The White City

In this episode of The White City Podcast, Philip, along with co-host Mark and guests Jared Stonefield, Nathan Danneker, and Maverick Dickson from A Lost Plot podcast , extensively reviews the Season 2 finale of "The Rings of Power." The group dissects the tightly packed storylines such as Numenor, Eregion, the Dwarves, the Harfoots, and Isildur’s crowd. They highlight the show's high points and critique its shortcomings regarding tone, character development, and adherence to Tolkien's lore. A synopsis is made on the overall worldview.#jrrtolkien #lore #middleearth #theringsofpower #lotr #lordoftherings #lotrrop #rop #ringsofpower #amazonprimevideo #amazon #silmarillion #bookoflosttales #childrenofhurin #fallofnumenor #numenor #numenorians #dwarves #elves #harfoots #hobbits #eregion #celebrimbor #sauron #annatar #halbrand00:00 Overview and Introduction of Guests02:52 Introducing the Topic03:23 Dwarves, Balrog, Fall of Moria13:24 Elves and Battle of Eregion16:25 Galadriel and Sauron's Character Development20:20 Adar and the Nature of the Orcs25:57 Finding Rivendell27:42 Adar's Character Development30:15 Necessity of Harfoots and Stranger37:46 The Magic System: Soft or Hard41:46 Chaos of Numenor53:07 Isildur's Return to Numenor58:07 Improvements to Be Made01:09:45 Throw Back to LOTR Or Stick to The Silmarillion01:19:03 Fan Reactions and Show Criticism01:30:03 Final Thoughts01:32:14 Conclusionhttp://www.youtube.com/@thewhitecitypodcastThe White City website Research Links:A Lost Plot | Podcast on SpotifyA Lost Plot YouTube Channel

Philip brings back Nathan Danneker to discuss the 6th episode of The Rings of Power, Season 2. They explore multiple storylines including the dwarf and elf relations around Sauron, the harfoots and the stranger, and Sauron's manipulations. Other points of interest focus on the worldview coming from #ROP and the Stranger’s rambling storyline.Research Links:Visit Our Website - Find every podcast episode with links to where you can listen to our podcast along with links to our other sites like YouTube and Facebook.YouTube Channel - Subscribe to our Channel and find short form content!Facebook Page - Follow our page Instagram Page - Find Reels Here 00:00 Overview00:56 Introduction of Guest and Focus of this Episode02:01 Arondir's Brief Appearance03:21 Celebrimbor's Struggle with the Nine05:14 Sauron's Manipulations13:42 Durin and Disa's Dilemma18:48 Adar and Galadriel's Confrontation21:54 Evil Can't Destroy Evil23:02 The Stanger's Wandering Storyline28:53 The Reason For Tom's Seriousness32:56 How the Numenor Storyline Connects34:43 Elendil's Trial and Miriel's Christ Like Sacrifice41:28 The Stranger's Identity Debate44:49 THE SEIGE OF EREGION47:48 Sauron's Involvement Going Forward54:54 Final Thoughts57:38 Conclusion58:28 Correcting Misinformation

Cool scenes are rushed and too much time is given to cheesy plotlines. In this episode, Philip and Mark discuss the lore on screen for the first time, along with the moments that were great and the moments that need improvement.#theringsofpower #lotr #lordoftherings #tolkien #tombombadil #ents #entwife #amazonprimevideo #lore #rushed #rop00:00 Overview01:07 Introduction02:18 Elves and the Barrow-wights04:29 Barrow-wights Timeline and Geography Inaccuracy07:42 Brief Moments/References with the Lore/Movies10:57 Worldview and Amazon's Vision15:09 Harfoots, Stanger, and Tom Bombadil19:15 Tom Bombadil Lacks Random Jolly24:37 Tom's Ideal Life26:49 Ents, Worm, and Cheesy Love30:43 Arondir: Standout Elven Actor32:48 An Entwife37:29 Final Thoughts42:40 ConclusionResearch Links:YouTube Channel - Subscribe to our Channel and find short form content!Facebook Page - Follow our page Instagram Page - Find Reels Here

The SDCC and Official Trailers for The Rings of Power Season 2 have come out and Philip and Mark give a breakdown and review of the trailers. They discuss the excitement around new characters like Tom Bombadil and the Entwives, the portrayal of lore characters, and major plotlines such as The Fall of Eregion and Sauron's deception. They also explore personal excitement for the upcoming season and offer speculation about various elements shown in the trailers.00:00 Introduction02:23 Level of Excitement After the Trailers and Some Breakdown03:45 Tom Bombadil!!06:42 The Rings Of Power: Creation, Order, Influece07:44 Sauron's Cunning Deception08:43 Action Scenes, Battle of Eregion10:25 Celebrimbor and Sauron13:00 Galadriel Is Captured and Susceptible to Sauron15:10 Entwives!16:40 Wizards and Magic17:51 Numenor, Miriel, and a Pool19:59 Worms Underground21:16 Elrond Wants to Destroy Rings (Remind You of LOTR?)23:21 Excitement for the First Season Compared to the Second Season29:12 Hoping For Memorable Content29:48 What Happens At a Major Battle? Calvary Charge!30:33 What Would It Take to Stop Watching The Rings of Power 2?34:45 There Needs to Be a Good Hook35:18 Conclusion

Philip, Matt, and Mark give their reactions and commentary on The Rings of Power Season 2 teaser trailer, discussing its general fantasy feel, potential storylines, and character portrayals. They express mixed feelings about the show's direction and quality, with specific critiques on writing and aesthetic elements. They also touch on adaptations in other franchises and potential future improvements.00:00 Introduction01:14 Just Generic Fantasy?02:40 Odd Story Writing04:17 New Tolkien Monsters05:57 Pacing of the Story Line08:35 Not Good Enough to Care Either Way09:32 New Content is the Hype16:00 Subsequent Media's Impact on the Present Media19:32 Either Live Above the Potential or Succumb to Meh22:49 Teaser Trailer Doesn't Say Much About Season 2's Quality27:11 Adaptations Suck with a Lack of Heart Behind It29:34 Campy!!!!32:29 Elrond's Hair Needs a Redo33:49 Conclusion

Philip, Matt, and Mark discuss the different aspects that influenced Tolkien's work, such as his Christian worldview, historical and mythological inspirations, and timeless themes. They also explore Tolkien's unique ability to weave these elements together into compelling narratives that continue to captivate audiences.00:00 Introduction00:41 Setting the Stage01:31 The Timeless Appeal of Tolkien's Lore is Multifaceted02:14 The Impact of Tolkien's Christian Worldview03:10 Tolkien's Inventiveness and Unique Characters07:27 It's the Epic Story Behind the Relatable Heroes15:06 Frodo: The Unlikely Hero18:04 The Importance of The Hobbits as the Focus of the Story24:47 The Scourging of the Shire: A Missed Opportunity27:49 Conclusion: The Interwoven Elements of Tolkien's Mastery

Matt and Philip delve into the theme of swearing oaths in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. They analyze the consequences of these oaths through characters such as Feanor and his sons, who swear to retrieve the Silmarils, and the Men of the Dead, who are bound by an oath to Isildur until released by Aragorn. The discussion explores the implications of swearing oaths, the motivations behind them, and their impact on the characters and the story. Listeners will also hear about the contrasting motivations of characters like Beren and Luthien compared to the Sons of Feanor. The episode ends with references to Gollum’s oath to Frodo and Aragorn’s promise to Boromir in the film adaptation. Packed with insights and connections to larger themes in Middle-earth, this podcast episode offers a deep dive into the gravity of promises made in Tolkien's world.00:00 Introduction 01:14 Feanor's Oath to Reclaim and Protect the Silmarils07:00 The Tragic Hero: Feanor's Downfall18:45 The Men of the Dead and Isildur's Curse30:26 Gollum's Oath and the Master of the Precious38:49 Aragorn's Pledge to Protect Gondor45:20 Conclusion and Show and Tell

Many fantasy authors have taken ideas from J.R.R. Tolkien, since he was an excellent story writer and a fabulous world builder. Christopher Paolini, the author of Eragon, mimicked Tolkien in language and maps but didn't do so well with quality of writing.

There are lessons to be learned from Tolkien's stories, but how practical are those lessons? Frodo's journey with the One Ring may be the most 'relatable' part of Lord of the Rings. It's just not easy to find commonality with a wizard or an elf. Here's our opinion on the matter.

Evidentally, Amazon could have done some things better in The Rings of Power season 1. Aspects of the first season, such as story telling and the main protagonist, could have been improved. The story line would have been improved by speeding up the pace and instead of Galadriel as the main chracter use Celebrian or Isildur. There are strategies that seem obvious for Amazon to use for season 2 in light of th 37% completion rate of the show. This is our critique in order to improve The Rings of Power!

Epic fantasy would contain magic, dragons, beasts, and wizards, just to name a few things. Middle-earth isn't infested with magic, but along with the other worldly characters in the story you can tell it's very different from the world we live in today. Matt puts it well, 'They (Amazon) wanted to make a modern fantasy show set in the Lord of the Rings universe.'

Misconceptions abound around how many fans watched The Rings of Power and thought the show worth watching. The poll created by Philip was meant to capture this idea, not necessarily how many fans watched all of the first season. The results may not be what you would expect, and maybe there’s something else to tell about ROP’s success/failure than not sticking to the lore.

Good leaders are people you want to follow. In the Rings of Power, Gil-galad seems a little harsh and Galadriel a little too kick butt. Maybe this just works for the show...? It's not exactly like the books, and a lot more Elven leaders are good.