This is... Not What We Wanted... | Rings Of Power Episode 1 Reaction and Review | Amazon Prime

[@NerdyNightly]

Hey Y'all! We are on Vacation and our audio is a little bit worse than usual. Sorry about that, but we will be back to our usual set up soon!

[@bryanmcclure2220]

Yeah the long hair is one of the claims about the show the elves are said to all have long hair regardless of gender. Yet that show doesn't reflect This.

[@alachad]

The audio sounds okay to me! And I think Toby wrote the speeches for the President. ;)

[@just42day]

The truth is, if you have not been invested into the lore, it’ll be hard for you to understand the structure because it is truly complex, I mean, it’s Tolkien’s world.

[@juliegibson-2020]

I watched them both and I'm still confused as hell... 🤷‍♀️

[@mjbull5156]

The destruction of the Trees of Valinor occurs before the First Age. In fact it starts the First Age,, as the Sun and Moon are created in the aftermath by the Valar from the last fruits of the Trees. They were not burnt, but rather sucked dry of their life force and poisoned.. The Noldorin nation of Elves leave Valinor to get revenge on Morgoth because he stole the jewels containing the light of the Trees a Noldorin craftsman prince created, not because Valinor was destroyed. In fact, there are two other Elvish peoples who stayed in Valinor. I guess because there is only some lore in the LOTR appendices on the First Age and previous eras, and Amazon does not have the rights the full Silmarilion story to fully explain what motivated Galadriel's people to return to Middle-Earth and how that choice cursed them throughout the First Age, the backstory of how the Elves got to this point in the Second Age is broken and confusing.

[@markcruz359]

not canon because Amazon doesn't have the rights to the Silmarillion

[@ryadinstormblessed8308]

28:30 Since Amazon was denied the rights to The Silmarillion and other JRRT works of what happened prior to The Hobbit and LOTR, they probably had to change certain aspects of the story. Even in the credits, it says "Based on 'The Lord Of The Rings' and appendices". If they had stayed too close to the actual lore from JRRT's other works, then they probably could have been sued for plagiarizing copyrighted materials that they don't own. So yeah, well have to just watch this the same way as we watch The Wheel of Time, as another turning that is similar to what we know, but not the same. (Yeah, I get that the 2 aren't really parallel examples, but close enough for comparison. )

[@jasminmemorando6694]

Amazon studios is not good. Just look at WOT and this

[@marls5459]

gotta say, i picked up pretty quick in that speech that they left Valinor to chase Morgoth, not because their home was destroyed. And that as of the pilot, Galadriel was basically hunting down hints of Sauron that nobody else believed in because she had very Tolkien's-Real-Life WW1 trauma. For better and worse, this feels like the beginning of the Phantom Menace structurally, where everybody thinks they're at the height of their civilization and only us as audience know this is about to fall to pieces. I'd even guess a similar fakeout threat season 1 who turns out to be a tiny pawn of something much larger, and a "victory" that only sows the seeds of more defeat later.

[@PabloMartinez-be1qh]

Tolkien's Galadriel left Valinor because she wanted to see the untamed lands of Middle Earth, and rule a kingdom of her own, and never went (in Tolkien's lore) in such a hunt, I do not know from were did you pick that idea about her prosecution being a reflection of Tolkien's trauma during WW1, but it is wrong.

[@uqeir91]

I agree that the Galadriel in this story wanting to seek out Sauron is motivated by her trauma. She lost her beloved brother and endured at hinted at horrors and the hunt is her way of coping.

[@hollywoodguy70]

@@PabloMartinez-be1qh Don't skip ahead! The king is still alive! l Galadriel and Elrond will get to your comfy familiar place.

[@PabloMartinez-be1qh]

@@hollywoodguy70 Tolkien's Galadriel and Elrond have been part of my Comfy place for more than 30 years now, in the form of several books which I love. The character Amazon calls Galadriel is someone I would not let cross my door even if Amazon paid me 1 billion dollars for it, and Amazon´s Elrond looks like those jokes we Tolkien fans make about elves being gay and using gayish practices to not get very bored from their eternal lives.

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

"Galadriel was basically hunting down hints of Sauron that nobody else believed in because she had very Tolkien's-Real-Life WW1 trauma" I think it's for worse, way worse. This is not Tolkien or have much to do with what he wrote for any of these civilizations and characters. Galadriel was never bullied. No Elf child would do that to another Elf child. Valinor was a literal paradise, where no darkness, no evil, no sin, existed, at least prior to the Darkening of Valinor and the subsequent Oath taken by Fëanor. So, literally there was no sadness, no pain, no tears. Elves lived out this utterly blissful existence from birth. It was Heaven on Earth. Also, the major Elf-lords in the Second Age were wary of evil, most of all Elrond and Gil-galad, so the idea that they didn't listen to Galadriel, who in the lore was actually someone who had a LOT of clout and pull with her entire race, is a completely made up conflict that never existed in the source material. Galadriel did not have this trauma, nor did she have a tough time growing up. She was high royalty, being the daughter of Finarfin, she was beloved by all her people and all her brothers. They reframed her character from somebody with no darkness and little to no baggage from a race of beings who, with some exceptions, generally aren't capable of evil, to someone who was traumatized and part of a race that's just like humans. As for her quest, her brother was resurrected shortly after his death, so this idea that she was traumatized and questing on his behalf (which, he was also not seeking out Sauron to begin with, he died defending Beren on a quest for the Silmaril, not to hunt down Sauron, and was reincarnated soon after), is also completely not a character motivation she ever had. The whole characterization is wrong. She did not have this personality or this baggage at all in the source material, show Galadriel is rather touchy and antisocial, whereas lore Galadriel is gregarious and tactful and almost never offended by anyone or anything. They gave her very modern human flaws, thinking it's more relatable, but in effect, destroyed who she is. It was very very grating to watch. It's such a drastic change...

[@xeterog4496]

I thought the Elves left Valinor to pursue Morgoth and his armies. Also, the Nazgul aren't a thing yet--the rings haven't been made, so it was Dragons.

[@christopherrousseau1173]

Some of the elves left chasing Morgoth when he stole the silmarils. Those weren't mentioned

[@christopherrousseau1173]

Also the elves that left were forbidden to return

[@mjbull5156]

I expect that was a reference to the Dagor Bragolloch, the Battle of Sudden Flame, though they might not be able to say that.

[@suddenimpulse030]

@@christopherrousseau1173 it seems like they left that plotline out of the show? Galadriel has been banned from Valinor wasn't she? I saw some book readers pretty miffed about that.

[@theshadowling1]

@@christopherrousseau1173 There's been no Kinslaying/Simarils etc because they don't have the rights to anything from the Simarillion.

[@benkelly2024]

The show didn't say the elves fled Valinor. They took an oath to fight Morgoth, which is almost exactly what happened in the books, albeit for slightly different reasons.

[@ValentinasWatching]

Yeah. I never got the impression the show says they left because it was destroyed. They left of their own volition to fight Morgoth. Galadriel wanted to hunt Sauron specifically to avenge her brother.

[@cyrussmith4744]

The problem is that this isn't explained well. I can't blame people that don't know the lore or that are trying to just follow what the show presents for being confused. The intro was very long and unfocused that you just get lost

[@PeverellTheThird]

@@cyrussmith4744 Learn to read between the lines. Lean to discern/distinguish . This isn't a spoon feeding MCU production.

[@cyrussmith4744]

@@PeverellTheThird one thing is having a complex story, and other is telling the story in a confusing way. You can't just blame the viewer for bad writing

[@davidllamas2192]

@@ValentinasWatching they gave Feanor's personality to Galadriel. That's her worse enemy!!! He's the one in lust for His revenge agains Morgoth. In Tolkien's visión people who seek vengance aré not virtuos and end up badly “It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing.” J.R.R. Tolkien For years there were people who criticize Tolkien for making good and evil to obvios. Turns out the writers of the Rings of Power failed to distinguish them.

[@Ylyrra]

As soon as I saw them use the wrong map for the First Age I knew that for all the budget this show wasn't going to be putting the work in to actually be good, that we were just getting Tolkien-flavoured but otherwise generic fantasy drama. And that's what we got.

[@tylerbhumphries]

Huh, this was so weird. I normally really agree with you all but I have to say I didn’t have a hard time following along with this story. I do feel like they did a lot of world building in this episode but it wasn’t hard to grasp. Maybe it’s because I’m not trying to to put it into the story line of the previous stories. And just for perspective, I’m a big Lord of the Rings movie fan.

[@granddaddyotaku636]

I say this respectfully, but I think they came into the reaction already expecting to have things to criticize. It may be a result to the negativity spreading around the internet about the show since before it aired. I have a feeling that there will be some reactors who come into the show already expecting it to fail and trying to find aspects to criticize rather than to be patient and watch the story unravel. Unlike a movie a series takes a few episodes sometimes to get into the meat of it's story. Something as large and complex as the story of Middle Earth is more susceptible to taking it's time to reveal the plot. It seems some viewers/reactors might be too impatient as there is an ignorant assumption that every series should have exactly the same format of introducing it's plot. Im a literature major, so I can say without a doubt that not every story automatically catches you in the first page. The first episode was the first page. There are many pages left to tell. Sadly, Patience is a virtue that is lost among many modern viewers

[@tylerbhumphries]

@@granddaddyotaku636 I agree.

[@jud555]

@@granddaddyotaku636 I agree 100%. I was actually one of those who was expecting a bad show bc of 6 months of negativity reviews. But I'm glad I was 100% wrong. These first 2 episodes are amazing. I know a lot of ppl already hated the show before it even came out and were just waiting to watch it just to criticize it.

[@granddaddyotaku636]

@@jud555 precisely. I truly believe that reactors (whether they admit it or not) fell victim to the bias hateful opinions spreading around the internet before the show was even out. We already saw this channel's reaction to the second episode. Notice the change in their perception when they actually noticed the good things the show had to offer. It was because the first episode they went into it with their guard up and an already somewhat pessimistic/critical attitude. But by the time they went to episode 2, their guard was down and they were able to enjoy it because they didn't expect anything better. Ironically the first and second episodes were meant to be watched like this, hence why they were released simultaneously. 1st as a set up and introduction and the 2nd a world builder and plot shaper. Admittingly Amazon should have made this clearer to viewers. And I'm not even claiming the series is perfect. I am a student of the Tolkien lore. I took three different courses on Tolkien in college because I appreciated the story and it's contribution to literature. I do understand the love of Tolkien and the frustration that some things may not be as originally thought. That said, the show is alot better than it has been made out to be. Granted there's still time for it to fall on it's face but so far, two episodes in and I'm personally enjoying it. Can I see some flaws and things that they changed? YES. Can I still enjoy the series and allow it to reveal it's plot as slowly as it needs to? Absolutely. Because I'm a patient person and a lover of stories. If it fails, I'll gladly be the first to admit it sucked.

[@jud555]

@@granddaddyotaku636 💯

[@Jehphg]

honestly you guys were complaining for the sake of complaining sometimes, you were there in the scene having fun, completely engrossed and then one of you seemed to remember you had to complain or find something to nag about then the other would deflate and the cycle would continue, same with your issues with the prologue, you misunderstood the beginning which is on you, because none of the thing you implied were implied by the show, c'mon guys, yall are smarter than this, were you tired this day?

[@starryk79]

Hm, as someone who has read the Silmarillion i must say i find it interesting to listen to this. I understand the big picture and i know what Valinor is. So questions that you have when watching the episode never arise for me. The problem is that they completely avoid talking about the Valar and the elves that stay in Valinor after the destruction of the Trees. And that scene where Galadriels company is returning to Valinor doesn't fit to 2nd age geography either, when the earth is still supposed to be flat and Valinor still a part of this flat earth (the most western continent). The episode starts before the first age. The first age starts when the elves arrive back in middle earth* from Valinor and covers the war with Morgoth The first age ends when the Valar finally come and help defeating Morgoth. As a reward for the men who helped fighting Morgoth they raise the island of Numenor out of the sea and set it up so that you can barely see Valinor on a really clear day (and remember the earth is still flat so the distance is much larger than on a globe) The elves all get the offer to go back to Valinor but some like Galadriel decide to stay in Middle Earth. That is the start of the 2nd age which is the time this series i set in. * both elves and men awake at first in middle earth. The elves awake under the stars and the men awake when the sun rises for the first time. The elves get invited by the Valar to Valinor and some go there but some also stay behind. The elves that went to Valinor are more powerful than those that stay behind because they were in close proximity to the Valar and the light of the trees.

[@Alexander-kc8oq]

I feel like a lot of problems will arise because they don´t have the rights to adapt a lot of stuff but still use characters that partake in events they can´t show on screen. So they have to gloss over it, which leaves the viewer with basicly zero context for anything the characters say or do.

[@waynegouinuk]

@@Alexander-kc8oq agreed, they're going to have to connect some major dots without stepping out of bounds of what they have the rights to. I don't envy the task, at least with the movie trilogy they had a very good script writer who managed to adapt the books incredibly well in my opinion.

[@davidllamas2192]

@@Alexander-kc8oq There aré some fan fictions (Made by real fans) that aderess this isue. My favorite Is the one Made by a chanell named Tolkien untangled, they are using only the things Amazon has rights to.

[@joluoto]

They are not really allowed to talk about Silmarillon lore, which is why they skim over it, because they don't have the rights to the Silmarillon.

[@notverynotoriousg5674]

@@Alexander-kc8oq pretty much what people are missing is this isn't Silmarillion, you get Silmarillion in long history lessons from the characters. there is a lot of dramatic license taken, like Galadriel goes on a trip and they create a story of the trip that is outside of the text, so its still in the ballpark, but not the story of the Silmarillion. Nerd of the Rings is doing a really good job with his reviews because he gets how this and Silmarillion are intertwined but not the same.

[@cliveklg7739]

EP 1 is mostly background and setup. The Story doesn't really kick in in EP 2. But Wow so many of your comments and criticism are based on completely incorrect ideas of the lore.

[@cloverhal2284]

For me the undisputed highlight of this so far is the art direction, production and especially the music

[@dimitris470]

Well they could not show Finrod more because this is Silmarillion territory and they don't have the rights to it. This is going to be a big problem for them. There are all those cool stories by Tolkien that people will expect to see, but Amazon pretty much cannot touch them, at least not in depth.

[@johnyshadow]

That´s actually great news. If they can´t touch them, they can´t ruin them. (They will still try...)

[@nathanmorgan3647]

Galadriel is Silmarillion territory.... as is Elrond, Gilgalad, and all the others.

[@christopherrousseau1173]

Anything in the first or second age is Silmarilian territory. Those trees of light were Silmarilian territory. Sauron forging the rings... All of it is from the Silmarilian.

[@DoBap_]

@@nathanmorgan3647 they can use the characters, they just can’t tell any of the stories in the Silmarillion.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

@@DoBap_ Then why couldnt they use Finrod? Just dont tell his actual story, just like they arent telling Galadriel's actual story...

[@ValentinasWatching]

I'm honestly not familiar with The Silmarillion. Never read it. I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and love the movies and I didn't find it hard to follow. I feel like this episode was introducing the personalities of our characters. The second episode gets deeper with the problems and action, if that makes you feel better. Nori is short for Elanor Brandyfoot-her mother says her name. The dwarf in The Hobbit might be spelled different.

[@notverynotoriousg5674]

Silmarillion is a slog fest, it was never intended to be published. Its background history Tolkien created to help with cohesiveness for LotR. If you want a review by someone that actually understands Silmarillion, try youtube channel Nerd of the Rings, everyone else is talking out their butt. Peter Jackson took a lot of dramatic license with TotR and The Hobbit, and its really odd to me that people respect his version, and I can only make educated guesses as to why.

[@this.is.a.username]

@@notverynotoriousg5674 because it was entertaining and book purists are idiots

[@ValentinasWatching]

@@notverynotoriousg5674 yeah. It's weird. I've heard The Silmarillion is like an encyclopedia. Which is why I've been procrastinating on reading it 😅

[@danieltangkilisan3074]

@@ValentinasWatching No, it is not. There are stories narrated in it.

[@manjiimortal]

@@ValentinasWatching The Silmarillion is akin to an Historical Chronicle of Arda. It really doesn't work as a narrative per se, as you have a bunch of different people doing a bunch of different things, many of which are only thinly connected to each other. You don't have a main protagonist in it, you have a main antagonist, but not a main hero. Plus, the overall history of the First Age, which is the vast majority of the book, is one of failures and tragedies, which really doesn't really lent itself to adaptation. Even Morgoth's downfall ends in tragedy rather than victory.

[@elijahbrooks1472]

Honestly the 1st 2 episodes weren’t even bad as everyone is saying. I’ll keep watching

[@mordakie3805]

yea i liked both epiosdes

[@andscifi]

I think the first episode by itself is a bit confusing and is mostly setup. But I also think that's why they released both episodes together.

[@pwcabach]

"I actually don't know how fast elves mature." Said the elf commentator.

[@ClarusPolaris]

😅 ahha oops

[@iczorro]

The part with the map after they found the destroyed village? That's Mordor. Sauron fled to rebuild after the defeat of Morgoth. The comet is not Sauron. Breaking down just the first episode when they dropped two to start may have been a bit of a misstep, as the second episode answers a bunch of your questions.

[@richardbrown3055]

Okay….just got to the ice climbing commentary, as a Rocky Mountain raised Alberta boy, I almost choked after your “yeah, but they’re not Canadians” comment….followed up by the idea of Canada as the land of tall hobbits…absolutely nailed it.

[@pigskinpoetry]

I think the harfoot is named Nori to distract from the fact that her name is Eleanor, and she'll likely be revealed to be the great great grandmother (or something similar) to Samwise Gamgee, or something very similar.

[@ryanward202]

As someone who is not well versed in the lore, I was able to follow along with the episode pretty well. I didn’t have many questions coming out of it and thought the story was et up pretty well. I really enjoyed it, especially on second viewing. Bookending it with the finrod and Galadriel scenes worked really well for me

[@davidabercrombie5427]

Same. I dont know any of the lore so I have no preconceived ideas of what to expect. This episode didnt blow me away but I really enjoyed it.

[@thebluesmurfdude]

Galadriel’s and Elrond’s scene in front of Finrod’s (Tomb? Monument?) was the highlight of episode one for me. Galadriel saying that she does not feel victorious, that she always felt that she would end up on one of those trees. As someone who’s in the military, those feelings resonated so deeply with me. I love Elronds tactic to get her to go to the undying lands. Using the lives of her soldiers that she would take out on future missions. Galadriel has to know that someone would be standing where she is, grieving for their lost one.

[@Meatrose]

This came across as an unbiased and honest review, and I appreciate that. I tend to disregard the opinions of those that speak of this as if it was a 1/10 show and those that speak of this as if it was a 10/10 show equally. The former group is closer to reality than the latter is, in my opinion, but it's disingenuous to insinuate that this belongs in either absolute end of the spectrum. This series biggest shortcoming by far is the writing. That is very unfortunate, as the writing is the reason why Tolkien's work is so beloved. Tolkien's work is not beloved simply because of the fact it includes dragons, or hobbits, or dwarves, or elves, or wizards, or the locations, or any other specific component. It's beloved because all the various components are written the way Tolkien wrote them. Amazon presenting this as "Lord of the Rings" feels to me as if they presented the exact ingredients required to make the signature dish of the most beloved 3 Michelin star restaurant and expected you to value it as such. Or very much as if an authoritarian regime took away a person you love, presented you with piles of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium in appropriate quantities and acted shocked when you didn't consider yourself fairly compensated.

[@casandracorettebellydance9920]

I don't have a problem with the writing so far and thought it was pretty good. Perhaps it's simply subjective, as I've read The Silmarillion and am aware of the changes they've made. I love how the elves speak so differently than the dwarves. And so far, none of the romance stuff is cringy, like in the last The Hobbit movie.

[@tilltronje1623]

Unbiased but idiotic. They didn't even listen

[@Erik-um1zn]

The Wizards take ship to Middle-earth. Sauron is supposedly gathering power in the East in the early centuries of the Second Age, when he wasn't snookering the Elves as Annatar, Lord of Gifts.

[@jedimasters1462]

Funny enough, Middle-Earth wasn't even called that when the elves came from Valinor. It was actually called Beleriand. It wasn't called Middle-Earth until after Númenor was destroyed during the Second Age. It was also a much bigger place until then.

[@CPUCore]

I didn't find it hard to follow at all - I have read the books, but my memory of them is not great - especially Silmarillion, but I do remember the main story points. Anyway, my idea is that if you're watching this and trying to relate it to every detail that you know from the books - that might be the thing causing the confusion. Also as far as some of the negative points of your review - I just don't think they are true and I don't agree with them. Some of the things you said - Why are we following Galadriel, she's basically not fighting anything. - She's fighting for the idea that all evil has not vanished like all the others seem to believe, but is still out there, ready to rise again, which I remember is a theme from Silmarillion and proven to be the reality at the end of this first episode. How did Galadriel swim across the Sea - that was never shown to be case and her story is continued in the next episode from where it was left off here. It was never said that the comet is Sauron - it might be the case but it was left completely open. The darkening of the leaf was just a representation that evil is starting to re-emerge, which was suggested in all of the plot-lines we are following. The actual war did not end at that moment, it was just the case that nothing has been happening for years, and now finally the Elves are deciding to officially announce the end of the war and the beginning of peace times. The tension was not only between Galadriel and her generals, but between her and Elrond and the King and is assumed the greater part of her people. So yes, I could go on, but in my opinion you're just stating negatives that don't exist and you just misunderstood, or assuming things that are not the case. In any case everyone has a right to an opinion and I definitely thought it was completely engaging through the two episodes, I understood the overall plot and theme, which was the return of Evil (again as I vaguely remember a consistant theme in the Silmarillion), and how people are going to react to it. I went in with middling expectations and was very pleasantly surprised.

[@menukjau]

Morgoth only destroyed the trees/light (darkening of Valinor), he didn't destroy Valinor it self (that was so incorrect). It's only the large host of the Noldor following Feanor left Valinor to get the Silmarils back from Morgoth. The two other branches of the high Elves, Vanyar and Teleri never left Valinor. The creation of the sun and the moon after the destruction of the trees was not mentioned either. They didn't come to Middle Earth, they arrived in Beleriand and that was not shown on the map, the sinking of that land after the War of Wrath was not shown either. The ship going into the light and Valinor closing behind the ship sounds true, Valinor was hidden to all mortals. The stranger looks evil and confusing, but I think this is Olorin the Maiar (Gandalf), 2nd episode. Oh dear, he's >1500 yrs too early, and he sailed into middle earth. Lots of confusing things to get your head around and the new things are so vague.

[@CumberlandPlain]

do they have rights for that stuff?

[@iso-didact789]

this made me puke so much. The black hobbits the black elf, the "💪👩‍🦰 protagonist", all of it is an abomination as abominable as I knew it would be. And you got your head up your ass if you think any different.

[@Gambino316]

Stranger is surely Sauron? Galadriel mentions that the torches don't give off heat in Sauron's Strongold at the beginning, and then the Harfoot says the flame of the meteor is not Hot. That can't be unintentional. Plus what we know of the fundamental story is that Sauron beings his deception at this point - pretending he's an emissary of the Valar sent to guide and inform the Eldar.

[@menukjau]

@@CumberlandPlain God knows what they have rights to, everything is so jumbled up, totally non Tolkien. I went back and re-read the appendices of LOTR, it has brief statements of the 1st and 2nd age, more thorough than what Amazon showed here. I will watch this nonsense as something inspired by Tolkien, not as an adaptation. 95% of episodes 1 and 2 not written by Tolkien in any one of his books, I've been reading his stuff since the 80s.

[@menukjau]

@@Gambino316 You trust that neurotic Galadriel? They have made so many changes to the actual storyline and characters it doesn't matter anymore that he actually arrived in the 3rd age. I suspect it's Gandalf because of his actions: creation of the stars (a power he learned from Varda, the Queen of the Valar and maker of stars) and the ability to communicate with creatures (a knowledge he gained from Manwe Sulimo, King of the Valar). Olorin (Gandalf) was in service to both of them in Valinor. He was also in service to Eru Ilivatar (creator of the universe) and his "Secret Fire". This guy isn't Sauron; the spirit of Sauron is evil after thousands of years of corruption and malice under Morgoth's service, he would've killed Nori instantly. Remember, in LOTR it mentions that Sauron have no knowledge of the existence of Hobbit like creatures, basically they are so beneath him, that he doesn't care. Sauron appeared back in Mordor around 800 SA and established his fortress of Barad Dur. It was Gil Galad who suspected his return, not Galadriel. Time compression is going to create havoc with Amazon's modified storyline.

[@KevinDPomeroy]

If I wrote Rings of Power, I would have focused on Elrond over Galadriel. I have no issues with Galadriel, but Elrond's story is much more connected. I would have shown the choice of Elrond and Elros his brother, and Elros leaving Middle-Earth. This sets up Numenor for later seasons. I like how they are making Elrond an apprentice to the smith who crafted the rings, this more connects Elrond to the legacy of the rings which ties into the later books. Galadriel's motives (in the show) are so weird because she is obsessed with Sauron and hunting him in this the Second Age, but she becomes passive in the Third Age when Sauron is arguably a greater threat to Middle-Earth? And if you are going to have a scene with a paper boat involving a child Galadriel, how do you not follow up that scene with the burning of the swan ships by the Nolder? Completely missed opportunity there. There are things I liked such as the Harfoots, which are interesting. Morgoth was known to be a master of Fire and Ice, but the fire aspect is obviously much more focused on, so having one of Morgoth's abandoned fortresses in the Far North is kinda cool to see. Seeing these northern wastes and the southern lands beyond Gondor and Mordor are cool to have explored.

[@easyislander]

Elrond should be the great warrior. While Galadriel was a powerful sorceress. They should have stuck with that and their story would have made more sense. Elves were magical beings in LotR who has the gift or foresight and uses the power of light in fighting their foes. The Rings of Power made them as if they were more human rather than immortal beings.

[@Nightan81]

Radagast, Saruman, Gandalf, Alatar and Pallando arrived to ME by boat, in the Third age (Around TA 1000) (Or around the year SA 1600 in "The Peoples of Middle-earth" book)

[@lancekuester3946]

Loved your commentary! I'm fairly certain the second episode is not going to help you as they are still doing exposition. And introducing more new characters. Also, having read extensively the Silmarillion a lot of this did not seem strange to me. There were some things I certainly didn't agree with lore-wise, I still enjoyed the first two episodes and can hardly wait to see the rest! Oh, and the Silmarillion is very text-booky, ha! P.S. ... totally not related to RoP, but I cried during Episode 6 of the Sandman too! Love you videos and just subscribed!

[@ClarusPolaris]

Second episode drops tomorrow which really helped with our view of the show 😊 also welcome in from Sandman! That show will forever be a favourite of mine!

[@notverynotoriousg5674]

This is where people are getting confused, this isn't a tv version of Silmarillion, and you get the most Silmarillion in history lessons from characters, which I think is what people find boring, when characters do their overly long splaining lectures. Nerd of the Rings has an understanding of Silmarillion, its something people like to pretend they understand and don't. Nerd actually explains where this veers from lore, like Dwarven naming conventions, because he understands the material. At the end of the day is this great? No. Is this unwatchable? No. I'm sure people like this channel will keep tuning in and reviewing, cause its bank.

[@lordsqugm9722]

17:00 they didn't leave valinor bc it was destroyed or sunk into the sea(the part sunk into the sea was a part of middle earth known as beleriand where most the stuff of the first age happened) they left valinor for vengeance on morgoth valinor is fine it was just plunged into darkness bc the trees were the only things in the world that created life bc the sun and moon did not exist yet

[@lordsqugm9722]

when they said middle earth was devastated they meant the sinking of beleriand which was the size of 1/3 of middle earth

[@wolfman-up7dh]

If Legolas can walk on top of snow banks that were 5+ feet deep that the rest of the Fellowship had to slog through, Galadriel launching off an elven sword blade is perfectly believable.

[@goldlick7138]

maybe its "believable" but is it cool? does it make sense? why does she even need the other elves with her? just to launch off their swords? that troll was owning the others ... untill she single-handedly defeated it with ease ....

[@nextgame4059]

I am honestly confused why you are so confused :D especially since you are usually so cunning when it comes to Wheel of Time. Episode one establishes the looming threat of Saurons return in pretty much every character perspective. I loved the halffoots perspective where everything is "safe" but in reality it is not and everyone knows it. Also maybe that is just me, but Galadriel was actually excellent, both in action scenes and dialogue

[@OhKaylala]

Yea I didn't find it confusing. They beat morgoth and sauron retreated. They wanted to make sure all was safe. Which they assume prematurely except galadrial.

[@suddenimpulse030]

I have a very passing knowledge of this stuff so I knew what was generally going on, but my family, who usually has no problem following complex shows, were completely lost for large portions, especially all the elven stuff. That's like 5 other people for reference. I think given they had such a large amount of exposition in the first episode they could have done a better job explaining things. It's like they just assumed everyone watching was a book reader and already knew these things. Even more odd considering from what I've read by others they've left a fair few things out or made lore changes from the books. From what I've read online a lot of people that haven't read the books were confused so I think that's more on the show than the people watching.

[@tilltronje1623]

@@suddenimpulse030 no it isn't

[@Handleisstoopididea]

The prologue is like the version what Galadriel told Melian the Maiar of why the Noldor left Valinor. She left the kinslaying part. And of course her brother hot. He is Finrod Felagund the fairest of all the princes. 😁

[@trumanchee7730]

I’m not deep in the books, mainly lotr and the hobbit movies. I understood way more than you guys and you guys seems to be looking at it as a movie.

[@suddenimpulse030]

I have a very passing knowledge of this stuff so I knew what was generally going on, but my family, who usually has no problem following complex shows, were completely lost for large portions, especially all the elven stuff. That's like 5 other people for reference. I think given they had such a large amount of exposition in the first episode they could have done a better job explaining things. It's like they just assumed everyone watching was a book reader and already knew these things. Even more odd considering from what I've read by others they've left a fair few things out or made lore changes from the books.

[@ryadinstormblessed8308]

31:10 as to Galadriel's (and pretty much everyone else's) lack of coherent motivation for their apparent purposes, I have a feeling this is because the writers are leaning too hard, too early into heavily foreshadowing the "plot twist" that the only reason Sauron bounces back from his recent defeats is because Galadriel (and perhaps others) won't let go of the darkness in their own hearts that his atrocities brought about; that he takes strength from their unwitting faith in his return. If this is a lesson Galadriel learns at the end, then it would explain why she would later go to begin a separate kingdom of Elves, secluded from the main kingdom and far from reminders of how her own misguided actions wound up strengthening the enemy. I could see that being a good plot twist, if it was an actual twist that comes up late in the season. And with sufficient misdirection in the early season to make us believe that her quest is 100% right and everyone else was wrong to hold her back. But if that is what they're planning to reveal, then they're doing a terrible job of setting the stage for it because it's too ridiculously obvious. They're using foreshadowing like a bludgeon, and way too soon.

[@Alexander-kc8oq]

This was the defentition of a mxied bag for me. I geniuinly loved quite a lot of moments. But it seems that those moments are mostly things related to the cinematography, set design and music choices. But the narrative is a mess, teh characters are confused and confusing, and there have been basicly a feature films length worth of setup with no plot or character-progression. So far there is only one character that I am kind of like and am invested in, but I don´t know if that´s because of the charisma of the actor or because he´s written well. The series has potential, but if you look at the other big budget show right now which is HOTD it has done much more with the same amount of epsiodes and roughly the same run time. I don´t outright hate Rings of Power, but it feels like the beutifull visual spectacle will end up being a thin veil; behind which you will find writing that is at best bland and avarage, at worst sub-par.

[@CDCPH582]

I loved it. Have never read the Silmarillon and don't know much about the history of the lore... so I was basing solely on the exposition of the pilot. And I did not have a hard time following the story, it was pretty much straightforward and, if I may, pretty much dumbed down so non-fans would understand the basic structure of the plot.

[@igortytarenko9136]

problem is - there is so much history they could have tell, but didn't. And it doesn't have to be hard or long, but just... ignore it completely...

[@CDCPH582]

@Day I agree!

[@VerticalBlank]

As a Tolkien fan, all I can say is thank you for watching this so that I didn't have to.

[@tilltronje1623]

Your loss

[@therealsokka397]

I feel like people have lost the ability to give a show time to simmer, instead judging it after the first episode, the first 5 minutes of the first episode, or even before it ever comes out. That's not a criticism of you, just an observation how this abundance of media available seems to have led to a lack of patience with something new. This show had A LOT of exposition to do, which is something you can never get completely right. If you skip through it to get to the action, people will say the plot is rushed, and if you take your time people will say it's boring. Let's just give this show one episode to get started. This first episode seemed to go for a 'false calm' kind of atmosphere, in that we as the audience and Galadriel are the only ones who know something is coming, and bit by bit the other characters are finding hints to that as well. Personally I really enjoyed that and thought it was very well handled. You're not wrong when you said that this feels like the end of another story, but then that is exactly what most of the characters think as well - that they have reached 'the end of history' if you will. So I do think that vibe was intended. Anyway, carry on. Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the season!

[@NerdyNightly]

I disagree with you somewhat. I am absolutely willing to give shows time, while also being honest about how I feel along the way. I watch a lot of pilots, and I don’t think this one worked, I also really enjoyed episode two and thought it did a wonderful job setting up a story I’m interested in following. Giving something time doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion on the individual pieces as you get there.

[@therealsokka397]

@@NerdyNightly Fair point, though I think that opinions on these individual pieces tend to overshadow enjoyment of the larger whole when it comes to internet discourse. I'm willing to bet there are already several videos saying this show has 'failed' after the first episode. I'm just - weary of that mindset, I guess. To be clear, that doesn't mean that I'm knocking your opinion in any way. If the first episode didn't work for you, that's your point of view; I just happen to have a different one. Let's see where the rest of the season takes us.

[@granddaddyotaku636]

I think people are hating on this show a little too much. It's like people convinced themselves that they should just dislike this show automatically. Im not even saying the show is perfect, but as an oldschool fan and someone who loves the lore, I can honestly say I like the show so far. I really believe that people are coming into this show with an already preconceived negative feeling towards it. It doesn't help that Game of Thrones is out and many people are comparing the two shows. Also the show is making stylistic choices. We need to have patience as viewers and watch the story unfold instead of constantly trying to nitpick at everything. Viewers expect everything to always be like they prefer and they always expect stories to unfold the way they are used to. In my opinion the general audience is very spoiled and can't seem to appreciate shows/films that don't spoonfeed them.

[@superboyprime515]

It's like the opposite of House of the Dragon where I find the story and characters to be interesting.Here it was like maybe two charcters are ok and almost nothing happens so I guess I try to watch the rest but I'm not really excited for it...

[@blaublaubeere]

Yeah I feel exactly the same which is such a shame.

[@JCrushFitness]

I got that the elves left Valinor to pursue Morgoth and all I've seen is the movies

[@lupanwolf]

Elves are very light. Hollow bones like birds. That's how Galadriel can run up the sword and they had an easier time climbing up the side of the mountain and how she can stay afloat for a long time. If you watched Fellowship of the Ring, as the fellowship where walking the Pass of Caradhras, you can note that they were all sunk waist deep in the snow, even the hobbits but Legolas was walking on top of the snow. It was not Valinor burning in the beginning of the episode. It was most likely Beleriand after the War of Wrath by the Valar (gods) vs Morgoth (also one of the gods). Beleriand was mostly destroyed and sunk to the sea after said War of Wrath. Lindon was one of the elven cities that survived that war. The studio didn't have the rights to the Silmaril and Lost Tales so the creators had to make do with what they had rights to. Nori's full first name is Elanor. Nori is her nickname. It is not uncommon to have multiple characters to have the same name (take note of all the Durins over the ages) even with other species (like Nori the Dwarf and Nori the Harfoot). I don't think that the stranger is Gandalf or one of the wizards. The wizards arrived in Middle Earth in the Third Age via ship. The blue wizards are said to have arrived during the second age around the time of the forging of the Rings of Power. But they arrived together, so I am still perplexed as to who this Stranger is. I understand your confusion about the 1st episode. There is literally eons between the killing of the trees and the fall of Beleriand (the start of the second age). There were three elven kinslayings. The elves went to middle earth not only to battle Morgoth but also to recover the Silmarils (three jewels that shine with their own inner light) Around this time Elrond and his twin Elros were given the choice of being elf or man. Elrond chose to be an elf, Elros chose to be a man. And so Elros was given an extended lifespan by the Valar. He founded the Numenorians. The creation of the Rings of Power were around 1500 years into the second age. Elros was already long dead by this time. The Numenorians were living in the island of Numenor west of middle earth. They were not of the first men who aligned with Morgoth who are being watched by the elves in the Southlands. My one miff about this episode is Galadriel. She is portrayed in the books as a powerful sorceress. But in this, she is a relentless warrior. What gives?

[@CrazyAjvar]

Those are Hobbits, there are 3 types of Hobbits: Harfoots, Fallohides, and Stoors. Bilbo and Frodo were Fallohide.

[@AnotherScribbler]

Yeah, far pre-Shire hobbits.

[@ryadinstormblessed8308]

39:05 "isn't that how Gandalf comes to Middle Earth?" Exactly. I took that to be Gandalf, not Sauron.

[@NerdyNightly]

It’s a thousand years too early for Gandalf but the show might still go for it

[@ryadinstormblessed8308]

@@NerdyNightly ah, I didn't realize that. I never could read any of those earlier, unfinished works of JRRT, but I was a kid when I tried.

[@alfredomuniz6406]

It was a dragon that took out that eagle in the first scene. Nazgul didn't exist at that time.

[@markagrippa4018]

The fighting and burning was Beleriand which was sunk into the sea, the east part of Middle-Earth, Valinor only had their Tree of Light destroyed the land is fine

[@fire_stick9124]

It is weird considering Elrond is married to Galadriels daughter lol

[@trusttheuniverse9589]

I loved it, my only complaint is the elves have short hair and I can't even justify why that is an issue for me lol. I think considering they don't have a lot of the rights to things like they don't have any rights to The Silmarillion ect that ut still had a LOTR feel to it, and it was stunning

[@plumeria66]

The modern haircuts of the elves really throw me off. Also they look and sound like regular people instead of the tall elegant beings that they are. They remind me of teens playing elves or something.

[@tilltronje1623]

@@plumeria66 you don't know a lot about elves then

[@gilian2587]

If Beowulf can hold his breath all day and swim for 5 days and 5 nights without rest...then the niece of the most important elf of the first age, Feanor -- an age which included the War of Wrath - which included the Commander of the Balrogs Gothmog and his host among whom included Durin's Bane, who fled the aftermath of that war for the deepest darkest depths of the world that would later become known as Moria, and Ancalagon the Black, a dragon that would have made Smaug soil himself. Galadriel, the niece of Feanor should be able to handle dog paddling across the ocean a little bit.

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

"Nothing was evil in the beginning" Except for High Elven children living in the Blessed Realm during a time predating the existence of evil......er....yes....that made....sense?

[@waynegouinuk]

The problem with the show is mostly due to lack of rights. Without context from the silmarillon you have to approximate much of what happened at the beginning of the second age. I think they did a fair job but my overall criticism is of the how amateurish the writing seems compared to how Tolkien writes.

[@Arezoo298195]

I don’t really feel connected to Gladriel and because most of the episode followed her it felt like it dragged but I’m so much more invested in Nori and elf/human ship!

[@mikegandalf]

It's not Sauron. And the pilot is really episode 1-2 combined..

[@NerdyNightly]

It really is, our episode 2 reaction will be up tomorrow

[@jasonsypsa7074]

The opening of the show in Valinor is totally in the lore where Morgoth killed the two trees of light. The war was waged in Middle Earth.

[@TheCrayonMaster]

I never expected to be referred to as being like a Hobbit 😂 but your reasoning is sound and I approve. 🤣 I'd also like to add that we like to eat up here in the North 😅

[@irisbear9421]

I need to know if Nerdy ever climbed an ice cliff while wearing a cloak blowing in the wind like that? Lol

[@emberise6613]

I agree with you on most points. I haven't had a chance to watch episode 2 yet, but this felt like a lot of exposition but a lot of exposition that probably wasn't immediately needed. I feel like they should have started more in the action. It was so much set up. And none of the threats was threatening at this point. Lurking wolf had a moment of being scary and then just... wasn't a threat. I assume it's going to come back later, but it felt very unresolved. I was interested the whole time, but at the same time I was just sort of 'and...' the whole time.

[@CumberlandPlain]

i wonder if it were better to stick to one group of middle earth peoples in season 1 before introducing others, for example , follow the Arfhobbits for S1 and begin the story from their POV

[@NerdyNightly]

We liked episode 2, but I definitely think something like this could have worked

[@alighalibb]

@@NerdyNightly You guys don't even know the lore and you were questioning every second of the episode. I haven't seen a single person who has problem with the use of a map everyone is loving it. I think it's Smart because LOTR is not some Fantasy It's Very complex. There are many fully realized societies. It's not about Dragons fighting Dragons or Sister fighting brother like in HOTD. And VALINOR was not destroyed when the elves left it to come to Middle-earth just the two trees were destroyed by Morgoth and Ungoliant. VALINOR is basically the home of the VALAR godlike beings and after the destruction of the two trees. The VALAR created the sun and the moon. Morgoth was one of the VALAR before becoming a Big bad.

[@suddenimpulse030]

@@alighalibb you shouldn't already need to know the lore to understand the show. That is on the show to properly explain things so those within the whole spectrum of knowledge and fandom can properly explain what is happening and why. Especially when a large portion of the episode is outright exposition that's a failing of the writers in not utilizing that time in the best way. The game of thrones world is also very large and complex but generally does a good job explaining things when they need to be explained for people to understand what's going on and why.

[@alighalibb]

@@suddenimpulse030 Well I think they did a pretty good job. The Tolkien estate, Tolkien Professors and his Grandson are happy with the show and it's only been two episodes. This Show is going to be a CULTURAL PHENOMENON & GOT is not very complex it lures people in due to Sex, Violence, Rape, politics and Dragons. J.R.R. TOLKIEN hated the idea of sex and nudity in fantasy genre.

[@tilltronje1623]

@@suddenimpulse030 you don't need the lore to understand this one. These two just don't pay attention

[@MegMage]

Lmao your reactions are everything!! Agreed with y’all on this one 🥴

[@ClarusPolaris]

Ahha thank you!! I was worried I just missed something…

[@hollywoodguy70]

I think you guys got confused because most people don't know the Tolkien creation myth. It feels muddled without familiarity with the period. There's a a bigger difference between the First and Second Ages than the Second and Third. Hopefully we get more flashbacks to fill in some context in the lore.

[@FinarfinNoldorin]

"I do earnestly hope that in the assignment of actual speeches to the characters they will be represented as I have presented them: in style and sentiment. I should resent perversion of the characters" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[@noneofyourbeeswax01]

What an old dead white guy said 100 years ago don't mean jack. But it doesn't surprise me that some white men resent other genders or ethnicities crashing their party.

[@mjbull5156]

I imagine there is an eerie high pitched whine in England today caused by how quickly J.R.R. Tolkien is rotating in his grave.

[@pandorya1014]

Does anyone else think the healers son may be half elf? Like her and the elf that was obviously crushing on hers secret love child?

[@cellophanity]

I really don't understand why you guys were so confused... it's been decades since I read the Simarillion, so i don't remember what really happens, but from watchinng the show I got that the show was saying VERY CLEARLY to me: The evles drove Morgoth out of Valinor and across the sea to Middle Earth where they fought with him and his main dude Sauron for centuries and eventually defeated Morgoth and drove Sauron and the rest of them into hiding and then spent hundreds more years scouring all of middle earth trying to eliminate any trace of evil still surviving. Until now, when it seems all the elves are done with this shit and want to get on with a nice peaceful life except Galladriel , who can't seem to get over her need for revenge of the death of her brother. This all seemed pretty straight forward and obvious TO ME.

[@TheScure]

If people don't want to understand, they won't. If they don't want to like it, they won't

[@uqeir91]

I don't think the first episode was ever intended to be a traditional pilot that gets shopped around. The whole season was intended to be serialized storytelling.

[@ATron-d8l]

Hey guys, thank you so much for doing your reactions for this episode on your anniversary. Happy Anniversary btw!

[@antonschneider-michallek8544]

Your review was honest ! Thanks alot !

[@wighty5860]

Nerdy: "This is a big video..." Me: Laughs in Nerdy Wordy Book Club videos.

[@ericramey116]

It couldn’t be a Nazgûl because those are ring wraiths, this is about the rings being created, so they don’t exist yet. It would have to just be a dragon.

[@Makkaru112]

Guyladriel wanted to be Feanor all along.

[@zoefezius6615]

question: why marked sauron galadriels brother with the map where he wanted to gather the orcs a thousand years later?

[@the_littles7928]

The Wizards came to Middle Earth in boats from Valinor.

[@tomascarvalho7514]

People making jokes about holding the sword in order for Galadriel to jump, forgetting the most simplest of truths regarding elves. They possess great strength. DUH!!! 😂

[@rnkelly36]

I watched it and thought it was fine for what they could do. I try not to get into these discussions but I love the LoTR world and was highly anticipated for this show. Now watching you guys in the past you were telegraphing that you were not going to be happy and that honestly is ok because this show had to walk away from the lore that everyone is so familiar with. In my personal life I deal with intellectual property law with software but I am familiar with IP law and entertainment and I took a look at the rights this show had and it was scant at best. The writers room must have been a nightmare because they were probably coming up with plot ideas and the lawyers for the estate of Tolkien more than likely sent back more crossed out sections than they allowed. Amazon does not have rights to refer to most of the lore that people complain about. If you find yourself saying this character should not look or behave like this because I have read it different, the honest truth is that was probably done on purpose to have legal distance for IP retained by the Estate. Image doing a history of Middle Earth but you have no legal right to use the Unfinished Tales or the Silmarillion. All they had was what they could infer through the appendices of LoTR Return of the King for the most part. Even what we read in The Silmarillion has been touched so much by Christopher Tolkien I tend to take that with a grain of salt. All in all the show is ok for me if not more interesting then The House of the Dragon because I know where that is going. PoTR is just a different and newer story and I am hooked in more because I don't know where they are going with it to get to the 3rd age.

[@Perry_Wolf]

What the heck is PoTR? You are correct though, they're licenses were scant enough that people really need to look at this as a fanfiction and not an adaptation, because it can't be.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

Show has to walk away from the lore? Show should be about something else and quit pretending to be what it isn't. False advertising isn't cool.

[@Sammathnar]

They should not have made the show if they did not have the rights to the Silmarillion, it is integral for the world to work.

[@rnkelly36]

@@Perry_Wolf I guess it's RoP. I have been calling it Power of the Rings as a joke to friends I think I like my title better. I think from a legal point the estate would say its an adaptation of the Appendix of Return of the King. It is honestly a power move by the estate so if RoP is unpopular they can bank a future adaptation of the other properties.

[@rnkelly36]

@@Sammathnar The Silmarillion should never be made into visual media. It just is not made for that. At best it is a handbook on JRR's notes.

[@Mj323_bb]

Thanks for a leveled headed, open hearted review. I'm pretty well steeped in 1st and 2nd age lore, so found it relatively easy to fill in some important gaps, but wondered what others would think. Your review/reaction helped me to know what to expect when guiding some of my friends and family through their viewing.

[@suddenimpulse030]

I have a very passing knowledge of this stuff so I knew what was generally going on, but my family, who usually has no problem following complex shows, were completely lost for large portions, especially all the elven stuff. That's like 5 other people for reference. I think given they had such a large amount of exposition in the first episode they could have done a better job explaining things. It's like they just assumed everyone watching was a book reader and already knew these things. Even more odd considering from what I've read by others they've left a fair few things out or made lore changes from the books.

[@toon5818]

I'm a HUGE fan of LOTR and I don't understand all those critics after only 2 episodes.. People were already dissing the show even before it started btw ... Personnaly, just being back to middle earth and see it's magical landscapes and characters is already incredible for me, And I think there is a lot good things to come in terms of scenario as the first two episodes were presenting the characters and storylines

[@robovike]

For me, this was a GORGEOUS look into the beginning strains of a million violins that will play the themes of these characters simultaneously. I had no sense of it being "slow" or "dull" but was taken with the costume design, VFX, writing, and acting. This is a must-watch (yes the hyphenate).

[@RandomSpaceChicken]

Wait! Have i been watching Canadians all this time? 😱

[@ClarusPolaris]

Uhoh 😅 🍁

[@spacechampi0n]

Sauron chilling on the moon with Steve Rogers.

[@pwcabach]

Humans have to exist SOMEWHERE, because Elrond and his brother where HALF-Elves in the First Age. Then it was decreed that such shenanigans were verboten and Elrond chose to follow the Elves and his brother the humans.

[@nadinefeiler9204]

imho the whole ice troll scene made no sense. If the people in your party can not defeat an ice troll, what (except dying like flies) are thus guys expected ti do if they really would encounter Sauron. And this was a good example of how much sense the whole story made

[@christopherrousseau1173]

This entire episode should have been the story of Valinor and Morgoth to help set up the world better.

[@NerdyNightly]

I agree, especially after seeing episode 2, but I think there are rights issues that handicapped the world building

[@christopherrousseau1173]

I think it was Amazon and it's need to have 8 episodes only. Kinda like how they messed up WOT... After a second watch I noticed that they also sent Galadriel away so she isn't there to warn them against Sauron.... Kinda like how they changed WOT to make the Breaking the fault of men alone....

[@labra6969]

I think they can't show us anything more about valinor, or the forging of the silmarils, or the rebellion of the noldor because that's silmarillion territory and they don't have the rights to it.

[@jackmeowmeowmeow2177]

They compressed like a season of show into 30 minutes of exposition.

[@cliveklg7739]

They don't have the rights to that.

[@desertrose0027]

I think the biggest problem here is that they didn't have the rights to the Silmarillion (or other materials), so they are really limited in what they can talk about with regard to the 1st Age. This is unfortunate, in my opinion, because a lot of this stuff could be explained with better backstory. Also the part where Galadriel jumps out of the boat just threw me off. Like... you can't just do that and expect to live, right? Some other parts of it look promising, and it does look lovely. We will see.

[@easyislander]

They have the rights to the entire 2nd age of middle earth, Morgoth and where the elves came from. Surely, they could have done better than this crap heap.

[@abdeclips1449]

Haters will be haters . This gonna be one of the greatest series of all time . There is a huge potential I really enjoyed it alot . Notice I'm a Nerd fun of Tolkiens trilogy

[@suddenimpulse030]

So someone with a different opinion on the show is just a hater or am I misunderstanding.

[@abdeclips1449]

@@suddenimpulse030 No but some people just decided to hate without even watching an episode

[@ace-of-teacups]

There were a lot of changes made to the lore because of the copyright situation, but I didn't find it confusing. I saw the changes and tried to accept them, but I think they'll cause some weird plotholes sooner or later...

[@mndrew1]

It looks like they are taking all the action of the second age and lumping it into a few years at the end? Also, I see Nerdy is still making giant assumptions and stating them as facts and then complaining about them. :D Like he's some kind of nerd of something.

[@aisarikka]

They skirted over a lot fo the First Age stuff ( as much as you wanted Finrod to be around more) because they didn't have the rights to all the stories. I'm personally surprised they were able to put in some of Valinor as much of that is legally off limits. This first episode was a slog, and playing it too safe witht he names and lore. But personally episode 2 is fun. And it's more well received in general.

[@NerdyNightly]

Our reaction to 2 will be up tomorrow but we loved it. It’s night and day to episode 1

[@aisarikka]

@@NerdyNightly Awesome! They really should have started with Elrond and Durin hahaha

[@NerdyNightly]

@@aisarikka 100% The Elrond/Durin/Disa dynamic is my favorite thing in the show so far

[@rollyro71]

New Rings of Power watcher. My third time watching the 1st episode...now I'm hooked.

[@LongStrider42]

They used the map the first time they went to each location.

[@Alluucard]

Morgoth was never shown before so his armor could look like anything but from the books his armor should have been kinda like saurons so the shadow fits

[@samfisher6606]

This whole episode is just all worldbuilding and groundlaying for the last scene and coming episodes but it is slow. But not that slow. At least not any slower than the LOTR books. And my god are those things a slog until the Prancing Pony.

[@saoirsecameron]

I think what confused you is that you assumed it is more different from the lore than it actually is. Aside from a few minor changes if you had just assumed things were as they are in the lore you would have been right. Also we don’t know for sure who the meteor person is.

[@MatthewJohnson-cj1bf]

sounds like you need to rewatch the episode, nothing on you, it's that all of your questions are actually answered in the first episode, and there is a lot of information to gather, so just take your time and enjoy.

[@I_Carnage_I]

I'm hooked, love the look and the feeling it gives me. Can't wait for the next episode's and also your reactions ^^

[@jAmzye]

Gotta give it an 5/10. For a pilot episode they have totally failed to bring me in. I'm not gonna lie, I was bored most of the time and wanted to skip forward a couple of scenes, I don't ever recall being this bored when I watched LOTR. The main issue I have is the constant jumping around and that nothing seem to have any intresting plots in them, plus the dialog is not the best at some parts. The halflings scenes were the most borring parts, I just wanted to skip over their scenes. Honestly iam very dissapointed in this so far.

[@Lucklaran]

So, about the whole issue of "You can't judge it before you've seen it". Thing is though, the show does not exist in a vacuum. There have been articles and interviews, with cast and show runners. There have been trailers. We already know, before the show came out, based on what has been said by the people involved in the show, not just the "haters", 'ists and 'phobes. We can compare the things they have said to the things others have said about various "adaptations" that have failed. This show is not the first, and it won't be the last. We've heard these things before. The Last Airbender movie is a great example of this. There are plenty of examples in the last decade of people that swore up and down that they were "megafans" of the novels/shows they "adapted". Now, I'm not going to lie, the show LOOKS amazing. The source material covers huge spans of time, with some characters literally living 1000s of years. Tolkien did not, obviously, write every moment of each characters life. The show is using that to their advantage to tell stories that "could" have happened in these large gaps. As such, this show is not even an "adaptation". Just enough named characters, just enough mentions of events from the novels to give it a touch of legitimacy. The rest.... Unquestionably one of the greatest fantasy shows that has ever aired, and that, after watching reactions to only 2 episodes. Why reactions, and not the episodes themselves? I won't support this show by watching it directly. Reaction videos are plenty, combined with what I know of the show from the many articles/interviews I've watched/read. Does it deserve to be linked to Tolkien, and The Lord of the Rings? Not in my opinion. But, that's just my opinion, and it should not stop anyone else from watching, and enjoying the show.

[@jeniferarmstrong790]

I feel you are being unjustly negative 🤷‍♂️

[@DaveyPB]

Why is it such a big deal that two characters have the same name? it’s actually more realistic that way… There are literally millions of other people on the planet with my name. Do you really expect the entire LOTR world to have a central name registry where every being that is born has to check whether their name is unique before using it?… It seems like you are just being picky for the sake of it.

[@WilsDawson]

Very fair criticism. Some important context for folks: they don't have rights to the Simarillion. So they had to sidestep a lot of events and history. It's definitely going to be their own take, but the showrunners have said they want to at least not contradict any cannon that they can't portray onscreen. I think you are pointing out some of the clear drawbacks to that approach. Other choices, I agree, are definitely confusing.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

They've already contradicted so much lore.

[@ramspencer5492]

Haven't seen it yet. But the previews didn't look like what I hoped for. It looks like it was just trying to retell the same sort of story. What about when Sauron appeared to be someone good.... Someone charismatic.... Winning over trust. Lol.... This just feels like a retread. And from what I'm hearing characters are not that compelling.