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After a spectacular penultimate episode, our expectations for the Season 2 finale were pretty high. And in our opinion—from the opening Balrog showdown, to Celebrimbor’s chilling final words, to the much anticipated Saurondriel confrontation—“Shadow and Flame” really delivered.

We get into all of it, dissecting how the Pelargir plot has been punching above its weight all season (and why we’re a fan of Estrid remaining behind in Middle-earth), how our favorite Númenóreans are likely to weather the coming storm, the importance of names (Gandalf is a Stranger no more!), our issues with the Rhûn storyline, the tragedy of Sauron (“some things can’t be fixed”), and what we expect from Galadriel’s journey next season.

We have some special episodes coming over the hiatus, but for now, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening—Namárië.

Time Stamps
00:00 - Intro, Summary, and First Takes
10:13 - Visual Feasts, Musical Moments, and Wonders of the World
25:50 - Pelargir Plotline Lovers Stay Winning
37:52 - Númenórean Endings and Eärien Defense Squad
43:56 - Arondir's Unnecessary Deathbait
47:24 - Elrond's Change of Heart
49:07 - The Horror of Celebrimbor and Sauron
57:02 - Adar and Glûg's Tragic End
1:09:09 - Never Getting Back Together aka The Saurondriel Showdown
1:26:49 - Performance Awards
1:32:14 - Dialogue Dialogue
1:39:44 - Critiques
1:47:31 - Themes
1:52:23 - Namárië

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What a moving episode of The Rings of Power. 2x07 "Doomed to Die" delivered in every way we were hoping and in some ways we weren't even expecting, from Charlotte Brändström's stunning battle direction to the excruciatingly beautiful emotional scenes. We tried (but failed) to get through this recording without weeping, diving into Celebrimbor's tragic victory over Annatar’s prison of illusions, Arondir's return to the action (and terrifying deathbait scene) and That Kiss. We also dig into Adar's complex relationship with Glûg, and say goodbye to Mirdania and Rían. Laugh and cry with us as we prepare for what's bound to be an epic and intense finale. You can find our takes wherever you catch pods!

Time Stamps:
00:00 - Introduction and First Takes
11:12 - Visual Feasts and Musical Moments
20:48 - Wonders of the World
29:03 - Arondir; Arondir and Galadriel
43:04 - Adar; Adar and Glûg
48:49 - Elrond and Adar; Elrond and Galadriel
1:00:22 - Celebrimbor and Sauron; Celebrimbor and Galadriel
1:11:03 - Mirdania and Rían
1:16:12 - Performance Awards
1:20:12 - Dialogue, Critiques, and Themes
1:26:06 - Questions and Speculations
1:33:27 - Outro

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We don't want to brag, but this might be our highest level episode of the podcast yet. Rings of Power 2x06 "Where is He?" still has us thinking of analysis we want to add. But it's good we can't, because this episode is almost 2 hours long!

As usual, we're talking most about Númenor. We examine the beautiful tension expressed between Eärien, Elendil, and Míriel, as well as the implications of the Sea Trial for our beloved Queen of the Sea. Kat also gives a detailed thematic read of "The Mariner's Wife" from The Unfinished Tales, connecting Aldarion and Erendis' story to the conflicts we're seeing in Númenor. Then we gush about Disa and Durin. Wren gets super meta too, analyzing the big picture POV choices the writers are making, and introducing what she calls the "TROP as LeGuinian Tolkien" theory, discussing what Rings of Power understands about Frodo and Gollum.

Listen through for some slick beats and fresh takes, wherever you get your podcasts.

Time Stamps:
00:00 - Intro, Visual Feasts, and Musical Moments
12:18 - Sauron's Design (Beat)
12:56 - Wonders of the World
23:38 - Númenor Lo-Fi (Beat)
24:25 - POV Character Breakdown Part One
36:29 - "The Mariner's Wife" Thematic Read
43:33 - Discussion of Eärien and Elendil
49:52 - Discussion of Míriel
52:57 - Discussion of Disa and Durin
56:38 - Galadriel's Theme (Beat)
57:20 - Discussion of Galadriel and Adar
1:03:26 - POV Character Breakdown Part Two
1:10:20 - Performance Awards
1:13:51 - Dialogue Dialogue
1:15:44 - Critique of the Week
1:19:20 - Sauron's Design 2 (Beat)
1:20:06 - Themes
1:22:48 - "LeGuinian Tolkien" and Discussion of Annatar and Celebrimbor
1:33:46 - Questions and Speculations

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What a powerhouse episode of The Rings of Power! Season 2, Episode 5, "Halls of Stone," is definitely ramping up this season's plot, and in our podcast conversation, we dive into all of it, from the escalation of the Dwarven plotline by means of Sauron's ring, to the nitty-gritty political drama of the Númenóreans. Of course, we must use part of this episode to give a loving tribute to one of our favorite original characters, Valandil -- exploring the scope of his role on the show and celebrating Alex Tarrant's fan-favorite performance. We hope you'll jump in! Listen all the way through to catch some fun, lofi beats-style renditions of beloved tracks from the Rings of Power score.

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We're already at the midpoint of the season! Rings of Power 2x04, “Eldest,” provided some of the most Tolkienian moments in the series so far. This week, Kat supplies Isildur's Tragic Lore Dump, Wren gets so excited about Arondir she speaks at warp speed (don’t worry, we slowed it down), and we both defend Estrid with our lives. We also dive into all the lovely moments with the Stoors, the Ents, and THE Tom Bombadil, and explain why the Barrow-wight scene missed the mark for us.

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We've got a lot to gab about from Episode 3 of The Rings of Power Season 2. "The Eagle and the Sceptre" was chock-full of stellar character moments, from Miriel and the Númenóreans to the Middle-Earth Monster Slayers. We're so excited about the complexity and political agency given to the Hill Troll Damrod and the Orc Glug, and let's be honest, we're just psyched to have so many our favorite characters back on screen. Arondir and Theo, Earien and Elendil, Miriel and Valandil, oh, and did we mention Isildur and Estrid? Don't worry, we will!

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We're continuing our discussion on the first three episodes of Season Two with Episode 2.02: "Where the Stars are Strange." In this podcast ep, we get deep about our love for Disa, dive more into the overarching themes of the show and how they relate to Tolkien's work, and celebrate the small stories of Middle Earth. Stay tuned for our Episode 3 discussion before Episode 4 drops this Thursday!

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We're so back, baby! The first three episodes of The Rings of Power Season Two are now out on Prime Video, and we're diving into each one with our usual passion and obsessive detail. In this episode, we discuss the Season premiere, the wild reveals about Sauron's backstory, and the compelling Elven conflict that is already festering over Celebrimbor's newly forged rings. Our podcast entries for Episodes Two and Three will be released in the next few days. Stay tuned!