#but also like she said Arondir's name out of the blue and it was just a moment of *shrug* “guess they know each other”

[raphexim]

Melian reference!!! AND Morgoth!

Tropey fake kiss to hide the escape tool! (Phew!)

The dwarves showing they aren't mindless followers but a people of shrewd wisdom!

Adar grieving lost uruk! Uruk asking questions and treated as a people and not mindless slaves.

I was sad af about the horse; they really could have just glossed past it and not focused so much on making it so visual. But one thing I do really appreciate about this show is that it does the animals honor. (It even does the orcs honor. No one is simple fodder for death.) Elrond grieved his mount and took time to bid it farewell. In the first season, Adar's horse fell -- and they made a point of showing it getting back up.

Arondir's story came too far to wind up where it wound, so I hope there is something yet to be said for him.

And Sauron's showing that he's just as slimy in a 'fair form' as he was with no form at all.

I wish the archer had had some character development. That was an epic scene, but we had no emotional attachment to her.

[katurdayss]

Got my popcorn, Ep 4 Rings of Power live-blogging is a go. Same deal, check under the cut to avoid spoilers.

Okay. Episode 4 done.

So, it was okay? Look by profession, I’m critical of creative choices made ( graphic designer here) so I understand I might be a little picky but this show still feels very inconsistent in writing and style. The elves? Full on miss for me. Same with Numenor and the Southlanders and the Harfoots. Absolutely LOVED the ents here. Love me the dwarves too.

In all honesty it’s taken a concerted effort for me to divorce ROP from any Tolkien preconceived ideas and that’s because LOTR means something special to me. For fucks sake, I spent a LOT of time making my handwriting look like elvish and when a classmate in high school said that it did out of the blue, I fucking preened okay.

Which I tell you so that when I say I’m enjoying this season more than last, you know that it means something. So when I also say I feel like the writers sometimes make me feel like they think I’m stupid, you know that means something too.

IDK, I think I’m gonna have to do a longer reflection post at the end of this season. It feels like the spoke wheels just keep missing falling into place on this show. Like it’s so close.

I swear to god if there is another recap I’m gonna stab someone.

LOOKS LIKE I’M STABBING SOMEONE. Seriously tho, why.

Oo there is a cold front I see. Gonna need a jacket there Galadriel.

THANK FUCK there is a traveling montage. It no longer feels like they’re travel by portkey. Liked that little map transition to the bridge.

Yes just go around screaming names at the top of your lungs after someone tried to capture you. Brilliant.

What in the Wingardium Leviosa shit is this? Magical wind that blows paper? Sure. Magical wind that gently floats a paper along? No.

Wouldn’t the tree swallowing him crush bone? Just saying.

Great side eye Nori

Where the hell did the cart go? It just apparate into the hobbit village?

Really hoping all this allusion to the stranger being Gandalf is just a red herring so the big blue wizard reveal feels shocking. Otherwise it’s a shit reveal if he is Gandalf.

TOM BOMBADILL

Man his house looks comfy

Baby lamb!

BLUE WIZARD BLUE WIZARD BLUE WIZARD gotta be a blue wizard! Two of them went East. Gandalf never did.

Also it’d be a nice parallel to Saruman and Gandalf instead of the lazy way of making the stranger Gandalf.

Oh well he dead. Where are the Winchester brothers when you need them?

Well this is suitably creepy af

How does Arondir not see that no one is there when Legolas could see that they were talking the Hobbits to Isengard? I mean yeah it’s night but it’s also like only 10ft away instead like leagues.

Ugh romance.

So….she just got water but no water came out of the jug when she through it at Arondir.

GOD DAMN IT WOMAN, INFECTION IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH BURNS. At least cover it with a clean cloth!

Dude princess bride vibes but with mud instead of sand.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT??! WHAT IS IT? Hell no!

Oh gross, so gross.

Oh shit bitch slap.

Leprosy. I’m telling you. It’s fucking Tolkien leprosy.

Yuck romance

Oooo elf and ent interaction. Fucking love ents. Yeah that’s a ent wife in pain. God the ents are so good!

What in the name of Castiel. Come on. She’s an elf with a ring not a Valar or god.