. It's a thin veneer over cheap plastic or particleboard instead of a lovingly handcrafted solid-wood piece of furniture. So while I understand why you plan to watch season two for your channel, I'd have to respectfully disagree for my own sake. I don't believe it'll be worth the time investment. However, I will certainly watch your reviews. Maybe, unlooked for, it'll be everything we dreamed it could be. And I trust you to let us know if that's the case.

[@Longshanks1690]

Do we have to? 😕

[@unpossibly]

Honestly, in some ways it's good that RoP was bad from the onset, because I wasn't given time to invest heavily into the show, only to be disappointed later, like GoT or BSG. The final seasons of those latter two sting a lot more because the first seasons were so good. With RoP, I have no investment now, so if season 2 and on are on equal footing as season 1, no big deal.

[@thesfg9510]

The show (in Thranduil's words from Battle of the Five Armies) was like winter thunder on a wild wind, rolling in from distance breaking hard in alarm amongst us all.

[@OceanGateEngineer4Hire]

I didn't even watch it, for the same reason I don't watch Disney Star Wars: I refuse to watch my enemies wear a Buffalo Bill skin-suit of something I love.

[@paosusuu]

wonderful video, sir! as always, so warm and hopeful ^-^

[@jacobbrummett7099]

I would just like to point out that I appreciate how you covered The Rings of Power throughout that first season. You always chose to give them the benefit of the doubt yet did not hold back criticism when needed. That's rare since, as you pointed out, it seemed like everyone had to be on one "side" or the other. I love that your focus was on bringing people together while also still sharing your honest opinions on the show. It is very hard for most of us in our current cultural climate to get along with those we disagree with, but when we have common interests, such as Lord of the Rings, it provides an avenue to share and bond over a mutual love for something without getting into the issues that divide us. I do think the show brought in political messaging that brought about division where there should have been joy and excitement for a new addition to The Lord of the Rings universe. And I think that was portrayed by the response of many fans and the lack of success for the show. I believe that political discussion is a necessary part of life, but it does not need to be at the center of every area of our life, especially one so treasured as The Lord of the Rings.

[@AncestorEmpireGaming]

New content makes one appreciate older content more. SW fans: first time?

[@norhat2414]

A good and fair assessment - thank you.

[@yoyoma2227]

Optimistic that it will be cancelled

[@sauron5666]

Amazon said there will be 3 next seasons

[@marcneef795]

I think the Rings of Power did a good job uniting the Lord of the Rings community against it.

[@garrettoliveto7483]

for a Tokein channel not thinking Tom's departure was a red flag from day 1. wow man.

[@dominushydra]

I pretty much dumped every Tolkien KZbin channel that even had "unbiased" take on the show. You say one good thing about it you're dead to me. Even the Hobbit trilogy didn't plant the seed of hatred between the community like RoP did. I'm so proud and relieved Yoystan has integrity and kept his honor.

[@AnnaMarianne]

This right here. A lot of people showed their true color. And a lot of people got unsubbed by me. But the Men of the West's heart is true!

[@dominushydra]

@@AnnaMarianne they sure did. The level of shilling made me literally sick to my stomach. It's like finding out your friend is really a scumbag. I want to give a shout out to GirlNextGondor who was smart enough to not even dip a toe in this shit show.

[@sugma3475]

This show and anyone who shilled for it needs to be shunned into oblivion.

[@giuf175]

"You say one good thing about it you're dead to me." are you five?

[@dominushydra]

@@giuf175 why are you butthurt?

[@TheWileybighead]

For me the division of the community was not the worst part. It was the lowering of any anticipation I will have for future Tolkien content. Golem made it even worse.

[@jacquicollins8826]

I interpret your exact question about “the sea is always right”to be part of what Elendil is struggling with right now, hence his delivery of the “she drowned” line.

[@ilari90]

I had forgotten it already, dang you for reminding.

[@darktenor4967]

Love this video and your perspective. For myself, I didn't watch rings of power, after what Amazon did with wheel of time, and all of the blatant agenda pushing, and doing down of Tolkien's work by the cast and writers, I decided my time was better spent rereading The Hobbit, Lord of the rings, and the Silmarillion instead! Unless season 2 does a titanic sized course correction, I likely will be finding something better to spend my time on when it comes out, like maybe rereading children of Hurin or the unfinished tales! Just like my lady and I bowed out of wheel of time after season 1, and are rereading Jordan's books together instead of watching season 2. Why waste time with subpar fan fiction from writers who either hate, or at least chronically misunderstand the classics they're trying to adapt, when you can just go back to the originals, which always have something new to teach us.

[@Rakonax]

when you didn't whatch it, why do you have an opinion on it? are you really such a lemming to just take others opinions as yours?

[@davepowder4020]

I thought it was strange to have Galadriel reflecting on when the Mormon Missionaries came to her door in Valinor.

[@reca2489]

Man, you really did the "I don't even hate you, I'm just disappointed", and I second your thoughts

[@killgriffinnow]

7:20 Amroth tries to swim across the Sea to Middle Earth...and drowns, because that's what would actually happen.

[@SAINTOBVIOUS]

The possibility of Amazon pulling the plug on the remaining three seasons is not as implausible and some may lead one to believe. There is stipulation in the Amazon/Tolkien contract that gives Amazon a way out should that button need to be pressed. And from what I've read/heard - there's a very high chance that button will indeed be pressed. Although pressing that button does come with a hefty obligatory fee. That exorbitant fee, (from what I've heard) is something Amazon would rather pay and write off than to invest three times that amount in further seasons and continue this onslaught of horrendous public feedback and with absolutely no media support. I would be willing to bet after S2 is released - after it wraps, it'll be announced it's done. A question I'm more interested in - is Jennifer Salke and Vernon Saunders OUT at Amazon also when this is officially announced?

[@daGama1915]

I wholeheartedly believe that it was Amazon's intent was to divide the fandom, not because of some evil plot, but because such conflict makes the show popular on social networks and mobilizes people to watch it. It's not the first time (and neither is the last) that a big company causes outrage among a group so it may have free, organic publicity. It's simply a business model. We must organize ourselves as a fandom to not allow this to happen again.

[@allthatishere]

Yeah right, dude. Fandoms here always been about mob mentality, and your not a real fan unless you agree 100% with everyone else there.

[@daGama1915]

@@allthatishere Fandoms can organize themselves pretty well when people go for it. The furry fandom is a great example. The Sonic fandom did it too. Hell, even the LotR fandom did it back in the 2000s

[@squaeman_2644]

They divided the Star Wars fandom, casting out the og fans so at they could make room for their own vision. It's a bloody propaganda campaign from the sound of it...

[@daGama1915]

@@squaeman_2644 it is. The idea is that the polarisation is a propaganda in on itself on social media. There's a great video called Woke Brands, by HBomberGuy, that dissected the whole process

[@fantasywind3923]

Considering that the actors playing the roles were not really in for it for Tolkien but for their social activism then this is obvioulsy a blatant attempt at the political messaging that doesn't care or recognize anything else, yes a business model and in the same time a stupid preaching so it would be all about those ESG scores, it must have quotas it must have particular things and simply put the amateurish showrunenrs and script writers who clearly didn't really understand or have any creative ideas and didn't know how to write a story within the creative constraints of their licensing for source material and how to satisfy the need for fidelity and for making narrative for the tv show.

[@deadbrother5355]

I felt that when Yoysten got upset or angry about the deviations from lore and bad writing that it was not only justified, but galvanizing for fans of Tolkiens work. This is a guy who (on yt at least) comes across as a mild tempered, kind, fair, and optimistic person. I would like to have someone like him (or his online persona at least) as a friend or neighbor. So when even he was put off or angry, you know they messed up. He took every opportunity to give it a fair shake. Patiently at that. Their greatest sin is that they already had the material, and all they had to do was give it to us in cinematic format and we would have loved and rewatched it; but they subverted our hopes and the stories. They could not help themselves. They needed their grubby little fingerprints all over the work of a master story teller. Sheer hubris. I think Yoysten's negatively was justified and broadly felt by the audience worldwide. I'll end this comment section essay with a comparison. The lord of the rings trilogy was widely loved in literary form. Peter Jackson took a small few liberties with it but mainly focused on the story as it was written. If you were already familiar with the books then you already knew what was going to happen. But that did not make the pay offs any less sweet, triumphant, wholesome or entertaining. However, Amazon on the other hand SET OUT to be subversive because modern Hollywood thinks subversion is the new cool thing. So what they did from the start was subvert the plot, the lore and the audience expectations. The result was a turd which at times was beautiful to behold. But a turd nonetheless. And in my humble opinion theu should be ashamed of taking some of the most deep and beloved material of all time and turning it into a turd. If you made it this far thanks for reading.

[@tonyjones4610]

Look back one year later or ten years later and it is still absolutely horrific.

[@Tallacus]

As an Amazon employee who toils away in a fulfillment center and as a fantasy lover who believes in simply following the source material, I want Rings of Power to die

[@kimhannan4892]

Well, IMO, this is what happened. Amazon said, "yeah, lets make a show. There's a humongous fandom and we'll make millions". Then the finance department said, "wait a minute, don't spend too much money or we won't get a return that's profitable enough". Then the writers, for whatever reason, said, "hey, I know. Everyone loves hobbits right? Let's throw some of them in there.". Then the one sane mind said, "wait a minute, you need to stick to the lore (at least generally) or people are gonna be upset." Next thing you know, the sane person is gone. If the people making a show. no matter what show it is, don't have a love and appreciation for the material they are adapting then it shows. I am watching Wheel of Time, Season 2, right now and it's the same thing. The writers chose to throw in same character names, use some of the cool stuff like weaving, get some decent FX and wallah! As I'm watching it, I have to pretend the intent was to write a totally different story than the actual Wheel of Time story (even though, as in Rings of Power, it is supposed to be based on the author's writing). But, the corporation new they could throw a little of this and that in and still make a monetary killing. So, going forward, I am just enjoying the performances that I truly appreciate, the good FX, and just enjoying it for what it is. Appreciate this video; thanks so much!

[@ex.O]

The rings of power series is a bait with poison inside, I'm so glad you checked it out but didn't bite it. So many things were said but most of it had nothing to do with LOTR or any of Tolkien's works, it happens and as usual just brings what feel at the moment without to much contemplation. I'm happy isn't the case here, fresh air is always welcome

[@CelebornGaming]

I like how MoW does a completely thorough and dense reflection on the show's faults and even some of it's positives and the comments under the video STILL spout the same BS as usual. Instead of criticizing the show's inherent problems, people rather rant about political and nitpicking bs. It's never going to change. So tiring. Anyway. Great video, MoW!

[@bosskoala7]

Its exactly as you said. Its so bad that everybody just forgot about it, went on with their lives and put it behind. Like watching your vid I was like « oh yeah, that mystery star dude and halbrand were a thing, totally forgot » Edit: Forget about S2. American content producers like this showed us already that they 1) cant take a single feedback 2) think they are right against the entire world and 3) dont give a damn

[@derschmiddie]

The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. So you saying the show isn't even worth ranting about it, while it's true, really shows that it doesn't have a few flaws one thinks are despicable but that it's so toxic and hurtful that the only valid response is to walk away with a "yeah, whatever".

[@manfrommontreal]

You are definitely not a shill or hate-tuber! You're the most based Tolkien lore channel out there! For my part I will be hate watching and forget everything and watch the Wheel of Prime afterwards 😂

[@justinah7400]

Amazon intentionally vandalized Tolkien's masterpiece.

[@axeltavarez1367]

Lol this show can almost be summed up as Sauron. Coming in a fair guise and leaving a division in a united and peaceful realm.

[@robertmosley3127]

I didn't really understand why Sauron would need some mechanical contraption to ignite Orodruin. In Tolkein's writings he was able to control it simply by his presence/force of will. As one of the Ainur, and specifically a maiar of Aule, this is surely something central to his nature!?!

[@glennross85]

Excellent video. ROP had the worst fate of all, apathy.

[@maxmercer1931]

Galadriel in RoP season 1 is literally 5 feet tall... 5. feet. tall.