THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) MOVIE REACTION!! - First Time Watching!

[@RaggedyPack]

THANKS FOR WATCHING THE BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME WITH US! ❤ EARLY ACCESS and FULL LENGTH REACTIONS for the Hobbit Trilogy available on our Patreon! ▶ www.patreon.com/collection/680748 Come hang out in our Discord! ▶ discord.gg/HQFtGkCf37

[@stephenpmurphy591]

The Rings of Power has absolutely nothing to do with J.R.R. Tolkien it's a abomination.

[@thpvix]

NO WAY YOUVE ALREADY DONE THE HOBBIT CMONNNNN at least im not gonna have to wait too long to talk about thorin and bilbo’s love story

[@MrGaleanon]

I really wish Eowyn rode Brego to Aragorn's City.

[@marquism5170]

Classic group that is more worried about each other, you all could’ve cried so why hold it? Instead all of you say nonsense and it’s just more obvious, instead of letting emotion take over, each of you decide to humiliate yourselves by showing you’re more worried about each other’s thoughts, yall most likely don’t trust each other with girls, closet otakus

[@davidjrandall1979]

“My friends, you bow to no-one.” Tears. Every. Single. Time.

[@goldenholdenolden]

on par with “imagine looking up and seeing Sméagol’s taint” 🥲

[@MisoSilly]

"For Frodo" tears me up every time ❤

[@ezradanger]

"but I can carry you" get me every time.

[@Blaize24]

Yep.

[@neutchain7838]

yeah like wtf at this point im over 40 and I have seen this movie about 17-20 times. Could I just be left alone pls.

[@PeterDB90]

"I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed" Man, always gets a tear out of me, Theoden's character arc might be the best in this movie. RIP Bernard Hill

[@React2This]

What a wonderful legacy this actor left us. Theoden’s words as he dies made such a perfect epitaph for the actor who brought the character to life.

[@maximopalacio5524]

Podría no, lo es. En un universo de personajes tan fascinante y sobresalientes resalta el gran Rey Théoden. Hill estuvo a la altura.

[@PeterDB90]

@@maximopalacio5524 I wish KZbin had a “translate” option like FB does 😅 have no idea what you said and too lazy to paste it in a translator

[@maximopalacio5524]

@@PeterDB90 No problem, I said that in Tolkien's literary world where extraordinary characters exist, the story of the great Théoden king stands out, and Bernard played a masterful role.

[@PeterDB90]

@@maximopalacio5524 I haven’t read the books, but that’s good to hear, I’m excited to read about Theoden in the books when I get to them

[@Sungirl801]

For Eowyn and Eomer; imagine you think your sister is safe at basecamp, far far away from all the madness and slaughter, and you find her poisoned and mauled ON the field of battle. Because the Nazgul/ Ringwraiths emit basically a mist of death whoever comes close to them, they tried to show it when Merry stabbed him. THATS what made her so sick. But Aragorn was able to heal her, because "a kings hands are healing hands". That is what they tried to show in these scenes. Super hard to get if you don't know about the lore.

[@richardwallis9374]

Yes it doesn’t matter if she was dead or not, she looked dead

[@Unusual_Farmer]

I hate how everyone seems to think that Eomer is overreacting in that scene. He's learned to show no emotion to seeing his men dead on the field, but his sister? Anyone would react like that.

[@Ghoul-dash]

Didn’t she get healed because of the Athelas herb? Since that’s the only way to heal the black breath?

[@andrewgero8174]

@@Ghoul-dash Re Eowyn's healing. The lore in the original Tolkein is, Athelas is a weed, but in the hands of the king, and the king only, it becomes almost a magical healing herb. Aragorn also heals Merry that way, and word of these miraculous healings spread through the city like wildfire, and Aragorn is besieged by people to come heal their loved ones. Aragorn, being Aragorn, goes thru the city all night long healing, until with the rising of the sun, he gives in to his exhaustion and hides his face beneath a cloaked hood and goes to his tent to sleep. In this way, the citizens of Minis Tirith realize the King has returned, for there was a Gondorian adage..."The hands of the king are the hands of a healer". It actually very beautiful to read Tolkein's words here.

[@Ghoul-dash]

@@andrewgero8174 oh wow that’s very interesting, I never read up to that point to be honest

[@Marionney]

Being called Sam by your friends is the highest compliment ever

[@di3486]

One of the reasons many guys cannot get vulnerable with the deep, emotional, meaningful scenes is because most people had not gone through a situation where a friend literally saves your life. Tolkien did, In the trenches of World War I. he wrote Sam thinking of those soldiers that cared for others that were wounded.

[@Baldwin-iv445]

Specifically one.

[@babarjaputak2314]

not just that but the effects of PTSD. Frodo returned a broken man plagued by nightmares

[@wren7195]

@@babarjaputak2314 That scene when they're first back at the Green Dragon, and the four of them just quietly sit there, smile softly and toast their ale. The events in the "outside world" had changed them, and thus had changed how they see their home and those in it. It's such a quiet, simple scene, and I feel it goes over a lot of people's heads. As everyone here has said, they had went to war and came back changed, as Tolkien had seen in himself and the other young men around him. It's a somber realization that even those that came back had left much of themselves on the battlefield. There may perhaps indeed be "just wars," but certainly there are no good ones. Take care my friends

[@bludgerabled]

I think it could also be watching with other people too to be honest, I can be emotional on my own but not among my peers.

[@di3486]

@@wren7195 I love that scene so much. When I watched it I was the fifth person in that table. I understood it completely. I think unless you have gone through really hard times and understand what trauma means, you don’t immerse that way in those moments.

[@SadieMeazell]

The elves were going to the Undying Lands- an Elvish home - elves are undying, so Undying lands. Bilbo and Frodo were given a place on the ship to go with them. There, they could have peace and heal from their wounds- Frodo had PTSD. Later , after Rosie died, Sam went to the undying lands because he was also a ring bearer however short a time. In the fullness of time, when Gimli was old, he and Legolas went there. Gimli was the only dwarf accorded that honor. Everyone except elves were mortal and lived in peace until their deaths.

[@KeytarArgonian]

Unfortunately it’s often overlooked that mortals that go to the undying lands also age quicker. They aren’t able to handle just how, well, undying it is. Nothing decays there, plants don’t die there everything is permanent and mortals lives are actually shortened. By the time Sam gets there Frodo and Bilbo are long gone, and once Gimli and legolas arrive, Sam is also long gone.

[@simonsalgueiro6217]

@@KeytarArgonian That's not true. Mortals do not age faster in the Undying lands. That idea came from a quote where they mention "they feel" like if they aged faster due to the magical nature of Valinor. Frodo/Bilbo never get into Valinor 100%, they live the rest of their lives in one of the outer islands, Tol Eressëa (which would still be considered a paradise by mortal standards and where most of the elves departing from Middle Earth live now). Bilbo dies before Sam arrives, but Frodo and Sam do meet in that Island and spent their final days together. Gimli also lived in Tol Eressëa with Legolas, but Frodo and Sam were already dead when they arrived.

[@richardwallis9374]

It’s kinda more like “only elf” heaven, but it’s also an actual place in the world that you can go to and leave again.

[@scottredding7357]

Oooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth? Oooh, Tol Eressëa is a place on Earth.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture. When Steven Spielberg was given the envelope and read the nominees and said, "The winner for Best Picture goes to, It's a clean sweep! Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King!"

[@React2This]

Including Best Original Song for Into the West which plays during the end credits.

[@neutchain7838]

I genuinely feel sorry for every movie that was coming out that year, including one of my favourite Master and Commander. It didn't get the recognition it deserved and this movie played a big role why it didn't get a sequel. That being said, this is just about a perfect movie and deserves every praise and award it got.

[@KeytarArgonian]

Iirc the first two were specifically not given as many awards because all of Hollywood knew that once return of the king came out they saved them up for the finale of the trilogy, probably because all 3 were filmed back to back to back and technically came under the same production.

[@wednesdaay_]

I'm in my 30's and I didn't feel old until i remembered i recorded that oscars on VHS 😂 My lotr obsession runs deep.

[@k.v.7681]

@@KeytarArgonian There's also the aspect that up until that point, Fantasy was sort of a frowned upon genre seen as for children and man-children, relegated to cheesy cheap productions. Just like the books opened the door for fantasy to be respected in literature, the movies opened the door for fantasy to be recognized in cinema.

[@Lord-Wheatabix]

Éomer becomes the ruler of Rohan after Théoden's passing, as he is older than his sister Éowyn. Théoden only tells Éowyn that she will become the ruler of their people, because he suspects that both Éomer and him will fall in the battle that is to come.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

Yes absolutely, and although it's not explicitly stated even in the books, it's likely that even if Éomer had been younger than Éowyn that _he_ would have been King ahead of her becoming Queen. In most RL kingdoms that patrilineage monarchy would be the norm (e.g. even in the UK, it's only with the current King's grandchildren that there was parity between males and females in this regard). In such a highly militaristic society as the Rohirrim and with war a constant threat, a younger Éomer would have been a "better" choice (according to the thinking of the time). Éomer's speech at Dunharrow that "War is the province of men" was both about Merry not being a (hu)man but also about the role of women in war. Éowyn's character arc, therefore, sets her at escaping from the confines of the cage she said she feared.

[@KeytarArgonian]

Iirc Faramir and Eowyn get married and rule in Ithilien, and found a garden there for all beautiful things that grow. Eowyn after spending so much time in the houses of healing and inspired by Aragorn, gives up her death wish of seeking Honour through battle and death and accepts that there is also great honour in being a wife and a healer. Eowyn made her own cage, this is what Aragorn explains to her. ‘I am to be sent to defend the women and children’ - ‘that is also a great honour’. She seeks death in order to gain honour but she has to learn that death and battle aren’t required so she turns away from it. She is the counterpoint to Theöden who initially fears death and flees, and has to finally embrace it to find his.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

@@KeytarArgonian Excellent points!

[@michaelhandler6156]

So for everybody asking what hapend to all characters: -Frodo and Bilbo live happily in the undying lands until there death -Gandalf returns to his "true" form while in the undying lands as he is a maiar (minor spirit of creation) and will live there until the world ends - sam becomes mayor of the shire and is reelected six times in a row, after his wife dies he gifts the book of frodo and bilbo to his oldest daugther and leaves middel-earth with the last lord of the high elves and meets up again with frodo in the undying lands - Merry becomes a full fledged knigth of rohan and the lord of bockland (a part of the shire). After sam leaves he and pippin go on a journey first to rohan and then to gondor where they stay until they die. After there death they are laid to rest in the crypt of the kings - Pippin becomes a full fledged knigth of the citadel of gondor and the tuck of the shire (something like a defense minister). After sam leaves he and merry go on a journey firt to rohan and then to gondor..... - After the war Gimli instead of heading straigth home takes a detour with legolas first to the glittering caves in Helms deep and then through the fangorn forest. After negotiations with rohan he established a colonie of dwarfs in the glittering caves in helms deep and becomes the lord of the glittering caves. he gifts gondor a new gate fully made from mithril. After argorn dies he and legolas journey to the undying lands together - After the war Legolas instead of heading straigth home takes a detour with gimli to the glittering caves in helms deep and then through the fangorn forest. He established a colonie of woodland elves in Ithilien. After the death of aragorn he builds a boat and asked gimli to join him for the journey west. gimli excepts the invitation because he wishes to see lady galadriel one last time before his death - Aragorn becomes King of gondor. He gifts the forest between rohan and gondor to the wild humans who aided the Rohirim and showed them secret paths (wasn't shown in the movies), also he confirms the borders of rohan and gifts rohan some more land, he also takes back isengard as part of Gondor. Also also he declares faramir as lord of ithilien and way later reestablishes the northern kingdom of Arnor, while also gifting the shire more land to the south and declaring that the mayor, the lord of bockland and the tuck of the shire are permanent members of the northern council, he lives 210 years and dies of his one will. After that gimli and legolas leave middel-earth and with that the fellowship of the ring is no more - Eowyn marrys faramir and becomes lady of ithilien, while eomer becomes the 18th king of Rohan - After Aragorns death arwen leavs gondor and goes to lorien. Where she lives alone for a while before dying during the spring. - Sauron and Saruman: since both are maiar (minor spirits of creation) they cant really die but because they misused and diminished their own power by creating rings (yes saruman also created some rings) and other things they aren't able to creat new bodys for themselves and have to live as shadows until the end of time - treebeard (his fate isn't explicitly told but hinted at) he doesn't realy die because ents doesn't realy die but he becomes ever more like the trees ( so basically he slowley turns to a real tree)

[@bobmalibaliyahmarley1551]

Gandalf is actually not a human, he's a diety spirit who has taken on human form. The Balrog from the first movie is actually a similar diety spirit to what Gandalf originally is, but the reason why it's a demon is because it was twisted by Melkor, the evil god spirit/entity of Middle Earth, who Sauron was a follower of.

[@RishTheMan]

That "deity spirit" is called a Maiar, just like Saruman, Radagast, the Balrog and Sauron himself. Only the Valar and Eru Iluvatar happen the greater beings than them.

[@michailburgesmeir8623]

He was a Maiar, his original Name is Olorin.

[@telynns8490]

In the book the ring tries to tempt Sam, but all it can manage to tempt him with is turning the world into a garden. And Sam pretty much decides that's silly. And so avoids the temptation of the ring. See the more powerful and needful you are (as Boromir was, in need of saving his people from Sauron's forces) the more temptation the ring can throw your way. It doesn't really know what to do with someone with simple needs and wants. It's why Frodo withstood it for so long. But eventually wore him down, as it would have done with Sam eventually.

[@Senkoau]

I do like the Symetry of the strength of hobbits failing at the exact same point as the strength of men, standing over the lava about to destroy the ring. Even though they resisted it far longer they could not take that final step to destroy it.

[@telynns8490]

@@Senkoau I believe Tolkien said that no one would have been able to destroy it.

[@joerosenman3480]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@telynns8490That is correct. The Ring would have reached its maximum power in the place it was created and would have prevented anyone from throwing it into the lava. In Tolkien’s words, only providence could provide for the destruction of the Ring. Frodo carrying the Ring to the Fire was above and beyond what (nearly) any being could have accomplished-a Hobbit with a pure heart, apparently, was the perfect agent for such a destructive journey.

[@jessy8a10]

The ring is the analogy to sin... So eventually if you are close to temptations eventually you will fall

[@joshuaortiz2031]

That's why Gandalf knew keeping Smeagol alive was important. He might not have known exactly how it would play out but he knew Smeagol still had a role to play. His desire for the ring is ultimately what destroyed the ring in the end.

[@Thelaretus]

Tolkien said he actually cried at the end of his own book, as Frodo leaves and Sam returns home.

[@GJS2183]

They didn't explain in the movie, but Denethor has been using another Palantir for years at that point and it slowly drove him mad...

[@saelind73]

They did dirty to Denethor in the movie. Not that he is the most charismatic guy in the books, but he is not like in the movies.

[@binarathanushka]

Is that Palantir Aragon used in the movie??

[@MsSilentGaming]

@@binarathanushka Yes. Denethor uses the palantir to observe the lands of Men, but Sauron's will is way stronger and he uses it to constantly deceive Denethor with this unlimited armies which drives him to despair, and with the death of Boromir it hits the last straw of his rationality.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

@@saelind73 Absolutely, the movie Denethor was a caraciture of the book version. He was actually a wise and experienced ruler, with a deep and insightful mind. Although he favoured Boromir over Faramir, it was also nothing to the extent shown by the movie. And while it's not explictly shown in the movie, he did indeed have a palantir of his own, as one was kept originally at Minas Tirith. It's not actually the same one as the one Aragorn used to taunt Sauron - that was the one originally kept by Saruman at Orthanc/Isengard - but one book fact should give you pause for thought about Denethor's capabilities. Although he was indeed _in the end_ driven to despair by Sauron showing him in the palantir what Sauron wanted Denethor to see, for quite a long time before that point, Denethor was able to wrest the palantir to his will and contest with Sauron psychically. He didn't get overcome immediately like Pippin did and he didn't fall directl under Sauron's sway like Saruman did. His use of the palantir for instance is the reason he knew about Aragorn when he told Gandalf that he would not bow to this "Ranger from the North" and why he accused Gandalf of using him as a shield against Sauron with one hand but also trying to supplant him with Aragorn with the other. Therefore, he joins an exclusive list of three people in the LOTR books (excluding the Silmarillion) who 'battled' Sauron psychically for any length of time - the others being Gandalf and Aragorn. (Yes, I know in the Hobbit movies Galadriel did also, but it wasn't quite done in that way; and it also wasn't _just_ Galadriel, it was the whole of the White Council including Gandalf, Saruman and probably Radagast who drove Sauron out of Dol Guldur). The effort of mentally tussling with Sauron however (a) aged him prematurely and (b) eventually caused him to fall to despair. Denethor actually died in the pyre holding the palantir, rather than leaping from the edge of that massive drop, such that if someone looked into that particular palantir thereafter, it took a great effort not to see a pair of aged hands withering in flames.

[@KeytarArgonian]

In the books Denethor finally loses hope when Sauron shows him the Corsair fleets sailing up to Pelenor. The sad part is it is actually Aragorn and co he sees at that moment, but he just sees black sails and loses it.

[@peterdennis4394]

Sam managed to do something some of the greatest warriors of Middle Earth could not do - wound Shelob.

[@patch5383]

I mean it makes a certain kind of sense right? Of course a gardener would be able to manage a spider

[@beetlebob4675]

​@@patch5383 Wow, I never thought of that! Wonderful analysis!!😂❤

[@floppsymoppsy5969]

Eowyn and Faramir's love story is one of my favorite love stories in the book. Also, obviously, the ending in the book has a few big differences. In the book, the Hobbits actually have to take back the Shire upon their return as its been overrun. Rosie Cotton actually has a great moment where she tells everyone to man up and help the boys win back the Shire. The perfect partner for Sam as she willing to fight beside him to win back their home.❤

[@duggs4456]

Funny story, the ugly orc was designed after Harvey Weinstein, because he was initially attached to produce these movies, but insisted they be condensed to one film, threatening to replace Peter Jackson as director if he didn't agree (I believe he said he'd hire Tarantino, though realistically he never would've taken the job). They apparently had some run ins over that and some other things, but eventually New Line bought the project and let him make each book into a movie. Plus, obviously Weinstein is a giant scumbag, so they made him a deformed orc. I think there's an argument over whether it was Gothmog, or the fat one Sam and Frodo encounter in Mordor, because Elijah Wood only specified it was an ugly orc.

[@PaulSmith-sb7sj]

It's 100% Gothmog. If you put up picture of the Gothmog and Weinstein next to each other, you'll see it. This is also my favorite easter egg of the entire trilogy.

[@davefranklyn7730]

@@PaulSmith-sb7sj Gothmog was the orc general who told the orcs not to move when the Minas Tirith catapults where throwing chunks of buildings at them.

[@Baldwin-iv445]

Well, I can't say I blame them for giving the bastard that kind of treatment.

[@hd7704]

If this wasn’t true, I’d make sure everyone believed it anyway

[@wilhagen3759]

The War of the Ring was actually a Middle Earth-Wide War, as well. not just at Minas Tirith and Battle of the Morannon, at the Black Gate. Sauron's armies simultaneously attacked Galadriel and the Elves in Lothlorien, the Dwarves in Erebor and the Men of Dale, and Elrond and the Elves of Rivendell.

[@Senkoau]

While a beaten Saruman and Wormtongue go to the shire and lay waste to it using the power of their words to deceive the hobbits. Then sam uses his gift of Lorien soil and a seed from their tree's to regrow the shire.

[@kahinaloren]

One of the nice things about the books. There are 100s of pages left after the coronation of Aragorn and the win. Was utterly enthralled by that point, even after Frodo leaving. Thankfully you had the Silmarillion, and everything else. People love this stuff, which is why you sometimes see a negative reaction to Rings of Power. Do not mishandle this lore. We love it.

[@beetlebob4675]

I've been focusing on all the things that RoP does beautifully, because bitterness is fatiguing. it's not canon, it's a standalone, but there are SCENES that are structurally canon, and I do appreciate seeing these moments played out, even with the embellishments. They totally fudged the timeline but that's the least of my gripes. My list of things I like is longer than the list of things I don't like, basically. Durin and Disa are just ✨chef's kiss✨ I love them so much😭

[@kahinaloren]

@@beetlebob4675 at this stage I feel the same. Good comment. Looking for small things to appreciate, like the discussion in Numenor about the envy what they perceive as the eternal life of of the elves. I liked that. I also liked how Bombadil was presented, though not his inclusion or that entire Rhun storyline. Small things though. Galadriel being Galadriel for a little bit on the ship heading to middle earth in season one as well. Take care and namarie.

[@bishop420able]

All ring bearers were granted passage to undying lands including Bilbo, and Sam who went there later. Also Gimli was allowed to go there as well for his contribution in the war as well as his profound connection to elves. ( undying lands is where the gods live, so you're not getting in without permission.) Gandalf is a lower tier diety and an owner of one of the 3 elvish rings, thats why he left too.

[@bluejack287]

If I recall correctly, I think Gimli went to the Grey Havens with Legolas.

[@lottelarsen2918]

​@@bluejack287 he did 😊

[@Baldwin-iv445]

I mean, Gandalf came from there. The only reason he was in Middle Earth was because of the threat of Sauron.

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

Howard Shore knocked it out of the park (again and as usual). In particular, the lighting of the beacons scene is still amazing.

[@l30nard03]

Best Trilogy Ever Made.

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

Faramir and Eowyn love story, it´s quite deeper and romantic in the book. Here we only see a few nice moments.

[@mikeschmidt2503]

In the book it explains that denethor had a palantir orb and Sauron had been feeding him visions which drive him insane

[@React2This]

The one way that the shorter theatrical release was better than extended: Aragorn challenges the dead to fight and be freed from their curse, but we cut away before we see them agree. So there’s a big reveal during the battle, when Aragorn and the dead army arrive at Gondor.

[@Ajonr]

Eomer did not expect to see Eowyn anywhere near the battlefield. The Nazgul are pretty much toxic to even be near - recall Merry recoiling and grasping his arm after backstabbing the Witch King? magnify that for Eowyn facestabbing the Witch King, not to mention getting her arm mashed by that absolute unit of a mace he was wielding.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 52:00, Tolkien writes: "The drums rolled louder. Fires leaped up. Great engines crawled across the field, and in the midst was a huge ram, great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length, swinging on mighty chains. Long had it been forging in the dark smithies of Mordor, and its hideous head, founded of black steel, was shaped in the likeness of a ravening wolf; on it spells of ruin lay. Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it." You can read about the original Grond in The Silmarillion.

[@MoreJoy79]

You can always tell when Igli's excited because his little side to side wiggle gains pace lol

[@thenoremac2685]

One detail I liked about the end with the Ring is that it did not start to melt until Frodo reached up to grab Sam's hand... because until that point he hadn't truly let it go. In regards to the elf afterlife... They are sailing to the Undying Lands of Valinor where the Valar (the beings who created Middle Earth) live. When elves die, their spirits go to there to hang out for a while before they're ready to regenerate new bodies. Some of them have even returned to Middle Earth afterwards. There's also a large population of elves that have been living there for thousands of years. In the last age, due to Sauron's shenanigans, Valinor was permanently cut off from Middle Earth and you can't reach it without already knowing how to get there and a permit. As for why Gandalf and Frodo are going... Gandalf is a maiar, which is kind of like an angel, that took on human form to help fight against Sauron. Now that Sauron and the Ring are destroyed it's time for him to go home. Frodo (along with Bilbo) are going so that they can properly heal from the Ring's influence. It has left permanent spiritual scars.

[@Purple_Buffalo]

Gandalf cannot directly interfere, he can only aid in assistance. My boi Gandalf got dat angel blood ya dig.

[@schildkroete]

The reason why Eomer was so upset about seeing Eowyn wounded on the battlefield was that he didn't know that she was even there. He thought that she had stayed behind at the camp as she was told to. In the books, he was temporarily driven mad seeing his sister among the wounded and dead at the end of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

[@CamillaDrakenborg]

Rest in peace Bernard Hill!

[@ReddBen88]

Yes just a few weeks ago I believe 😢 RIP

[@Lord-Wheatabix]

​@@ReddBen88Over three months now.

[@Luciphell]

1:23:50 They were in close proximity for months as they both recovered from the wounds they each sustained during the battle.

[@janerobinson4693]

Yes , Faramir and Eowyn are given a believable love story in the book

[@johnwalters1341]

At 47:00, you're looking at around 70,000 skulls. The sound guys rented a couple of truckloads of walnuts for the sound effects.

[@hideflen]

@7:25 apparently while filming, PJ started telling Christopher Lee what sound he should make when being stabbed, but he stops him and says (paraphrasing) “have you ever heard what it sounds like when a man is stabbed?”, suddenly Peter remembered that Mr Lee had been in the British special forces in WWII 😂💀 @12:18 “bad news, Sauron knows everything Pippin knows. Good news, Pippin knows fuck-all” @25:56 if this doesn’t make you say HELL YEAH NZ IS BEAUTIFUL, I don’t know what will @30:05 In the books, Pippin has one child, and names him Faramir ❤ @31:48 omg you made me cry 😭 @1:16:40 this take was apparently put in by the editor, who apparently really felt Eomer’s pain of (possibly) losing his only sister. This scene always moves me.

[@kiranraavi4240]

I'm sure someone has already commented this but I can't help it. In the Saruman death scene he was initially supposed to scream in pain after getting stabbed, but when they went to do the scene, Sir Christopher Lee called it ridiculous and basically said "have you ever witnessed a man getting stabbed up close? Because I have" and proceeds to explain that that's not how a person would react when their lungs are punctured and the air is rushing out of them (or something like that). Sir Christopher Lee was a field operative for military intelligence during a portion of WW2, and has definitely seen/done some shi*t. Absolute legend of a man

[@asmrcarousel]

Definitely done stuff, best not to know. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

[@wilhagen3759]

Jackson did an amazing job with the Trilogy, however he could have explained two things better: Denethor's madness and Eowyn's injuries, from the Witch King. Denethor went mad, not because he was grieving for Boromir, but because he had battled Sauron, psychically, for years, through the Palantir, that was positioned in Minas Tirith, with Sauron eventually destroying Denethor's mind. As for Eowyn's injuries, the Witch King emits a poisonous cloud around him and anyone who comes in close contact, with him, is poisoned. That is why her skin was streaked with black, when Aragorn is curing her, in the Houses of Healing, which was part of the Prophecy of the Return of the King, The King would be a healer.

[@joerosenman3480]

Sauron had the Ithil stone (the Tower that Frodo, Sam & Gollum passed when they entered Mordor) and that’s how he corrupted Saruman and Denethor. The seven palantiri came from Númenor and were heirlooms of Elendil’s house. They were of (Valinorian) elvish origin, and it was said, maybe, perhaps Fëanor himself created them-but that’s one of those statements Tolkien drops out there without confirmation deliberately since not everything can be known or should be answered. Myths are born of wishes and exaggerations as well as true events. Such was the patently absurd tale of Gimli sailing to the Undying lands. Since readers weren’t “getting it” Tolkien had to clarify this fact in one of the letters. But if you know the history of the Valar protecting the Undying lands from mortals, and if you understand anything about dwarfs, you would realize it never could have happened.

[@Sungirl801]

Something else that doesn't come across as easily in the movies: The eagles and the wargs (the mounts of the orc) are both their own people. They have leaders and kings, and especially the eagles act on their own accord, they cannot be summoned. So the eagles showing up at the final battle is really all peoples of middle earth joining battle.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 24:45, the movie does Merry a disservice here. Hobbits regularly rode ponies (full-sized horses were a bit beyond them!). In the book, the four hobbits rode from the Shire to Bree on ponies.

[@belenpaccagnella183]

the entire trilogy does Merry a disservice. Merry is one of the bravest and most determined hobbits in the shire.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 6:40, Saruman's end was cut from the Theatrical version of the movie; this and the scene with Boromir and Denethor in T2T were the most important omissions in the Theatrical versions. Incidentally, Saruman's end is quite different in the book.

[@SubterrelProspector]

One of my favorite memories is when I was a freshman in highschool, the staff took us to see The Return of the King on opening day. They booked a few auditoriums and pretty much everyone went (except for a few idiots who hated life-changing cinema I guess 🤷‍♂️). The movie was phenomenal of course. I'll always cherish that day and these movies. So glad you watched these movies. The videos have been fantastic. Hope to see The Hobbit soon!

[@RangerHouston]

Frodo was deeply scarred from his experience as a ring bearer. Both the stab wound he received on weathertop and the mental anguish and guilt he felt (he failed his task and only through Gollum’s intervention did the ring get destroyed) both of these traumas never healed and they served as a mirror of things like severe physical trauma and PTSD that people in WW1 had.

[@shukei26]

1:37:33 originally Sauron DID come back for the final battle and fought Aragorn. They filmed their fight but during editing director Peter Jackson changed his mind and replaced Sauron with the Troll.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 44:50, in the book Merry is given a lift to Minas Tirith by one "Dernhelm," whom Merry had previously seen while accompanying Theoden as he reviewed his troops: "But when they had come almost to the end of the line one looked up glancing keenly at the hobbit. A young man, Merry thought as he returned the glance, less in height and girth than most. He caught the glint of clear grey eyes, and then he shivered, for it came suddenly to him that it was the face of one without hope who goes in search of death." Merry doesn't realize the identity of "Dernhelm" until the climax of the battle.

[@foamingclean596]

I mean, Sam had to take ring when he thought Frodo was dead, his only option was to try and finish it alone at that point.

[@dangrissom7367]

Aragorn telling Legolas during the Helm's Deep victory party at Rohan: "... and then I tossed him." Legolas: "Game over."

[@NickThorbjørnsen2207]

Gimli sits there looking absolutely betrayed as fuck: "You said you wouldn't tell him!!"

[@FrodoBaggins2006]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@johnwalters1341]

At 17:00, in the book, the Stairs of Cirith Ungol were steep but not vertical--they just went on for miles and miles. A troop of Orcs was sent from Minas Morgul to follow Frodo and Sam up the stairs; it's hard to imagine a large body of Orcs climbing the movie's stairs.

[@gabriellin1352]

You guys need to know one thing. The war did not only happen in Gondor’s front like in this movie alone. Sauron launched an all out assault/offensive/war against elves, dwarves, men and other race of Middle Earth at once or simultaneously. Even Shire had fallen. That’s why no other allies from other races came to aid Gondor at this war. All hands were tied or full elsewhere all at once. The dwarves (from Erebor) and men (from Dale) already kept around 50% of Sauron’s forces busy while this battle took place. And all the elves’ bases were attacked as well. If not, Gondor already being occupied or overwhelmed like Mines of Moria😊

[@ZuziFox]

Everybody loces the trilogy but nobodys favourite is the first one. I think Felloship is the best, it has everything action, relaxing time with friends and fam, aw moments of discovery, loss, happiness, plot twist, darkness. ALL

[@fangirlalliecat]

It’s my personal favorite of the trilogy. It’s the first film I ever VIVIDLY remember seeing in theaters when I was six. It’s always stuck with me and I never considered it one of my favorite movies until one day, as a teen, I realized that whenever I’d look through the family collection of dvds and couldn’t decide what to watch, I’d always end up putting on Fellowship. It’s always a good choice.

[@kobarsos82]

Agreed, but fellowship is my favorite by far as well. So at least we are two lol.

[@kyleenglot9184]

I like the Fellowship of the Ring most. It feels the most like an epic fantasy adventure. Of course the other two books/ films are great but it's mainly a lot of war and destruction with a few triumphant moments. The fellowship gives you an adventure with lots of action, lore and world building and also Gandalf the Grey is just more pleasant and iconic than Gandalf the White IMO.

[@MusaFinderi]

A true adventure. My favourite also.

[@jon3262]

Love the vibes on these reactions. Definitely got a sub. Gotta check out the catalog of content now.

[@katrinaleebaldwin4660]

In the book Èomer thought she was dead hence the scream. In the book he sees his dead uncle and then his sister who isn’t supposed to be there and believes he has lost his whole family is dead

[@di3486]

Minas Tirith was filmed with dozens of different scale miniatures, some real size (so not too miniature). The skulls, that’s not CGI those are actual fake skulls, thousands of them for one scene!

[@tsitonio]

In the book it is clear how Frodo was never the same after the One Ring. The wound in his shoulder never healed completely and the void that he feels without the Ring is always inside him. Nowhere feels like home to him anymore, bearing the Ring for so long took a heavy toll on Frodo.

[@kobarsos82]

Not gonna lie, but even after all these years, not only is this still the best trilogy that exists, but it also has possibly the most satisfying fantasy ending, in the whole history of cinema. So many other movies, never get the ending right. But here its just perfection, on absolutely all levels.

[@philippalinton5850]

Well, it's faithful to the book ending, that's why. 😊 I wish the films had included the Scouring of the Shire though. I understand why it was left out, but the book is so much richer and deeper.

[@React2This]

Guys, please listen to the song over the closing credits. “Into the West,” sung and co-written with Shore by legend Annie Lennox. Into the West is the real end of the trilogy.

[@philipbutler6608]

Frodo was stabbed and in the book Elrond and Gandalf speculated what old happen to him because he became of the two world like elves. So they thought he would eventually turn clear like the Nazgûl. Frodo and Bilbo were not alone after Rosie died Sam also took a boat so did Legolas and Gimli. No Olipahnts died in the making of this film. This wasn’t the last boat. You will find no answers in the Rings of Power as ther are just totally fucking up the lore to shipping Galadriel and Sauron. Galadriel is Elrond Mother in-law. They don’t even have Celeborn or Elros in the movie at the beginning of the Second Age and they have the last king of Numenor at the begining of the second age. So the whole thing is ass backwards.

[@Fiction2K24]

RIP Bernard Hill 😢 Theoden King of Rohan

[@Callisto_Arcas]

Just to clarify (because it isn't mentioned in the films), the dwarves weren't chilling in Moria during the War of the Ring. They were fighting their own battles with the men of Dale against Esterlings & orcs in the north; then held off Sauron's army in the Siege of Erebor.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 18:50, at an earlier point in the story Tolkien writes, "Sam's guess was that the Smeagol and Gollum halves (or what in his own mind he called Slinker and Stinker) had made a truce and a temporary alliance: neither wanted the Enemy to get the Ring; both wished to keep Frodo from capture, and under their eye, as long as possible--at any rate as long as Stinker still had a chance of laying hands on his 'Precious'. Whether there really was another way into Mordor Sam doubted."

[@joedirt688]

Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.

[@thpvix]

one of the big gripes i have with the extended edition for first time viewers is the scene at 47:19, it just works so much better in the theatrical where we dont have an answer up until aragorn is charging into battle, just makes it all so much more tense and satisfying! that being said im so happy you guys finished this journey, these movies were the backbone of my childhood so its always fun seeing people watch them as adults bc its always a culture shock like wdym youre not bawling by the end? also cancelled for the 1:27:25 holy shit

[@Marcieman]

Three eagles in case Smeagol was still with them, and you see the last eagle expecting to pick one more up but then flies away (or from what I've read or been told on Reddit)

[@JosephNieto-o8r]

This is false

[@Marcieman]

@@JosephNieto-o8r Whether is true or false, I still like to believe it because it makes that moment feel even more tragic thinking they still had hope he could 'come back'.

[@josargor8179]

@@JosephNieto-o8r it's true. not in the books maybe but in the movie it is. people say tehre are 3 because one was carrying gandalf but that one picked up frodo.

[@beetlebob4675]

​@@JosephNieto-o8r It's an extrapolation that people enjoy. It's just film analysis. No need to shut down people's creativity ❤

[@GJS2183]

"The guy next to Hugo" was Glorfindel. One of the biggest Elven warriors and in the books the one who saves Frodo from the Nazgul instead of Arwen.

[@saelind73]

Who said that? I thought Glorfindel was not in the movies.

[@calumpetroeschevsky5210]

He also fought and killed a balrog 1v1. He died because it grabbed his hair and pulled him down too, but he was deemed so worthy that the gods brought him back.

[@cp368productions2]

No it's not. That is Círdan, the bearer of Narya before Gandalf. He was with Galadriel in Lothlorian.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

@@cp368productions2 Cirdan is the "old-looking Elf" with Galadriel, Gandalf and Elrond at the Grey Havens scene at the end of the film. He's also shown in the prologue where Galadriel is explaining about the Three Rings. The elf with "the jawline that could cut diamonds" (seen most clearly at 1:43:28) is likely to be Gildor (one of the original Noldor who travelled over from Valinor) - as the actor who played him, Sandro Kopp signs his photos of the LOTR film as "Gildor". Glorfindel is actually briefly shown at the same scene (and previously at Rivendell), but is played by a different actor, Jarl Benzon, who is briefly seen standing in front of the flag Arwen is "hiding" behind at 1:43:06.

[@FrodoBaggins2006]

Glorfindel was in Battle for Middle Earth 2 if you have played that game

[@Lasvicus]

It doesn't matter how many times I watch these movies, they always fuck me up so good 😭

[@johnwalters1341]

At 58:35, the tower before Frodo isn't the Barad-dur; it's the Tower of Cirith Ungol, a much smaller tower built to guard this minor path into Mordor.

[@joerosenman3480]

Renamed Minas Morgul, yeah. Noteworthy, Jackson restructured some of the events that took place in TTT and TROK so that some book events shifted from one movie to the other. In adapting a big work, that’s perfectly legitimate but in this instance it confuses a basic question: what were the Two Towers? Clearly Isengard was one of them but what was the second tower? In the movie it’s Barad Dûr because that’s bow Jackson crafted it. But in the books, it was Minas Morgul.

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

"No man can kill me" "I am no man" And it was truth: a hobbit stabbed the Witch King (with a spelled Elvish dagger) and a woman finished him.

[@Witherdrake]

Marrys dagger was actually made by men. Men of the last remnants of the kingdom of Arthedain made it with powerful spells specifically designed to kill the Witch-king who had basically destroyed the 3 kingdoms Arnor had become towards the end. The barrow-blade fufilled its purpose in the end and glad would its maker have been to know it had helped fell their great enemy at last.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 1:00:40 you say, "He really did that!" In the book, it's a bit more complicated. Shelob forced herself down on Frodo's sword: "For Sam still stood upon his feet, and dropping his own sword, with both hands he held the elven-sword point upwards, fending off that ghastly roof, and so Shelob, with the driving force of her own cruel will, with strength greater than any warrior's hand, thrust herself upon a bitter spike. Deep, deep it pricked, as Sam was crushed slowly to the ground."

[@telynns8490]

So many people miss that fact. Shelob impaled herself on the sword in her attempt to sting Sam.

[@17thknight]

This has been an amazing journey and I'm glad I could go on it with you guys

[@joshuacoldwater]

The “We Fight” statement wasn’t in the original film… It made them coming off of the ships a little more epic. I can’t believe he added it to the extended edition.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

I really dislike that part, as it's a very obvious "trick" on the audience to give some false dramatic twist to the story that didn't exist in the book. It makes no sense why the King of the Dead apparently went from mockingly rejecting them to suddenly siding with them. But oh well, it's a small gripe in the end in an otherwise amazing film.

[@earendilorbit]

Exactly my thoughts. It really diminishes the tension as well. I quite like lots of the extended scenes, especially for the second movie but these kind makes me think if theatrical cuts are better even though I'm a huge fan.

[@DoinkReacts]

1:43:30 the CHAD with the jawline is Glorfindel from the book, his role was removed from fellowship of the ring, but he was added to this scene as a little cameo. His original role was taken by Arwen, he is actually who saved Frodo and took him to Rivendell

[@bkbstone]

Glorfindel was only one of the few in Rivendell who could ride openly against the Nazgul, and was sent by Elrond to scout for the hobbits.

[@rickardroach9075]

53:23 Frodo: It’s brown and sticky: what is it? Gollum: A stick! Asks us another riddle.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 59:00, Shelob is described by Tolkien as "an evil thing in spider form." There are differences: real spiders don't have stings in their tail like scorpions--their fangs are in front. Shelob also has several extra sets of mouthparts that real spiders don't have. On the other hand, Tolkien gives Shelob compound eyes, which real spiders don't have. The folks at Weta Workshop got this detail right.

[@ZeldasMask]

Saying Sam’s a glazer is modernity at its PEAK

[@ChristopherLongbeard]

In the books the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor (Gimli's home) was under siege by Easterlings at the same time as Minas Tirith was, so they were fighting their own battle at the time. There was conflict all over Middle Earth during the Return of the King that wasn't covered in the movie because it is outside of the main storyline, including the elves of Lorien and Mirkwood and the dwarves. The "War in the North" would be a great concept for another movie in the Middle Earth universe

[@GMDTurbo]

I find it funny that Bilbo and Samwise were the only creatures in all of Middle Earth to ever give The One Ring away willingly. The amount of willpower you must have to have in those moments must've been absolutely staggering. Frodo couldn't do it, but only because giving the ring to the lava in Mt. Doom is virtually impossible when it's talking to you on that cliff.

[@samswords9993]

Before the Sun and Moon were created, there were two trees that gave light to the world. Feanor, the greatest elf smith of all time, made three sacred jewels (the Silmarils) and encased in them a portion of the living light of the trees. The jewels were stolen by Morgoth, the Enemy before Sauron and the trees were sucked dry by Ungolian, Shelob's ancestor. the rest of the First Age is the War of the Jewels. One of those jewels ends up in the sky, bound to the brow of Elrond's father. The light in Frodo's phial (gift from Galadriel) has that light in it. So the light that Frodo holds up is sacred and is also tied to Shelob's evil ancestor.

[@SashaEdwards-d8j]

Blake just hating on Sam so bad

[@Tsunami7964]

Perfect timing. Been looking forward to this reaction.

[@jayconant3816]

In the book borimirs father has one of the round seeing stones in the white tower (the crystal ball ) and over years souron manipulated him through it and twisted his mind to drive him mad

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Regarding Sauron 'coming back' /reincarnating, they actually did do that in a deleted scene, you can see the rough footage on YT.

[@janerobinson4693]

Frodo had ptsd; some veterans recover, some do not. I love these movies , and books. ( in the books the hobbits come back to find the Shire overtaken. It’s a shame that couldn’t be in the movie). It’s great that you guys get so caught up in the story that you stop commenting on the effects & cgi. Some people don’t . What a cast ! What music! What scenery!Andy Serkis deserved an Oscar

[@mcoupe69]

Iggly: “can we tame it?” 😂 Yes my boys let’s tame the fiercest child of Ungoliant the nameless horror and partner in crime to Melkor the dark lord that could snap Sauron in two .. Eater of light .. destroyer of the twin trees of Valinor and assistant in stealing the silmarils 😖

[@HaloOverOurDemise]

I mean...she would be a cool pet 😂

[@mcoupe69]

@@HaloOverOurDemise fair enough

[@Torstenn-b3x]

If it helps you understand what happened to in particular Éowyn that caused Éomer his distress (and to a lesser degree, to Merry and Faramir), the Black Breath is a magical phenomenon not explained in the films, but is an effect of coming too close to the Nazgul (the Ringwraiths or Black Riders) even if one can tolerate the fear generated by their unearthly screech. It literally poisons the soul and can lead to the person dying. Additionally, even if you do manage to injure a Nazgul, your sword-limb takes a form of paralysis with a lot of pain. Although Éowyn faced off and killed the Witch-King of Angmar himself, (a) he broke her shield-arm as depicted, (b) her sword-arm is likely to have been affected when she stabbed him and (c) she succumbed to the Black Breath which made her fall unconscious. It's only shown very briefly in the movie, but Aragorn - who actually didn't enter Minas Tirith "officially" until well after the battle, came briefly and secretly into the Houses of Healing where Éowyn had been taken and healed her with the same Athelas/Kingsfoil herb that is shown helping Frodo in the first film. It was said that the hands of the King are the hands of a healer, and he was able to use it to save Éowyn's life. Similarly, Faramir was affected by the Black Breath, he wasn't just physically injured in that futile attempt to retake Osgiliath. Aragorn healed him too on the same secret trip to the Houses of Healing. Both Faramir and Éowyn were therefore healed by the King and were recuperating in the Houses of Healing and saw each other as fair and gentle people despite their martial prowess and Éowyn was able to overcome her disappointment at being "let gently down" by Aragorn, by getting with the next best man, Faramir. And after the War, Aragorn made them the Prince and Princess of Ithilien (the region Faramir first met Frodo, Sam and Gollum). Finally, Merry was also affected by (a) the Black Breath and (b) the arm-paralysis thing when he stabbed the Witch-King. That was why he was close to death on the battlefield when Pippin finds him in the aftermath (in the books, his weak question to Pippin was "have you come to bury me?", thinking he was about to die). Again, Aragorn heals him on his foray to the Houses of Healing. Unlike in the movie however, Merry is not healed enough to accompany the Host of the West to the Black Gate for the last battle. He was perhaps closest out of Faramir, Éowyn and Merry in terms of recovery from the Black Breath (as hobbits have quite a tough constitution in these regards), but Aragorn told him he was not ready and he stayed behind. I agree how the film portrayed Éomer discovering Éowyn is very confusing if you haven't read the book!

[@TyranyFighterPatriot]

Watch the behind the scenes, Appendences. It's 15 Hours are even more fascinating. LOTR still my #1.

[@sonofjay817]

The guy who played Eomer should have gotten an Academy award for that wail when he found Eowyn. Powerful moment.

[@Andjelka99]

9/10 times Theoden's speech and that charge makes me tear up or cry, man I love that moment so much. Rip King ❤

[@Arcannabis]

Alright boys this is fate, 2 more hours stuck at my desk doing nothing and a 2 hour movie reaction. It’s Gods Fate bro.

[@luwucian4497]

58:17 i love this scene Gandalf expected a wave of orcs to enter , not directly trolls,that's bad but this trolls have armor and melee weapons, Gandalf's OH SHIT face hahaha god i can't, in chess you expect that your rival attack with pawns first not with rooks,That really caught him off guard

[@janeathome6643]

I believe Smeagol and Deagol are cousins.

[@ellingtonGaming]

The Ride of the Rohirrim is the best scene of the entire trilogy

[@marclaliberte4118]

awesome reaction guys! i felt like i was hanging out with the boys the whole trilogy!

[@mpartie]

Remember, Eomer didn't even know Eowyn was there, and then he sees her broken on the battlefield.

[@commanderkruge]

Funny story: WHen Saruman gets stabbed he he was supposed to scream, but Christopher Lee told Jackson that's not realistic, people getting stabbed like that don't scream. Can't. Mister Lee was in UK Spec Ops during WWII. He has first hand (hurr!) experience. Oh - and he was the only one on set who ever met Mr. Tolkien.

[@VanFuller]

Also note that Saruman was impaled at the end because Lee, at that time, was famous primarily for his role as Dracula. It's a little inside joke.

[@beetlebob4675]

Gosh, he was such an interesting man. Did you guys ever hear his metal Christmas albums???😂 You can find em on KZbin. What a treasure of a human being.❤

[@commanderkruge]

@@beetlebob4675 I'm German and if I found out that my one grandfather who died during WWII was killed by him that'd be so cool... :D Sorry, a little tasteless, but not lying. XD You know the animated movie "The Last Unicorn"? Lee voiced the evil King in it. IN the English AND in the German version of the movie. :D He's so good in German, that's why he was an actual spy in WWII. And he was perfectly cast as the voice of Discworld Death (WHO, IN THE BOOKS, ALWAYS TALKS IN CAPITAL LETTERS) whose voice was described as "sounding like a leaden crypt door falling shut".

[@beetlebob4675]

@@commanderkruge Ooh, spicy😚

[@afrodemon8629]

1:05:02 The "DEATH!!!!" chant always gives me chills and puts me on the verge of tears. Accepting that you'll probably die but you'll do it for the greater good. Such valor.

[@matthewtopping2061]

As a Ring Bearer himself, Samwise Gamgee goes to the Undying Lands later in life.

[@SilvershotStudios]

"Minas Tirith but you're wrong" The audacity of confidence in that, when they were right, Frodo wakes up in Minas Tirith

[@samswords9993]

The place the Elves are going is Valinor. It is best described as an Eden. It is a place where Bilbo and Frodo will be able to heal and die in peace. They are mortal, and being in Valinor does not alter that.

[@heliotropezzz333]

Merry and Pippin are not twins. Their familiar names are short for Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrine Took. Their names are mentioned in the films.

[@levilevi9621]

Fellowship has best vibes. Two towers is best movie. Return is most epic.

[@di3486]

Total accuracy in this comment 😅

[@Thelaretus]

Some excerpts from the book: 《Ever since the middle night the great assault had gone on. The drums rolled. To the north and to the south company upon company of the enemy pressed to the walls. There came great beasts, like moving houses in the red and fitful light, the _mûmakil_ of the Harad dragging through the lanes amid the fires huge towers and engines. Yet their Captain cared not greatly what they did or how many might be slain: their purpose was only to test the strength of the defence and to keep the men of Gondor busy in many places. It was against the Gate that he would throw his heaviest weight. Very strong it might be, wrought of steel and iron, and guarded with towers and bastions of indomitable stone, yet it was the key, the weakest point in all that high and impenetrable wall. The drums rolled louder. Fires leaped up. Great engines crawled across the field; and in the midst was a huge ram, great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length, swinging on mighty chains. Long had it been forging in the dark smithies of Mordor, and its hideous head, founded of black steel, was shaped in the likeness of a ravening wolf; on it spells of ruin lay. Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it. But about the Gate resistance still was stout, and there the knights of Dol Amroth and the hardiest of the garrison stood at bay. Shot and dart fell thick; siege-towers crashed or blazed suddenly like torches. All before the walls on either side of the Gate the ground was choked with wreck and with bodies of the slain; yet still driven as by a madness more and more came up. Grond crawled on. Upon its housing no fire would catch; and though now and again some great beast that hauled it would go mad and spread stamping ruin among the orcs innumerable that guarded it, their bodies were cast aside from its path and others took their place. Grond crawled on. The drums rolled wildly. Over the hills of slain a hideous shape appeared: a horseman, tall, hooded, cloaked in black. Slowly, trampling the fallen, he rode forth, heeding no longer any dart. He halted and held up a long pale sword. And as he did so a great fear fell on all, defender and foe alike; and the hands of men drooped to their sides, and no bow sang. For a moment all was still. The drums rolled and rattled. With a vast rush Grond was hurled forward by huge hands. It reached the Gate. It swung. A deep boom rumbled through the City like thunder running in the clouds. But the doors of iron and posts of steel withstood the stroke. Then the Black Captain rose in his stirrups and cried aloud in a dreadful voice, speaking in some forgotten tongue words of power and terror to rend both heart and stone. Thrice he cried. Thrice the great ram boomed. And suddenly upon the last stroke the Gate of Gondor broke. As if stricken by some blasting spell it burst asunder: there was a flash of searing lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven fragments to the ground. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face. All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dínen. ‘You cannot enter here,’ said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. ‘Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!’ The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter. ‘Old fool!’ he said. ‘Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!’ And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade. Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn. And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin’s sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last. [...] Now silently the host of Rohan moved forward into the field of Gondor, pouring in slowly but steadily, like the rising tide through breaches in a dike that men have thought secure. But the mind and will of the Black Captain were bent wholly on the falling city, and as yet no tidings came to him warning that his designs held any flaw. After a while the king led his men away somewhat eastward, to come between the fires of the siege and the outer fields. Still they were unchallenged, and still Théoden gave no signal. At last he halted once again. The City was now nearer. A smell of burning was in the air and a very shadow of death. The horses were uneasy. But the king sat upon Snowmane, motionless, gazing upon the agony of Minas Tirith, as if stricken suddenly by anguish, or by dread. He seemed to shrink down, cowed by age. Merry himself felt as if a great weight of horror and doubt had settled on him. His heart beat slowly. Time seemed poised in uncertainty. They were too late! Too late was worse than never! Perhaps Théoden would quail, bow his old head, turn, slink away to hide in the hills. Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering. Far, far away, in the South the clouds could be dimly seen as remote grey shapes, rolling up, drifting: morning lay beyond them. But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle; and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great _boom._ At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before: _Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!_ _Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!_ _spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,_ _a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!_ _Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!_ With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains. _Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!_ Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first _éored_ roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City. [...] Over the field rang his clear voice calling: ‘Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world’s ending!’ [...] _Death_ they cried with one voice loud and terrible.》 - The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien.