So I Watched the Rings of Power...

[@HeyPalski]

I’m going to start reading the books and giving an honest review of those. Already 1/4 way through the hobbit! More reviews coming too: Rewatching Star Wars The Last Jedi Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners The Hobbit Review (and all the books eventually) And other shows, movies, (games?) etc

[@totallynottrademarked5279]

I hate cross promoting but here is a great video that explains who this is made for. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXbYioN6lLunqqc This level of Tolkein nerd. We get the references that they had to use to get around the rights issues with The Samarillion. Much less how well they are tying in even casual references Tolkein makes to this age through dialogue. One converstation between Merry, Pippin, and Eomer in the LOTR books put the pre-Hobbits right were they are in the show. Really makes you feel like they care and wonder what they could have done if the Tolkein estate had let them buy the rights to the Samarillion at the same time.

[@emmat2276]

You need to watch Willow. That movie shows you why these people failed to make ROP good with all the stuff in there. It is a classic from 1988. So far not one Tolkien fan I've met has disliked that movie and loves it. George Lucas was inspired by the hobbit to make it plus Warwick Davis is in it who is famous for being the horror movies icon the leprechaun.

[@maxpiemuse9584]

RoP, Last Jedi, The Hobbit? Are you a glutton for punishment?

[@CoKaNee]

I personally don't like Hobbit, but Silmarillion is fantastic. The depth of his creation is amazing and what I love in Tolkien. Hobbit sadly (for me) is too childish.

[@WeekEndCousinal]

Hi Bravo for the effort on reading the books. To get the point and understand amazone is doing everything wrong you have to read the Silmarillon. There you will learn that Galadriel is not a main character during 2nd age. There would have been tons of possibilities for powerful female actress like Luthien or black people with Harad or Dunland..

[@senacht]

Some people are easily impressed by spectacle and pretty pictures. Such people don’t need a strong story line or believable character development to satisfy their taste. They’re all about the visually impressive table setting and don’t really care about the meal being served. Rings of Power was created for such people.

[@jw-ob1wv]

It amazes me how many people there are out there who are like that. How does the lack of drama, weak acting and bad pacing not put people off? Everyone loves to blame greedy companies and woke virtue signalling for the low quality of mainstream entertainment but honestly modern audiences and their pathetically low expectations should also share some of the blame.

[@ZentColdStoneberserkr]

Wow that's a very eloquent way to say that you didn't like the show. I've read every fucking book ever written by the guy and I loved the show. I pitcher you in a smoking jacket setting in a leather bound chair behind a grand cherrywood desk. Get over yourself...

[@brockcharz2104]

This guy does not speak for all casual lotr fans, even most of them hate the first 2 episodes, just seems like another femlnlst mar,y su,e lead with lots of forced diversity, and terrible writing, typicaI wo,ke tv show

[@brockcharz2104]

@@jw-ob1wv This guy does not speak for all casual lotr fans, even most of them hate the first 2 episodes, just seems like another femlnlst mar,y su,e lead with lots of forced diversity, and terrible writing, typicaI wo,ke tv show

[@ZentColdStoneberserkr]

@@brockcharz2104 Don't watch anymore. Bet you can't....

[@miragrozeva5977]

According to the lore at the time of the show, Galadriel is married and has a daughter who is literally old enough to marry Elrond as she does later on. She is also close with Celebrimbor to the point she is entrusted with one of the 3 elven rings and this show has yet to even show them together in the same scene. Furthermore, Galadriel is banned from returning to Valinor and her ban is lifted only after she refuses the one ring when Frodo offers it to her thousands of years later. The character we see in this show has nothing in common with the Galadriel written by Tolkein. You can say as a character you like the story the writers are creating but that would be like watching a batman show where Bruce Wayne is a poor struggling college student who prevents crime by serving in the local soup kitchen. But hey, he also has a fascination with bats so he calls himself batman while playing video games...

[@shahman76]

She was banned? Didn’t the ban on the Noldor lift after Morgoth was expelled beyond the walls of the night? I thought she stayed into the second age because of her husband and children and she was finally ruling Lothlorien etc. Just asking.

[@shahman76]

She was banned? Didn’t the ban on the Noldor lift after Morgoth was expelled beyond the walls of the night? I thought she stayed into the second age because of her husband and children and she was finally ruling Lothlorien etc. Just asking.

[@hawkname1234]

It's literally been 2 episodes out of the 50 they have planned and you're complaining bc Galadriel and Celebrimbor haven't shared scene yet? You haters are completely non-sensical. To the point of disingenuousness. What a crazy thing to say.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

@@hawkname1234 Naw, I am complaining because a little princess is getting bullied by a nobody and grew up to be an insufferable little cunt who is better than literally everyone else, can singlehandedly kill military unit-wrecking trolls without breaking a sweat, and who can jump ship without a plan and literally swim from Valinor to ME. This character and level of nonsense has zero place in ME.

[@kamion53]

@@shahman76 At the end of the War of Wrath the Doom of Mandos was lifted and the Elves of Beleriand were summoned by Eönwë , the herald of Manwë to depart to Valinor. the two remaining sons of Feänor Maedhros and Maglor refused, beccause that would violate their oath to obtain the Silmarils. Galadriel and Celeborm did not go either but left Beleriand heading east. Gil-Galad handing out pasports for Valinor is ludicrous, that is putting himself in place of the Valar.

[@makerealitygreatagain8809]

The important message to take away from this is, if Tolkien wrote like this, no movies would have been made after his work, Amazon would never have made this show. They are literally trying to live off the prestige of Tolkiens actual writing but then totally deviate from it on so many accounts and then bastardise it to hell.

[@johngeiger3770]

In other words, scam the wits out of oblivious viewers.

[@SubiKinubi]

What you mean to say is if Tolkien wrote this then Tolkien who???

[@jamesconnor4807]

@@jadeapiata6545 It goes both ways. Stop whining yourself that fans are complaining. Lead the way and get over it. ;)

[@michalkopij7356]

@@jadeapiata6545 you can't enjoy something that sucks.

[@jamesconnor4807]

@@jadeapiata6545 then just enjoy the show. But you're still here...whining...proving your point to the contrary. Just saying.

[@NakanoGhost27]

Nice review. There's no need to apologize for anything, you're just sharing your honest thoughts. Not calling us racists is good enough lol

[@Berndr]

And you don't think it is sexist that people don't have a problem with Jackson breaking a major Tolkien Lore by giving Aragorn a beard to make him more manly.... when Tolkien clearly states that Aragorn can't grow facial hair due to his elvish Numenorian ancestry ... yet these same people are destroying amazon for breaking Lore to make a female dwarf more feminine!

[@amadeusdebussy6736]

Saying Harfoots and Hobbits are different is like saying the French and Europeans are different.

[@maggotbaby]

Wait...french and europeans are not different?

[@BrockSamsonite]

@@maggotbaby no they're not. 😂

[@brockcharz2104]

This guy does not speak for all casual lotr fans, even most of them hate the first 2 episodes, just seems like another femlnlst mar,y su,e lead with lots of forced diversity, and terrible writing, typicaI wo,ke tv show

[@matwatson7947]

Well to be fair we in the UK have been trying to get France evicted from the EU for decades now

[@roadrash2005]

@@brockcharz2104 yeah I just couldn’t stop rolling my eyes whenever the main “heroine” was talking, I had to stop watching or I’d overdose on cringe.

[@TheSkeletonJr]

As a fan of the mythology Tolkien wrote, I'm really happy this crappy show has turned you on to the books! Perhaps that's the only positive outcome of this show.

[@ZentColdStoneberserkr]

I'll bet you anything you want to bet that you will continue to watch the show. And I will also bet you anything you want that 2 or 3 episodes from now you change your fucking tune. You miserable KZbin fucks are all the same. Lol

[@vietbluecoeur]

This, this, this! The best thing about this terrible show is how much intense love for the original books and Peter Jackson trilogy it's spurred, at least from what I've seen. I know I'm doubly incentivized to read through The Silmarillion properly now for sure!

[@needparalegal]

Tolkien is responsible for MOST English speaking literary nerds.

[@RoninDave]

boy, if fans turn to the books they are going to be in for a big surprise

[@HeyPalski]

Me too! Starting with the hobbit tonight. Between my other videos, I’ll probably give my thoughts on the books too

[@DigitalinDaniel]

What if I told you Galadriel has a husband... and is a mother... her daughter is about 800 years younger than Elrond but should be born by now in the show, she then marries Elrond at the end of the 2nd age and they give birth to Arwen, who is like 2800 years old when she marries Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) :^) How does the troll make sense? If her soldiers were that useless, what were they suppose to do when they found Sauron? :')

[@SugerSprinkledFun]

Short answer: it doesn't.

[@lukeluckynblue1873]

Of course its not them who will fight sauron when they saw him it would be HER who defeat him

[@timokohler6631]

@@SugerSprinkledFun Galadriel will just easily shred him to pieces, because she is a strong independent woman!

[@Makkaru112]

@@timokohler6631 Wahman

[@alexander5207]

I mean is it really such a tragedy that soldiers so useless are leaving her?

[@narrowpath979]

Litaraly 99% of the events you described, in the prologue, didn't happened. That's how much it sucks

[@eugene8498]

Not necessarily bad if they just want to do their own thing. But they try to write a wise character, and what they present is "rocks sink because they seek downwards". What stupid life wisdom writer they hired. The writing is just bad.

[@johnstrawb3521]

Even without reference to canon, RoP is horrifyingly bad. The dialogue is incoherent. The harfoots are embarrasing, and the anti-white racism and misandry is appalling

[@penmaster003]

@@eugene8498 How about the very first sentence. “Nothing is evil in the beginning, and there was a time when the world was so young there had not yet been a sunrise, but even then there was light.” Excuse me, Lady Galadriel, what do sunrises have to do with evil? Why did you use a complete non sequitur? God, the writing is terrible. It’s like they memorized quotes from one of those websites and tried to base a show on them. lol.

[@erikred8217]

@@eugene8498 It's pretty bad. The author was clear in context in and about his work. Some works can be changed but if you turn Pop eye into a Ballerina with allegories and a pet alligator why not just create a new character. Money.

[@conelord1984]

@@eugene8498 If they wanted to do their own thing they shouldn't have used Tolkien's work as the scenario. They should create their own world. But we all know they are not capable of doing that. They will use the name of an acclaimed writer to get some easy money for as long as they can until the ruin the IP.

[@mmadmuor7149]

Wow, this series is so impressive, it even sucks when you know nothing about Tolkiens works 😂

[@firebearva]

The name of Tolkien shouldn’t be associated with this production. It is nothing more than a modern fantasy story a total fabrication. I suggest you go to your local used book store and buy copies of the Silmarillion, Hobbit, and the LOTR and read them. Don’t rely on the Jackson movies to make commentary on this mess from Amazon. If you’re not a reader get the recoded version.

[@kari8187]

The audio books are available right here on KZbin too!

[@dewulfe9913]

Pretty damn good review from someone who hasn't read the books. Personally I started reading Tolkien when I was 13, finishing LOTR multiple times before I finished high school, so you can probably guess what I think of this show. THAT SAID....from a regular viewer perspective, I have one question - when Galadriel jumps out of the boat apparently HUNDREDS of miles from anywhere (in other words, she basically seems to commit suicide) - does that not shatter your immersion completely? As you point out, it made no sense. I'm seeing more and more of this kind of massive plot hole that the audience is brazenly expected to not think about at all, in all sorts of (Hollywood produced) movies. So it sorta seems like the average viewer is more interested in the pretty or cool spectacles on the screen, than in a story which makes sense. For another example, in the recent Resident Evil series, where they really started to lose me was when the main character sneaks off her home base ship at night to secretively bring a zombie back on board in order to experiment on it without anyone else knowing. WTF..... because (A) lifting a limp body is *very* difficult so no, she wouldn't have had the strength to do that, but even more (B) why do it in secret with no help to control the zombie in case it gets loose?! Oh, I know....because the scriptwriters want to have another "oh shit the zombie's loose and everyone's gonna get bit" scene (like we haven't seen those before...predictable much?!). These days when I see illogicality like that, I might as well give the show a 1 out of 10 because there's 0 immersion for me. For other examples of the same thing, in Prometheus we have a map expert who gets lost (really?!), and an alien biology expert who thinks that snake like creatures are safe to play with (wtf lmao). Then in Alien Covenant the whole crew think it's totally safe to take their helmets off on a new planet (whoopsie!), and the acting captain just lets a hostile android bait him into letting a facehugger make a new home on his face _sigh_ PS. Speaking of Galadriel from a lore perspective, she grew up Valinor, and at that time it was a place of true serenity for the Elves. The idea that Elven children would bully each other is complete horseshit. So the whole premise of the show is completely flawed. What Amazon has done is turn the Elves from ethereal beings into humans with pointy Spock ears, and in so doing they've lost the whole magical presence of them which is what made them special in the first place >.

[@marklucia6209]

I'm with you bub. 💯

[@brianosterman456]

Nah your just a racist, mysoginistic, antisemite. Joking but that's what they call criticism these days.

[@PacificSword]

I think you may have put more thought into this than the writers did.

[@Kwolfx]

I'm totally with you, even though I'm only a casual reader of Tolkien. Jumping into the ocean was a pretty baffling move for Galadriel to make, other than she didn't want to go to the Undying Lands. Did Galadriel think she was impervious to drowning or dying of exposure? Don't know. Though it didn't rise to the same level of stupidity, I felt almost the same way about the much earlier scene where Galadriel was leading a team of seven or eight elves, because she was determined to find Sauron. What was Galadriel's plan if she found him? Presumably, Sauron would have an army of Orcs around him and she's got six to eight guys. That's not going to end well. Her team is too small to have any chance in a standup fight and too large to be very stealthy. It was just dumb.

[@makoygaara]

Bully elven children. Amazon writers are clowns. 🤣🤣🤣

[@shukarion6677]

As a long-time fan of Tolkien I really liked your review of the Rings of Power, though I myself will not watch the show. Why will I not watch the show? Mainly because it contains almost no Tolkien, and the show is clearly not made for fans of Tolkiens litterature. I could of course try to watch the show as a generic fantasy series, but I see nothing that makes me interested enough to pay for a Prime subscription. Let me use Elrond as an example, in the Fellowship of the Ring Tolkien describes Elrond: "The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars. Venerable he seemed as a king crowned with many winters, and yet hale as a tried warrior in the fulness of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell and mighty among both Elves and Men." Now look at how Elrond is depicted in the Rings of Power, and compare that to the book, or how Elrond was portrayed by Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson's trilogy.

[@hawkname1234]

The show was DEFINITELY written for fans of Tolkien. But you're more of a grognard/gatekeeper/hater than a fan, so feel free to not watch it.

[@TheN9nth]

​@@hawkname1234 Casual fans like yourself will enjoy it and that's fine. But some people have been fans of this since the 50s, slowly watching the world get fleshed out, surely you can't blame them for being extra critical when it involves something they truly love... The OP gave his/her reasoning as to why they feel the way they do. You cared enough to reply, but instead giving a reason as to why they're wrong, you literally chime in with "nuh uh it IS for fans. fuck off if you don't like it". You can maybe see why people ain't buying it. Honestly, I just wish they came up with their own stuff instead of labelling it Tolkien and then doing their own thing. I feel its's the same shit they did with Halo, bait and switch, just to get people to watch. To be honest, it seems like it's happened for nearly every TV adaptation in recent memory, why would this be any different?

[@mikeblaze7424]

@@hawkname1234 if it was for fans why would they change the lore and characters that made people fans in the first place

[@brockcharz2104]

@@hawkname1234 This guy does not speak for all casual lotr fans, even most of them hate the first 2 episodes, just seems like another femlnlst mar,y su,e lead with lots of forced diversity, and terrible writing, typicaI wo,ke tv show

[@brockcharz2104]

@@TheN9nth This guy does not speak for all casual lotr fans, even most of them hate the first 2 episodes, just seems like another femlnlst mar,y su,e lead with lots of forced diversity, and terrible writing, typicaI wo,ke tv show

[@snowballandpals]

Reminds me of the new Star Wars trilogy. It's poorly written but people still love it cause its Star Wars and looks pretty.

[@johnprime1147]

Except when this show was said to be started Tolkien Fans looked at Star Wars, Marvel, Predator, Alien, Halo, etc and stomped their foot down. With loud and commanding voice they yelled "WE WILL NOT LET TOLKIEN"S WORK BE DESTROYED! FOR TODAY WE FIGHT! FOR TOLKIEN!"

[@diegooland1261]

Gowd, Star Wars fans will buy anything with the Star Wars logo on it.

[@extremegrieferbible]

@@diegooland1261 Well, The Rise of Skywalker only made half of the box office money that The Force Awakens made, so even Star Wars fans have their limits.

[@Nonamearisto]

Who loves it? No one seems to like this atrocity.

[@michaelwills1926]

@@diegooland1261 no, they won’t. After the second sequel I knew we were being trolled and walked away, never looked back.

[@Koggelxander]

It was nice watching a review out of a "normies'" perspective. Glad you decided to read the books. If you really want the history of Middle-Earth get the Silmarillion. It explains all of the lore.

[@yourdreams2440]

The Silmarillion is a tough read, not worth reading unless you read the LOTR trilogy and you're in love with the world and want more.

[@sarahgould5435]

For a normie, the Silmarillion is best taken with lore experts like Tolkien Untangled to break it down in today's English and make it more interesting. It's really something to take up and read for yourself after you've already acquired a taste for it. The original trilogy actually has quite enough to say about Middle Earth's history, world logic, and geography outside of the First Age (which mostly took place on a part of the continent that just no longer exists anymore, so...) to be getting on with and understand how the world works.. You can practically read the journey of the Fellowship as a tour guide of the major historical sites of the Second and Third Ages. It shows in context a lot of the world logic that the Silmarillion directly spells out in exposition. Which is why Amazon and Bad Reboot creditors have no excuse for making up their own world logic.

[@jgamer2228]

I am reading through LOTR for the first time and The Hobbit for the second, though I haven’t read it for many years

[@HeyPalski]

Thanks! I actually just picked up the hobbit and fellowship today. Going to start reading them tonight

[@Koggelxander]

@@HeyPalski Enjoy them. 😊

[@SugerSprinkledFun]

How did they get the pile of helmets so high? Someone would of had to keep stacking them higher and higher to create a literal mountain of them! Did giants do this for them? Did they use a very tall ladder?

[@antitheist2000]

Magic ? 🤔

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

An angle of inclination determines upon the size of the thing being piled up and how uniform the things are . Sand dunes only build so high as the specific angle of inclination of that specific kind of particles. At gravel pits and places where things are piled to later be sold, sand or size sorted rocks or less sorted rocks stack or pile to a definite angle of inclination that can be mathematically found out. The physics of the Galadriel fighting physics just do not add up . You can not hide or easily hide that many people, from hunters. At the least, you would have to not tramp the same path, leaving evidence. The not Hobbits would have to be clean to avoid being scented abd be stealthy, light footed, not leave traces, think of how Europeans had trouble seeing and finding American Indians being seen, being found the Indians did want to be seen or found.

[@GholaTleilaxu]

They used a stairway to Heaven.

[@RoninDave]

eagles, it's always the bloody eagles

[@HeyPalski]

Lmao didn’t consider this. I’m laughing thinking of them just angrily hurling helmets to the top of the pile

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

I kept wanting to explain to you all of the things that you were unsure of, so I was really happy when you mentioned that you called or texted your friend who is a big fan of the books, and ran it all by him. The absolute best thing about this show is that it made you want to read the books for yourself. That’s honestly the most positive thing that I can say about it. This is the first video of yours that I’ve seen, and you seem like a good and rational person who will give the lore the respect it deserves. The fact that you, as someone who had little exposure to Middle-Earth apart from the films, now want to read about it gives me some hope that there will be others out there who will feel the same way. I enjoyed your review, and I really hope that you do go ahead and read the original material. I’ve been a fan of it since I was a kid back in the early 1980s, and I can honestly say that it has had really positive influences on me, from developing a love of reading to helping shape my own moral code. Enjoy! Edit: I feel a bit stupid- I typed my comment before getting to the end, where you basically said what I did! But it still stands, so really, I hope you enjoy it. 👍🏻

[@m.b.boyack2228]

My favorite scene in Episode 1., is when Galadriel takes Finrod's dagger out of his reposed, beautifully manicured, clean and unscathed hands, the same hands that had just been in swordplay and battle, the hands of a soldier dying in battle. Really authentic. This is Lord of the Idioms and Tautology, not LOTR.

[@purefoldnz3070]

Finrod is literally alive resurrected in Valinor. The very place she wants to swim away from lol.

[@FriendlyDemon93]

I enjoyed your comments & have few things to say in response. Firstly, Harfoots are one of three breed of Hobbits, not proto-Hobbits or Hobbit ancestors. The show has invented that & it's utter nonsense. Secondly, when elves die, their fëar (spirit) travels to the Hall of Mandos in Valinor, then after a little while the Valar permit them the option to reincarnate in an identical body--meaning Galadriel's brother isn't truly dead, because he's immortal (note: when Arwen forsakes the light of the eldar in LotR, this is what she's giving up). Thirdly, Sauron likewise can't be killed because, just like Melkor (Morgoth as the Elves call him), he's one of the Ainur--the first thoughts of Ilúvatar/Eru/'God'. So the aim is to diminish him, suppress him, & prevent him from harming Arda (the earth) due to his hatred & spite (although he may ultimately perish with Melkor in the final battle or Dagor Dagorath). As for other incidents & characters in the show, they are mostly Amazon's inventions because they do not own the rights to The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales or The Complete History of Middle-earth (just for starters). Consequently check everything & you'll almost certainly discover that it either contradicts/ignores Tolkien. Thanks!

[@nirfz]

Small thing: As i understand it, Sauron had bound almost of his power and life that was left to the one ring, unlike any other creature of eru's creation. So with the destruction of the ring, his almost entire "spirit" also was destroyed. Which makes him the only Maiar that basically got killed. As for the Haarfoots: there is a small thing i do agree with the show: At the time of the Fellowship of the ring, there are no dedicated Fallohide, Stoor or Haarfoot Hobbits anymore. These 3 tribes have mixed enough that some still show character or physical trades more prevalent of one of these 3 original tribes, but the tribes themselves do not exist in their "clean form" anymore. And i would argue that the Haarfoots can be called predecessors of the LOTR Hobbits as much as our Grandmother on one side is our predecessor. (But they of course are Hobbits, and their depiction as dirty, incredibly bad hair camoflage wearing, mobile home using creatures makes me shake my head in frustration)

[@rekacolour]

@@nirfz so the One Ring was basically a Horcrux?

[@nirfz]

@@rekacolour What i get from wikipedia about the word Horcrux i would answer with yes. But, Disclaimer: I have neither read Mrs. Rowlings books nor seen the Potter movies, so all i can go by is wikipedia.

[@knightingale5669]

@@rekacolour Yes, basically a Horcrux. Like a Horcux, wearing the One Ring influences you to do terrible things as well to the point of corruption ie Gollum.

[@Thedeepseanomad]

Just imagine Morgoth destroying the trees with orcs (instead of Ungoliant) that does not exist yet.

[@klaymor73]

After 20 years in the army I found the idea of stacking helmets a disgraceful form of honoring the fallen, in other words. It sucks.

[@ozono27]

There are in fact some things that kinda suggest that the "stranger" that falls from the sky is Gandalf (magical powers, speaking to insects, getting in touch with a sub-race of hobbits, etc). However, there is actually a poem that Tolkien wrote, that... IIRC was called "The man on the moon", that tells the story of a Maia (the same kind of angelic being as Gandalf, Saruman, the Balrogs, etc) that controlled the movement of what became the Moon. He is the explanation of the myth behind the Moon in the myth created by Tolkien. The only time ... I think.... the word meteorite is used in his works, is referred to this Maia falling from the sky as a meteorite. He, being a Maia same as Gandalf, could be assumed to have similar powers and a similar experience "waking up" in the middle earth. The problem with that stranger being Gandalf, is that Gandalf doesn't fall from the sky, and he doesn't appear in the 2nd age (but the Man on the Moon could be!). Thanks for the video and your sincere opinion from it. I think you'd for sure enjoy the books a lot!

[@Berndr]

Possibly but Radaghast has the same powers you listed and is even stronger in lore and attuned to nature than Gandalf, except Gandalf is stronger with firepower and is known as the protector of the secret fire of Anduin! so the fire comet he arrived with is what makes me think you may be right!

[@jadedlotuz5095]

Interresting.

[@pohjanakka4992]

As far as I remember, wasn't Saruman the first Maia who came to Middle Earth? He was, I think, also stronger than Gandalf before Gandalf came back as Gandalf the White. Saruman got corrupted so when we see him in The Lord of the Rings he is one of the bad guys, but for a long time, while he was Saruman the White, he was also the leader of the Wizards. So if that character has any connection to the lore he probably should be Saruman.

[@mr.vargas5648]

Well there was seven wizards but none of them arrived in middle earth like this.

[@Ak4n0]

He is not a wizard. They come across the sea, with ships, at the beginning of the third age. Although there is a second version that says that the blue wizards go to Middle Earth in the second age. Because meteorman comes flying and he is only one and Allatar and Pallando were two and they came by boat as well, it leaves out the idea that he is a sage.

[@Brakiri]

I have to tell you that you rightfully earned the thumbs down. Interpreting "Galadriels" actions as a good thing and that the elfs should stay with her is just baffling. Let me give you my interpretation: 1. She is contemplating leaving one of her soldiers behind, despite the fact that there is no rush, no objective necessity to go on at this point. That makes her at the very least a very bad leader and a lunatic. 2. She doesn't SAVE everyone. She waits with her intervention until only 2 soldiers are left and then she just shows off in the most ridiculous manner possible, flipping around like Yoda. 3. After seeing this, the remaining soldiers have enough and for very good reason. This female lunatic ordered them around for centuries for a possible fools errand, she wants to abandon them when they are exhausted and restraints herself from intervening so she can show off flashy moves insteadof caring for her subordinates. If you want to stay with such a person, you are seriously mental. I will not even add how ridiculous this scene is. Elven warriors also honing their skills for ages are swept away and die but G just swoops in and saves the day for no obvious reason why she is so much better. So we have a completely unlikeable and frankly insane main protagonist and some other rather boring plotstrands. I'm not a big LotR fans myself, couldn't even finish the books and only saw the 3 LotR movies but when looking at what "normies" see by watching this, no wonder why we get so much garbage obfuscated as "entertainment" these days.

[@MustardSeedish]

"We made a promise to ourselves at the beginning of the process that we weren't going to put any of our own politics, our own messages or our own themes into these movies. ... In a way, we were trying to make these films for him (Tolkien), not for ourselves." Peter Jackson

[@burninghalls]

As a true fan I hate this. So the forge will be used to create magical rings of power, Sauron in disguise as Annatar the lord of gifts helps Celebrimbor in forging these rings and learns how to make them. Then as you have seen the LOTR you know the rest. I mostly hate the show for it butchering the lore and adding in events that never even happened, putting characters in places that they aren't meant to be in at that time and other characters who were never in those places at all. Galadriel never goes hunting for Sauron, she eventually has a daughter who does. I hate what they did to Galadriel she doesn't need any armour ever because of her powers which if she got the one ring she would become the most powerful being in all of middle earth. She doesn't need armour because she is a beautiful elven woman forcing her to be a man to me is utterly disgusting can woman not be woman anymore. Galadriel is smarter to stay hidden by her husband Celeborn's side for as powerful as she is in PJ's LOTR for her to walk into mordor Sauron would instantly know, the nine ringwraiths and every creature from orc to troll would be after her. Knowing from the books Sauron loved to torture captives he would torture her and even worse obtain her ring of power. Any ring of power going to any being especially him would be incredibly bad. Apart from this the writing for all the characters is awful, the terrible discussions between Galadriel and Elrond and the fact they make Elrond a pussy who is a cup holder for the king Gil-Galad. You said you saw Peter Jackson's LOTR movies so you can clearly see Elrond is not a pussy, he was there 3000 years ago at the battle of the last alliance and was at many other battles also. Anyway as you suggested you should read the books which also contain many more events than the movies and you will learn the actual lore, for me I got the audiobooks. The Silmarillion reads more like a list of events that happened throughout the ages though this sets up the events that lead up to the lord of the rings including the creation of the the rings of power. I really wanted this show to stick closer to the lore and even if it warped it a little because PJ's LOTR movies did, at least have better writing that makes sense between characters. Not Galadriel telling Elrond he hasn't seen what she has seen, really woman he's like a decorated combat veteran compared to you. Oh and she was never bullied as far as I know then again in the real lore she treats everyone with respect unlike in this show.

[@raoulduke344]

Exactly. These woke types show their own prejudices when they reimagine things like Middle Earth. The only way they thought to make Galadriel a "strong woman" is to have her act like a man. Make her do manly things, but better than the effeminate men in the show, because the writers only see "strength" as masculine traits, whereas they either don't know how to show strong femininity , or see no strength in femininity themselves. Typical prejudicial hypocrisy from the people that pride themselves in being called "woke" or "progressive".

[@Boxman-GG]

Love the fire they ruined it how did this happen

[@nirfz]

As a fan you might know what i mean: if Finrod dies while hunting Sauron, Elrond (and later Aragorn) wouldn't exist, and Morgoth would not have been overthrown so he would still be "the enemy". No idea how they would explain that...

[@Transtiraspol]

So if you switched Elrond and Galadriels character archs you would have been fine with everything? These complaints are not because of the lore, it's because people think women belong in the kitchen and are pissed because women won't date them.

[@raoulduke344]

@@Transtiraspol That comment just proves that you neither care about the lore at all, nor the actual story, as long as it fits your political agenda that has nothing to do with Tolkien. Well done.

[@DreamsOfLegend]

As a black person who is a book over show kinda person.. Arondir ALWAYS HAVING his fresh fade lined up TOOK ME OUTTA the world every time! WTF was that about?? How's he getting his sh*t buzzed every week?? 😅

[@johnmckenzie6661]

In the Peter Jackson films, all the elves had really long hair. It would have been amazing if Arondir just had the biggest afro you'd ever seen. Like he'd been growing it for 500 years.

[@DreamsOfLegend]

@@johnmckenzie6661 hahaha OR at least (because an afro takes CONSTANTLY brushing it) really really long dreads kinda like Damian Marley's 😅🤙

[@Thedeepseanomad]

Galadriel is OP, but arguably not in that way. Have a hard time Imagine her swinging a huge Sword. No doubt whatsoever she could subdue a Troll with her power though.

[@robinthrush9672]

Sort of like justifying Merlin excelling at martial endeavors when he's OP due to his magic.

[@chriswb7]

Exactly, Tolkien already made her one of the most powerful magic users and then they give her a sword and armor.

[@darkomen42]

This is also before she gets her ring, which was a big power boost. The plot holes are grand canyon size.

[@joshuawiedenbeck6944]

@@darkomen42 That and the fact that Elves age similarly to humans. So she should look exactly like the Original Galadrial from Peter Jacksons version, along with Elrond. No one cares about movies making sense anymore.

[@austingoyne3039]

There is a lore basis for Galadriel physically fighting (eg. in Unfinished Tales Tolkien describes her as being of "amazonian disposition", and that she had exceptional athletic ability), *but* regardless you would not expect that to define so much of her character. Beyond the sword fighting there are SO many other problems with RoP Galadriel, it's like they went out of their way to shit on Tolkien's vision of her character.

[@VVVY777]

The writing was a new level of stupid. Galadriel planned to swim all the way back? Why does a rock sink? Jesus. It's insulting.

[@Makkaru112]

Agreed. But there is a nicely made song about Amroth and Nimrodel, and man oh man was it beautiful.

[@danieleverett4213]

Good review. When considering the show on its merits (separate from the lore), I thought episode 1 was fine (nothing amazing but certainly not bad), while episode 2 was confusing and contrived and I didn't even finish episode 3. In terms of adaptations, it's a bit weird as all my favourite childhood books were made into poorly made movies (Eragon, Alex Rider, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl), and now it's the turn of my adult favourites (The Wheel of Time, now Rings of Power). From my perspective, it's all well and good to make stuff like this, but pretending that it actually reflected the authors vision is where I disagree with what the creators are doing; if they were to admit that, I wouldn't be anywhere near as jaded and annoyed as I am.

[@sanguinelynx]

You gave it a very thoughtful review as a non fan, and to answer your question, it was not made for the fans. I would give it a 3 out of 10, and I'm a big Tolkien geek, been reading his works since the 70's. I give credit to the vistas they created, but to me they look like sets up close, and the clothes look cheap. Just about everything you watched didn't happen. I won't give it a zero much as I'd like to because of the work on the cinematics (which aren't as good as HOD). Honestly the more I think about it I want to drop it to a two.

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

I gave it 2 stars as a "generic fantasy". As Tolkien it is unredeemable dogshit.

[@sanguinelynx]

@@AmsterdamHeavy Sounds about right

[@hawkname1234]

I disagree completely. It was clearly written with love of Tolkien. But a bunch of grognards want to gatekeep because they don't understand the incredible difficulty of adapting such sprawling source material from a literal appendix into a story that is cogent and dramatic.

[@raoulduke344]

@@hawkname1234 The writing was bad, the CGI did not scream "Billion dollar production", there is a complete disregard for the lore solely for the purpose of crossing off a woke checklist for Amazon's BlackRock ESG rating. It's and financial and artistic disaster.

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

@@hawkname1234 Shut up. Its full of non-canon garbage, so no it isnt "clearly written with love of Tolkien". Its full of things, LIKE ALLEGORY, that Tolkien specifically stated he despised. His characters like Finrod and Galadriel have been drastically changed - and he stated in his letters that he despised THAT as well, the changing or stripping of key characteristics. Youre either being paid to leave that junk ass comment or you literally know NOTHING about Tolkien and his works and should stfu. Just go watch the garbage and enjoy it and dont even attempt to argue with people who actually know the lore.

[@nutbunny10]

she waited for most of them to be grievously harmed by the troll before she effortlessly dispatched it. She wants to abandon her fellow "team" mates when they slip & fall in the snow. She doesn't care about sticking together on a dangerous mountain climb for group safety. She's not very pleasant. She's not a team player. She even disobeys the King's commands. Why would anyone want to stay with her?

[@Makkaru112]

Be glad she's nothing like that in the books. Check out the links below.

[@Makkaru112]

You'll love these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5XEi3ymhpd-Z5I

[@Makkaru112]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGPCgHmumc-pgLM this conversation between two well known Tolkien lore channels is so well worth the listen to anyone who reads my comment

[@Makkaru112]

You'll love these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5XEi3ymhpd-Z5I

[@Makkaru112]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqeXhX6Fephjp80 You'll love this one!

[@diegooland1261]

Great review. I just want to hear what a regular guy that isn't all that into the lore thinks. Because Amazon clearly didn't write this for the hard core fan. And if a regular guy who just wants to see what it's all about isn't all that interested in the main character, well, that's a problem for Amazon. Sorta need to write a show that makes people interested in the main character. And great snowboards, nice choice.

[@greywuuf]

That's the problem...they didn't write it at all....the fucked up someone else's work. Thieves at the very best

[@scambammer6102]

I'm a big LOTR fan and I agree completely with his take. I don't care if the show follows canon I just want a good show. This was pretty meh. Elrond/dwarves was the only relationship they developed at all, and the Galadriel storyline is ridiculous.

[@diegooland1261]

@@scambammer6102 Thanks. When people think your main character is silly, ridiculous, laughable, you've got a problem. Rest assured Amazon will blame you for laughing at a person jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean and trying to, umm swim back to shore?

[@GuyEdwards001]

I love how fair this critique is. Great job creating a unique voice among the many reviews of this series. Thank you!

[@rassiniister1152]

Galadriel actually says she's never returning home until certainty that all traces of Sauron is vanquished. Meaning she's deceived her company and defied her King as she can only prove if Sauron is alive by finding him. She's a bad leader and the writing is crap.

[@raoulduke344]

Anything to show her as smarter and stronger than the men, or male elves despite her being one of the most powerful beings in Middle Earth. They just either don't know how to write a strong female character, or they don't see strength in femininity which is why Galadriel is running about with a sword and armour, and acting like a man. Isn't a very progressive mindset, is it?

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

@@raoulduke344 look into an all female climbing party in the Soviet Union.

[@raoulduke344]

@@eastlynburkholder3559 I'm not doubting that,bit you're missing the point. Galadriel's strength is shown by her doing masculine things, rather than her own magical strength. There's plenty of strength in femininity like childbirth for example.

[@Makkaru112]

She has no king, she's literally the daughter of the son of the king of valinor. Born IN PARADISE basically, soooo. None of this is holding reverence to the source material and the themes and lofty ideals.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

@@raoulduke344 the all female climbing party has accidentally parallels to the Galadriel, bad leader, not a team player, bad outcome of the real expedition

[@fionnaitsradag5152]

Jumping off in the middle of the ocean and attempting to swim back to Middle Earth may just be the dumbest plan ever.

[@HeyPalski]

I’m still struggling to understand what she was thinking. It’s like she wanted to die.

[@hammerofscience534]

I love watching normie reactions. Seeing how Amazon turns this into a LoTR game of telephone is hilarious! Hearing this story as interpreted by someone out of the loop is great. Just shows you how brilliant a writer Tolkien was. That he could write an entire mythological history that is accessible to anyone, and Amazon can't write a TV script that makes sense. Read the books and join the Fellowship!

[@HeyPalski]

Starting with the hobbit tonight!

[@gnollio]

The show is "ok", but it doesn't come close to Peter Jackson's work yet. And we've already absorbed 2+ hours of this new material. Here's my rant (apologies, just felt like dumping my mind and moving on). So far, the only character I find to be interesting is Elrond. They've shown him in the midst of slight politics, shown him conflicted by the hurt he caused his Dwarf friend, and tasked him with an interesting quest to find assistance to build this new forge. These are interesting plot points that keep me engaged. Galadriel just seems lost and angry with no depth beyond cliche scenes. Hopefully they are working towards deflating her ego and showing a more vulnerable and relatable side to her. She's supposed to be over 1000+ years old by now but acts like a scatter-brained 20+ something. The village woman killing the orc was really bad writing, and the relationship between her and the elf feels extremely generic so far. These scenes could have easily fit into a low budget fantasy show. The Harfoot character Nori, I thought was ok. Her story is pretty generic, but the actress is very expressive and I found her look and personality winning me over. I say this despite my deep annoyance of Harfoots being in the show at all. Like why? Hopefully at the very least they give Gandalf a voice in the next episode and build story depth to build a deep fondness within Gandalf for the Harfoot race and their kind/good nature. The writing is a bit annoying because you can almost see it coming a mile away that Gandalf will leave and Nori will join him (I hope I'm wrong and the writing isn't that predictable). The fan concerns over "wokeness" in the show aren't entirely unfounded, but the show wasn't too over-the-top with it. Certain characters such as the Galadriel and the village woman seem to be hindered by the writing's unwillingness to make them vulnerable physically or mentally in any way. To me, it would have been better if they showed Galadriels stubborn insistence to continue at the start cause the death of half her team due to the snow troll attack. I would have preferred to see the village woman flee the Orc in pursuit. Then have the villagers come to her assistance, killing it together and demonstrating their bond as a community, despite the biases against her regarding her relationship with the elf. I thought the dwarven wife/princess did a good job and the dialogue at the dinner table was interesting and lended well to Elrond and the dwarves character development. The Southland elf's story so far is very bland, nothing interesting to say yet, hopefully it improves in future episodes and they give him more range. As a generic fantasy show I thought it was better than most, the visuals were absolutely stunning. As something following up to Peter Jackson's work, but with an even bigger budget, it leaves allot to be desired. Hopefully the upcoming episodes are better than these first two. I've still got an open mind and hope it will improve. It still seems to be in character setup mode, so I'm looking forward to more character depth. It's a shame Amazon felt the need to unnecessarily modify Tolkien's work, and create such a large backlash from die-hard fans. I think many of the types of flaws of these two episodes would have been overlooked entirely by fans if they stuck to just interpreting the story/world as it is instead of shaping it into what they prefer.

[@Berndr]

I found your review the most honest and most none biased review on here! I also had lots of issues with Jackson's trilogy ... he also made some Lore-breaking changes as well as got rid of the entire Old forest storyline and completely changed the ending of the book by removing Saruman in the shire plot ... Also Peter gave Aragorn a beard to make him more manly, even though Tolkien's Lore clearly states Aragorn can't grow facial hair due to his elvish - Numenor ancestry ... this did not bother Tolkien fun- base yet they went mad when Amazon did same to make a female dwarf more feminine ??? then people don't seem to mind that the most powerful sorcerer Sauron is swinging a sword like some footman ... but have a problem with Galadriel being a sorcerer and using sword! sexist much won't you agree

[@gnollio]

​@@Berndr You bring up some excellent points. Jackson's work wasn't a 100% flawless re-telling of the books either. I sorely missed Tom Bombadil's part of the story which was not in the movies. I agree with you that the fandom rage is over-the-top right now for this show. I don't find the show to be near the caliber of Peter Jackson's effort, but it's certainly far better than most television fantasy adaptations. In my opinion, there's a clear culture war going on. It primarily revolves around script adaptations that insert/change character ethnicities and the portrayal of female antagonists as having more traditionally masculine traits. It's up to viewers to decide if they prefer these changes. If I'm honest, I find much of the so-called "woke" content to be preachy and often poorly written. I think this has contributed to the backlash trend we see with many projects, people hate to see their favorite hobbies/interests get corrupted (whether true or just perceived). I never say never because there are instances where projects do inject more diversity / innovation while maintaining the soul of the story. For example, the play Hamilton is my all time favorite, yet if you had asked me about the casting and theme of the story before I watched it, I would have said it could never work.

[@sofiamarin98]

In the universe of Tolkien power doesn´t necessarily means combat strength and ability. In Galadriel´s case, she was powerful due to her wisdom, leadership, nobility, the knowlegde she adquired by the instruction of Melian the maiar, etc. Besides, she had very powerful magic and I prefered seeing her doing some great spells rather than this warrior-man woman they turn her into. So my question is, why they have to degreded a really good character and a storyline, just to presented an inferior one? I understand they have to create a character arc that has to extended for all five season, but a character is supose to have a solid base of traits that define that person. Strengths and weaknesses that lead the character through different challenges to become who them should be, but at the same time being logical and recognizable of the character. Because I don't see how this Galadriel can become Tolkien's Galadriel.

[@stevedoetsch]

Best analysis. You're cute, too.

[@Berndr]

Sauron as a much more powerful sorcerer is allowed to use a sword .. even in Jackson's trilogy we see him do it ... but Galadriel is a big no ... hmmm sexist much ???

[@sofiamarin98]

it’s not sexism. Is that they reduce a complex and very powerful character into a enoying, entitled Mary Sue... “Who am I without my sword? Really? You are the second most powerful noldor, the one who inspire Feanor on making the Silmarils, ruler and leader. And I love a chick with a sword, like Eowyn. But Galadriel is so much more than that.

[@Baseball181]

I really appreciate your understanding of how major Tolkien fans would feel watching this. I will say tho, even when I try to be unbiased, I still see cheap looking elven armor, poor writing for a lot of the characters, and an extremely unlikable “I’m good at everything” female protagonist. Thank you for your review!

[@MOONSUN4Life]

"It reminded me of NPC behavior." That told me everything I needed to know. Thank you for making this review, it was very interesting to hear the opinion of someone who isn't a Tolkien or LOTR fan.

[@makinghistory9270]

But if your not a fan of the original work then why use its title and claim your making a prequel to the original work?

[@emmaphilo4049]

It's interesting to hear outside the Tolkien fanbase impressions on the show. I disliked it because unfortunately the writing is not that good and it's full of tropes and cliches. Especially for that much money involved! By the way, we are not sure Meteor guy is Gandalf. It's not possible according to the Middle Earth timeline. But you never know....

[@timmoleft7147]

I was surprised when he was adamant that the 'Meteor Man' is Gandalf, but there are 2 instances that draw directly from Gandalf in the movies - first, when he gets crazy and everything goes dark around him (like he did to Bilbo when Bilbo thought he was trying to rob him) and second, when he talks to the fireflies (like he did to the fly when he is trapped on top of Isengard) - it makes sense to me that the showrunners are using those 2 instances as foreshadowing to show that the character is Gandalf. We'll see.

[@nirfz]

Well everything else they show isn't according to middle earths timeline either... Galadriel never boarded a ship until the end of the 3rd age, Finrod did not die hunting Sauron (He died before the big war against Morgoth), and if he did, like in this show, Elrond and Aragorn would not exist and Morgoth would not have been overthrown, so he could not die hunting Sauron as Morgoths replacement as "the enemy". Two Durins never lived at the same time. (if you think about it , how can a reincarnation be in two different bodies at the same time) Haarfoots aren't mentioned until the 3rd age, and the dwarves found Durins bane (the Balrog) in the second half of the 3rd age too but they showed a Balrog in Moria in the trailers. Oh and Celebrimbor and Gil Galad are younger than Galadriel by quite some time. (But they don't look that way in the show)

[@Berndr]

Not entirely true Gandalf did exist since the first age, he just would not have been known as Gandalf ... that's the name given to him by people of the third age! He would have been known as Olorin!

[@nirfz]

@@Berndr There is no "birth year" given for Gandalf or the other Wizards. So how do you know he exists since the first age and not since before (years of the trees)? The only time we got for the wizards is their arrival in middle earth in the grey havens which was 1000 years into the 3rd age. They weren't in middle earth before that. (which isn't something the showrunners care for though)

[@animatedink2529]

Doesn’t matter if you’re a LOTR fan or not, this show is by Amazon’s intentions meant to appeal to a new audience. And clearly, it’s failing.

[@mgwarner1]

Great perspective. I’m with you, though I’m a fan I’m foggy on the first and second age, this series got me back brushing up on the true lore which I am really enjoying, and I ended up skipping chunks of episode 2 and also only liked the dwarf scenes. I can’t sit thru the others characters scenes, they are soooo boring.

[@matslarsson6919]

I remember from reading the Appendices that Gil-Galad and Elrond were douches who tricked Galadriel to go to Valinor to get rid of her. Not because they believed she was wrong, but because (as you know) finding where the big bad guy is hiding is a bad thing. Glad Amazon paid for the rights to this 100% lore accurate and very reasonable piece of plot and character work. A+ Amazon. (Face palming myself bloody).

[@hawkname1234]

Sarcasm is how children think and speak.

[@raoulduke344]

@@hawkname1234 Why are you defending this show like it's a personal attack on you, coming in with ad hominem retorts because this pile of woke faeces is too hard to defend against. Does Amazon pay you by the word, or by the comment? The show was awful. The writing was terrible, the delivery was ghastly, the CGI was so-so, the actors are insufferable like big Sophie NomNomNom, claiming she's the first female dwarf on screen (she's not), and that she's a dwarf of colour (they're not). The fans reject this woke compost heap. It's adisaster for Amazon.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Even that could have been set up better. As in we need to buy some time and her overt hunting of Sauron is going to hurt us long term. Some one walks into camera frame and the conversation pauses and the two move out of camera range and then the audience can guess that they continue a complex conversation or at least indicates and points to a complex planning as regards the evil dude Galadriel is seeking in this show.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Your tube has free audio books . You can read it that way .

[@michaelhejja]

@@hawkname1234 No it isn’t. Sarcasm can be used by people of any age. Where did you get this stupid idea?

[@jayjordan7104]

The producers had to insert the Revenge/Bullying trope to gain empathy for the protagonist - isn't part of the Lore. That alone stinks of desperation and amateurism. I mean, really? Couldn't stand it when it was inserted into Conan and can't stand it now.

[@hawkname1234]

All of you people complaining about changes to "the lore" have NO CONCEPT that real people want dramatic stories, not to read encyclopedia entries. I consider myself a pretty hardcore Tolkien fan, but I would be embarrassed to be associated with such childish thinking and behavior.

[@Thulzor]

@@hawkname1234 No one cares what you Amazon shills think even if you pretend to be a fan. Just stfu and consume the next thing.

[@jayjordan7104]

@@hawkname1234 So Jackson's trilogy, which attempted to be true to the lore, was a mere undramatic, encyclopedic entry according to you? Why you should be embarrassed by such childish thinking and behavior!!!! But....we get non lore, undramatic Galadriel as Russell Crowe as the main character. Not as Tolkien wrote her & her story but as the Producers Against the Patriarchy visioned her. Galadriel was never a warrior yet she has undramatically managed to kill the FIRST TWO EPISODES

[@elvacoburg1279]

Thank you for delivering an unbiased view. That said, as a Tolkien fan, your review has reinforced my feeling that I will not watch this show even if they paid me to. When you went through the plot, I was constantly going WTF, as nothing, absolutely nothing, matched the lore as established by Tolkien. Where I could go through all of the back story pointing out how things should have been, that would take a whole book or more. Luckily, some one has already written such a book, The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.

[@Lecintel]

Galadriel jumping from the boat in the middle of nowhere and the freestyle powering through the ocean is really stupid

[@YTDariuS-my6dg]

"Just Some Guy" has a pretty good way of explaining why the show is bad. He doesn't go too deep in the lore, in case you don't have time or patience for it, he just says, when appropriate, "this is wrong because what actually happens in the books is that". Keeps it nice, concise and clear. For an example: did you know that they skipped a whole part of the story right at the start where the Noldor kill their relatives to steal the ships necessary to sail to Middle Earth? That *alone* makes the whole original story collapse on itself. And they can't say that they didn't have time, since they DID have time to make up the whole "Galadriel gets bullied" because, why of course, royalty and relatives of heroes and great people constantly get bullied by random children. We don't even have to talk about the countless lore-breaking moments found in the very first episode. They also skip perfect chances to show off. Finrod literally rap-battles Sauron in the books (also Sauron isn't the one who kills Finrod) and Morgoth's defeat is represented by someone actually just saying that he was defeated. It also just so happens that Gil-galad is the one who warned everyone of Sauron, not Galadriel. Also, why the hell do they tell Elrond to fuck off from a meeting of elven lords? He's, like, THE elven lord at that point in the timeline...

[@Berndr]

They can't do that because of copyrights ... most of what you mention is plots from the other actual books they have no rights to.... they only can use what is in the glossary or reference of the Lord of the rings... so they have to dance around copyright issues!

[@YTDariuS-my6dg]

@@Berndr so the solution is to casually spit on Tolkien's whole work because they couldn't be bothered to get all the rights they need to make the show correctly? It's still their fault, is what you're saying. It's not an excuse, nor is it a good reason. If you can't make a good show, don't try making it in the first place. Who even does that? Who in their right mind doesn't buy the rights to the stuff they need to make a show and then not only MAKE IT ANYWAY, but also advertise it as being something along the lines of "the book Tolkien never wrote"? If anything, you've just *lowered* my opinion of Amazon. You don't make a house without a foundation; you don't make your fields on rocks.

[@jefferyboyes]

the harfoot scene of them coming out of hiding reminded me of the munchkins in the wizard of oz. lmao

[@NickSibz]

Very interesting non bias review, I really respect this and your thoughts. I consider myself one of those super LOTR/Tolkien fans and had A LOT of issues with it overall. I gave both Eps together a 5/10 rating. The Dwarven and Orc scenes were the only shinning moments for me. I knew going into it based on everything released and said that it was gonna be bad and unfortunately that all was spot on. Galadriel is down right unlikeable entirely and Elrond is a glorified errand boy/scribe. The pacing is all over the place and major characters keep getting subverted, reduced or are gone completely. Galadriel's husband is apparently "dead" which is just beyond wrong/dumb. This wasn't made for actual fans but moreso for a casual viewer which is upsetting. Didn't want to hate it but here we are.

[@Finraen]

I'm someone who has enjoyed Tolkien's works enthusiastically for around 30 years. I have not watched the Rings of Power. I've poured over every detail of the Appendices to LOTR a few times, but it has been several years since I've read them. The sad thing is, based on this description, the basic plotlines of the show sound good. The Appendices, and particularly the making of the rings of power and the betrayal of Celebrimbor by Annatar (Sauron) are good material for the making of a show. Starting with Galadriel and showing more of her backstory to flesh out how personal her opposition to Sauron is makes sense. She's an incredible character in Tolkien's writing, and her presence in LOTR is fascinating once you understand who she is. It's like if Elvis (the real Elvis) showed up to sing at your birthday party when the Fellowship of the Ring is brought before her. Depicting Elrond, Galadriel, Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor as contemporaries who were involved in the making of the rings of power is right on. (--Spoiler alert--) they are the craftsman and the three ring bearers. It's going in the right direction *on paper*. It's amusing that Arondir, the main character from the show who was not created by Tolkien, is the least interesting (do you think it's possible that Tolkien was an above average storyteller?). His inclusion seems stupid and unnecessary without getting into the political stuff. Maybe they are going somewhere with it though, and expanding the audience's view of the Elves to include a Silvan Elf perspective (as opposed to the Noldor - Galadriel, Gil-Galad, Celebrimbor and Elrond) is a good idea. It's sad that the show has been derailed by all of the social controversies, that the showrunners did not prioritize honoring the author and creator of these stories and characters, and that some of the aspects of the show are just poorly done. Galadriel being a manly-girl warrior is just facepalm. She is thousands of years old royalty, and among the most wise and powerful in *mind* in all of Middle Earth. She's an enchantress, wielding magic on a scale that makes the Wizards raise their eyebrows. I can't stand most of the casting. Aside from Galadriel, the other main characters just don't seem like they can anchor a show in terms of their acting and their physical presence. Elrond and Gil-Galad in particular also just look like pansies. These are two of the most macho, masculine, revered, accomplished and respected figures among the Elves of the 2nd & 3rd Ages, who fought wars and led their people for thousands of years. They were Elves of both wisdom and martial prowess. Forgive me if I would just like to see a couple of stereotypical stoic viking-looking dudes with long hair, athletic physiques, and stern, chiseled jawlines. Hugo Weaving was not a great Elrond to begin with, but at least he didn't look like he wants to play patty-cake with you. These are like the equivalent of Hercules and Perseus. They (along with Galadriel) are heroes of this mythology. I can say that even if it was the most incredible show - reaching the height of potential for a Middle-Earth based series - it would need to start out at a slow pace. LOTR is that way. It's the style of storytelling Tolkien did and is somewhat necessary for building the complex world with the variety of characters he explored as a writer. More characters will surely be added... Elendil and Isildur most likely. The Nazgul as kings of men before their transformations into undead wraiths. It all sounds cool. I suspect that as the show continues, there will be brilliant elements that will ultimately make it an even bigger disappointment for Tolkien fans because of what it *could* have been. The 2nd age, during which the making of the rings of power occurs, the establishment of Arnor and Gondor after the fall of Numenor, the first rise of Sauron, and culminating in the Last Alliance is actually a great idea for a show spanning several seasons. It leads us right up to the prologue of the Peter Jackson films. Oh well.

[@Zenocided]

... I'm surprised at the defense of Galadriel. Did you watch the same show the rest of us watched? You say you understand her motivations. Ok. So. She's supposed to be leading this team of elves to go find/kill Sauron. Did you see any leadership from her the entire time? Climbing the Ice wall. Ditches her entire team to climb solo ahead. Pushing forward into the darkness. Chooses to ditch one of her fallen teammates to keep going. Fighting the troll. Keep in mind, this is a team of elves supposed to have centuries of battle experience, tasked to kill Sauron and they are getting their asses handed to them by one troll. Just from what we've seen from her leadership skills, it makes you wonder how many elves she's gotten killed on her own team while searching for Sauron for centuries. Is it not surprising that her entire team chooses to go home rather than follow her?

[@Makkaru112]

Be glad she's nothing like that in the books.

[@Makkaru112]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGPCgHmumc-pgLM this conversation between two well known Tolkien lore channels is so well worth the listen to anyone who reads my comment.❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Makkaru112]

You'll love these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5XEi3ymhpd-Z5I you'll love this guys. Check this out too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqeXhX6Fephjp80

[@Makkaru112]

See full scope here kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmjKpJ-CgNSHmbs

[@Makkaru112]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZSsnZ-LeNCHm8U Elrond Epic Story

[@jozefbania]

Corporations are like king Midas but instead of gold they are changing everything to you know what.

[@jomesias]

Hey man, you remained unbiased!! And you pointed out the fake 3d printer armor lmao I will add that having that scene of the trees dying without a shot of the giant spider that killed them nor Morgoth was a serious let down for me. Then they changed Galadriel’s lore, the first episode was basically the Galadriel show. I didn’t like that

[@TallisKeeton]

A recap of fandom's creativeness in the topic of the Amazon show : " Defending LotR - Star Wars fan: I can't believe I'm fighting alongside a TREKKIE Star Trek fan: How about fighting alongside a friend? Star Wars fan: Aye, I can do that." " Help us LotR-Fandom. You are our last hope. " " P: Is there any hope? For Lord of the Rings? G: There never was much hope Just a fool's hope. Our enemy is ready. His full strength's gathered. Not only Wokes, but Trans as well. Legions of Bluehairs from the Northwest, Antifa Mercenaries from the coast, Corsairs of Starbucks. All will answer Amazon's call. This will be the end of the Lord of the Rings as we know it. Here the hammer stroke will fall hardest. If the streaming series is taken, if the garrison of Fandom falls, the last defence of this city will be gone. P: But we have fans of the books. That's got to count for something? G: Bezos has yet to reveal his deadliest servant the one who will lead Amazon's armies in war. The one they say no living man can kill. The Bitch-Queen of Angmar. You've met Zer before. Zer stabbed Star Wars on Disneytop. Zer is the lord of Big Tech, the greatest of the Nine. Silicon Valley is zer lair. " " Sons of Tokien, of Jackson, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of fans fails, when we forsake our passions and break all bonds of storytelling, but it is not this day! An hour of woke, and shattered facts when the age of fans comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all you hold dear, on this good earth, I bid you stand, FANS OF THE WEST! " "Shippey: "So, should we make the first season to be adaptation of Story of Aldarion and Erendis? It includes first voyages from Numenorians to Middle-Earth, first contact with bronze-age men and introduces practically all major movers of Second Age, while using Numenoreans as our point-of-view characters. It also has loads of canonical female characters so we really have smorgasbord of characters in our disposal." Amazon: "Nah, all that drama, court intrigue, internal politics and marital problems would just distract people from The Message. Erendis is also female character that makes our writer's room deeply uncomfortable. And Ancalime is really not that much better, we need ruling Queen that people will cheer up, you know. We are thinking Karenadriel extrapalooza. Also, you are fired." Linguists: "So, you are going to hire one, or preferably team of us, to develop proto-haradrimian, Agarian and Beorian languages for the show? Adunaic and Taliska certainly should have major speaking roles as they are languages of Numenorians and early men, and we should develop them into proper working languages akin sophistication of Quenya and Sindarin. It will be honor to continue in the footsteps of David Salo!" Amazon: "Nah, languages are not our priority here. English will suffice, with little elvish catchphrases here and there, it is not like audience will know the difference. Our writers intend to call this Southland kingdom of one village simply Southlands. And all of them will speak northern English dialect. I don't see any reason to hire any of you." " They spent 700 million on cgi (excepting wolves), 20 million on music, 5 million on sets, 37 dollars on actors and 45 cents on script writers " 🤣🤣 - Tolkien fandom stands alone. - Not alone. Fandoms! - To the king!

[@Mackaygolf]

I was excited for it. Literally didn't make it 2 minutes. They somehow FAILED to realistically portray children running, and throwing rocks. One of the most natural physical movements for children, and they managed to make it look absolutely ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.

[@Peter-tg9zv]

Yea plus there are SOME A-hole elves (feanor, eol, etc.), mainly just arrogant and kind of mean to humans, but elves are basically UNFALLEN creatures. They don’t just bully each other as kids or fornicate as adults. The ugliest of them is fairer than a very beautiful human. A foolish elf is wiser than a wise human. Amazon makes them dumb, petty and ugly.

[@u.p.1038]

Wow you must have fun in life...

[@Transtiraspol]

Yes I agree, your comment is rediculous.

[@Mackaygolf]

@@Transtiraspol You can't even spell ridiculous, WITH SPELL CHECK AVAILABLE

[@Transtiraspol]

@@Mackaygolf wow great comment. You seem to enjoy your depression, I don't think you should get help with it at all.

[@Actio83]

Is the main plot of the series a quest to kill a guy we know is not killed in this era?

[@philipbutler6608]

I appreciate your point of view. I didn’t watch it because I Don’t use Amazon that much. I have been reading Tolkien since the 70’s. I have the books read them often. Watch the movies. Since I read the books many attempts have been made to adapt nobody remembers them. Jackson accomplished what nobody else could. Harfoots are Hobbits. The idea that people in middle earth had stylists and clipper cuts is stupid. Tolkein had creation story. This wasn’t the Noldor’s first time in Middle Earth. You just didn’t travel from Valinor to Middle Earth. You had to have permission from Manwe. Galiadriel and her people were cursed by Manwe when they Valinor they killed their kin and stole ships. Galadriel and her father swore the Oath of Feanor but Feanor left them behind and they had to walk through The northern glaciers to get to middle earth. The show runners and marketing have deliberately decided to change the very nature of elves and Other races. Elves are immortal Galadriel’s rather isn’t dead. He’s in Mandos or Valinor. Gilgalad was killed twice. Amazon decided go woke and call half their customers Racist & Phobes.

[@hawkname1234]

They are headfaking that the Stranger is Gandalf. But it's not Gandalf. He was the last of the 5 Wizards to arrive in Middle Earth, and didn't arrive until the 3rd Age. It's probably one of the Blue Wizards.

[@Berndr]

True but there is a rumor he did visit in 2nd age as well when he was known as Olorin, went back, and then came back again!

[@christopherbeddoe406]

The writing in most of these Netflix/Amazon series is just terrible, very lazy. It's like they just crank out this crap to cash in as fast as possible. The troll scene was pathetic. If those soldiers couldn't hand a troll what are they going to do against one of the most powerful beings in existence. Makes no sense.

[@nirfz]

When you read the books and watch the Jackson movies again after that, you will see why the readers prefer them over this show by those who will remain unnnamed. To me even seeing the trailers and teasers was enough to not watch it. Even though they showed almost nothing, it was still enough to see that they don't care about the written story by tolkien and changed almost everything but some names. btw.: When the trees got killed in Valinor, no Orcs were present but a huge spider that actually sucked the life out of these trees. (which is a predecessor for the one you know from the movies) And it didn't become a dark wasteland at all. Some elves went back because of seeking revenge as Morgoth killed the King of one elven tribe, and to get back 3 gems of great importance. Oh and this brother of Galadriel didn't die fighting Sauron. He died fighting a huge wolf of Morgoth with his bare hands defending an ancestor of Aragorn and Elrond... This alone means if This brother died by Saurons hand, Elrond would not exist. So the show makes a complete BS storyline to me.

[@needparalegal]

Yes. Old elves have killed Balrogs in single combat, so Gladriel should be way super human.

[@darkomen42]

She's one of the most powerful beings in the world, with magic. Not to mention AFTER she gets her ring which hasn't even been created yet, not with arms and armor.

[@needparalegal]

@@darkomen42 Elves in her lineage are equal to Balrogs in arms, though they do tend to have magic swords. So there is no reason she should not be very super human. No human could beat a Balrog.

[@Berndr]

Sauron who is a way more powerful sorcerer than Galadriel is allowed to use a sword .. even in Jackson's trilogy we see him do it ... but for some reason, trolls think Galadriel is a big no when it comes to using a sword ... hmmm sexist much ???

[@darkomen42]

@@Berndr actually he's usually using a mace. Feel free to quote Tolkien where galadriel is carrying or using a sword

[@karldrogo9765]

As a person who doesn't know the lore the show is good...but I get the frustration of the people who know what to expect

[@7riXter]

I was mainly surprised at how incredibly little there was to see and experience. Almost every setpiece and plotpoint was hinted at in the trailers, but after the first two episodes you just realize that there isn't much more to it than that. And with all the pictures that were used in promotional material, I'm afraid it won't get any more exciting. I bet there won't be much more of numenor to see than the two to three environmental shots we’ve already seen. That all besides the terrible storytelling, bad dialogue and wrong pacing. Just unenjoyable… subscription canceled

[@LilEuphie]

It's so easy these days to make cinematography look good via software and procedural effects. It's so easy, it's laughable. What's actually difficult these days is telling an original story with good, flawed characters that learn from their mistakes and become stronger through their failings. Maybe the AIs will start writing good stories for us too... oh wait, thats already happened. Great.....

[@shahman76]

Well as a Tolkien fan from before my birth, reading all books in both quenya and sindarin, and owning multiple copies of both trilogies extended editions on multiple mediums, including stone tablet, being racist to my core and a died in the manhood hater of all women, after watching your “normie” review I have to say that…, We’ll put together. That was a fair review and I respect how you put your points forward in a clear and entertaining manner. Your points were spot on on what you liked and disliked and good on you for that. Thank you for this entertaining video. And thank you for your empathy and understanding my pain, my condolences to you about Halo as well.

[@sarahgould5435]

Four major lore-breaking problems that break continuity for episode 1 to be a prequel to LOTR: 1) Elrond is discriminated against for being half human 2) Leaving the Elvish cemetery in Middle Earth would be "leaving the dead behind." 3) Returning to Valinor is a privilege only offered to a few. 4) Valinor is reached through a brilliant, heavenly portal. 1) LOTR very clearly distinguishes Elf-Friends as held in high esteem and precious to all Elves, and that deep respect is displayed when Frodo is mentioned as being an Elf-friend equal in remembrance to such as Turin Turambar or Beren: Elrond's grandfather and great-grandfather. His name, "Half-Elven," is to honor that line, not scorn it, and not because he's "only half elf." He is, in fact, entirely Elf, and cousin to High King Gilgalad. (The difference in what happens after they die required Elrond, Elros, and each of Elrond's children to decide which heritage they would follow, though each retained *some* characteristics of their other heritage) The matches between Elves and humans were viewed as ending in rare displays of heroism that saved innumerable lives, though the permanent parting of death was, indeed, inevitable, since humans lived only short lives and their souls almost immediately escaped Arda, rather than remaining in Valinor. The only disregard shown him would have been because of his age. 2) The whole point of the Grey Havens was that ALL Elves had free passage back to Valinor any time they wanted. They were, in fact, under orders from the Valar to return and stop causing trouble in Middle Earth. To remain in Middle Earth was to stubbornly continue with their own plans for Middle Earth, which is why Galadriel didn't go back to Valinor until after she passed the final test, when Frodo offered her the ring. Later, the order was softened to a promise that whenever the tragedy of witnessing the mortal struggles of Middle Earth became too much for the Elves, they had a place of healing and rest ready to receive them. 3) The Elves are immortal. This does not simply mean that they live until they are killed, it means that even if they are killed, they still remain in Arda (the planet). Valinor is a separate continent on the same planet, where the Valar settled and built their estates after 1/3 of the original continent of Middle Earth was destroyed in a fight with Morgoth before the Elves existed as more than an idea. When Elves are killed, their souls (if you will) go to Valinor, to the estate of Mandos to be judged, healed, and eventually, "rehoused" in a new body. In other words, no matter what changes or terrible destruction are visited on the planet, the Elves have no choice but to witness it, even if they die. Going to Valinor is going *to meet* those Elves who were killed, not leaving them behind. Galadriel's brother Finrod had even been rehoused already and was living with the rest of her family in the capital city on Valinor. By the time she finally sails with Elrond and Frodo, Galadriel's daughter has also joined the family in Valinor, so Elrond will be reunited with his beloved wife when they arrive. 4) Both "brilliant" and "portal" are problems. The sea wasn't bent to sunder Valinor from the rest of Arda until Numenor was destroyed. It should be just another continent right now, but one where travel is restricted to preserve a haven away from conflict for the sake of both the Elves' healing and for the sake of world safety (see above the note about 1/3 of Middle Earth...in fact, after the Valar got involved in the Elves' war with Morgoth, Middle Earth is now down to about 1/2 the original size). As one more continent, Valinor is lit by the same sun and moon as Middle Earth after the destruction of the Trees. The Trees have not been magically regrown there. The biggest problem with the show: it's drivel. It could follow the lore perfectly and fans would still be disgusted with it just because the writing is so bad.

[@anneselby2293]

Thank you an insightful review, I really appreciate that you took the time to understand from everyone's point of view. I am one of those Tolkienites who have been studying his works for 50 years. I've decided to use suspension of disbelief. NB :Suspension of disbelief, sometimes called willing suspension of disbelief, is the intentional avoidance of critical thinking or logic in examining something unreal or impossible in reality, such as a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe it for the sake of enjoyment.

[@rick9977015]

During this age is when the rings of Lord of the Rings movies are suppose to be crafted. Probably why fans were expecting this to be more to the lore. Funny that you mentioned the best thing about the second episode was the Elrond and Durin scenes. Durin's wife is a made up character for the show and many Tolkien fans had a big problem with her...as a Tolkien fan myself I really enjoyed this Durin and his wife interacting with Elrond. The best part of the episode, LMAO!

[@galinor7]

The problem is if a series about the NBA was about very short white people, basketball fans would say "Don't do this". This is what they have done to Tolkien. Tolkien isn't a fantasy book series. It is the homogeneous reproduction of Germanic dark age myth. Tolkien wanted to reinterpret stories like the Eddas, Beowulf, and the lay of the Nibelungs or Mort d'Arthur. You have to understand that this was a faithful homogenisation of these myths not a new fantasy. This TV show is not made by people of Germanic descent. They have no skin in the narrative. They are just making a fun show. It has ethnic diversity, feminism, tough tomboy girls out performing the guys and therefore proving that girls are just as good as the guys. There is an unspoken challenge to tradition roles. This is about America and it's modern self reflection. Go and make that basketball TV show.

[@3.75istheway7]

She never wore armor and never carried a sword in the books, she was powerful because of magic

[@LuxPerp]

Gandalf was powerful because of magic, but he carried a sword. Get off it. If you want to join the hate train, do it, but don’t pretend this is a good reason.

[@Berndr]

Are you not aware she is exactly the same class as Sauron???? a sorcerer !!!!! Sauron is much more powerful than her in magic yet he does wield a sword! the reason she does not wear armor nor wield a sword like Sauron is simply down to the mentality of the time it was written, men wear armor and wield swords, and women are expected to show tits in a gown!

[@philipbutler6608]

The idea that an elf would just start tagging a human is ludicrous there were only two unions between men and Elves. Beren a Human and Luthien a Half Elf Half Maia. Luthien’s Father gave Beren the quest of stealing a Silmarillion from Morgoth’s Crown to win her hand in marriage. They are the grand sires of Elrond and Elros. Elrond is the father of Arwen, Arwen is Galadriel’s grandaughter. Elros chose Mortality and Aragorn is Arwens Cousin many times Removed. Aragorn is Elronds great nephew Time X. Arwen and Aragorn are the second Union between Men and Elves. So a Union between Men and Elves didn’t happen in the second age.

[@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564]

There were three unions between Elves and Men. Two were the ones you discussed. The other was Tuor and Idril. Tuor was the son of Huor; who was killed in battle. Tuor's mother was grief stricken and wandered in the wilderness, and then they were found and taken in by Elves, and Tuor's mother went to the battle scene, lay down and died of grief. Tuor was raised; basically; as an Elf. When he was sixteen he went to the coast, got a cool shield and sword, ( this is the condensed version ) met a Valar, and journyed to the hidden city of Gondolin with Vorondil. While living there, he fell in love with Idril, the daughter of King Turgon, got married and had a son, Earendil. ( Lots more goes on.) During the fall of Gondolin, they escape by secret pathways. ( More stuff happens.) Tuor and Idril depart for Valinor and are accepted in, making Tuor the only man to be allowed to live in the Undying Lands. Earendil then has his part in the story and he and Elwing ( granddaughter of Beren and Luthien) have two sons, Elrond and Elros. So, Elrond; and Arwen, are descended from two of the unions of Elves and Men. Aragorn is also related but through the line of Elros and more distantly, through many more generations.

[@wilwelaltijd]

Hahaha man I’m sorry for you for getting your info from Wikipedia. That is not a reliable source. At least you should know that even for a normi. Please read Tolkien if you want to know what harfooths are. I’m not trying to bash you.

[@HeyPalski]

Haha yeaaaaah I was told by some people that was wrong. I think I just skimmed through really quick and misread. But my friend told me tolkiengateway is good for looking up information.

[@wilwelaltijd]

@@HeyPalski yes it is 👍🏾

[@stephenbailey9969]

I agree. It's a diverting entertainment. Don't care if it follows the lore or not. As story, it should stand on its own. I'm interested in seeing where the story goes.

[@needparalegal]

The story makes even less sense than I could have imagined. If Sauron had killed Gladriels brother why was she not at the battle where Sauron was defeated?

[@Makkaru112]

The books and lore videos explain this in depth. Such depth.

[@needparalegal]

@@Makkaru112 LOL, yeah because he was NOT KILLED by Sauron.

[@dontdoxmeforthis6398]

The LOTR book collection is a deep rabbit hole. So much lore! It even has its own god and creation story, Lucifer type arch and wars amongst gods... By the time it's gets to the LOTD trilogy so much has already happened! It's a lot to go through but if you plan to get into it it might be worth vlogging your journey through it on youtube (get paid for your time going through it all)

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

One note: the plural of Elf is Elves. Just like Dwarf/Dwarves, Calf/Calves etc.

[@cocharles563]

Gal-adriel is a powerful wizard not a soldier. She can fight Sauron with magic not her sword. Galadriel is supposed to be 6'4 taller than most elves. Her name literally means golden hair. She is supposed to be the most regal and elegant beautiful lady in the world. Think lady Gadiva. Not a scrumpy nerf herder. Sorry if I misspelled anything.

[@ilithielxd2356]

@HeyPalski galdalf now is like an infant in terms of brain, he is like a baby learning,his body may be looking old but his brain is like a little baby that starts learning things,thats how gods send him. and Nori never seen that constelation on the sky bcs there is none by normal or for normal eyes but she seen the constelation on the black harfoot's book,so thats why said she seen that constelation somewhere so i think somehow the harfoot ppl will be in contact with baby gandalf next episode or somehow also yes the orcs destroyed that town but again they dont do stuff by their will.. they are atracted by sauron's mark which is in that barn where Theo found Sauron's sword(pretty sure is his ) and that location is the town where all the ppl live and we seen so that one orc was atracted to that object and the mark and he digged the hole to that location.. i mean all make sense cant say im a non-fan im somehow a fan of llord of the rings old movies but not a crazy fan..there are some directions and characters altered in this show but so far both episodes gives that feeling of wanting to know what will happen next and i like all the characters except the black elf's lover and galadriel ..it deminded me of Cat from game of thrones which i also dislike also i cant detect if u are aware of not but i will say it also it may be a spoiler but i will add it so u know and if not.. good for u !!!!!SPOILER!!!!!! about the forge tower,, that tower is actually the tower where sauron will forge the rings..idk much but one thing i know that this tower is the cause of all rings ,,so idk about the big fans but when i hear that the plan is to build a "tower" who actually can resist extreme heat,fire..etc and we know that sauron forged the rings in a tower...interesting..so they will make pretty much give sauron the tower for free \ i mean even if is not 100% cannon if u think a little.. is still fuckedup

[@KatanaKamisama]

The main pronunciation thing to be aware of, is c's in Elven, are hard. so it would be pronounced Kelebrimbor. Similar to ancient Latin, where Caesar was actually pronounced Kaesar hence the derived Kizer.

[@kevinjosephcapistrano4315]

This is actually THE review I needed to see. Thank you so much, man. Please do the next episodes too. And maybe don't read the books yet 😅. You're probably ACTUALLY in the best position right now to do reviews for this show.

[@HeyPalski]

Thank you! I’m doing a half way review when episode 4 is released. Then I’m doing an overall season 1 review once it’s over in October

[@richardwalling845]

I appreciate your unbiased review!

[@lokimer]

my first impression was that it was Gandalf, but after further research in the books Gandalf doesnt come to middle earth until the 3rd age. they might have changed that.. but who knows.

[@Berndr]

not true, he does not come as Gandalf ... that's the name given to him by people of third age ... he was known as Olorin in 2nd age!

[@stormzero8285]

By the way, Morgoth annihilating Valinor is just completely wrong. Morgoth told the Noldor about Middle Earth which lead to them settling there. The Noldor were banished and cast out of Valinor by the Valar because they commited the first kinslaying when taking ships from another elvish tribe called Teleri. They left more or less willingly to explore and settle in Middle Earth. Plus, Finrod died when he was a prisoner of Sauron. He was so badass that he killed a werewolf with his bare hands but sadly being mortally wounded in the process. So in fact, just one or two minor flaws by Amazon ;)

[@Makkaru112]

He was first to Discover and befriend MEN, it’s a very beautiful passage and it leads to the forming later on farther off in the timeline of the FAITHFUL Numenoreans! So many things. Not to mention rescues Beren too!!

[@sargonofakad]

Just another example of how the film industry can take a classic written piece and mangle it. Sooner or later there will be a scene with elephants.

[@livierae95]

Really appreciate hearing your take on this!

[@chrisedwards6226]

I think she knows where to find the constellation because the Lenny Henry Halffoot has a book with them in

[@kari8187]

The acting reminds me of a teen made for television movie, it pulls you out of the world.

[@Gnasheress]

The prologue has a scene of an elf not even trying to stab the orc it looked hilarious

[@Berndr]

more hilarious than Jackson presentation of Galadriel as a weirdo gigging on crystal meth and doing extremely weird eye gestures ... and someone who is trying to get a little hobbit to follow her in the middle of the night into a dark corner whilst barefoot and wearing only a sleeping gown ... Imagine poor hobits surprise when he realized he was not getting shagged, instead a weirdo asked him if he would look into a mirror!

[@mnal5gex]

I’m a lotr fan and I literally wanted a none fans review. Ty for this. There have been many franchises that I loved growing up have reboot and sequels that sucked and some that were better and I just wanted to know what a norrmie thought

[@-taz-]

"...she's still swimming in the ocean like an idiot..." LOL

[@brodyyoung2890]

My boy, Cellar Brim Door

[@HeyPalski]

Lmao this comment got me. Yeah I really botched that name

[@brodyyoung2890]

Tbf, disclaimer at the start, rad vid my man!

[@andrewthomas4636]

My favorite part of the series so far is when Galadriel smacks Sauron in the face and says, "Don't you dare talk to me like that again!" Then Sauron responds by saying, "I am Inevitable!" Epic!

[@NecropsY1]

amazon could have just made a new show said "Inspired by the work of tolkin, and then done whatever they wanted zero backlash from fans lol

[@Efan39]

The amount of times you said "for some reason" in relation to the motivations of characters and events happening is pretty telling of the quality of the writing in the show.

[@FearNot777]

But you have to admit, the part where all the jedi's joined galadriel in battle may have strayed a tad from tolkiens original vision

[@felipevasquez1965]

The guy on the raft is Sauron by the way.

[@caesarmendez6782]

You gave your honest opinion of the 1st episodes which is better than the rants I've been watching on KZbin before the premiere of the series.

[@n00bplayer72]

See, with most people who dislike the show, we dislike it not because it doesn't perfectly copy the source word for word, but because the source is _SO MUCH BETTER,_ had they actually tried to follow it. Take Galadriel's brother Finrod for example: In the books he was a king, he discovered the first humans and integrated them into elvish society, he was such a wholesome man that even some of the more rogue factions of the elves always welcomed him, he and Sauron get into a battle of song, and he dies killing a werewolf with his bare hands protecting a human he just met because he honoured his word to the bitter end. Here, he's just your typical deceased mentor figure that dies offscreen and that's it. As a fan, I feel like we were promised a lavish feast but got served a very pricey Mcdonalds meal instead.

[@toddwright7567]

Nice fair review from a self professed “Normie”. I read the hobbit and the trilogy for the first time in the 7th grade and I was hooked, I read everything related I could get my hands on. I’ve since read through the entire series plus the Silmarilian at least a dozen times. I hope you get the same experience. My daughter has just started reading LOTR and I’m excited to talk with her about it. I barely got through the first episode of the rings of power and have been unable to get myself to sit through the second