Rings of Power S2 E5 Review | The New Standard!!!

[@anarionelendili8961]

Appendices about the Dwarven Rings: "But the possessors of the Ring did not display it or speak of it, and they seldom surrendered it until near death, so that others did not know for certain where it was bestowed."

[@TheJmlew11]

But that ring tax though

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@danielfox9461]

It could be thats only after Sauron forges the One and they become tainted, they don't want their people to know they are caring for, keeping, and passing on these artifacts of greed and power by force

[@stevejones991]

Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your nuanced critique of this show. Unlike many other KZbinrs who indulge in rage reviews, you watch the series with an open mind and heart, and you're able to appreciate when the show does something right. This makes your valid criticism much more believable and comprehensible. I really hope the showrunners watch some of your reviews. It would be great if they could gain some insights from you for the production of the next season. P.S. I also thought Episode 5 was the best so far!

[@Mr808pocho]

Whenever I think of Numenor I just feel such disappointment..

[@faustoutloud]

I kno😢 it's so sad I wanted that feel of how we first saw Gondor ohh man such a glorious set and Rohan really being built on the mountain top unbelievable what Jackson was able to pull off 25 years ago with a Qtr of this budget.

[@Alex-s-m2p]

Yep definitely underwhelming. The Numenorians are supposed to be 7ft tall and very long lived for Mortal Men. Especially the members of the Royal line of Elros.

[@travismoore7938]

I recently reread the Numenorian section of the Silmarillion. There is so much depth to Tolkien’s writing and the Numenorian arc is so tragic. This show just uses names and locations … it’s nothing like what Tolkien wrote.

[@Alex-s-m2p]

@@travismoore7938 Exactly, there is just no comparison. ROP is essentially a fanfiction alternate version of Tolkien's Second Age Arda. A lot of the fandom have a huge problem with that, while others don't. For me I want a more faithful adaptation. I want the world from the books to come to life on the screen.

[@realjohanngoethe]

Exactly. Númenor was the greatest kingdom of Men, so powerful that they were a threat to Valinor. But this adaptation makes them mediocre. Armenelos is outshined by PJ's Minas Tirith. The Mesopotamian style architecture is a bad pick and the city appears smaller than it should be. The people who live there are wholly unimpressive. The ethnic diversity makes all that even more lame.

[@Queen-fn4ly]

I like this channel because he is honest unlike some other channels who just want to hate . He says the truth .. what he both liked and didnt

[@bobbyvelveteen]

Exactly! There are soo many RoP yt channels dedicated to hating each episode. At this point it's like, stop watching the gd series at this point. But I appreciate how this is an honest review channel and it's refreshing.

[@Etnannarac]

The Men of the West have fallen to the power of the Ring of Prime! !! Joking aside, I come here for your honest review, and I appreciate your ability to be critical when it's bad and praises it when it's well done.

[@Breadbutta4]

Man, an average episode at best has the guys going crazy for it. Barely any time dedicated to building up the faithful v the kings men and all a sudden there’s a huge rift. There’s too much happening offscreen in that storyline. Durin lusting over his ring like it’s the One. I’m sorry, I just don’t get the fawning over this. It was better than last week but what a bizarre listen this was

[@erfarion]

Hm...interesting. I had a completely different experience. There was not a single scene when I didn't want to just skip it. Annatar story is the only thing that is slightly interesting, but I hate what they have done to Celebrimbor both in casting and story, so I just can't enjoy it. And tho the actor who plays Annatar is kind of good at what he is doing (tho nothing angelic about him) thanks to the writing/directing he has like 4 facial expressions and one of them is an evil smirk so I have no idea how he could trick anyone there. He just looks creepy and intense most of the time, that's not how I imagined Annatar at all. I thought he should be incredibly charming, mesmerizing... not a sad creep with primitive predictable tricks which even Celebrimbor can see from miles away and still somehow gets manipulated.

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@TyrionLannister83]

I agree. There weren't any atrocious plot holes like Galadriel jumping of a boat in the middle of an ocean or Elrond walking all the way the moria on foot without even a backpack. Previous episodes were stupid but somewhat entertaining. This one was just plain boring.

[@travisspazz1624]

That's not what a plot hole is.​@@TyrionLannister83

[@Soboba.Fett69]

I find myself skipping a lot. And I mean A LOT.

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@DerekWalsh-f9h]

Good writing? Yah Durin's slaves to sunlight speech is fantastic😂

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@ourlordsauron]

"Unlike the people above ground, we are no slaves to sunlight!!" Ya okay dude, you literally have to carve through the mountain so a sliver of sunlight can poke through and grow your crops lol. Sounds like you're kinda dependent on it too 🤷‍♂️

[@sandy-jn5rd]

haha yeah, they can block it off, sure, but cannot have more of it than us outside. When the sun sets, it’s all night, and more so in Kazad dum.

[@ChristopherVanDerWesthuizen]

Leaving a comment here after watching the episode, and before watching your review. I honestly thought this was the best episode of the season so far, and actually maybe one of the best compared to anything out of season one too. As it got closer to the end of the episode I realized that for the first 53 minutes Galadriel didn't appear (and neither did the hobbits in any of the episode). That says a lot.

[@marcrolle4601]

I dont think you've been brought. It's more like you've been abused, mentally and physically, to such an extent, that your starting to see gems in muck. It just feels like you've given up on what the lore and story should/could be and you've rationalized the abuse your observing.

[@j0b01231]

I think I speak for everyone when I say we really appreciate your dedication to reviewing this show openly and honestly. But I think I also speak for everyone when I say, the shiniest, most polished turd in the world is still a turd.

[@TheHoaxThere]

Omg this! 😂☝️

[@JamesS-xz8to]

One CGI turd to stool them all

[@stevenv2190]

Yep, you can polish a turd - it still stinks.

[@kaphamenskendee7428]

Jep defo not a 9 out of 10, thats suss. This was however the first 5.5 I could give an episode in this show

[@Alex-s-m2p]

Yes 100% agree with this.

[@vesawuoristo4162]

They have not taken the Elves or numenorians long lives into to account at all , no wisdom.

[@Mr10johnny10]

Thats what I have on my mind this whole show, they act like 20-something year olds the whole time not thousands of years old powerful beings

[@blackwolf4653]

yep. I mean Isildur should be in his 90ties around this point and Elendil almost 200years old. But not an ounce of wisdom in them. Also with Gil Galad. We need to love this guy and root for him before the battle of the last alliance. I just don‘t see that. I even dislike that they don‘t portray the numenorians as the Tall warriors they were. And pharazon became only paranoid about age when Sauron was with him in Numenor and pharazon grew old.

[@Dilmahkana]

@@Mr10johnny10 Celebrimbor is just a dude. Not even like a Numenorean but a dude who sometimes uses oldy language styles It's one of the biggest, most specific gripes I have with the show.

[@KnudAutlermann]

How can you call them wise? The Kinslayings? The Kings Men? The Silmarils? The elves and Numenoreans aren't objectively wise. Wisdom is earned through mistakes, and these are the mistakes we're seeing that will make them wise later.

[@vesawuoristo4162]

@@KnudAutlermann fair point , ok occasionally wiser 😉

[@davidandrews2972]

I hesitate to say it but I think that you might be off on your ring-lore. As I understand it from the books Annatar and Celebrimbor worked together on the Rings for quite some time, making first the lesser rings and then the Great Rings. Sauron then went to Mordor to make the One, and while he was away Celebrimbor made the Three. The Rings had power from the start, but being made using Sauron's lore left a backdoor in them, even the Three. Sauron had to put large amounts of power into the One to make it strong enough to dominate the others, and that linked their power to it, but the Three having been made the elves wearing them were aware of Sauron as he spoke the Ring spell/poem, and took off their rings. This thoroughly derailed his plan to dominate various wielders subtly and kicked off the War of Elves and Sauron, during which Sauron retrieved the Great rings, later handing them out to the dwarf lords and various men. In short, the rings made by Sauron and Celebrimbor worked before the One was made (although it may have increased their power), and were not made specifically for dwarves or men, but in making the One Sauron invested a lot of his power to tie the other Rings to it, so when it was destroyed they lost their power.

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

Yeah that was kind of my understanding as well

[@jeffo4817]

Rings of power is an adaptation not a retelling hence it doesn’t need to fit the novel ohexactly in my opinion.

[@tarzan8575]

@@jeffo4817 There is this crazy idea that most Tolkien fans have. IF I am going to watch an adaption of a story that Tolkien wrote, Then I'd like to see the story that Tolkien actually wrote. Not someone's modernized and updated idea of how they think the story should go. I guess we're just weird that way.

[@sandy-jn5rd]

I don’t know who Elendil will be…. a bit spoiled now 😢. But I noticed that: 1. he’s hot and cold towards his kids. One moment he’s a cool dad, then the next he just suddenly yells at the girl, for not telling on her brother Isildur. Is she her brother’s keeper? Did I miss anything? There’s lack of basis for it, were they edited out? 2. Isildur does not seem to know his father. He asks him when he was whispering to Berek, “where did you learn that from?” I’m like, are you guys related?? All this time and dad never taught his son how to horse whisper? 3. He was funny flattered when Queen Miriel called him a runic emperor. Few times this show made me chuckle.

[@MrDe4dGuy34]

While I wanted to give this episode a break for being a step up from last week, ultimately I just can’t. What condemns this series is not just the bad writing or the lore changes. If that was all there was to criticize I could just drop the show and move on without giving it a second thought and let those who enjoy it be. No, what truly condemns this show is that it cost over $700 million to make (if you include the cost of the rights) and the best they can give us is a simple okay. To put that in comparison to its biggest competitors, HBO’s The House of the Dragon had a budget of $200 million while Disney’s The Acolyte had a budget of $180 million. This show costs almost four times as much. The Rings of Power has absolutely no excuse for being anything other than extraordinary and groundbreaking. The fact it isn’t is insulting. We must demand better.

[@eds1942]

I believe the price tag was for 3 seasons, not a season. Which was kinda of odd that they ordered so many years without having anything, except what? an outline?

[@eduleal]

Dude did you pay for it yourself? Are you the Amazon CFO? Tell the truth!

[@MrDe4dGuy34]

@@eduleal Seeing how Amazon is a shipping company and that Prime is a subscription service, yeah we all did actually. We are paying to watch this.

[@MrDe4dGuy34]

@@eds1942 Season one was estimated to have cost $465 million and season two is believed to have cost even more. That’s without considering the rights, which was said to have cost $250 million. That would still make this show twice at least twice as expensive to make than anything else.

[@eduleal]

@@MrDe4dGuy34 except as a customer you can simply stop paying and move somewhere else.

[@brolololo]

I agree! Great episode. I think it was a little slow around the middle, but I think that's just my bias about thinking TV episodes should be 45 mins! I've been really liking the Men storylines from the beginning of season two (outside the boring thud of episode 4, that was a shame), a lot better than the Southlands in season one. I REALLY wish they would leave the Harfoot and Wizard plotline until they are ready to be relevant. I think it would be a lot better in one standalone episode right before they become season 2 relevant, as a side story. My preferred fanedits of The Hobbit movies are M4 and also a separate fanedit called "Durin's Folk and the Hill of Sorcery". Thanks for continuing to give your thoughts on the episodes! Man, the negative comments on this video feel like bots, I feel bad for you guys having to deal with it. "How dare you watch this and analysis it as television" like as fans we didn't already sit through additions in The Hobbit movies, or the Shadow of Mordor games. I love hearing your honest thoughts without the bot like hatred of people in the comments haha. I'm fascinated by this show, I love the art of adaptation, my favorite films of all time are Cecil B. DeMille's Biblical adaptations. I hate to think what these 'changes in adaptation as all evil' types would think of those haha. On the rings, purely my own impression but I sorta got the vibe that the rings heighten and hone the magic of the wearer, and syphoned it into the One Ring and dominates them. Like the mental imagery of 'bind' gives me 'all flowing into one' rather than one flowing into all. When the One destroyed all the power from them all is drained. Like the rings are streams that fill into a dam so it's always a certain level full, but if the dam is smashed and emptied, the streams will also run dry. The rings directly created by Sauron let in his taint to the wearer for more power, the Three don't because of that quote about how they were made to 'preserve not for birth', but Sauron still dominates them because it's still built on the same system. That that's purely my own impression.

[@benderB9]

I cannot be as positive on the show as you guys are. Nonetheless, I appreciate how you are looking for the good in the show and you steer away from all the outrage bullshit a lot of reviewers peddle. Your critiques of and appreciation for the show feels genuine and that's why I tune in.

[@ilari90]

Same. The writing is just horrible.

[@_EthanHenry]

I agree with you guys mostly on this episode. It was the best episode in season 1 or 2 so far. I think the lack of harfoot, Galadriel, Elrond and the stranger storylines really helped to elevate this episode.

[@cholst1]

To me, the very best episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones are 9/10's (10 is perfection and does not exist). And to me at least, this is a faaaar cry from that. Its definitely one of the shows better episodes, but are we rating them internally? Not as objective TV episodes? Because that's a bit weird, and honestly just lowering standards. (the rest was so terrible this was great?)

[@Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

Good point, I find this weird in ratings of episodes or series in general. Are we rating internally? Or compared to all TV? Seldom the standards are laid open. It makes sense to rate internally but can you do that in the middle of the season? You don't know how good or bad the unpublished episodes are. And there's the good old quantity versus quality problem which makes ratings doubtful in the first place.

[@AdamNRose]

I love your channel, I cant stand any part of this show. Even if it had no part of Lord of the Rings and was just a generic fantasy show, I'd give it a 2 of 10.

[@IarwainBen-adar]

I agree. And in no way is this episode a 9/10. It’s the best so far yet still a 5 or 6/10 which is not at all good

[@bart_d]

You could say it’s 9/10 in comparison to the other episodes. Comparing it to for instance best episodes of Game of Thrones, it’s 6/10 at best.

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@cholst1]

@@bart_d "in comparison to other episodes" - that is not how things are rated tho, thats just lowering your standards. Compared to the best episodes of GoT. It's a 4-5 at best.

[@ringbearer1420]

@@cholst1 I think it depends on the context of the rating… I think for MoW it’s down to how entertaining it was in the moment, not necessarily a serious cinephile saying it’s close to one of the greatest episodes of TV ever. That said some clarification on how they got to their rating would be helpful.

[@steveno7058]

I agree. This was a very good episode. I felt like I was in Middle Earth for the first time in this series

[@hugomouro5909]

9 out of 10 is perfection. Are we in Valinor? Most decent reviewers are upping their ratings, but none has gone to a 9. I think there are way too many issues to get it above a 5. Writing, acting, props, too many things. I venture that your ratings is very based in a comparison with the other 12 episode and so a 9 could make sense. still its good to see some more positive reviews. Keep up the good work.

[@lucasduarte1811]

Agree 100%. Best episode. Amazing how removimg the hobbits plot improves the episode. All the plots interlock with each other. The elves with the dwarves, obviously. But also the corruption theme, coming from Sauron and the Rings, with the dessacration of a holy temple in Númenor. I respect those who can't enjoy the show, as a fellow reader of the books. But if they keep this standards I will enjoy this very much.

[@adrian_veidt]

"Even I'm not capable of making this level of mockery of an original creation" - Morgoth

[@tevildo45]

Do better.

[@adrian_veidt]

@@tevildo45 Enjoy your shit fan fiction

[@tim5022]

This is so strange!! You've been extremely critical about the writing and execution of the show itself, lore inaccuracies and poor character depictions etc... and this episode was ramping up more of the same and was straight up ridiculous in its execution of multiple scenes (Doors of Durin scene, Disa's fucking stone rolling scene, Durin with rings/emissary's scene/non-logical throwbacks again... Numenor scenes were genuinely pre-school level writing), this episode was in my view the most guilty of *all* the things you've been pointing out in previous episodes?? I dunno but this just seemed incredibly disingenuous imo and made this review very hard to understand or listen to??

[@smolpp585]

It's almost like, people aren't sheep and have different opinions? unless you're an American (idiot) I don't see how you could forget something that simple lol I don't care about this show but, it is what it is.

[@anarionelendili8961]

Feeling fast: Yes. I was making this comment in another review (by the Council of the Rings)... To save myself some time, I will just quote myself: "As you said in your text description, the ring corruption of Durin III is extremely fast. And he is going at it in a very hamfisted way, too. Taxes? Forced tribute from the other Dwarves? Why would Celebrimbor & Annatar even give Durin all Seven? (As we know in the lore, it is Sauron who distributes them after the War of Elves and Orcs, with the possible exception of Durin's ring.) Anyway, there were enough bone-headed choices (the slavery to the Sun in particular was stupid as heck), but since it focused mainly on the intertwined stories of Eregion and Khazad-Dum, it actually felt that it was going somewhere, even though it was doing it as a breakneck pace (corruption, that is). The Numenor plot is feeling rushed as well, since it is condensing the oppression of the Faithful pretty much to Ar-Pharazon's crowning, and making it seem that Ar-Pharazon is already planning an invasion of the Undying Lands. The lack of Rhun/Harfoot plot helps a lot, as does the lack of Isildur plot to slow this down, even though it and the Numenor plot would be more suitable to interlace. Alas, that is probably where the next episode will focus, with the season ender being a two-parter attack on Eregion with lots of Galadriel. The show has shot itself in the foot so many times already and written itself into holes that it then had to write itself out of that I am not sure if you could even do a fan-edit of this and make it make sense. Like if you cut pretty much the whole of Season 1, and then focused solely on the Annatar/Eregion and Khazad-Dum plot lines, could you salvage something out of it? I still suspect not, but maybe it would be more watchable. One could then have the Numenor episodes on their own, again cutting most of Season 1 and Isildur plot, as well as Galadriel's involvement. And the Harfoots, the Strange and everything in Rhun thrown away completely. Make that into another show if you want, but they have nothing to do with the Rings of Power." Just to add, since I know you guys love Arondir & Isildur stuff... It is currently so divorced from everything else that I don't see the point. Yes, the Southlands plot gave us the Queen's non-canonical blindness and Earwen's hatred of her over the supposed death of Isildur, but all of that is made up. The actual story behind Ar-Pharazon's usurpation is much better. Now an argument can be made that they didn't have the rights to this better story in Akallabeth, but I am not willing to give them a pass. If you don't have rights to the story, then don't adapt the story! Do something else, like Young Aragorn's Legendary Journeys, and then you can put in all the remember berries from Shire to Gondor to Lothlorien.

[@mrsamtheman80]

They may still have Sauron distribute the rings, lurching them from Durin’s perhaps-failed attempt, which drives a wedge between the dwarves. Not sure they will go this route, but it could perhaps be. The rings are not yet distributed, just the extortion attempt pitched. Otherwise, I don’t get the distro of the rings…but otherwise, very well done episode!

[@AllanBeam]

The point of the order of the rings is that Sauron cannot make anything pure. And Celebrimbor was a far better craftsman than Sauron. Therefore, Sauron gave him the concept and they created the 16. Then Annatar leaves and Celebrimbor perfects the process with the 3. He actually makes something good once Sauron is not there to corrupt it. Which is why the 16 are bound to the One and the 3 are broken by its destruction. Just like Morgoth - power cannot replace craftsmanship, which is why Sauron had to pour so much of himself into it. RoP simultaneously underpowers and overpowers its characters. As fantasy, it is passable I guess. As Tolkien, it is an insult.

[@emielcaudron6470]

Nah sorry but no way you’re comparing this to the good of Game of thrones 💀

[@TheHoaxThere]

"The writing is decent"? We sat yawning through the entire episode

[@eduleal]

Too many priors, you’ll never enjoy it. Move on.

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@sauron5666]

Rings of Power has good episode and over all s2 writing is decent: Copium of gatekeepers and ragebaitlings grows to insane levels

[@cjm6399]

Ah, behold the delightful ramblings of our two self-styled gurus of fantasy, "Yoystun" and "Royun," who are perhaps more enamored with their absurdly self-invented titles than any semblance of intellectual rigor. One can't help but question whether their parents truly bestowed such ridiculous names upon them or if these two "dweebs" pulled them from the depths of their misguided imaginations. Let’s remember: NOT ALL NERDS ARE SMART! It’s quite charming, really, how they cling to pompous terms like "Tolkien-ian" and "Jackson-ian," despite their glaring ignorance. Obviously, J.R.R. Tolkien was just a professor who dabbled in whimsical tales and half-hearted languages, yet these two grant Peter Jackson a free pass for his convoluted adaptations because it appears their nostalgia prevails over logic. Take a moment to ponder this: Peter Jackson cut Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship of the Ring-does that not matter to you, dweebs? He compressed a decade of Frodo's life owning the ring into mere days. And let’s not forget his radical reinterpretations, deviating from the core of Tolkien’s work, such as turning the formidable Shelob silent and inventing a non-canonical elf named Tauriel, weaving in love stories that completely contradict established lore. How can you sully Tolkien's rich tapestry while still gushing over Jackson as if he’s above reproach? It’s astounding how these two nitpick The Rings of Power yet overlook Jackson’s glaring missteps, showcasing their utter cognitive dissonance. Frankly, they should stick to parroting outdated tales rather than masquerading as critics; reading a handful of fantasy books doesn’t bestow the credentials necessary for film criticism. Their sudden transformation, flipping from harsh critiques to unabashed fangirls over a single decent episode, reveals an alarming lack of analytical depth, steeped instead in nostalgic whims that cloud their judgment. By the end of season four, I can only predict they will be singing praises for a series that blatantly contradicts Tolkien’s work, conveniently ignoring their prior criticisms-because that's precisely what being a “dweeb” entails. And let’s spell it out plainly: JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE READ A FEW FICTIONAL BOOKS DOES NOT CERTIFY YOU AS A QUALIFIED TV SHOW CRITIC. YOUR LACK OF CREDENTIALS DISQUALIFIES YOU FROM CRITICIZING WRITING, ACTING, OR SCREENPLAY. That one episode swayed you from harsh to fangirl reveals everything about the thought (or lack thereof) that goes into your so-called reviews. It’s clear that you two were riding on childhood nostalgia from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which bears no relation to understanding film or storytelling with any depth. My prediction? By the end of The Rings of Power, you’ll be so swept away you’ll overlook the glaring contradictions to Tolkien's work-all the while, blissfully remaining oblivious to what true critical engagement looks like. Yes, Amazon's adaptation of the story is disappointing - the focus of the show is diversity and inclusion rather than creating a timeless work of art and biblical allegory that juxtaposes good and evil and this is fundamentally the problem with "woke" culture. Yes, the fan has no recourse - Amazon's profits achieved by providing next day delivery service for household goods such as batteries and lightbulbs for a large portion of first world consumers, so if Amazon chooses to use their profits to destroy a classic story with "woke" propaganda so be it. But for KZbin channels like this to pretend this show is anything but garbage is absolutely disgraceful. SHAME ON THE DWEEBS!

[@CRISPRcasanev]

I personally hated the numenor plot this episode, basically throwing out middle school insults and I almost laughed at the childishness

[@eugene8498]

I guess Gil-galad will never ask why his messengers are not returning. He gets a letter from Celeb this episode, even though it says nothing about the messengers, as Celeb knows nothing about any messenger, Gil-galad must think his messengers are taking a vacation in Eregion. Good for them.

[@eduleal]

I’m sure it’s feasible that they got killed on the way back, not sure there’s any action to be taken if that’s the assumption.

[@eugene8498]

@@eduleal Fair point and no investigation should be conducted, cause it's just several royal mailelves. Let them rot. Not even a simple "where are they now". Because this High King of a Clearing has too little time to know everything. Sauron's paper thin disguise relied on Galadriel being selfish and it took Gilgadaddy to force it out of her. Now it also relies on killing off messengers. It just feels forced.

[@eugene8498]

​@@eduleal Sure, the royal messengers lives don't deserve even one line of explanation, just like the other non consequences in the show.

[@eduleal]

@@eugene8498 I wonder if you nitpick this much with everything you watch.

[@eugene8498]

@@eduleal One's nitpick is a gaping hole to another.

[@hampussvensson995]

i thought the thumbnail saying ”the new standard” was Men of the West being ironic.

[@VisionRemota]

No way this is a 9/10.

[@christianb.d1418]

what a refreshing review. Also really enjoyed the episode

[@tva7263]

I smell an Amazon deal 😂

[@euskuplu]

Hi Yoystan, I'm glad you liked the episode, honestly, it was also my favorite among all the episodes. However, from a lore perspective, I think there are parts that deepen the issue further. I'm curious about your thoughts. Isn't it quite contradictory for the events to progress with Sauron being involved in the making of the Durin's Gate? Even though they are trying to base the situation in Númenor on faith, the political aspect is still at the forefront. This affects the story. Also, the faith in the Valar (strangely, Eru is not mentioned) is depicted as almost a pagan belief. They seem to have misunderstood this as well. And I think the biggest issue is that with each new ring being made, they are straying further from the original story. Making the Nine as a compensation for the Dwarf rings also seems inconsistent from Celebrimbor's perspective. I mean, Sauron's manipulations come across as very careless and baseless. Moreover, it’s still not clear why Sauron needs him to make the rings. I understand that you liked the Dwarf storyline, but what I don't understand is how quickly Durin is affected by the ring. Doesn't the existence of the One Ring normally need to be present for the rings to have such an effect? Please correct me if I'm wrong. As beautiful as this episode was, I believe the things they presented create deep issues that negatively impact the rest of the story.

[@spencerdickey4629]

Glad you guys enjoy the episode! Personally though while I agree that this is a better episode in this show, I have to disagree with your view of Annatar’s manipulation. He has his moments thanks to the actor but I still think his tricks are very predictable and not that subtle at all. 🤦‍♂️ Also I had absolutely no attachment to Valendil or whatever so felt nothing for his death

[@TheJmlew11]

Much (not all) of his manipulation is on the level of a teenager. Simply playing coy and saying you don’t want the thing you want to get the other person to do it.

[@Lothiril]

Annatar's "manipulation" all depends on everyone around him being as dumb as possible. Fortunately for him that's the case, so he doesn't really have to do much. Think of season 1, Galadriel did all the work for him & he didn't have to lift a finger. Of course the writers can excuse that with "Sauron can shape the reality of someone he has come in touch with", but then it's just "they behave foolish because magic happen" and Sauron doesn't need to show any real cleverness, and that's really the cheapest way possible for them to write this character.

[@cholst1]

Hamfisted is a term that can be applied to a lot with this show

[@elMentity]

Damn you guys are getn some backlash! While its hard to look past the flagrant lore breaking and poor writing i agree with you that this episode felt right. Felt like the story is going somewhere recognizable from the books. I felt actual feels with the elendil/miriel scene and i enjoy charlie vickers as annatar. This one managed to get me past the bullshit and into the grander story despite some really clumsy writing. Still though, its at best a 5/10 vs my original expectations for a second age adaptation. But maybe an 8 or 9 vs the rest of the series' abysmal showing. Loved hearing your thoughts! Cheers! Anyone calling you or nerd of the rings a shill for staying positive is a hella troll.

[@TheJmlew11]

Agreed. This is hands down the best the show has. But that best is a 6/10 for me. Some good moments all around, but bogged down by a script that doesn’t know where to slow down, whilst simultaneously taking an eternity with other places.

[@jeromyframe1930]

I totally get their enthusiasm for this episode and I agree this episode has been best of series. I’d rate it about a 7.5/10. The compressed timeline is the biggest issue with series. Season 1 should have been all about the elves and the creation of the rings with development of durin and celembrimbor. Season 2 should have been all about numenor and the history and really highlighting the rise and fall all the way to the civil war and ending when numenor comes to the aid of Gil galad to stop Sauron. Then season 3 sauron captive and really brining the end to numenor with the flood on the finale. Season 4 establishment of arnor and Gondor and Sauron’s return to Mordor and season 5 build with the last alliance with the finale of ring getting lost in the anduin.

[@jaedenbennett6931]

What if they read the ring verse and thought that was the order the rings were made in?

[@bart_d]

I was surprised you liked the episode so much. I don’t have a problem with that even if I don’t share that enthusiasm. It’s definitely the best episode of the season up until now, but for me it’s 6+/10 at best. I have a problem with the dynamic between Annatar and Celebrimbor. He was seen as an angelic being by the elves, that was there to teach them. But in the show it feels like he’s Celebrimbor apprentice.

[@ringbearer1420]

Yeah, honestly a proper portrayal of Sauron as an otherworldly/angelic being would have probably got me to watch the show. I only watched the scenes with Sauron getting shanked; clear opportunity to show us that version of Sauron and he just looked like an average background elf from the Jackson films. So much potential.

[@wiktorLicht]

It was the best ep but not 9/10. Most negative things were about the execution rather than ideas themselves so that's great! It was really engaging, first ep I wasn't bored for even a minute! (And that's also cuz there were no hobbits) I do t like the scientific approach to rings, and how they get power from the material, I'd prefer them getting powerful by the intent of the smith, by some words of.power said by Celebrimbor or Annatar while forging them; and so I liked the "deception came into the process" speech! That was great! Very Sauronish, very believable, in line with the magic of middle earth and how it works. Not a great fan of dwarven rings being so obviously evil and corrupting. It should be more subtle, or get amplified after One Ring is created. The CGI mining was disgusting!

[@cholst1]

9/10 is like the top episodes of Sopranos and The Wire - and this isnt in the same league as those. Even as a internal show rating against other episodes, you're saying its near perfect - aka barely any room for improvement, which also seems a bit mad.

[@wiktorLicht]

@@cholst1 it's hard to get a grasp of this out-of-ten system. If 10/10 is "it's so good it cannot get any better. A masterpiece for all other to aspire to; an ideal" then 9/10 must be sth like "extremely good, hardly anything to correct" then this ep wouldn't even be 8 as "very good". Maybe it could be 7 as "good" if 5 is "average" and 6 "above average". But I'd put the entire show at 5 or less - average or below avg. So even 6 is better than any other episode. Making internal grading is missing the point imo

[@Valathrios]

Whenever you're praising the "Arondir & Isildur"-storyline it feels like you just need a storyline to give praise in order to give credibility to the criticism of the rest of the show. "Arondir and Isildur was awesome in my opinion", "I agree, I thought that that was a really strong plotline", like come on? You can't be serious. I'm trying my best to look for things to like about this show too, and I know you don't want to be too negative about all of this but please tell the truth. If this is "awesome", then watching the battle for helms deep in PJ's adaptations must have had you in some sort of constant state of euphoric orgasm by contrast.

[@mark0551]

I agree what a joke are you saying you enjoyed the mud worm thing!? What is wrong with you man?

[@Linnir]

I think this was the best episode of a bad series. Not a coincidence that the hobbits and then Galadriel were not the focus. I don’t like the show or its lore, but can appreciate some good scenes in isolation.

[@sarahgould5435]

The truly sad thing is, my impression is that the writers are sincerely trying to write complex characters with flaws to overcome, but they haven't the faintest clue how, so they end up writing truly horrible people the audience are clearly supposed to be either sympathetic toward or view as having done heroic things with good intentions. Or, alternatively they write largely enjoyable characters who have sudden schizophrenic reverses into overblown evil. And the word you were looking for was "amateurish." Their hobbits are not written juvenile, they are written amateurishly. I think that's why the loss of Valandil hits so hard, even though I was expecting it to happen before Isildur's youngest child is born. He was one if the few really good characters. Specific to episode 4, they dropped yet another immersion-breaking attempt at careful detail. In Season 1, ep 1, it was the sylvan Elves wearing solid *wooden* breastplates that were carved with the Green Man (potentially intended to be an ent). If that doesn't scream "WE DIDN'T THINK THE WORLD-BUILDING IMPLICATIONS OF THIS THROUGH!" I don't know what does. In Season 2, ep 4, it was seeing a Dwarven guard deliver an official missive from a neighboring Elven Lord to a complete nobody Dwarf whom the show had spent a good amount of time impressing on the had lost all of his authority and authorization. An Elven Lord who is very much NOT a personal friend of said nobody Dwarf. Sorry, that just broke it for me, I don't believe it. And since everything else regarding the Dwarven rings and the Dwarves treating with a neighboring Elven Lord follows from a nobody Dwarf whose authorization has been completely revoked being given an official missive from a foreign power to handle, I can't buy into any of the rest of it. It probably didn't help that I was also personally hoping they would make the portrayal of the Dwarven corruption a bit more subtle. Also, regarding the rings having power before the One was made: of course they did! There would have been no purpose to making them at all if they had no power until the One was made. The One Ring did not endow all of the others with power, it merely bound them to the will of Sauron. One Ring to rule them all, find them, bring them, and bind them by the connection they shared through Sauron's foundational arts. My problems with them switching up forging of the Rings are that a) it means they have to bring Sauron back as Annatar after he has already taught Celebrimbor how to make rings of power (Which smacks a little too much of retconning, and I hate retconning. It's a cheap and lazy way for writers to give themselves a redo after they realize they've written themselves into a corner.) and b) it means they have to tell the audience 4x that "Sauron never touched" the Elven rings, rather than simply showing how Sauron corrupted the 16 and how the Elven Three were made without Sauron having the opportunity to do that. Instead, we are shown Annatar corrupting the Dwarven rings by handling the mithril before it is melted into the alloy...and we were shown Halbrand handling the mithril before it was melted into the alloy for the Elven rings. Leaving me unsure what the show-runners are even trying to do with the Elven rings. Is the audience supposed to believe they are safe, or are they supposed to maybe be corrupted? I really wish they would just pick a lane and lean into either "yes, the Three are perfectly safe until Sauron binds them with the One" or "no, the Three were somewhat corrupted, but the Elves will have a way to deal with that once Isildur gets the One away from Sauron." And, yes, *massive* overuse of prophecy, coincidence, and "nameless things." Which was not a throwaway line to Frodo, it was part of Gandalf's description of his fight with Durin's Bane, which he followed into the depths beneath the mountains through passages no Dwarf or Orc had hewed, but rather "where nameless things gnaw at the earth." I already disliked PJ's choice to use these in The Hobbit, because Gandalf's implication was very much that these things were nameless because no one had encountered them, so no one had given them names. There are strong implications that the Watcher In the Water was one of these nameless things until it moved in by the west gate and Balin's company gave it a name, recording that name in the Book of Mezarbul. They were not forgotten, they just never had names to begin with. Which is why I also have a problem with Gandalf being squeamish about someone else giving him a name. He literally has a half dozen names in LOTR, all given to him by other people.

[@MDK384]

crazy how the show improves when it focuses on relevant storylines

[@muddlewait8844]

Here’s how I think the ring-depowering thing works: Celebrimbor can make rings at all because Sauron instructed him in ring-lore. That’s canon. (This show represents that by Sauron introducing the “mithril alloy” idea, which is silly but at least the writers tried.) Celebrimbor then uses Sauron’s technique to make the Three on his own. This makes them not directly corrupted by Sauron (as the Seven and Nine were), but because he knows *how* they were made, Sauron can use that knowledge, which gives him a kind of root password to all rings made that way, to bind them later. So the rings had powers when they were created, but because Sauron knew the secrets of *how* they were created, he was able to connect their powers to the One even after the fact.

[@mark0551]

Corruption in action.

[@nixielee]

10/10 was funny. This is still Rings of Power guys, or do you have another scale for this show in particular? 10/10 is really only granted to masterful shows like GoT, The Wire, The Chosen, My Brilliant Friend, otherwise what's the point

[@soup_doctor]

You realize it's subjective right? You say GOT is a 10, I say it's a 7.

[@ValyrianPrince]

9/10 is honestly is the most embarrassing review u have done

[@30noir]

If 10/10 is Tolkien adapted for screen perfectly then a 9 is... absolutely absurd. If you want to say it's better than the rest give it a 3 or 4 out of 10.

[@Baadan37]

How can a review be embarassing? It objectively was the best episode of the series so far. I wouldn't give it 9/10, but calling their personal opinion embarassing is embarassing.

[@hugofernandes2930]

I would give it a 7 never more than a 8 but they are right about being the best episode thus far

[@goji059]

​a 3/10 and that's the best in 1.5 seasons

[@Whiskey0880]

The writing is awful, the review is embarrassing.

[@CapnClutch311]

I 100% get all of the hate. But I agree. I think this was the best episode of all of ROP. If it hadn’t been tainted with the garbage that has been the rest of the show. I think people would appreciate this episode a little more. By itself it’s a good episode. Included with the rest of ROP, I get the hate.

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

I also think it's fun to hate in some respect, so once it starts it is hard to stop it.

[@Mystic_Christopher]

I'm calling it now! One of the writers/showrunners is Annatar himself and they are trying to convince us over time and seasons to love this show 😂

[@NZealand]

You’re so lame

[@NoQuarterNoMercy1]

You’re trying way too hard, Yoysten. I know you don’t want to get lumped with channels that thrive off hating shows, but some shows deserve the hate. A new standard…what from a 1 to a 2?

[@roymills9334]

I look at these Numenorians especialy Isildur and think of the term 'Men of the West' and think nah.

[@blaxpoitation8528]

Facts. They look like the Southlanders. Isildur looks and acts like a complete idiot. The Numenoreans are these genetically blessed individuals. They are supposed to be almost basketball height, super soldier types. But they're portrayed as just... normal. I grant certain grace to the actor who plays Elendil. He looks like a 3rd Age Dunedain. But.... Overall, the Numenoreans are extremely disappointing.

[@anarionelendili8961]

SIlmarillion on the Rings being powered by the One: "Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last."

[@kaphamenskendee7428]

U have legitemate critizisms and put it into contest with the good stuff but still give it a 9 out 10. You 2 wanna like this too much man, the flaws are still very very bad and lore breaking. 6 out of 10 at best. If you give the lotr trilogy a 10/10, then how by Durins beard do you give this nearly a 10/10. Thats just shill talk almost. I hope u just want to like this very bad and didnt watch it objectively enough. The Numenor, isildur, dwarf storylines are still very contradictory and bad. Gil-Galad is a disgrace. Galadriel killing orcs en masse and allying with Adar, broo hahahahahahaha. How just how a 9 out of 10? Really just be objective next time....

[@usmantukur5597]

i dont like how they treat Elendil.. I mean this is Elendil we are talking about! the scene where they round him up seems too easy for me.. but hopefully they lift him up later in the show

[@Don9872]

Leaving lore grievances aside the positives this episode: -Visuals continue to be great -Acting continues to elevate poor writing -Far less cringe inducing metaphors being thrown around -Numenor feels like it’s heading somewhere -Some of Saurons manipulations are compelling (ring’s made in deception and elf lass going unseen world) -Valandil is a good character I hope he sticks around Negatives: -Valandil, one of the only competent and somewhat level headed characters in the show, dies and despite me liking him did not feel a thing upon his passing -Dwarf king speech about the sun was mind bogglingly dumb, given how all their problems were caused by not having access to sunlight -Some of Saurons manipulations were terrible (forging in deception bad so just do it more so it’s good?) and Celebrimbor is stupid/evil for agreeing -Elrond ditching cloak to run was silly comedic and he runs how far in how long ? Where did they see adars forces? West of eregion when they should be approaching from south and Elrond and co from northwest -Numenor plot is utterly half baked, well quarter baked would be more accurate

[@pwmiles56]

The Akallabeth states that the only holy place in Numenor was the open summit of the sacred mountain Meneltarma, and they had "no other temple or fane". The King prays on Meneltarma three times a year, but no other religious ceremony is recorded. There are no sacred objects or relics, nor is there any belief in souls or the afterlife; Tolkien having excluded all references to Christianity from his work (actually not quite, but that is what he claimed).

[@muddlewait8844]

Best episode so far… for what that’s worth.

[@stegura83]

That's like calling the taco bell diarrhea I had last week superior to the diarrhea triggered to my newly found allergic reaction to my consumption of raw oysters ten years ago.

[@jaydale1]

@@stegura83 Eloquent but dumb at the same time

[@marcusseleukos1274]

Always liked your channel. It's yours to do with as you please and you can focus on any topic you want. But I would hazard to say that ROP is made by people who clearly hate Tolkien's work and are intent on redirecting people away from Tolkien's works and themes. People like me really don't want to hear anything about ROP. But it's your channel, do what you want.

[@dmdebruijn]

I want to hear about it but with true and rigorous respect for LORE

[@CommunityFan]

Tbh it is a lotr channel, he's gonna review lotr content.

[@hugofernandes2930]

Guys made a positive review for just once and you guys become insufferable

[@Whiskey0880]

You find people who think differently from you insufferable? Speaks volumes about you.

[@marcusseleukos1274]

@@hugofernandes2930 I didn't mention my thoughts on the review. I didn't watch it. I no longer watch anything related to ROP; been there, done that already. I am a member of many Tolkien-related social media groups, and unfortunately, I now see ROP content in these groups. Even though ROP is a defilement of Tolkien. Again, people like me would rather forget ROP exists. But since the purpose of the show, like most mass-produced, screen-based media, is to redirect people away from the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, of course ROP is being beamed to every corner of the internet related to Tolkien, whose works promoted the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.

[@leonardodavinci7425]

Episode 4 was a 3 out of 10, episode 5 is a 6 out of 10

[@eaglefangkaratedojo7473]

He’s pretty honest about his opinions, good and bad and doesn’t give the show praise lightly. Not sure where “shill” accusations are coming from just cause you aren’t saying everything sucks for hate clicks, which might even get more views vs honesty lol.

[@georgeharper251]

This is easily the most feel good and wholesome KZbin channel ever. Keep doing what you’re doing man!

[@rquer7913]

TRoP is plainly boring, not Tolkien at all. Barely a background noise while one is working in other stuff. I honestky hate how they portray the elves... the wouldn't be able to write a good elven character even if they would try. In my opinion, Tolkien's elves are far beyond the ability of these screenwriters to write. They are just dudes, not semi-antelic beings as they are in the lore.

[@christopherluke9658]

Dude this was so bad. I think you’ve been broken. It was just out of place lines; making a big world feel small. I mean the army or orcs has like 300people in it. The numemorians are just pathetic, instantly corrupted, without even any influence from sauron.

[@Emanon...]

Everything said and done, Episode 5 was by far the best episode of the show. This show isn't made for fans of Tolkien's universe. It's made for the casual viewer who doesn't know anything about LotR. As soon as we accept that, the better I believe.

[@iliasgold4284]

For the budget of this show i can't believe that it is so empty of people! Every scene has max 10 to 20 people in tiny space instead of huge settings ! What the hell ! The world feels empty! In the numenorian shrine they should have hundreds of people praying and then have hundreds of soldiers storming in and destroy the big statues and arrest them! What we ended up was 4 soldiers come in and arrest 4 people and destroy what ? A tiny statue?? Is that a joke? Where has all the money gone?

[@DanceySteveYNWA]

One picture for 48 mins . What a video!

[@bonoboboo]

Thank you for not just hating on the show and buying into the negativity for more views. I've been avoiding some of my favorite Tolkien channels during the times RoP were airing and I actually unsubscribed from the Broken Sword because of it. I want to enjoy Tolkien onscreen, despite it being an imperfect adaptation. But that's how adaptations go, just as translations of thousand years old texts aren't perfect translations. I've seen so many places where Tolkien fandom has degenerated into toxic fandom like seen in the Star Wars fandom. (not just including the anti-woke bull.) Not hating on it and giving honest reviews is awesome. No, it's not perfect, but let's give honest reviews. Again, thank you! I've been enjoying your videos for years and hope for more!

[@joebarracuda6038]

What they did to Lotr is just Pathetic!

[@craigbrowning6788]

How can you defend anything on this lore nuking abomination? Does it bother in the slightest that a show called “ Rings of Power” doesn’t even get one thing correct about the rings?

[@justhereforthetragedy]

The bar is so low at this point that the minimum glance of a coherent sentence in dialogue sparks to most elevated praise.

[@istari0]

The show is not redeemable because it is built on the massive lore violations introduced early on and that they continue to add to. That this episode was more internally self-consistent doesn't change any of that. It would be one thing if they had created their own show and this was how they did it but instead they said they were basing this on Tolkien and then proceeded to violate what Tolkien wrote all the time.

[@frankkidd243]

Can you put a few different pics up 😅

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

I think season 2 is a pretty major improvement!

[@rachelvoiles9699]

The rings were powerful on their own but once the one was made, he bound all to it. I think you’re correct, it’s makes sense to the lore.

[@jojitelizalde6965]

8/10 for me because 9/10 is basically perfect and 10/10 is too much. Dialogue had substance instead of just flowery exposition to show the writers have good vocabulary. There was tension in scenes where there should have been. The music was on point and well timed for the appropriate scene. The shrine confrontation actually had me engaged and I had to sit up and take notice of how the events were shaping up. The scenes with the dwarves were all good and the King's descent into "greed" was well written and paced so the viewer could follow. The actor playing Celebrimbor had more acting range shown as he was challenged and infuenced by Anattar. Much better written and executed episode. Best one this season. My only gripe is how the elves look like cosplayers with pointy ears. They dont have that ethereal and serene look to them. I still have low hopes for this series but for once I an looking forward to next week's episode with guarded optimism.hello from the Philippines and keep the great content coming.

[@ChatBot1337]

Everyone's allowed an opinion. I can neither agree nor disagree as I refuse to watch the show. Galadriel is not as described in the books in the slightest. While she was not explicitly excluded from a visit to Numenor, she was never mentioned. That tells me that, if she had, she would be the most represented character in Tolkien lore outside of Sauron.. but was forgotten in the middle?? Feel free to check me on that as I'm decent but quite a few years removed from the lore. I am simply tired of the bastardization of existing IPs getting the 'made for TV' treatment. I can't imagine the difficulty in adapting Tolkien to screen, however that does not give license to write whatever the hell makes it work then slap a Tolkien title on it, i.e. The Hobbit trilogy. The marketing turned me off of this show before it aired. The casting imo appears beyond terrible. Even the implication of Galadriel getting squishy over Sauron when she is married is contemporary dating app, relationship diminishing tripe. The not-hobbits are a pure fan service contrivance. While I am certainly being unfair, I've been told enough for the last decade this wasn't made for me either explicitly or implicitly. I simply don't bother any longer. Been watching for years, love the channel, you do you.

[@faustoutloud]

I'm sry but the Hobbit films blows this out of the water I know it's not perfect but it's fun has good story has great CGI too much at times Thorin is one of the best Dwarf characters of all time 2nd to gimli And Martin Freeman as Bilbo was epic.

[@schirmc1]

I agree. I won’t watch it and agree that it started with the hobbits. Greed started it and now the agenda to drive out unwanted traditional morality and male/female archetypes is just disgusting and disappointing.

[@t.c.bramblett617]

@@schirmc1 it has nothing to do with any agenda, it's just the fact that hacks are adapting the appendix of Tolkien's book into a pale imitation of Peter Jackson that looks beautiful but is just compressed time fan fiction

[@Hakaanu]

The biggest thing I genuinely love this show for is showing Dwarves at the height of their civilization and power. I love dwarves and in LoTR trilogy you only see Gimli and the ruins of Moria. In the Hobbit trilogy you see dwarves scattered and powerless and the ruins of once great Erebor. The most exciting part of BoFA is when Dane Ironfoot shows up and you actually get to see a proper dwarven army capable of going toe to toe with other powers in Middle Earth. So yes I’ve loved this episode, but I’ve also loved the segments of seeing Khazad Dun last season.

[@ringbearer1420]

The prologue to “The Hobbit” shows us Erebor at its peak…

[@Hakaanu]

@@ringbearer1420exactly. You get about 2 minutes of exposition before everything is destroyed.

[@cornpro1000]

The good faith and nuance here is so refreshing! This is the first of your ROP reviews I've watched, came here because I also thought this episode was a standout and wish the whole show was like this. I'm in the same boat, watching for the "LOTR" in the title and hoping for some decent episodes. You guys hit the nail on the head with this one!

[@MadCaril]

This show has been consistently getting worse. Nothing makes any sense at this point.

[@jaydale1]

Then you're not watching it and just want to troll it

[@MadCaril]

@@jaydale1 lol yeah ok.

[@rooteddwellings]

@@jaydale1 I watched it and I’m a huge Tolkien fan… It isn’t getting enthusiastically better but it is definitely better than last season. I will say certain plots are actually worth watching now. I will say the longer it carries the more in depth character development and the fleshing out of the story is exposing the terrible writing…

[@faustoutloud]

Agree this show is just a slog to get through forced dialogue is the worst along with a few forced characters where it doesn't fit 😅. It's hard to take seriously and get threw an episode 😅.

[@George-um2vc]

@@jaydale1I’m not watching it, and I’m 100% here to clown on it🤣

[@routineproofmusic454]

People making a show, who need to learn more about the source material first + People reviewing the show, who need to learn more about the source material first + People commenting, who need to learn more about the source material first = At least they can't un-write the book.

[@yurikendal4868]

If yall think contrtavinances are good story telling, need to up the standards.

[@nishant19961]

This doesn't feel like a typical Men of the West comment section.

[@Tw0tson]

9/10? Barely anything happens, very boring and the dialogue was cringeworthy per usual

[@Zoso137]

Uh. Did you guys watch the same episode that I did? Lol

[@otaku-sempai2197]

I do not think that the Great Rings being potent before the making of the One Ring is a problem. Sauron already placed a bit of himself in the other Rings (even the Three are indirectly connected to him). What Sauron did in crafting his Master Ring was to bind the other Rings of Power directly to it. At least that's my interpretation. Turning "nameless things" into a proper noun reflects the same thing that happened with the Nazguls' "fell beasts".

[@brenc515]

As someone who isn’t deeply versed in the lore. I am a big fan of the Peter Jackson movies (I only ever read the hobbit). This show is just boring, and none of the “deep” or “meaningful” moments really feel that important. There isn’t enough context given and they hop around way too much! The writing is quite bad and Galadriel was the coolest character from the movies but almost impossible to watch in this show. She completely lacking in the gravitas her character has in the movie.

[@AnthonyDGreen]

The one ring was created from Sauron's essence. He added himself into it. I think the rings of power were also powered by Sauron... a means of him lending his Maia power to the wearers and connecting to them. Before the forging of the one ring Sauron still exists so they still have power but once he pours his power into the physical ring that essence can be destroyed and effectively so can he and the destruction of his essence is what depowers the rings.

[@Makkaru112]

The nameless things should have had their own names from dwarvish culture to do with how they could have developed into aquatic creatures of eldrich terror after Beleriand sank to the bottom of the sea after the war of wrath. Adapting to the ocean itself. And then swam away from the wreckage of beleriand, some may have dwelled within the sunken ruins but some rose higher when they came across what is now Moria and some then became half aquatic and whispered nightmarish weaves throughout the tunnels of the mountain which perhaps makes the mountain quake in sickness from time to time and if they wanted to give dwarves the power of songlore with or without the elves assistance that disa scene would be more epic to put them to sleep like Lúthien did with her ethereal song and dance around Morgoth and his generals

[@j0b01231]

You, my friend, have put more time, effort, and passion into a single plot point than these writers managed with one billion dollars.

[@Nealikus]

Definitely the best thus far. That being said, I really don’t like how easily Sauron is manipulating people to make the rings. It would make far more sense if he wasn’t there for the forging of the first 3. If “Halbrand” never got hurt at the end of the last season and had just remained in Mordor until the end of the season, the show would be substantially better. Nobody knows it’s Sauron, there’s no doubt about the rings, and people who know the lore would know where it’s going with the annatar reveal

[@Luv2spooge]

After reviewing last weeks episode 6 out of 10, I knew you had lost to greed

[@jacksoneflin6006]

This is very possibly a No-Prize, but my read on the Disa-at-the-Pool scene was that it was a place known, but not often used - like a small green space by the river in the bad part of town, where people CAN go they just generally don't becuase, why bother. And whatever danger Disa senses doesn't so much live there as it has recently moved in, or has expanded its territory to include that pool, and Disa's singing got its attention. So, while it's perhaps remarkable that no one's noticed it YET (except maybe someone who went down there and got et, and no one's realized it), it's more in the line of "The main character happens to stumble into the orbit of The Monster of the Week" as opposed to "No one noticed the Balrog living one block over."

[@Makkaru112]

Wasn’t it the nameless things whispers that echoed throughout the mountains that truly made them greedy or more susceptible to the rings or one or the other exacerbated the other sort of thing?

[@anarionelendili8961]

No. :) It is explicit in the Appendices that it is the effect of the Rings.

[@JackChurchill101]

I've said elsewhere, Having the elves turn invisible when they wear a ring of power (and preservation) makes as much sense as a duck sinking in water. Even mortal men didn't just 'vanish'. They slowly faded over a thousand years of use. So what's the difference between men and elves in this world? Nothing. But they're immortal.

[@turrican4d599]

It was THE ONE ring.

[@Mallarkey]

​@@turrican4d599disagree. If it was, Annatar wouldn't have just let Celebrimbor take it off Mirdania's finger and hold it, surely.

[@Mallarkey]

This particular ring made Mirdania invisible. Because it has one property matching the One Ring, doesn't make it the One. Remember Gandalf realised Bilbo had a magic ring that turned him invisible but didn't fear it was a ring of power, only lesser a ring. "There are many magic rings in this world, and none of them should be used lightly."

[@scdavis5074]

No longer slaves to the sunlight yet theres been an entire story arc about needing sunlight to survive lol

[@sandy-jn5rd]

10:30 see? you too 😂 cannot remember her name. Celebrimbor isn’t alone.

[@Bendyoldcan]

I couldn’t disagree more with you guys. Setting aside the cannon problems I’d 1st like to say it looks good. But that’s it. The writing is so bad. The decisions made by characters are just plain stupid. As a huge Tolkien fan I want this to be good but it’s not. But you are Still my favourite Tolkien channel!

[@anarionelendili8961]

Yeah. It is on such a shaky foundation to begin with due to ignoring the lore, but even within the show itself, the characters are bone-headed stupid so that plot can happen.

[@hylianchriss]

I know there are some parts of the real lore they're legally not allowed to use, but come on... They had everything already written for them. All they had to do was make a show about what Tolkien actually wrote for these characters! They had a completed, guaranteed fan favorite show just ready to be filmed for the last almost 100 years. But instead they insisted on creating this horrible, generic fantasy fanfic, and slapping the LotR name on it. By writers who know nothing about Tolkien's world. They wrote one of the greatest elven blacksmiths of all time, who is a several thousand year old magical smithing genius - who doesn't know you can mix metals? I felt so betrayed by season 1, and I am so glad I didn't bother with season 2. GG Amazon

[@jameshogg601]

Got 20mins through and turned it off.