Season One of The Rings of Power is over, but there’s still more Tolkien to talk. David and John continue their conversation with Tolkien scholar Marilyn R. Pukkila in this bonus episode.
The first passage for the Silmarillion read-along will be “Ainulindale.” You can find it in the first few pages of The Silmarillion.
“I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things.” – Frodo. Ok, so not the end of ALL things, but it’s the end of the season. As we reflect on our return to Middle Earth, we take a look at a season that had its ups and downs. From pyroclastic clouds to the buddy show of Durrin and Elrond, let’s take one last deep dive.
We got a lot of answers in the finale. But were they satisfying answers? Listen in on some of the closing theories about this season and the next. Are there more half-elves running around? Will Jeff Bezos make a cameo? A.Ron has a Swedish Death Metal song for you. And don’t forget to send in your feedback for the final wrapup episode.
The power has been restored to this show. Great sacrifices are made, destinies intertwined, and identities revealed. Though original Tolkien lore was trampled a bit, it was a job well done all around. We’re looking forward to seeing our heroes and villains in the next season. And don’t miss the feedback and wrap up episode next week!
What? Why? Who? Just a few questions we have about The Rings of Power. This is the tale of two shows, one is super fun, the other is the show we’re getting. But we won’t let the ash cloud rain on our parade! The buddy show that is Durin and Elrond’s friendship is still top tier entertainment. And finally, A.Ron and Jim unveil their Orc Voices.
A.ronduin and Jimgoth have gazed into a Palantír and saw your feedback. Tune in for a geologist’s review of those pesky pyroclastic flows. Which begs the question, what level of “doomed” do you need to be to NOT survive a natural disaster? Find out how Harfoots become the Hobbits. And the baby smack-down of the age is here, Baby Gandalf is coming for Baby Yoda.
‘Tis an ill portent when Jimfiel deems another episode of TROP as a “Walking Dead” episode. But don’t worry, there are good things too! Galadriel is doing some bad guy stuff and Isildur seems like he’s vying for the role of Numenorean f-boi. A.Ronbrimbor ponders the questions, “Are the Numenoreans nearsighted? And which horse is Berek?” And yes, the show is still gorgeous.
Should epic fantasy shows have required homework? Well, not homework exactly, but should you need to do research to understand what’s going on? Is TROP suffering from the kind of writing that is coming for straight-to-streaming? Are we sure that there was only ONE meteor? And get an impromptu Age of Sail lesson from A.Ron.
A.Rondork and Jimbella are here to tell you about the good moments and a few moments to grumble about. Some speeches come a bit short of Independence Day level of inspiration, but nothing comes close to the magic of the relationship between Elrond and Durin. When Galadriel isn’t writing checks she can’t cash, she and the other Elves seem to be operating in stark black and white. So where does that leave the characters? Find out in this episode of Dug Too Deep.
Feedback is coming in from all ends of the spectrum. Is Galadriel just a hot-headed teen who needs to cool off with 1,000 years of jail time? Or is this a good portrayal of a young Galadriel who will become the powerful and wise Galadriel in the movies? And if you watch picture-in-picture, don’t do it around Jim and A.Ron. They may go feral.