Hey you gays. What did you think? *one more thing* I really wanna point out how I kinda hate the "what's the difference between a rock a boat" line. It's clumsy and weird. You're allowed to hate it, but also I swear to God if you can't express your opinion without using the term 'culture war' I am going to lose it. SECOND CHANNEL tinyurl.com/ybhtz42g for more RoP/House of the Dragon/book reviews/rants/rambles/puppies ~ Tim

Concerning Galadriel, my own gripes with her characterization has less to do with her being some ass-kicking warrior, and more to do with how the narrative seems to portray her as this YA underdog protagonist being held back by domineering elders. The character feels a bit mishandled in that regard, considering she's in fact one of the eldest of the Noldor left in Middle-Earth by this point. Elrond is practically an infant compared to her, yet they seem to be shown more as peers. Like, by this point in time, Galadriel would be busy establishing her own kingdom, something she explicitly came to Middle-Earth to do, rather than simply be another subject of Lindon. The whole 'Young spitfire' character would ironically be better utilized for Celebrimbor, who weirdly enough looks old enough to be Morfydd Clark's grandpa.

“This is not how I would have done it” vs. “This is bad” and those being two different things is such a REFRESHING and WONDERFUL sentiment.

"it's undoubtedly strongest in its quiet, slowest moments" is a good statement for lord of the rings in general. it's made by its softest moments; aragorn's promise to boromir and the affection and sam recalling the shire at the foot of mount doom are two that immediately come to mind. sure, the battle scenes are epic and the lighting of the beacons is iconic, and there's a real sense of power to those scenes, but it's made all the more impactful by those little moments that humanise the characters and make us really feel for them. lord of the rings was never meant to glorify battle or war, it was meant to demonstrate its impact on regular people. i really hope rings of power doesn't forget that

I am convinced that the writers for the Rings of Power never actually read any of Tolkien's works. They just watched the Peter Jackson movies and thought, "I can one up this".

Some things that bothered me: 1. The conflict in every scene. It’s a new Hollywood trope that every scene has to have conflict. I first noticed it with the Star Wars sequels. One of the things I love about Tolkien’s work is how he writes kindness. In this show, people are cruel to each other as if it’s a George RR Martin story. 2. The Elves with Galadriel getting the Redshirt Army treatment. This bothered me in the movies too. Tolkien usually writes his “unnamed good guy soldiers” as being pretty competent. Not a fan of them getting ragdolled and Galadriel killing the troll with 5% effort. These guys were never established as competent fighters so it makes them look pathetic rather than making Galadriel look strong. 3. Lore changes. Why is the Lay of Leithian treated like some horrible tragedy? Beren and Luthien basically got the happiest ending of anyone in the First Age. Finrod’s motivation is also changed and separated from Beren/Barahir. 4. Elrond writing Gil Galad’s speeches is cringe. Makes it seem like Gil Galad is a bit scrappy/ineffective. 5. No mention of the Valar existing as an actual physical force in the world. Valinor is treated kind of like an afterlife rather than a physical place in Arda so far. That’s a problem for obvious reasons to anyone who has read the Quenta Silmarillion. Sone things I liked: 1. The music is good. Bear McCreary did a good job. 2. The visuals are good. It has good production values 3. Elrond and Arondir are nice. I could see this Elrond becoming Elrond in The Hobbit. 4. The show gets the Dwarf aesthetic right, IMO.

I really think Amazon dropped the ball with the Rights situation. Giving writers enough to make a show, but not enough that they can actually connect the dots, without making up a bunch of stuff, is so puzzling to me.

One scene I LOVED was when the orc attacked. We are so used to seeing Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas slaying orcs by the hundred, that it's nice to see an orc through the eyes of a normal human family - a terrifying and formidable foe

I still don’t know what I think about the rings of power. I feel as though they’ve gotten the elves characterization completely wrong. To me they do not feel at all like Tolkien’s elves. There’s a moral grayness that people seem to want in characters today. Tolkien‘s elves of the first and second age demonstrate this grayness in spades, but the rings of power seems to completely remove this, removing all blame in their leaving of Valinor and all need for repentance in their return. Given the limited licensed material they had for the show, this may be what middle earth would be absent the Kin Slaying and a full understanding of the Silmarils.. The Silmarils are mentioned in the appendices but Kin Slaying is not. The motivation of the elves seems to be gutted. Tolkien’s elves are defined by their history. After the death of the trees, the elves are defined by the long defeat, their own guilt, and their exile. This depth seems to be absent. This is what I’ve found to be most off putting so far.

I agree. This show, as beautiful as it is, has some unfortunate flaws: 1 RoP lacks a strong narrative through line around which to build momentum - it cuts between so many characters to do so much set up, that you don't really get to care enough about the characters. Even two episodes in, I'm not 100% certain what this series is about. The forging of the rings? Probably, that's in the title. 2 Too much exposition delivered in a clunky way - We could have gotten the backstory of Galadriel's brother's death as she was going through the northern ruins of Sauron's keep. That 11 minutes of starting exposition could have been integrated throughout the series to maximize the emotional impact of each piece of information. 3 Focusing scenes that serve the story - Did we need the scenes with a snow troll or a sea monster? Action sequences - like everything else - should matter to the narrative. If you ask, "What's the best way to show Galadriel's obsession with ending Sauron's evil?" You probably wouldn't have written the scene with the snow troll. 4 Making all the elements make sense for the world. Why did Elrond and the forge-master show up to Khaza Dum wearing the same clothes and on foot? The map showed us they had to cross a considerable distance, so they did so in the same day and on foot? Also, where was Galadriel keeping her sword all that time she'd apparently decided to swim across an entire ocean? Why is this elf falling in love with this human? Internal logic seems lacking.

The first time the stranger shouted to the "Halflings" the lights went darker as it happened with Gandalf and Bilbo when he wrongly accused Gandalf of trying to steal his ring. I unfortunately think he's going to be Gandalf, and we're looking at the reason why he will probably likes the Hobbits one day.

"It is okay for a Story to just be okay" That is wonderful. I feel that often these days stories have to be perfect in every detail otherwise they are marked as bad. But there is a range from excellent to horrible and most stories are somewhere inbetween.

Thank you for being 100% upfront about Amazon contacting you with an offer to pay you for your review. I wonder how many other creators I follow have taken that money and whatever strings were attached to it.

I think Amazon with their endless wealth could have easily pooled funds into a new Tolkien-inspired high fantasy story instead of this. But it's only at 2/8 right now so it can get better later. That being said, the dwarves had the best scenes.

Looking forward to the full autopsy! I think that is part of the reason the individual review episodes weren't doing great, because I think most of your best videos are reflective and synthesize the full of the series or character, as opposed to summarizing. (Also doesnt help that 100s of others are doing the same at the same time).

I quite like your "let's give it a fair chance" mind set. Before watching, I really thought/feared I was going to hate it all and I must say I have been pleasantly surprised at some points, especially Durin holding a grudge over being ghosted for 20 years. Though no amount of "but she is the most badass elf ever" (which in the books Galadriel is) will ever convince me that jumping of a ship in the middle of the ocean is anything but astronomically dumb.

Given the doom and gloom I've seen on other channels, and the paid-by-amazon praise coming in the other direction for months, it is refreshing to see an honest, fair chance take on this. Thank you very much for your opinion.

I really feel like episode 1 was... not great. It felt rigid, predictable and shallow... but episode 2 actually felt more in the tone of Tolkien's world. The ocean scene's felt weird, but the dwarves were wonderful and the problem of friendship between elves and dwarves is finally explored. I don't know, I really am trying to give it a fair shot, and I really don't like some parts, but others actually resonate with me.

Are you actively trying to trigger people's dyslexia with the wording of the video title, or are you just doing it for the memes?

My problem with Galadriel is not her being an action hero. It's that she's portrayed as a hotheaded, obsessive, and very prone to drive her people unsustainably hard. She risks her soldier's lives unnecessarily and ignores their very reasonable concerns until they're collapsing in the snow. She grasps at straws for clues about Sauron, so Gil-Galad, the Elven King, understandably has concerns that she's a loose cannon. Galadriel reminds us in the series how she saw the light of the Trees in Valinor. Though Tolkien is deliberately vague about chronology during the Years of the Trees, she was clearly a mature Elf whose words carried weight in council when deciding to pursue Morgoth to Middle Earth. That makes her well over 600 years old (the length of the war of the Noldor against Morgoth) by Year 1 the Second Age. Galadirel was described by Tolkien as ambitious for a realm of her own in Middle Earth at the time the Noldor left Valinor, again indicating maturity and very adult thinking. Not a hothead. Galadriel did not swear the Oath of Feanor, believed the Noldor could not beat Morgoth unaided, and was best friends with Melian the Maia - all of which suggest wisdom which the Rings of Power version of Galadriel clearly lacks. You'd think that by the Second Age, even given an oath to take up her brother burden, Galadriel would pursue Sauron in a calculated way. She was certainly well aware that Elves had limited numbers and could not afford to be as rash as she is in Rings of Power. If we look at Tolkien's timeline, and not the compressed Rings of Power chronology, Sauron starts building Barad Dur around SA 1000. Assuming this story take place shortly before that event, add another 900+ years to Galadriel's age and maturity at the start of the series. Keep in mind that Galadriel was already involved with Celeborn and had been for roughly 500 years at the dawn of the Second Age. You'd think he would accompany her on her missions, or at least we'd see him when she visits Elven lands. This Galadriel seems to be on a 'coming of age' arc. There's some attraction implied between herself and our human castaway (where's Celeborn?). This isn't bad storytelling - if the character was simply another elf warrior. Honestly, I enjoy the actor's portrayal, and she has the look of a younger Galadriel. Hotheadedness in a 'young' elf warrior who was weaned on the War against Morgoth would be thoroughly believable in another elf warrior. Naming her Galadriel, however, and having her so different from the Galadriel in the source material is jarring. For me she's just not... Galadriel. That said, the series so far is more engaging than I expected. There are characters who interest me, the 'rise of Sauron' storyline is fairly engaging, the music and portrayals of places in Middle Earth really pique my interest. We'll see how this goes. Your mileage may vary of course. My two cents.

I actually like when Galadriel told that man on the raft “I grieve for you. For those you have lost.” It was a good detail to add to the elves and the way they are culturally.

There's some _profoundly_ silly stuff, too, like Galadriel diving off a boat in the middle of the ocean in order to swim back to Lindon - you can tell it was one of those "Wouldn't it be cool if..." moments in the writers' room. She's also apparently part homing-pigeon, as there's no indication of what direction she needs to swim in!

I felt the series jumping from [important plot point] to [important plot point] too much. I wish there were more 'quiet' character moments. Like some hobbits stealing a farmers food, whining about second suppers. A dwarf and an elf competing at drinking. A hobbit getting home sick after a few steps. A wizard lighting fireworks and laughing out loud! Those gorgeous diverse expressions a characters make! I only remember seeing a harfoot fall in the mud. Oh and I really liked Durin's short relieved face when Elrond forfeited rock smashing, that was great! I felt that!

“It’s okay for a story to be, just okay, and still enjoy it” and “happy to be back in middle earth in any capacity, even if it’s not completely accurate” are two sentiments that perfectly describe my feelings toward the show

I really appreciate the respectful addition to the video about being allowed to enjoy something with a "just okay" story and let them appreciate the other things that work better or are more enjoyable to the credit of the people who worked so hard to deliver the product. It makes me feel less inadequate or dumb or wrong when these big creators acknowledge that instead of only focusing on a messy plot or a stiff script or bad CGI.

In my mind, the show is just meh. Given that I went in expecting garbage, this is an improvement on my expectations, but not to the point of satisfaction. I've read LoTR, The Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales for reference. Dialogue is the show's biggest weakness by a lot. It's like the uncanny valley effect, but for Tolkien's dialogue. Some of the lines are just laughably bad as well. Visually, the show looks amazing. Khazad-Dum, in particular, made me very happy. The hobbit village was also excellent. The characters are overall whatever. Arondir is my favorite, but the rest range from bad to uninteresting. Galadriel and Elrond, specifically, don't have a strong presence. My most significant emotion regarding the whole 2 hours was just boredom though. Not sad, not angry, not happy, just bored. 5/10

Tim, you continue to be an incredible boon to the Tolkien fandom and to fantasy fans in general on this platform. You’re always so understanding, empathetic, concise, but capable of taking a stand against things that upset or disappointed you. This was an incredibly fair review and I wish more people saw RoP and other shows with a less biased or hyperbolic lense. For me, the show has been a 5.5/10 so far, but I’m keeping an open mind to it developing into something more exciting and original than what’s been presented so far. By no means the worst thing ever made, some of it is quite fantastic. Just… a lot of it does seem contrived or staler than I’d expect, even distancing myself from it being an ‘adaptation’ of any kind.

Galadriel's line about the battle under the stars, and the very names of the fallen taking more than a man's lifetime to speak was by far my favorite part so far. I hated the setup to that (the valinor thing was so stupid), but that and the moments when that actress contorts her face in anquish/anger in front of Elrond was genuinely 😳 wow.

I think the Harfoot and Stranger storyline is telling Gandalfs story and provided some needed comic relief. It also helps tie in this story to the LotR and the Hobbit because the hobbits play a big role in those and they didn't come from nowhere.

A big thing you didn't mention that I think really effects this show, however, is the copyright limitations they have. What a weird situation, where they can use the LoTR appendices, but not the Silmarillion. As much as I understand the desire to protect Tolkein's legacy, I feel like the show was doomed to disappoint a lot of people from the moment it went forward with only a tiny slice of the lore. I have to commend the creators for even taking on the task of navigating that. Otherwise this is def the best reaction vid I've seen so far. Partially because of how reasonable you are, but also I just agree with you on everything lol. That Galadriel line was a low point for me, also when the elves on the ship started singing along with the score, making it diegetic somehow? Bold move, but truly abysmal for me. The Orc scene with Bronwyn and Leo and those two moments with Comet Man you mentioned were highlights for me, too. And even though I see a lot of annoying generic action girl tropes in this young Galadriel, I'm a sucker for a ptsd storyline and her inner conflict is compelling to me, even if it's not particularly well executed.

I really appreciate this thoughtful review. The vast majority of reviews on this show so far have been the antithesis of thoughtful. I'm enjoying the show. I think it's been a lot of set up so far, but enjoyable set up. Hopefully now that a lot of set up is out of the way they can get into the meat of their story soon.

Randonmly remember u from when i was younger and was crazy over ur httyd vids. Glad to see ur doing well thx for ur content. Luv u and ur content

RoP being Okay feels like a fair assessment. It was a lot better than the WoT adaptation, but it's supposed connection to Tolkien did make it feel weird at parts (especially the language). Like the WoT adaptation, my overall feeling is that we need more original fantasy shows that aren't connected to preexisting books or franchises.

Ahh yes. The Powerring Lord Rings of the Power Lords…of the ring.

Thanks for this small review, loved it, it's very nuanced and well documented !

I absolutely adore how your cat is held and how it lets you hold them. It has been the sweetest thing I've seen all day

Three things I found funny: *The healer lady’s kid might end up as a Sauron’s cronie *Hobbits have been having a Wizard problem since the beginning *Why didn’t the elves tell Galadriel that they had a vision that her continued presence in middle earth will put everyone in jeopardy?

I'm kinda leaning towards the stranger is Sauron/Annatar. What got me thinking of this is the whole the fire wasn't burning the harefoots when they inspected the crash site. And they made a point to point out that great evil can basically take away the warmth from light.

Hey there, found you through a shout out from The Quartering's Jeremy, where he showcase your email communications with Amazon. Nice to see someone who is honest and transparent, so automatically subbed in support. I look forward to viewing all your content.

After watching many of your vids and taking the deepest lessons to heart, I came to genuinely respect your passion for storytelling and knowledge of how it should be done. I agree with your emphasis on well-written, believable characters that you can enjoy going on a journey with. And the deepest, most fundamental aspects of your criticism have inspired me to finally do something. Something I knew I wasn’t ready for when I first imagined it. For the last 20 years, I have written roughly 1 million words for friends and family, with the simple purpose of earning adequate skill at storytelling. I honed my writing, and even ultimately benefited from deep, painful personal struggles, so that I could finally tell a specific short story. It complements and builds up one of your favorite films. And, incidentally, it also showcases many examples of genuine masculinity displayed in a variety of ways. Further, I feel it sets a very high bar for what respectful, quality “fanfiction” should strive to be. Upholding a beloved work. Understanding it, valuing it, and forgiving any supposed flaws. Contributing a modest addition to someone else’s great legacy. Underscoring and deepening the arc of an already beloved character. Teaching the same positive lessons with the same noble themes, in a slightly different way. Honoring the work, the creator of that work, and all those who have come to love it for what it is. I strove to keep it focused, purposeful, limiting it to just 22,000 words. It may not be perfect, but it certainly tries to be. I hope you will consider giving it a read. Based on what you’ve shown everyone of your true self (behind your hilarious outward persona), I believe you will approve of these efforts. You may be uplifted and proud for having put forth the time to read it. And you will then enjoy going back to watch your favorite trilogy yet again, perhaps getting even more out of the experience. The tale is humbly posted, amidst countless others, on fanfiction.net, under the title “The Children of Rohan,” by WillDreamer.

Something about the show has been bothering me. Some things you mentioned definitely strike home but I still can't quite put the finger on it. One of the things that I have noticed is that I'm quite sure if it wasn't based on Tolkien I would enjoy it far more. That is unfortunate but I guess also somewhat fair. They try to profit from the standing of Tolkien material so they gotta deliver too. At the same time trying too hard can result in it feeling forced like some of the things you have mentioned but also others. Stories are probably best when artists can do their thing as free of expectations as possible. Im-possible for this show. Well... I shall try to be as open to amazement as I can.

The sad/brilliant thing is that some changes can be handwaived by “history” If Finrod had a moment of cowardice and Galadriel says “let history remember his bravery”, then by the nature of how Tolkien’s world works, it is very believable. Like if Númenor is destroyed by a different cataclysm and the historians write “sunk under the sea by Eru Ilúvatar” as a morality lesson, I’m not sure many elves would disagree.

You got some real praise from George the Giant Slayer channel. New subscriber here. Thank you for your authenticity and passion for Tolkien's writing and legacy!

Thank you for yet another great video! ♡ What I mostly enjoyed is to see the different peoples of Middle-Earth actually living in colourful spaces with ambitions and desires. Moreover I thought the Harfoots were a good choice to be the beings meeting the stranger. They might be the only beings of Middle-Earth that can meet and help a creature like the Stranger without feeling the need to remember and/or write it down as history. There is a suggestion that Olórin was in Middle-Earth during the second age to present the Elessar to Galadriel. I know its a weak link and later Tolkien explicitly stated Gandalf arrived in Middle-Earth in the Third Age. But I don't mind. At least so far. Finally...I really think stories should be told. And that its fine for different versions of a story to exists side by side. Like bards and skalds telling and retelling our favourites with changes happening over time and through embellishments. It's fine that we like one version and/or storyteller better than the other. And I agree that it is also fine for stories to be okay and just enjoyable.

I am so glad to see someone who shares some POV regarding the show. Personally, no one would convince me that this is an adaptation of Tolkien's Middle Earth, that doesn't mean it's bad, that remains to be seen, but that's not middle earth.

If I watch it as just a fantasy show loosely based on lotr then I can enjoy it quite a bit actually

I appreciate this review of things so far. The honesty, fairness and balance in both critique of weak spots and high points. 100% Agreed on Elrond, that Khazad-dum is gorgeous, and the exposition, especially in the first ep, was a bit much. Hopefully things will move a little more smoothly now, at least? Bear McCreary did great on the score, and can't wait to see what else he pulls off for later seasons. There's a motif in Galadriel's theme that gives me..vibes of the music from BBC's Merlin and just pulls me more into that fantasy style. I'm impressed with some of the references they were able to put in with what rights they have access to. P.S. I love how you leave some of your goofs or cat moments in the video. Adds a nice element and is good for a chuckle.

My kids asked me if Disney made this? That was not a complement ...

Nice take as always, Tim. I think from a story perspective what didn't work for me was the first episode missing an inciting incident. In other words, there didn't seem much point to the first episode beyond get to know our characters. Not inherently bad but when they don't have a threat or a purpose that spurs the rest of the story in motion, you're left asking why are we here. When this was introduced at the beginning of episode 2 the story could finally grow and become interesting, but that left the first episode feeling awkward and directionless. I also just rewatched the Fellowship prologue: it's simply a masterclass of a prologue; something that's frankly very difficult to do. Case and point the Rings of Power prologue didn't exactly ignite my interest in the same way. There's a video idea for you, the ROP vs fellowship prologue and why the latter works so much better

I always think, it's lord of the rings "it wasn't that bad" or "ok" is nowhere near enough.

Your video was such an pleasant watch, really enjoyed your calm and positive attitude and critiques, without indulging in too many hot takes and negativity. Really liked your views as an Tolkien fan, that is open minded about the show rather than overwhelmingly annoyed about every minor change. For me, I don't mind lore and story changes, as long as it still has that "familiar feeling". So far Rings of Power has those sparks of Tolkiens Middle-Earth and I hope they lean more into that as the show progresses.

man your title really gave me a hard time this morning :"DDD

If your worry about the Stranger being one of the Istari is because it's lore-breaking, the Blue Wizards actually arrived in the Second Age according to Tolkien's latest writings presented in the Peoples of Middle-earth. Really hope he's not Gandalf though.

« It’s kind of okay » is not enough for a show with such a budget and such a world to work with. It was made by a lot of people… but not by any Tolkien fans.

I have enjoyed your takes on this show so far. You are always super genuine in your opinions and aren’t afraid to say what you like and don’t like about something. It’s the nuance that has really been missing in the caustic debate around the production of the show. I haven’t seen it yet because there have been a lot of red flags that have reminded of the breakdown of the Star Wars franchise. One of my best friends though has enjoyed the show so I think I’ll watch it with him. Hopefully I will grow to like it to, but that remains to be seen. I’ve held a lot of negative opinions so far so my confirmation bias might sway me to view the show far more critically than I might otherwise. Anyway, that rambled on longer than it should have. 😆 Thanks for what you do

Hey I just wanted to say I just bough vol 1 and 2 of OWaW and I've been reading a chapter every night before bed. Great work!

I don't hate it like I thought I would, but it's still yet to rise above "meh." For me the strongest thing it has going is the visuals. It's quite beautiful, and I was impressed as well with Khazad-Dum, especially the mirrors. The color pallet is vibrant and alive, including for the baddies, and that's incredibly refreshing and important to me after so many drab motifs like GoT. My biggest detractors have been, firstly, the lore changes. I know being a different medium requires it to some extent, but too many are making me groan. The second and more impactful for me is actually the Elves. You obviously disagree, but I don't personally get that sense of regalness and majesty from them that sets them apart as something other than fancily dressed humans with a relatively cordial manner of speech. There's something missing between this portrayal and the way Jackson did it that makes them feel like Elves to me. The only one I'm really getting it from is Arondir. Overall I think it has promise, but it's missing the execution more often than landing it. Yet not so badly that I won't continue to watch.

Though I think I came away liking the show more than you do, I'm grateful just to have a review that has NOTHING to with bad culture war takes. Loved hearing your thoughts

I appreciate this channel so much for the integrity that you present with your reviews. There are so many channels and reviews that will give reactionary takes in any which direction, for everything. There's entire channels dedicated to complaining about specific franchises. Thank you for giving a genuine review, of your own thoughts that you've clearly taken time to consider. And especially for giving praise to the people who do an amazing job within the production teams, regardless of the quality of the story. It's okay for stories to not be perfect, and it's okay for people to not agree with every small detail and still enjoy things. So much respect to you and your channel.

I’m not versed in the overall lore, so I find it quite good. I think it’s well acted. I love Galadriel, Elrond, and Durin. My wife loves the Harfoots so much, and is hoping it is Gandalf. The show looks gorgeous for the most part. I think it’s gotten better with each episode, we’re 4 in so far. I think the thing that is challenging for me is the timeline in comparison to LOTR and how long ago this is, and how long people live etc. it’s hard to keep straight. It looks beautiful

As someone who has very little knowledge of non-movie middle earth content and so cannot compare it to the existing material, I find it enjoyable! Nothing remarkable outside of the visuals so far but definitely worth the watch for an interesting story!

I just wish they had the courage to spend a fraction of the money they spent on this on a new, original project. As much as I understand the point about wanting to go back to middle earth, this prevents new, young writers to explore their own visions with less of the silly controversy surrounding this, and it prevents us from exploring new worlds. The controversy only became this vitriolic because this is about Tolkien and Middle Earth. Any fantasy show with this amount of money behind it would be an amazing opportunity, instead it feels like an attempt by a loveless corporation to ensure success by expanding on an already established and beloved world.

Was waiting for your point of view on this 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

I think this is one of the most honest reviews that I have seen, and I really appreciate it.

In my opinion, the biggest problem with the series is that looks cheap and expensive at the same time. It has great visuals and cinematography but in the same time the costumes look cheap, the dialogs are so bad almost cringe and the casting reminds me of soap operas.

I felt like this was one of the first thought-out and detailed reviews so far

Geoge the Giant Slayer pointed me here. Very glad to find a true comenter out there, keep it up!

Thank you for the nuance, and the withholding of final judgement. I think I am similarly somewhere in the middle, though maybe more positive than you, giving it a 3.5/5 so far (possibly minus a half star for the lack of hot elves 😜). I was also wowed by the portrayal of the Stranger. Though, I won't mind as much if it is one of the Istari; sure does evoke Gandalf. And yes, the whole Dwarven section!

Thank you for such an adequate and refreshing opinion! I really enjoy listening to you. One thing really caught my interest in the series - the dwarfs singing to their mountains. Personally, I don’t recall that being in books (though I might be wrong ofc) but the idea of it really broadens the picture of dwarves for me. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Thanks Tim! Great review. I personally liked the first two episodes a lot. But I think you perfectly captured your mixed feelings well in an articulate and rational manner. My hope that the remaining 6 episodes resolves lot of the issues that you might have concerns about,

Something to keep in mind - they only have the rights to LOTR and it’s appendices, not the Silmarillion, which is definitely a barrier as they have to toe the line regarding rights (especially seems to impact the first age).

You have expressed my thought exactly! I especially love how you brought up the music score. That was one of the first things I picked up on as well that really made the world feel slightly more "middle earth". I am also really appreciating the shows emphasis on practical effects and set design. It doesn't look like it is 100% CGI in some of the quieter personal story beats and I love that. You are amazing, keep up the good work!

The movies extended versions are the best midswater marshes and other things but the movies are a spectacular panoramic global adventure stories

With so many shows to watch, "Just Okay" doesn't cut it

Really nice review ^^ (I stare at your cat face everytime its there. Really cute cat)

This is one of the better breakdowns I’ve seen so far. I agree with pretty much everything except for the soundtrack. I thought the first 10 minutes could have been better with better music- I’ll have to try listening again and seeing if it sounds better.

As someone who only read The Hobbit and only once, I’m enjoying the show so far. I know almost nothing about the setting and what to expect other than things established in the movies. It’s interesting to hear others’ reactions though.

I simply adored all of Durin's scenes, speciffically with Elrond. They balance each other so well that the dialogue just seems to flow so naturally

“Where the fuck is the ring light” is the giant elephant question i had whenever the elves show up. They don’t feel like Tolkien Elves. They feel like Elder Scrolls High Elves.

best reaction i have watched yet. you hit EVERy point i felt. specially the themes of khazad-dum and the harfoots!!!!!

I didn't hate the show, but some things are just ridiculous. The problem with the sea worm isn't the 'fight' itself, rather than the prelude and aftermath. Galadriel jumps off her ship in the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN and casually swims a few miles in full dress, after which she just so happens to encounter a random raft. After the raft is destroyed, she just so happens to encounter a ship. That is the very definition of lazy writing.

Okay so, this is my very first introduction into Middle Earth. I've never watched the movies nor have I read the books, so I'm watching this with no expectations and completely fresh eyes. And I can definitely say that I have really loved and enjoyed what I've seen so far! The world feels very big and rich with culture and history. Each race has a distinct culture and way of speaking. I feel like every character was well introduced and have unique personalities. So in general, I have no complaints. I'm really interested in the development of this story and I can't wait to see more!

This is a great review 👏

I appreciate the balance to this review so much. 'Okay' is the best middle ground when we're talking a property as massive as Tolkien's work and we're only two episodes into an adaptation. Granted, I speak as someone who's only read the main trilogy and The Hobbit + appendices and only did so years ago. There's a lot I don't remember. Maybe that's why I've enjoyed just being back in the universe, inaccuracies and occasionally odd pacing aside. I'm not hopeful yet, this series is walking a wire here in these early stages, but I'm content to sit back and wait to see what it has in store. Even if it's wildly different from what Tolkien would have written, who knows. It may still make for a good story. Only time will tell.

watching the rings of power was like receiving a present with the most beautiful gift wrap youve ever seen, only to open the wrapping and find that theres nothing inside. It felt like the hobbit all over again, all visual flare but no substance

I came in expecting it to play fast and loose with it's adaptation. and I found the first 2 episodes to be enjoyable, not exactly worthy of being the most expensive show ever but not bad. No Dwarven lady beards is a massive missed opportunity though and I won't pretend it isn't.

Wonderful breakdown, I'll be sure to look up those OSTs but I don't think I'm going to watch show. I would like your thoughts when it's all over.

Some of Gil-Galad’s exposition scenes had the ghost of the general Zhoa “as you know…”

Galadriel being a warrior makes as much sense as that movie were Lincoln kills vampires. It’s never stated that numenor sunk because giant pissed on it, doesn’t mean it happened.

Also, I would like for the Stranger to be one of the Blue Wizards. That would be ok. I've seen some suggesting Tom Bombadil, but I don't think that's him.

Thank you for a insightful and genuine review. I'm still scared to watch it, but it's nice to see a real review instead of a hot-take.

Surprised there’s no follow up video after the show finished. Would like to hear your thoughts now that we have a whole season to digest.

I dont get how the dwarven thing is by any means "implied" to be a Silmaril. if anything it's really obvious that it is mythril

Your silence, concerning why so many people actually hate this show, speaks volumes

This show is for people like me - moderate LOTR & Tolkien fans. I've read some of Tolkien books (LOTR & Hobbit), I've watched all te movies so far, but I'm not that proficient in capturing all the details of the Sauron or Gandalf characteristics to know from the first sentence who they are in the show (now, after watching tons of videos on the yt, I know that Sauron is a deceiver, a smith etc., so probably I would know now). So Sauron was a real surprise for me, and I loved it! I loved the show and I'm waiting for more!

the comments in this video are some of the most refreshing and genuine responses I've seen for the ROP review talk. I really think that as a story its biggest weakness right now is how scattered the show feels. like we have all these storylines that are somehow meant to all join up together. but because we've only gotten fragments of everyone's story it's almost impossible to give it genuine thoughts. but it did get me excited as well. I think the stranger will be a wizard. but it will possibly be an original character (which I wouldn't want).

Hearing actual valid concern and criticism is such a refreshing thing in this cesspool of a fandom honestly.

Listening to the OST on its own gave me a better experience than watching the show. I gave up on this being an adaptation because it changes things too much for my taste. I will continue to watch it if for no other reasons than to see answers to some of the questions I have and to see how many mindboggling plot decisions showrunners decided to add. In the end, I am more disappointed with what this show could have been than what it actually is even if the actual show in my opinion is not good.

Good review. I like all the book nerd Easter eggs

Thank you for a coherant and non-hyberbolic review of this. I've had serious reservations about this series and I would like to watch it and your review has at least helped me make that decision to watch it. I love LoTR in general and I'm willing to let a series grow into maturity, as many great shows have started off rough or so-so (Deep Space 9 was one of my favorite shows and it started off....ugh, until Sisko grew the beard) and ended up being amazing. The level of negativity and one-sided views of it are getting tedious and I think your review is probably one of the most even-keeled yet that I have seen. Great work.