THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS is EPIC (REACTION) - (PART 1/2)

[@Stonecrow99]

As pippin once said " weve had one part yes, but what about the second part?"

[@adinamedrea5303]

😅 nice

[@count4045]

R.I.P. Bernard Hill aka Theoden King. May he go to his fathers for the long rest.

[@llanitedave]

In whose mighty company he shall not now feel ashamed...

[@MartijnFrazer]

Last time I was this early, Sauron was still hanging out with Celebrimbor to learn how to make magic rings.

[@crispy_338]

Last time I was this early the two trees were still untouched by the dark evil of Ungoliant

[@Mansfiery]

The last time I was this late, Gandalf the Grey rode to Isengard, seeking Saruman’s counsel.

[@Kronos-fu2wg]

Last time I was this early Galadriel was still writing her lore speech

[@Charles_Bro-son]

The last time I arrived precisely as I meant to... oof... ouch... ugh... ok I won't... I'm sorry!

[@docopoper]

Last time I was this early Mairon was still admirable.

[@Scorpio.witch.95]

I'll never get tired of people experiencing LOTR for the first time ❤

[@747Cone]

It ain’t his first time 😊

[@calumzmemez5075]

Makes me wish i could see it for the first time again.

[@MrDevintcoleman]

Watching someone actively fall in love with something you love is a special thing. I have a friend who’s a huge lover of fantasy but hasn’t seen these, and now refuses to out of what seems like some misplaced sense of anti-popularism, and I’m like, “my guy, just experience it!!” Maybe I’ll tie him down some day 😂

[@alim3611]

same here , its a pity they missed it on the big screen because watching it on the big screen is everything epic

[@richtea615]

Gandalf died killing the Balrog and went to "Heaven". There, Eru Ilúvatar (i.e. God) taught him to become more powerful than Saruman, then sent him back to Middle-Earth. This took an age to accomplish as every day that passed on Middle-Earth was like a "life-age of the Earth" for Gandalf--that is why he needs a moment to remember his name.

[@Thedeepseanomad]

As far as I know, Eru/Illuvathar (God) did not make him stronger exactly, just sent him back with lesser restrictions to take the role Saruman should have filled ( The Leader and most powerful (least nerfed body) of the Istari

[@Tesserex]

In the book, if my memory is correct, his line about the days being so long actually refers to after he was resurrected, just lying on the mountain waiting for Gwindor to rescue him.

[@zaer-ezart]

Unpopular opinion: I preferred Gandalf the grey. He felt much more relatable, like that kind grandpa who's always smiling and ready to help. Gandalf the white felt too clean, too divine

[@jessespence696]

I like to think he reached paragon class lol

[@jordinagel1184]

@@zaer-ezartunderstandable, but that was the Gandalf Middle-Earth needed. Gandalf the Grey was kind, compassionate, fitting for the leader of the Fellowship, but you could see that he wasn’t always respected. Gandalf the White commands respect, and is meant to command (or at least lead and inspire) entire nations. Him being more distant is entirely understandable.

[@funnerz]

It took 11 months to build the Rohan city of Edoras, for 8 days of filming. Goes to show the dedication and love that was poured into these films.

[@Becky-uz8em]

My favorite detail about building Edoras is that they had to take care of the plants they removed to get permission to build. Behind the hill they set up a greenhouse. All the removed plants were numbered, cared for, and replanted where they had been when they broke set!

[@Phoniex9678]

​@@Becky-uz8emwow

[@richardfrancis701]

Treebeard was voiced by John Rhys-Davis who also played Gimli

[@DaleKingProfile]

He used a wooden megaphone and "spoke" while inhaling instead of exhaling

[@andrewsisk718]

When he says “It’s a wyvern?” You have my sword.

[@theMMAdhatter]

And you have my bow!

[@ThaBeatConductor]

And my axe!

[@Sandlund93]

He carries the fate of the channel. If this is indeed the will of the comment section, then I will see it done.

[@JohnEsplana-k5t]

Where are we going?

[@Alexandra_Indina]

I love you, guys!😂😂😂❤

[@ulfberht4431]

“You think a demon with wings would be able to fly.” Chickens, Ostriches, Emus and Cassowaries everywhere: “Hey! Why we resent that!”

[@Luna-Eclypse]

Funny thing is even in the books the characters don't know what the hell the Wraiths are riding. It's not a dragon, or a wyvern, or a bird, they just don't know. So they just call them "Fell Beasts"

[@kobarsos82]

True but to be fair, with the amount of lore we have from monster manuals and dnd, they do come closer to wyverns than closer to anything else. Minus the poison. They do resemble them very well in appearance though despite the different name. You might say that dnd got the idea from Tolkien overall.

[@davidkulmaczewski4911]

"And behold! it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was, whose kind, lingering in forgotten mountains cold beneath the Moon, outstayed their day, and in hideous eyrie bred this last untimely brood, apt to evil."

[@bitterzombie]

Personally I think the Fell Beasts were what Morgoth (Dark Lord of the Eldar Days) used to create dragons. In the books they are described as featherless birds, with long sharp beaks, kind of like a pterodactyl. Tolkien makes it clear that evil cannot create life from nothing, it can only distort living things that already exist. If they are remnants of animals from ancient times, Im guessing that they were bred with his fire drakes to produce the winged dragons

[@deanzaZZR]

And for our host, dragons, amazingly cunning, treasure loving and dangerous dragons do dwell in Middle Earth. The more bad ass ones in earlier days but at least one still dwells in the 3rd Age.

[@TheBoondocksaint117]

Based on the description in the books, I always pictured the Fell Beasts as corrupted Great Eagles. I don't think that's what Tolkien intended, but it is the image that comes to my mind when I picture them.

[@foolofatook9867]

Must be the first time a youtuber didn't call a fell beast a dragon and even suggested it might be a vyvern. I like you!

[@marcusfridh8489]

Fellbeasts are not dragons thou. Dragons are free and sentient, while fellbeasts are beasts of burden and have of free will or free thoughts.

[@Tolandiel]

I really do enjoy how insightful his commentary is - it’s a joy to see someone really listens to the dialogue and studies the visuals.

[@mosovanhe]

I was gonna say this hahah, I legit found him knowing this such a turn on 😂

[@lordjimbo2]

Hey! Okay, Tolkien 101. Hope this makes sense! Sorry in advance for the long post. This is 5000 pages of lore condensed into one thread. Tolkien has a strict power hierarchy. *S TIER - Illuvatar* - the God figure that made everything and existed before everything. Only he can create something from nothing, using the Flame Imperishable. He created angels and sang with them to decide what reality (Arda) would look like once he made it, knowing only that it would hold two races of his Children, one immortal and tied to reality until the end of days and one mortal, that would spend only a short time in it. *A TIER - Valar (Greater angels)* - The great sentient beings created by Illuvatar to help him design the world. They exist outside of reality and can leave it if they like. They are lesser than him in that they can't create reality but they each have specialties to manipulate it (i.e. the water god, the smith god, the vegetation goddess, the god of time, etc.) They can, however, overcharge or warp already-existing things in reality with ease (magic), although such powers are not unlimited. They are forbidden from using their powers to kill or control the Children of Illuvatar. *B TIER - Maiar (Lesser angels)* - Beings that assisted their chosen Valar and have some semblance of their power. They also exist outside of reality and can enter it, leave it (or be ejected). Sauron, Gandalf, Saruman and the Balrog are all examples of Maiar. They also can use the elements of reality to accomplish their purposes and are also forbidden from controlling or killing the Children. *C TIER (at start) - Eldar (Elves)* - The first chosen race to emerge. Immortal, immune to disease, extremely strong and can use the elements of reality on a limited basis. Their souls are tied to reality but in harmony with it, which is why they have so much power, and when they die, if they are particularly valorous and/or accomplished, the Valar might offer them a body back if it wasn't yet their time. Otherwise they go to the halls of the God of Time to await the end of reality. They take so long to mature and reproduce that there aren't many of them. *C TIER (at start) - Edain (Men)* - The second chosen race to emerge. Souls are only briefly visiting reality, not in harmony with it. Originally longer-lived, more robust and with limited magical ability, they were immediately vulnerable to the corruption of Arda (more on that soon) and turned into the D-tier men we know in Lord of the Rings. Still, their inevitable death is called the "gift of man" in that it spurs them to accomplish great things before they go. No one knows where their souls go after death, just that they don't stay in Arda. The only ones that do are bound by curses and are deeply unstable. Reproduce the fastest. *C TIER - Khazâd (Dwarves) (Bonus)* - Originally not planned by Illuvatar, the Dwarves were built by the great Smith Valar Aulë after he got to reality and thought it was great. He was the only Valar skilled enough to create something capable of carrying life, but he couldn't give it the spark. Illuvatar took pity on the dwarves and made them his stepchildren. They are tougher, stronger and longer-lived than men, almost immune to temperature changes, including fire, and capable of ingenious physical creations that surpass even those of the elves. However, the uncertain status of their souls mean they have no magical abilities and they are so busy building things that they aren't very numerous. Everything else (Eagles, Ents, Orcs, Uruks or giant spiders) are pumped-up or warped variations of things that came into reality when it first started.

[@lordjimbo2]

BASIC SUMMARY IN TEN PARTS (LORD OF THE RINGS TAKES PART IN THE ELEVENTH PART): 1.) The greatest of all the Valar, Melkor, went rogue immediately before reality was even formed, constantly fighting to take over from Illuvatar, but Illuvatar let him persist because he knew the beings in reality would need purpose. Some of the Maiar joined Melkor immediately. Eventually the other Valar were able to come to a conclusion on what reality would look like despite his interference, but since it wasn't what he wanted Melkor hated it. When he couldn't stop reality from forming, he entered it and tried to destroy it bit by bit. Most of the first 50% of time took place while the other Valar fought Melkor to try and stop him from blowing up the universe. 2.) A Valar, Tulkas, entered reality who could, at least physically, match Melkor. Melkor fled and that let the other Valar finally form Earth, which was a flat disc of forests and rivers lit by two humongous lamps. They shepherded most of the life into the world during this time, sat in a glorious island in the middle of it and waited for the Elves and Men to arrive. At this point, one of the Maiar, Sauron, became concerned that life would be too chaotic and lack order and destroy itself. 3.) Melkor returned and pushed the lamps over, causing a cataclysmic impact that made giant oceans and mountain ranges and distinguished the continents. A great deal of life was destroyed. While the Valar tried to figure out what the hell happened, Sauron decided they didn't know what they were doing and defected. Melkor entered the now-cold wastes in the north of the middle Continent (hence middle-Earth) and immediately started pouring his power into twisting and ruining the surrounding reality. The original Maiar who allied with Melkor entered the world now that he had a foothold in it and he granted them the form of Balrogs. 4.) The Valar regrouped in the westernmost continent, Valinor, and raised a huge mountain chain for protection. They put up two giant Trees to provide light and periodically sent out parties of Valar and Maiar to try and find the Children. However, when the Elves arrived, Melkor found some of them first, taking them and using huge amounts of power to twist them into the F-tier Orcs. When the Valar found out about this, they came to Middle Earth, found Melkor's HQ and destroyed it, but the Balrogs and Sauron escaped. To everyone's surprise, Melkor was now capturable because he'd put so much of his power into corrupting Arda he'd been forced to take a single form. Some of the Elves came to stay in the Western continent, but not all, as they were proud and distrusted the Valar who weren't there when they woke up. 5.) The Elves who went to Valinor became incredibly juiced from being in the presence of angels. One of them created jewels so awesome that even the Valar were impressed, especially Melkor, who tricked the other Valar into thinking he was reformed, escaped, hired a Godzilla-sized spider and destroyed the Trees. In the ensuing chaos he stole the jewels (the Silmarills), killed elves and fled back to Middle Earth, where the Balrogs drove off the spider thing. Most of the Elves in Valinor were beyond pissed that the Valar let this happen. Led by the elf who made the Silmarills, Feanor, they defied the Valar's admonition to let them handle it and invaded Middle Earth, killing any elves who wouldn't help them. 6.) The Valar were seriously insulted by this after all they had done, washed their hands of the whole affair and used two remaining fruits from the trees to create the modern Sun and Moon, concerning themselves with repairing Valinor. Meanwhile, in Middle Earth, the turbocharged elves built a tremendous empire, the remnants of which we see in Lord of the Rings, and met the first men and dwarves, who had already been tainted by their contact with evil to the point where Dwarves cared about nothing but building and Men had lost their lifespans and ability to use magic. Yet while Melkor's depleted physical form, called Morgoth, could be harmed, the entirety of his power was now in reality, in everything from werewolves to dragons to meteors and he seemed indestructible. Most men accordingly allied with Morgoth, the Elves fought among themselves, the dwarves fought everybody and the Elven empire rapidly collapsed. 7.) Finally a half-man, half-elf showed up in Valinor to beg for intervention. The Valar grudgingly agreed, invading Middle Earth, and encountered so much evil that the fight sunk 15% of the continent and scarred many of them. They captured Morgoth, beheaded him and permanently hurled him out of reality. Most of the remaining elves, sick of Middle Earth, went to live in Valinor to heal their souls after all they'd seen. The tribe of men who sided with the Valar got restored to Mankind's original powers on a custom-built island in the sea, Numenor, to be the world's new policemen. They had to stay out of Valinor, though, as this experience had taught that mortal and immortal beings have different goals. 8.) Unfortunately, while the conscious entity Morgoth was eradicated, much of Melkor's evil in the world remained and so did Sauron. Sauron had learned from watching Morgoth blindly spend his powers and instead put his power into the Rings, which allowed for potentially infinite magic use on the part of the bearer. Sort of a wishing-for-more-wishes deal. Playing everyone off each other, he alternately took the form of a conqueror and a wise gift-giver, buying leaders with Rings while piecing the collective Melkor back together under his command and crushing those who resisted. Right as he hit a level of power that could truly threaten the whole Earth, though, the Numenoreans swung into action and came to destroy him with so much force that he decided to fake surrender rather than be annihilated. He critically left his Ring behind. 9.) Sauron knew the Numenoreans may have the physical prowess of the original men but they were permanently changed mentally. Though they were arrogant and thought they were masters of reality they still feared death, so after getting to the island he convinced them in less than a hundred years that the Valar were withholding immortality. The final Numenorean King stamped out any dissent, cranked up his fleet again and invaded Valinor. The Valar were in a bind, prohibited from attacking a force that, without their intervention, would completely wreck the demilitarized continent, and instead called on Illuvatar to fix this. He did, burying the invading fleet under a mountain range, turning the Earth into a sphere, sinking Numenor, and removing Valinor to a separate plane that could no longer be seen by those with mortal souls. 10.) Back in Middle Earth, Sauron re-incarnated using the Ring, thinking he'd won, but was immediately attacked by what was left of the Numenoreans. They allied with some of the non-Supermen residents of Middle Earth and the fragmented remains of the Elven empire and scored a stunning upset (the beginning of Fellowship), but, again critically, the Numenorean Prince Isildur couldn't bring himself to destroy the Ring. No one yet knew the ring had just too much power to be thrown in willingly and moreover if seized by violence it would ensnare the carrier all the faster. So the next few hundred years saw Sauron creepily and steadily begin to reincarnate a final time, plagues, infighting and the remaining Sauron-inspired evil retard progress everywhere in Middle Earth, and the Valar, leery of dealing with mortals again after Numenor, send several Maiar, including Gandalf and Saruman, to try and figure out a way to finally rid Arda of the Ring. That's where Fellowship starts.

[@sameenahussain3678]

This was genuinely an amazing summary of all the lore, thank you!

[@simondeep]

@@lordjimbo2 Great summary! The Silmarillion is a heck of a read. I'm only re-reading it now after many years, and that's after I was dabbling in history and other genres. I'm just an amateur; Tolkien's still on a whole other level. There's an intense Genesis flavor that you just have to roll with when reading the first part. The second part just gets better, made me appreciate Elves as a fantasy trope now. Modern interpretations always paint elves as haughty and stuck up, but that's the point. Silmarillion is basically the Elves telling humanity, "We got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Listen: We had it all, and this is how we blew it." They're not so much Arrogant anymore as they are Jaded, and it's great

[@Yakandbleezies]

Or in Ungoliant's case just chillin' in an empty room until she clocked some Ainu wandering around nearby and followed them.

[@lionan8807]

That was very informative thank you 🙏🏾

[@johnwalters1341]

At 9:08, you say, "...I didn't know all of them could talk." Tolkien discusses the Orc languages in an appendix to ROTK; in it he says that each tribe of Orcs had its own speech, so that when Orcs from different tribes needed to communicate, they used a debased form of the Common Speech (which Tolkien translates as Modern English). The direction doesn't make it clear, but in the book, the band that has captured Merry and Pippin consists of three separate tribes: the small ones ("Why can't we have some meat?") are from Moria and have come to avenge their folk who died, the medium-sized ones (Ooh, they look tasty!") are from Mordor and want to take the Hobbits to the Dark Tower, and the large ones (Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!") are Saruman's Uruk-hai and are "Taking the Hobbits to Isengard." The folks at Weta Workshop got the memo and have created three distinct types of Orcs for this scene.

[@BobBlumenfeld]

Rohan and Gondor are separate kingdoms, although there has always been a strong alliance between them.

[@alexkats30]

You're 100% correct, nature is a huge theme of Tolkien's world and legendarium. And also, a big theme of his way of writing, as in the books, great importance is given to the travelling inside nature itself and you get very vivid and vast descriptions of nature around the heroes as they do. That's why Jackson's big panning shots while the fellowship and our heroes travel around was paramount to capturing the spirit and the scale of Middle Earth's world, did a great job

[@schtoobs]

Cool fictional facts - Galadriel is Arwen's grandmother (on Arwen's mothers side) and Aragorn is a descendent of Elrond's twin brother Elros.

[@Lrozzie]

Ah, you skipped the part where Aragorn kicked the helmet after they found the burned orcs. I was about to tell you he broke his toe while filming it.

[@joshuabarnett88]

DIIIIIIIIIIIID YOUUUUUUU KNOW??!

[@Lrozzie]

@@joshuabarnett88 impossible to resist

[@747Cone]

The broken toe thing is a myth. Aragorn told me it was an elaborate prank bro.

[@faketheo3432]

obligatory comment

[@natysevani]

Here is the comment, now i can keep watching the reaction 😌

[@Iceman-135]

fun fact about when Theoden came back to 'life'; Bernard (R.I.P) had to act that scene exactly the same way about 3 or 4 times, each time with less make up so they could get the transition just right. And as much as we all would have liked B12 to die, imagine seeing your king walking around again only to slay someone in the broad daylight in the streets. It wouldn't have been a good image, and Aragorn was right in letting him get away, if only to preserve Theodens reputation and image. I really like how perceptive you are and how you're taking all of the info and people on board.

[@paulatreat2496]

Tolkien lived in the UK in the early part of the 20th century. He loved nature and really disliked industry. That is why his bad guy Saruman wanted to take down the forest and build industry.

[@MrCrazychristian86]

Fighting in the trenches during WW1 like Tolkien did would create that kind of dislike.

[@benbrown8258]

Tolkien also saw the consequences of irrevocably losing the natural world which set up consequences for increasing inequities and conflicts. It is amazing the ton of references to nature and its loss in his writings. At least two botanists have written books about Tolkien's setting so much of his work in nature and its significance. I wish those books were given more attention. We might gain a better perspective from Tolkien's entire life applicable to where we are at today. But here we are where VR battling with is far more engrossing than digging in the garden like Sam.

[@fredericjuliard4261]

Gandalf is the mortal incarnation of the Maia Olorin. Olorin was created by Ilúvatar before the Music of Ainur, which created everything, making him older than the world. He arrived in Middle-earth as Gandalf about 1000 years into the Third Age. There is some debate over whether he had been there before, or how long he had been incarnated as Gandalf before he arrived in the Third Age. But he spent at least 2021 years as Gandalf. Long as that is by mortal reckoning, it was less than 4% of his ~55,000 year total lifespan so far. He lived through the following Ages: Years of the Lamps (approximately 33,537 solar years at least) Years of the Trees (approximately 14,373 solar years at least) The First Age (approximately 590 solar years at least) The Second Age (approximately 3,441 solar years at least) The Third age (approximately 3,021 solar years at least).

[@fiddler-on-the-green]

28:56 Apparently, Balrogs give a ton of Exp... No wonder Gandalf leveled up 😎

[@pastekofurie]

cool new stuff too

[@jamesonholbrook3969]

Where everyone saw a scary beast of shadow and flame Gandalf only saw Experience points

[@isaacp64]

Gandalf Kill-stealing the whole party's xp smh

[@xineedwards2720]

@@isaacp64🤣🤣🤣

[@CrankyGrandma]

😄

[@pamdawkins13]

Bravo for noticing the vambraces. I didn't notice that until the commentary pointed it out. I love the moment when Pippin drops the broach, because it's one of the first times we see him taking positive action without any encouragement from Merry. It's a nice moment of character development. Fun fact: during the filming of the entire sequence where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are following Merry and Pippin, all three actors were injured. "If that's Tom Cruise, I'm going to get up and leave," made me laugh out loud.

[@AltumDolor]

24:38 Wow, you being able to distinguish a dragon from a wyvern already makes you more knowledgable in fantasy than most fantasy enjoyers haha. Out of all the reactions that I've seen, I have never seen someone point that out, love it.

[@DavidEllis94]

Fun fact..... going back to the origin of the folklore and their despictions especially in heraldry of the Middle Ages, there was no difference. They were the same thing. The insistence on their being any distinction is a purely modern thing, and it's pretty funny to me how much of a fuss folks like to make about it when its essentially just a recent fabrication in dragon lore.

[@AltumDolor]

@@DavidEllis94 Well I think it is just a natural classification of such dragons to differentiate between them. It'd be like saying a dog and a wolf are the same thing, while technically they are, there are some differences between them to warrant a different name

[@DavidEllis94]

@@AltumDolor Oh, sure, I just think it's interesting that, until recently, there was no distinction drawn.

[@BenjaminAlternate]

"...No parent should have to bury their child..."

[@juliewagner3023]

Devastating line 😭

[@llanitedave]

Unfortunately, in ancient times, burying children was the rule, not the exception. Child mortality was extremely high, which is why so many children were born. Women died in childbirth quite often as well. And of course, a young noble dying in battle was far from unusual.

[@marcusfridh8489]

R.I.P Bernard Hill

[@imsokage]

~every LOTR fan when they go to the pile of carcasses. “DID YOU KNOW-“

[@Yakandbleezies]

Happens to me all the time!

[@marcusfridh8489]

But also, when Sam Walks out into the water to the canoe of Frodo at the end of the fellowship, Sean Astin cut his foot on a piece of sharp glass and had to be stitched up before continuing filming.

[@takotako3321]

Did you know that the LOTR movies are actually based on a book?

[@ThaBeatConductor]

@@marcusfridh8489 Andy also ripped Sean's wig off in one of the takes in front of the Black Gate.

[@henrikpersson4371]

what!!! : ) that the helmet he kicked, actually hit a squirrel and killed it........? he he : )

[@nemesis4852]

Fire in a swamp or bog can be caused by methane usually in the presence of peat or other other organic substances.

[@Baliizadon]

I’m delighted you made the connection with magic and nature in Tolkien’s word. Magic is less about conjuring powerful spells in middle earth than it is in speaking the eldar language and convincing the world to do what you want. A really good example is the scene from the fellowship where they are trying to cross the mountain and Saruman is trying to stop them. The words Saruman was chanting when translated are “Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!” That mountain seems to have a personality that isn’t very agreeable, not evil but violent. Gandalf in turn tries to stop him with “Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!” It’s a battle of will for which one of them can convince the mountain to do what they want. I’m geeking out a bit but I just find this magic system fascinating.

[@Alex-vo2uh]

As i have been a big fan of Tolkien's works as well as the Peter Jackson trilogy for years now the KZbin algorithm every once in a while recommends content such as this, which i give a try but nearly always stop watching due to the lack of understanding of the plot/theme's/implications intended by Tolkien (and Peter Jackson). However, this series of yours has greatly and positively surprised me. Love your reactions so far: your analysis of what you see and reactions to it are very much on point. This, combined with the general good vibes of your content / reactions has proven to be extremely enjoyable - feels like watching the movies with a friend that has not seen them. You def have a new subcriber and fan in me. Thank you and keep it up!

[@johnwalters1341]

At 12:24, the man swearing allegiance to Saruman is a Dunlending, an inhabitant of Dunland, the region west of Rohan. Some of the Dunlendings had formerly lived in the lands now occupied by the Rohirrim. Five hundred years ago it was the northern province of Gondor, but the Steward of Gondor had granted the province as a reward to Eorl the Young and his followers, who came to the aid of the army of Gondor when it was faced with destruction. The Rohirrim drove out the Dunlendings from Rohan, incurring their lasting enmity, which Saruman had inflamed. In the movie, the Dunlendings burn out the Rohirrim from the Westfold, but in the book they also join with the Uruk-hai in the Battle of Helm's Deep.

[@morothane]

Props for being the first reactor I’ve seen to notice it’s a wyvern and not a dragon. You have my sword, bow, and axe for that one. Cheers! I hope you continue to enjoy your journey to Middle Earth, and find your own meaning in the story :)

[@davidkulmaczewski4911]

Saruman is a double-crosser. He's trying to get the Ring himself, and depose Sauron. All while feigning allegiance to him. Gollum can't eat the Elvish waybread (and also hates the Elvish rope around his neck) because he is corrupted and evil due to his holding the Ring, and the elves are inherently 'holy' and never succumbed to Sauron, so the things they create distress evil beings. Lembas in particular is considered 'holy'; made from a special grain, only by the Queen and her ladies, controlled fully by the Queen and only given to honorable travelers under dire circumstances, and said to nourish both the body and the spirit. Gollum found it repulsive and choked on it. Gandalf and the other wizards are essentially 'angels' who were incarnated in a human form and sent by the (small-g) gods to help rally men and elves against Sauron (the Balrog and Sauron himself are also the same type of angelic beings, though 'fallen' and perhaps better called 'demons'). His body was killed in the fight with the Balrog, so (capital-G) God immediately sent him back in a more powerful form to continue the fight. This is not something even the (small-g) gods could do, so it was a true Divine intervention. And yes, Gandalf had been in Middle Earth for several thousand years already; his powerful spirit allows his body to remain vigorous for a long, long time (much like the elves). You'll see that mercy -- perhaps unearned, but still given -- is a major theme of this story. Even the wise cannot tell what parts may be played by someone in the future, as Gandalf told Frodo in Moria.

[@Torstenn-b3x]

And on that theme, the "best" of the Istari - Gandalf in his earlier form of Olorin - learned much from Nienna, the Vala of Mercy and Pity and was considered her greatest pupil.

[@BillieArd]

JRR Tolkien was a military veteran from WW 1...got the idea for a lot of what we see in the films with his experience in the War. Think of the swamp of the dead bodies...Mordor, etc. He was also very religious man. His mother died when he and his brother were still children of a disease that can be dealt with better in the 21st century. He and his brother were raised by a Catholic priest, because his mother converted to the Catholic religion after losing her husband. Because of her conversion the family DISOWNED her and refused to raise her 2 boys. So JRR became a life-long Catholic. He also (as he grew older) loved ancient stories from Medieval period. He was gifted in languages and invented the language used by the elves in the stories he wrote. He started out writing The Hobbit for his children and then the story continued to grow...into LORD OF THE RINGS.

[@Nonickelone]

From what i understand, the gods have sent the wizards to perform specific roles/tasks according to their named color(white,grey,blue). Since Saruman fell under the influence of Sauron, his role couldn't be performed anymore and Gandalf was sent back as the white wizard to fill the gap.

[@MrCrazychristian86]

God not gods

[@davidkulmaczewski4911]

@@MrCrazychristian86 The gods (the Valar) sent the wizards in the first place; God (Eru) sent Gandalf back after his fight with the Balrog.

[@MrCrazychristian86]

@@davidkulmaczewski4911 that is true

[@canadianproud2882]

The valar sent the wizards to middle earth, and there were 5 of them, white, grey brown, and two blue when gandalf dieds it is Eru (the one true God) who sends him back.

[@thegnome73]

Right. And the wizards aren't human, or bound by human lifespans. If memory serves, they're related to stars more than any other type of entity. But in Middle Earth they take on a human-like form while taking on their wizard role

[@caramelvictim193]

Spoiler free lore dump incoming to answer your questions about the wizards! Saruman was the leader of all wizards, but whether that means he was the most powerful of them all, I'm not sure (please feel free to answer if you know :) ). Gandalf served multiple Valar (the Gods of Middle Earth) but was closest to Nienna, the goddess of mercy and grief. This gives some great insight into Gandalfs character and why for example he told Frodo to take pity on Gollum. I wouldn't say Gandalf was "the nature guy" that was more Radagasts, who doesn't appear in LotR, thing. Gandalf was more people oriented and spend most of his time among them, guiding and learning from them. And Saruman I guess was the book guy. 🤷‍♀️

[@RogueOstriches7]

5 wizards were sent to middle earth to fight the great evil. They were sent by what can be equated to the angels of middle earth call the Valar, the wizards being like lesser angels. There was Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, and the two blue wizards (you know I've quite forgotten their names). The two blue wizards immediately left to go east and never returned or were heard from again. Radagast only cared for nature. Saruman turned from his task of fighting evil as well when he sided with Sauron. Only Gandalf ever stayed on task. When he died fighting the Balrog, Eru Illuvitar (the God of Tolkien's world) saw how he never strayed from his purpose sent him back as Gandalf the White (Basically Gandalf 2.0) to finish his mission. The reason he forgot his name was Gandalf is 1. He has had many names throughout time; he was called Olorin when he resided in Valinor (heaven in Tolkien's world). 2. When he died he basically describes that he went to a plane beyond time and space where every day was a life age of the earth (presumably where Eru Illuvitar resides) after what was probably thousands of years from his perspective, I'd probably forget my name too. Hope that clarifies wizard stuff.

[@fvh7278]

Now I feel dumb for never making the comparison between the Balrog and Ifrit. I mean, it's RIGHT THERE! Amazing reaction mate, can't wait for the next one!

[@Dan-B]

Maiar like Gandalf are immortal incorporeal spirits, how they appear physically is just how they express their influence in the physical world (it’s been described as being an expression of their thought, or like the “clothes” they wear more than a physical body. ie. their spirit and their “body” are one and the same thing, unlike other living things who’s body and spirit are separate) meaning that when Gandalf died his spirit no longer had a way to remain in Middle Earth. Gandalf being the only of the Wizards to keep to his purpose in Middle Earth (being sent to guide people in resisting Sauron) was made an exception, being re-embodied and empowered by Iluvatar himself (god) to carry on his mission.

[@O-sa-car]

Treebeard is voiced by John Rhys-Davies who also played Gimli. He's a fantastic actor also known for his role in Indiana Jones.

[@kurtuhlig2553]

Don’t forget Professor Arturo in Sliders.

[@Iollipop87]

Having Gollum with you when you have the ring is like having a heroin addict follow you while your pockets are full of heroin. Seems trustworthy 😂

[@paulchavez3039]

And god forbid you tell them your on your way to flush it all 😂

[@xsjado_anon]

When he said "How strong is he?" about Gollum, the answer is "meth head strong" - replace Heroin with meth and that's how I see Gollum, he's a meth addict and Frodo's pockets are filled with the blue shit from Breaking Bad. Crack works also.

[@uzellyman]

I gotta rate you my bro. You ask legit questions whilst understanding the landscape and character building 👌 Just be prepared to cry in the next one bro

[@MrBloodshot]

"This shot is streight out of final fantasy" Pheonix vs Ifrit in FFXVI was definitley a head nod to this fight. I love SE's references.

[@stevenricks1703]

Okay, choosing "leave now" as your cutoff point between parts 1 and 2 was perfect! 😁

[@nat3333]

The Environmentalist theme is a good insight. In the books especially I’ve always interpreted the “dark and evil” of Mordor and Sauron (and Melkor, though that’s the books and not the movies) to be representative of industrialization and the destruction of nature. For example the darkness covering the stars being the smog and other effects of the heavy increase of manufacturing. Tolkien has even spoken about it. In the hobbit there is even a dragon called Smaug. It’s a theme referenced throughout his work. Specifically how industrial capitalism led to the destruction of the natural world.

[@foolofatook9867]

One can see Gandalf taking the title of White as a promotion to the head of the Order. Its not just more power, but an authority to lead people directly instead of just counseling and nudging them in the right direction.

[@747Cone]

What about the 🌈 cloaked wizard. Need some Bakshi to see that in all its glory

[@thisspaceforrent5737]

I also like the implication that even before the battle had really begun, Saruman had already been stripped of his office.

[@IEvertoNI]

Gandalf was basically sent back by the higher powers in Middle Earth to replace Saruman and his corruption and aid the free people in their destruction of the ring. Being the White Wizard basically makes you head of the 5 wizards

[@11MagickMoon16]

bro…i have watched these movies COUNTLESS times over the past two decades, and i NEVER clocked that aragorn took boromir’s bracers until you pointed it out. holy shit man 🤯 what an incredible detail 😭 thank you for that!!

[@Eowyn187]

15:20 What you said about Eomer "joining up" with the Fellowship is, basically, the point of it all. What makes peace even possible.

[@mels607]

"they're taking the hobbits to isengard" has a ridiculous song/meme and it's stuck in my head now, I recommend looking it up so it'll be stuck in your head too lol

[@marcusfridh8489]

And Lego Lord of the Rings just run with it at the after game

[@bing_bong2411]

25:58 You're right on point with this idea. Tolkien, the author of the books loved nature and hated modern industrialization, and put that as one of the messages in his books. in some of his other mythos which are canon to lotr but have not been adapted, there are many gods called the Valar which have control over different aspects of the world. To name a few of them there is Manwe, kind of like Zeus in Greek mythology, controlling the air and wind. Ulmo is like Poseidon who has dominion over all things water related, and Yavanna who created all living plants, and the ents (tree people). All of Tolkien's lore is indeed very intertwined with nature, and rarely strays to otherworldly things.

[@matthewwhite7473]

"Aw, don't just touch people's faces bro!" lmao! Your commentary is some of the best ever KP.

[@raypenny932]

Really really enjoying your energy, vibe and knowledge bro, especially on the mythical and ethereal tips, the knowledge on Dragons being quadrapets and Wyverns being dual legged really threw me.......fair play sir. This knowledge is separating you from other reactors who have done this amazing trilogy. Looking forward and eagerly awaiting part 2 👊🇬🇧

[@Arabong168]

Staying away from spoilers must be a fucking minefield

[@nickclague3942]

I wish I could see these for the first time again. But nothing compares to being 12 years old and watching it in the cinema

[@alexkats30]

"I didn't thin Gollum would be that strong" On the one hand he's a wreched skinny creature now. On the other hand, he's been surviving alone on the wild for hundreds of years by now, he's literally a feral creature. So that explains it.

[@DavidEllis94]

Regarding Gandalf's "300 lives of men," he has been in Middle Earth for roughly 2,000 years at this point. 2,000 divided by 300 is 66.67 years, and it just so happens that 66-67 years would indeed be a full life for a man living in that kind of society. So..... yeah, that's what that's all about.

[@thewildcard600]

Honest Trailers made the joke: "In LOTR everyone is white. even when they die they come back whiter"

[@birchkids007]

I wish there was more people like you in the world . I feel people with similar interests or open minds seem to be spaced out but you and your content makes the world seem smaller in a better way

[@waunke56]

As a heads up. The actor who played Théoden was also the captain of the titanic in the movie titanic. He passed away on 5/5/24. Just so you're aware.

[@David-ru8tc]

You grasping that the magic is very rooted into the world around them is very well read. It won't explain everything, but it is close enough. Gandalf is essentially an angel and has been sent back leveled up. Without those around him succeeding and showing their strength, he can't do what he's meant to be. But if they do as they are meant to be, he is there to guide them.

[@Alex-qt4nz]

I’ll be that person. When Aragorn kicks the helmet he actually breaks his toe!

[@chrism7395]

Had to be done, nature abhors a vacuum!

[@angel-astanfield7939]

Saruman was trying to outsmart Sauron and get the ring for himself, before Sauron can get a hold of it. Saruman had been searching in private for hundreds of years for the Ring on his own, right under the nose of Sauron, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond and the men of Middle Earth. Great reactions.❤

[@chickendrawsdogs3343]

"Where are they falling to?" "Into the sequel." - 🤣🤣 Ryan George

[@martinbynion1589]

"They might have got the idea for Ents from....". Doubt it, mate. The books on which the films are based were written in the 1950s. Sauron's Airforce is mounted on "Fell Beasts". The voice of Treebeard is done by the actor playing Gimli (John Rhys-Davies). In real life, he is 6ft 1in tall. 🙂

[@phalanxiatheroan863]

12:36 is the only part in the entire trilogy two female characters talk to each other. Fun fact.

[@dininelbourne]

And they don't mention a man. Bechdel Test passed with flying colors!

[@germin9784]

The only scene in the trilogy is actually a bit later, where the girl talks to Eowyn for an actual second. The scene you mentioned is only in the extended cut.

[@ThaBeatConductor]

But... what about the other two scenes?

[@mattvsmetaverse]

Love that you know dragon anatomy! Good observation. The Nazgul are riding on the backs of what are known as fell-beasts. You're picking up everything else so well too. Definitely rising above the usual LOTR reactions (no offense to them). You can tell you have a lot of experience and love for fantasy. I am highly enjoying these. Can't wait for the conclusion! So many fond memories of these films/books. And those memories live on too, as I can always watch these and never tire of them. Truly modern-day classics of film! It's like my own emergency kit for modern-day film fatigue (been needing it more than ever lately lol). That Part 1 ending was jokes btw ('leave now and never come back"). 😆

[@vickyg6182]

I really love your reactions, it comes across as being genuinely interested in the lore and having a sincere appreciation for the movies and the story it was based on as a whole

[@747Cone]

He’s a good actor, I’ll give him that. But he’s definitely seen these before. Slips up several times in this reaction.

[@az-cv1ql]

@@747Cone Where?

[@johnwalters1341]

At 38:30, the funeral of Theodred is one scene the movie does better than the book. In the book, the action is for once moving faster than the movie, and the death of Theodred is glossed over. Bernard Hill and Miranda Otto just kill this scene!

[@johnwalters1341]

At 27:50, Tolkien gives a detailed chronology of events in an Appendix following ROTK. In it we learn that Gandalf died in his fight with the Balrog, and his dead body lay atop Celebdil from January 25 to February 14, when he was resurrected as Gandalf the White.

[@strakk]

Gandalf still throwing "these hands" is one of the funniest descriptions of that fight ever

[@MegaHoover12]

Props on you for realizing that boromir telling aragorn "they have taken the little ones" ment so much more then it let on, boromir then tells aragorn that his strength failed and he succumbed to the rings power but his heart was still for his kin and his king even if he faultured breifly, he was fully devout and still fully powerless to the ring but he tried to his very end and redeemed himself in there protection

[@Eowyn187]

Dude, your assessment of Gollum was 💯!

[@Clara-lt9nw]

Gollum cannot eat the food of Frodo and Sam because it's elf food actually. It's explain in the book that before he was found by Sauron, he was held captive by elfs. And that's why now he cannot stand elvish things, like the rope around his neck (given by Galadriel) and the food.

[@ay2257]

RIP my man Bernard Hill, Theoden King

[@Alex-vo2uh]

In addition to my other post, hereby a very quick and simplified explanation in respect of Gandalf and his 'leveling-up' situation. Gandalf and Saruman are part of a group of 5 wizards called the Istari that were send to Middle Earth from Valinor (the place were the gods live) at some point during the Third Age (period in which the movie is set). The Istari were angelic beings, called Maiar, and their mission was to watch over Middle Earth and defeat Sauron (who is a Maia himself as well, sort of fallen angel situation) by helping and guiding the peoples of Middle-Earth and not confronting Sauron directly. Therefore, the Istari took the shapes of old and wise men when they arrived and their angelic powers were slightly limited. Saruman was originally regarded as the leader and he happened to be white. This tends to confuse people as white doesn't mean anything other than what Saruman happened to wear, just like Gandalf wore grey. When Gandalf fought the Balrog they killed each other, Gandalf actually died. His spirit left the world and wandered. The other 4 wizards had more or less failed in their mission (Saruman turned evil, the others lost sight of the mission in different ways). Therefore, God basically sends Gandalf back to life where he is clothed in white to symbolize that Gandalf will represent what Saruman should have been. This does unlock a bit more of his true and innate powers but has not necessarily to do with the colour. Hope this helps.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 7:12 you ask, "How strong is he?" In the book, at the Council of Elrond, Aragorn says, "His malice is great and gives him a strength hardly to be believed in one so lean and withered."

[@juliewagner3023]

Nooo you skipped one of my favorite moments! When Gollum can’t eat the Lembas bread, he wails, “WE MUST STAAAAARRRRVE” and I love that part! It’s every picky toddler ever 🥰🤣

[@johnwalters1341]

At 34:26, the site chosen for Edoras, the capital of Rohan, and Theoden's palace of Meduseld, is in the middle of a nature reserve on the South Island of New Zealand. It is spectacularly beautiful, but it is also a natural wind tunnel. The wind blowing everybody's hair is totally natural. At one point it was so strong it blew Peter Jackson's glasses off his face and threw them down the mountain! This set was used for the exterior shots; the interiors were shot on stages back in Wellington.

[@mikegloady]

"You freaky frog" had me hooting like an owl with laughter.

[@srenteddylarsen892]

I have no life. I've seen thousands of reaction videos, and am subribing to several reaction channels. You, sir, check all the boxes - I love the format, your cutting/editing (except for the low volume), and especially your sense of what's going on in the movie. Keep it up, and your channel will soon grow very, very much. Trust me - I watch around 30 hrs of youtube per week - I know what is good and what is just lame.

[@user-jk5um1om8l]

You are right about magic in Middle Earth. It can be spectacular, but is mostly (?) subtle - spells can be woven through song, natural obstacles can be amplified, spells of sleep and hiding, that sorta thing.

[@ent0m0l0gist]

At 22:00, you asked, "Why can't he eat hobbit food?" It's because it's elvish. Elvish rope burns him. Sting, an elvish sword intimidates him (moreso than average steel). Lembas, an elvish waybread (baked/enchanted by Galadriel, and very rarely gifted to men) is inedible to Gollum/Smeagol.

[@NiconD80]

Yes,i waited for your reaction - you notice small and important lore details 😁 Nice video, cant wait to see second part

[@A_Gu]

Yesss! I've been eagerly awaiting your reaction to the Two Towers. Loved your thoughts and insights on the first one. This used to be my favourite out of the trilogy because of the battle of Helm's Deep, but as I'm getting older, I'm starting to long for the peace and quiet of the Shire in the beginning of the first movie more and more 😂 Edit: great, now I can never unsee the Fresh Prince throw 😂 and I loved how you looked to the east, to make sure you're prepared for Gandalf's return on the fifth day, at dawn.

[@Andrea-iw9gh]

As a Lord of the Rings fan since I was a kid, your reactions have been really enjoyable to watch. It was exciting seeing this posted!

[@dscotthoward7467]

The DVD set has hours and hours of "making of" backstory vids, and 4 full commentaries for each movie! All worth seeing.

[@CassieMichael]

You know, Gandalf's not the only one in Middle-Earth that has kicked a Balrog's butt. Another one comes to mind, just off the top of my head, and that would be the elf Glorfindel. I believe actually has the title of Balrog-Slayer. So he's KILLED one of those things. And, I think, he lives in Rivendell with Lord Elrond. But, I could be wrong about that and maybe he only visits on occasion. I've just seen him in Rivendell before.

[@ayacachotinemi4974]

Saruman betrayed his purpose by siding with Sauron, leaving the mantle of the White Wizard free to be taken up by Gandalf. Wizards like Saruman and Gandalf were sent to Middle Earth by Eru Iluvitar (basically God) to guard against the forces of evil. They may look like men but really they're more like angels; Gandalf had been in Middle Earth for over two thousand years by the times of the events in the films. The fight with the Balrog killed his mortal body, but because he was the only one of the five Wizards to stay true to his mission (Saruman fell to Sauron, the others got sidetracked) Eru revived him to be - as Gandalf says - what Saruman was supposed to be: the guide who would show the free peoples of Middle Earth how to stand against evil.

[@angel-astanfield7939]

Gandalf is actually an angel, that was incarnated into a wizard body and sent to Middle Earth to help men. He is immortal, but can die if killed because he's still subject to the frailty of men. All the other angel/wizards, there are technically 5, were sent at the end of and beginning of the third age. Saurman was chosen as the leader of the wizard Istari by the gods of the Middle Earth, but when he failed and Gandalf was killed in the duty of helping the defeat Sauron, Gandalf was given an upgrade and sent back in Saruman's place. He is now Gandalf the White. 💕

[@matthewscott1187]

31:25 From doubting Gollum to begging the hobbits to listen to Smeagol. Same journey we all went on with this character 😂

[@Kristofferrea]

The fact that you actually know the difference between dragons and wyverns just earned you a sub my friend

[@LoryLilyBomber]

I love how much this plays with elements from Hamlet-the ents being one example. I can’t take credit for the observations, but Overly Sarcastic Productions talked about it once. Imagine: the trees can walk, and they fucking HATE YOU.

[@MajaZaguan]

Gondor and Rohan are two different kingdoms, remember when Aragorn was saying his last farewell to Boromir, he said "be at peace, son od Gondor". Theoden is the king of Rohan and Gondor has no king.

[@Benzy670]

Fun fact: Treebeard, the ent whose voice you like, is voiced by John Rhys-Davies -- the same guy playing Gimli (the dwarf)

[@calebk8202]

Tom Cruise would have played a hobbit, no need to alter his height.

[@emilrobyn4216]

Gandalf is an immortal being, his spirit can't die, only his body. His spirit will go back to the "Undying lands", an island in the far west that only immortal beings can go to, namely the Valar (sort of the gods), the Maiar (sort of the angels, like Gandalf) and the elves. And sometimes someone is giving a new body and sent back, usually stronger than before.and fyi Sauron, Saruman and the Balrog Gandalf killed are also Maiar, but they won't be able to go back to the Undying Lands cause they've been very naughty indeed.

[@747Cone]

In that sense even the Men and Elves are immortal. At least their fea

[@RoadDoug]

Yes! And don’t forget the great eagles also being Maiar.

[@Soulsbjornlike]

It’s lovely getting to watch you react to all of this, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I found your channel because of these, and I am so looking forward to the rest. I appreciate how you can interpret your feelings in such an authentic way to make it feel exciting to watch what happens next. One does not simply watch Lord of the Rings, they experience it

[@Elhimir]

Bro thank you for watching the extended versions for your first time. They add so much world building that you don't get in the theatrical cuts

[@kirkwcowgill]

Yeah, if it help, Gandalf was like an angel, sent to Middle Earth. He got a second chance to try and save it.

[@tonypapas9854]

KP - great video. Let me see if I can help with a few things: 1) The reason the Easterling soldier couldn't see Sam and Frodo when Sam fell down the hillside was because of the elven cloaks gifted to them by Galadriel's people. Remember what Celeborn said to them in film 1 - "May these cloaks shield you from unfriendly eyes.". That's why the cloak appeared to the soldier as a rock.....the cloaks do have 'magical' properties. 2) Gandalf is a Maiar - one of the very first spirits/beings created in the beginning. His spirit is well over 10,000 years old, and when he says "300 lives of men I've walked this earth", he's right. He was sent by the Valar (the strongest and holiest original spirits) in the form of a man (as were 4 other Maiar/Istari - including Saruman, who was originally their leader). The balrog he fought was also a Maiar, but fell under the sway of the original Dark Lord - a Valar named Melkor (later named Morgoth by the elves), of whom Sauron (real name Mairon) was his chief lieutenant. 3) Eru Iluvatar - the One God in Tolkien's canon - put life back into Gandalf after he actually died killing the Balrog. He becomes Gandalf the "White" - essentially replacing the fallen Saruman as the leader of the 5 Wizards (Istari). 4) In the second half of The Two Towers you wil see a map, where the character Faramir lays out the lay of the land, including the realms of men at that time. Rohan (original name Calednardhon) was gifted to the Horsemen of long ago when they helped Gondor out approx. 500 years prior.

[@mlong1958]

Fun fact: The voice actor for Treebeard is none other than John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli.