The Rings of Power Episodes 1 Explained - Book Comparison, Analysis & Breakdown - Livestream

We go bit by bit through Episodes 1 of The Rings of Power (Season 1) and I try to explain the References and Differences I notice in comparison to the books and analyse it as good as possible in this probably very long livestream. We might also discuss cinematography and other details and ofc I give you my opinion.

► Guest:
-

► Disclaimer:
I have permission of the artists to use their art works.

► Artwork and special thanks to:

► Mistakes:
-

► Sources:
Books:
The Lord of The Rings (1954-1955) by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Christopher Tolkien
The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien
Unfinished Tales (1980) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Christopher Tolkien
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (1981) by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien
Peoples of Middle-earth (1996) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Christopher Tolkien
Morgoth's Ring (1993) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Christopher Tolkien
War of the Jewls (1994) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Christopher Tolkien
History of Middle-earth (2007) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: John D. Rateliff
The Nature of Middle-earth (2021) by J. R. R. Tolkien; Editor: Carl F. Hostetter

➥ Maps:
- Amazon (John Howe)
Edited by: Murdo
- Aman and Arda map by ThePhilosophersGames

► Playlists:

Past Livestreams:

► Time Codes:
Countdown - 0:00:00
Stream Start - 27:19

► Social Media:
The Philosopher's Games / TPhGames / TPhLore

► Of Games and Rings Podcast:

#Tolkien #Lore #RingsofPower

[carmage]

Great fun Chris! Keep the amazing work but also keep yourself well rested.

[Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

In preparation for the next session: _Who could Meteorite Man possibly be?_
My bet is he's an Istari _inspired_ by the blue wizards. Since we don't know much about those they've got a lot of room for creative choices. They're not really fleshed out in Tolkien's writings and not even mentioneded as such in LotR. We only learn here that aside of the three we know about two more had been sent to Middle-earth. Nothing more about them.
Some guys say his interaction with his environment seemed liked Gandalf or Radagast, I don't think so. Each Istari could do that.
Considering the point it'd be a stupid choice of travelling by meteor: Yes, but that's true for every possible being. And his amnesia could definitely been caused by that means of travelling, whatever. We know that the Maiar who became Istari have been sent to Middle-earth with diminished capacities. His amnesia could be a hint into that direction.
However, if the actor was not lying to us he even does not know himself in which direction his role is aiming to.

[bgallagher]

On the graveyard / memorial issue from about 3:50:00ish. Casualties from Beleriand battles ending up buried in Lindon? Seems like a memorial is the better bet. Also, does the expanded legendarium tell us anything about Elven attitudes to the dead / funerary customs? I imagine their approach would be at least a bit different to ours - all those casualties are, at worst, in the Halls of Mandos and, at best, are re-embodied, alive and well in Aman. That's not just hoped for, in a religious sense, right? It's known. So sadness of long parting, but not much more than that...

[Spielkalb-von-Sparta]

Well done, even under sleep deprivation! Loking forward for tonight covering #2!

[bgallagher]

I'm surprised at how OK I feel about this, though it's mainly for a completely unexpected reason. My biggest fear had been that they would tell a story that was to some degree connected to Tolkien's story, but different and twisted in ways that would frustrate me. They didn't. I may see more links to Tolkien's story if I watch the episodes again (rewatching is actually a real possibility), but my overwhelming impression after the first watch was that it had virtually nothing to do with Tolkien except the names. They didn't show how her brother (whichever one he was) died. Just him in a generic battle. So nothing too annoying as a contradiction to the story of Beren and Luthien. Her vengeance quest isn't drawn from Tolkien at all. Arondir and the whole Southlands arc is entirely made up from scratch. Galadriel abortively heading West is a complete fabrication. Etc etc. By being able to watch it as a non-Tolkien story, I was able to enjoy it more as its own thing. The characterisations of Galadriel, Elrond and Gil-Galad seem wrong to me, but it wasn't too bothersome because they weren't being characterised *in a Tolkien story*. So it just feels like fanfiction so far, and since they've spent ridiculous amounts of money on it, it's very pretty fanfiction. Might not stay that way. The man on the boat at the end was indistinct but looks like their Isildur, so we're probably about to head into what will be more problematic territory for me in the next episode, but so far, so good...

[Aa_Mm]

50:49 i agree that the payoff was a bit clumsy but still serviceable. the scene itself with Galadriel and presumably Finrod was lovely though. but the directing choices at some points were quite strange. i had no problem with the script, thought most of the dialogue in ep. 1 and 2 was charming, especially whenever hobbits or dwarves popped up. but scenes that needed some space and time weren't given that (scenes with bronwyn and arondir for example felt the most rushed unfortunately) and some were unnecessarily dragged out (Galadriel making up her mind at the end of ep.1). some weird camera-angle decisions were made too. it's not something that took me out of the show but if i were to point out the biggest drawback, that would be it. aside from that, i thought the show runners and actors did a very good job, i was pleasantly surprised with how much personality they infused into this version of Middle-earth without going against the lore, everyone obviously did their homework. very excited for episode 3 now.

[Tar-Elenion]

What is your source for Hostetter consulting on the languages?

[timtauber]

I would like to think the great sea serpent that attacks Galadriel could be a creature that Melkor corrupted. Similarly the tentacled monster outside the doorway to Moria could be attributed to Melkor in the very beginning of time on middle earth.

[tirzahgayla]

Such great fun - can't wait for episode 2!

[peteharper]

I loved both episodes. I have great hopes.

[ArwenAreYouOK]

I had no idea about LOTR and the massive lore and ended up in a Cinema watching The Two Towers at 15 yrs old because we didn’t get tickets to the movie we wanted to watch.

I loved Two Towers so much and then post watching the trilogy - I was totally hooked.

1. Goes to show how good the movies were that someone with no knowledge of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings story forget the rest of the lore was hooked into Middle Earth picking up from a scene of two hobbits going in circles lol. No - I mean the first scene was EPIC in the towers movie but still - 2s scene Vs 3hr movie….

2. Have read The Silmarillion (audiobook) and explored lore on your channel/others.

3. Had re-watched extended trilogy in a single sitting in dvd days in college with friends so watching hours of new middle-earth has never been a fatigue problem. I even watch The Hobbit trilogy just some scenes that were epic in spite of ‘Alfred’

3. Fallen asleep to putting on audio books of LOTR available on YouTube

4. Rings of Power - EP - 1 pulled me back in! It was awesome imo. EP - 2, man, it felt like for parts of it, I just had it on in the background. Something about the pacing or idk - maybe what you said about their rights being so limited - it just didn’t feel like an entertaining enough watch. Some of the most lore heavy videos (like the 8hr marathons on this channel) are far more interesting than middle and end of Episode 2.

Episode 1 = 8.9
Epidode 2 = 5.0

Also the ‘r’ thing - rolling or like the German ‘aya’ like ‘Spinnst du Oder was? ‘Der Spiegel’ could just be the actor’s dialogue inability such is the nuance between how you talked about the two ways of pronouncing ‘R’ - I am from India I know all the Rs including the Ropar ‘r’: which combines two R’s -‘ado’-pa-‘dh’ (it’s a name of a city, Ropar is, just fyi)

[timtauber]

The meteor man is Sauron in his “Fair Form” as he appeared to Celebrimbor. That is my best guess. You will notice things around him die quickly.

[Tar-Elenion]

Beleg has dark hair. He was drawn by Tolkien, Picture 37.

[peteharper]

To be honest at this point I think Galadriel would rather face certain death at sea, rather than betray the quest to avenge her brother, so it makes sense that she does not wish to relinquish that. Hense, she takes a wild chance and dives overboard.

[rgrwlco]

It's funny that they will get something like the Dwarvish "R" right, but will call him Aule instead of Mahal.

[bluewhitespartan]

I am thinking about maybe all the
plotlines are not in the exact same timeframe. So Sauron could for eg be different characters we have seen. Like Halbrand and Meteorman. Just a thought.

[TexasFriedCriminal]

It seems that in RoP, there was no Oath of Feanor and no Kinslaying. The elves just came to middle earth to fight evil Morgoth and finally won with no Valar involved.

[rightwingequalsmallpeis]

5hours? Mellon your nerdness consumed you :D

[Tar-Elenion]

How could it be Maedhros when *Finrod is full grown?

Also Elven-children seem to be particularly well behaved:
"The Eldar wedded for the most part in their youth and soon after their fiftieth year. They had few children, but these were very dear to them. Their families, or houses, were held together by love and a deep feeling for kinship in mind and body; and the children needed little governing or teaching."
Morgoth's Ring, Laws and Customs of the Eldar

[milonaranjo]

Chris
I recently refound your channel
I had a lost acct from 2018, 19 and sorta fell off yt
Im not a big interactor tbh
Not a big talker; more of a big thinker
I like that about your channel
Yours is #1 or 2 on my list of only 2 channels i peruse in my renaissance to yt (jrrt is to ty for it)
Your long vids are my favs
They give me what im looking for: an art diener
Someone who i see as more an autopsy dispassionate critic altho that sounds all so morose and its not at all for me.

This show i dont have a prob with
Like JRRT, these “creators” are demonstrating true creativity
Whether its lore or canon (lol to that thought for Tolkien) its enchanting
Like this channel
I caught rec VoD and talk of why your channel doesnt have the same #’s as some; yours is not like theirs and be glad.

Ty for your work