#wtslpod

[wtslpod]

some lesbian thoughts on elrond & galadriel

The dynamic between Elrond and Galadriel, despite being central to the show, sometimes feels under-appreciated in the fandom. Like many relationships in TROP, it doesn’t easily slot into a single category. It’s not merely one of friendship or kinship or mentorship

It’s not romantic, but it is emotionally intimate—and that seems to trip a lot of people up, even before 2x07. We’ve always appreciated how emotionally open Galadriel and Elrond are with each other, particularly given how guarded Galadriel is with most other characters.

She and Elrond have a long history prior to their reunion in the first episode, and during the course of the show they rely on each other as they navigate disappointment and loss, both personal and as relates to elven-kind.

They don’t always see eye to eye, but even when Elrond feels hugely betrayed by Galadriel’s choices, it doesn’t erode the love between them.

They’ve been separated during their respective darkest moments, but find solace and healing in each other’s presence. They bring light into each other’s lives, and together will be instrumental in banishing the rising darkness.

One of the strengths of Tolkien's work, and one of the reasons fans (including queer fans like us) return to these stories time and again, is the focus on platonic bonds that defy societal norms through the strength of their intimacy and commitment.

Of all the relationships we've seen on the show so far, Galadriel and Elrond embody this wonderful category-defying emotional intimacy most of all.

[mirdaniaa]

[wildwren]

can't really express what this means to me....every time I try to put it into words I feel like i'm raving. i dont know what else to say except that the character of arondir has been so important to me -- relating to this character has deeply affected the way i see myself and the world and genuinely changed my life. im so grateful to ismael for embodying him so deeply and lovingly. and to be able to share my love for this character on the podcast and to know that ismael heard and received some of that appreciation means more than i can say. he deserves every good thing in the world <3333

[shady-swan-jones]

Rings of Power Podcast Recs

If you're looking for podcasts that dive deep into Middle-earth and all its messy bitches, here are a few that go beyond simple recaps. These podcasts really dig into the themes of the show and explore what makes the world and its inhabitants so damn compelling.

Rings Reforged (@ringsreforged)

Nat and Pau combine sharp analysis of themes with delightful unhingedness. They dive into topics like redemption, why we’re drawn to dark ships (and whether we should be), who’s on the chopping block, and the little details that drive us bananas — all with a level of media literacy that decodes every scene.

House of R

Jo and Mal do their best Fëanor and dive deep into the latest episodes, beginning with their opening snapshot, before a deep dive into each scene and a special spoiler speculation section. Together they have an impressive amount of Tolkien lore knowledge, as well as literature takes. Bonus episodes for music, promos and interviews with the cast!

Girls Nerd Out (@southernmotherofdragons )

No two people complete each other's thoughts like these two. Amanda and Andrea remind me of me and my best friend, if I could shake some sense into her and convince her to watch RoP. They ask the right questions and together they figure it out. Bonus, costumes!

Where The Shadows Lie (@wtslpod )

Kat and Wren always find I haven't noticed in a scene that gives me pause and makes me rethink the plot. Their nuanced take on Earien, for example had me rethinking the whole Numenor arc. Excellent.

Cast of the Rings

Very deep (3h) dives. Take an oxygen mask.

Ancient History Fangirl ep. Hot Sauron Summer

Mythology obsessed friends watch RoP and chaos ensues.

These are the ones I listen to and favour, if you know more and they're positive, add them. In a sea of unearned hate, let's celebrate what's made by fans for fans.

[wtslpod]

spot the difference

[wtslpod]

happy international lesbian day! 🧡🤍🩷

[wtslpod]

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! Discussion preview above, and time stamps below the cut.

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.

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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

[wtslpod]

when the ship is babygirl4babygirl

pls follow us on twitter if you're over there

[wtslpod]

New logo alert! Listen to our discussion of 2x06 to catch the tagline that inspired this rebrand. The countdown to 2x07 is on!

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[wtslpod]

Wren made an Isildur x Estrid fanvid and you can watch it here!

[wtslpod]

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!

Preview of our discussion of Celebrimbor here. Time stamps below the cut.

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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

[wtslpod]

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. Listen wherever you catch your pods!

Here's a preview of our discussion about Arondir's arc in the show so far.

About the pod: Where the Shadows Lie is a Rings of Power fan podcast with Kat and Wren. Join us as we go wild about Season 2, dive into all of our favorite character arcs, speculate about future episodes, and celebrate the amazing cast and crew. This is a positive, analytical space for fellow Rings of Power fans—all are welcome!

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[wtslpod]

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 below the cut.

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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

[wtslpod]

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!

About the pod: Where the Shadows Lie is a Rings of Power fan podcast with Kat and Wren. Join us as we prepare to go wild about Season 2, dive into all of our favorite character arcs, speculate about twists, and celebrate the amazing cast and crew. Catch up on our Season 1 episodes or dive into our Season 2 spec, and tune in when Season 2 premieres on August 29th for weekly episode recaps and discussion. This is a positive, analytical space for fellow Rings of Power fans – all are welcome!

Find us on buzzsprout or your podcatcher of choice.

twitter│instagram│wtslpod@gmail.com

[wtslpod]

We were immediately fans of Arondir, played by the incomparable Ismael Cruz Córdova.

“It is believed that one of the Valar watches over growing things and those who tend them.” Arondir spoke this line before the Battle of the Southlands, a clear reference to Yavanna, the Giver of Fruits. It’s also a pretty good summary of Arondir himself and his role in the narrative — a grower turned reluctant soldier who nevertheless uses his skills in warfare to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

We know that Arondir and Theo will meet up with the Ents, and that Arondir will eventually end up on the battlefield in Eregion, facing off against the mountain troll Damrod. Does Arondir have a greater mission to uphold for Yavanna? How will his legacy play out across the Second Age and into the Third? Will he gain a promotion from the High King Gil-Galad? One of our theories is that he will end up founding Imladris (Rivendell) beside Elrond, and carry Bronwyn’s legacy to the healing gardens there.

Whatever happens, we’re so excited to see our favorite elf back on screen! For more Arondir content, check out the podcast.

About the pod: Where the Shadows Lie is a Rings of Power fan podcast with Kat and Wren. Join us as we prepare to go wild about Season 2, dive into all of our favorite character arcs, speculate about twists, and celebrate the amazing cast and crew. Catch up on our Season 1 episodes or dive into our Season 2 spec, and tune in when Season 2 premieres on August 29th for weekly episode recaps and discussion. This is a positive, analytical space for fellow Rings of Power fans – all are welcome!

Find us on buzzsprout or your podcatcher of choice.

twitter│instagram│wtslpod@gmail.com

[wtslpod]

We're back! In this episode, we analyze all the released promos, cast panels, and behind-the-scenes featurettes to try to parse what we might be in for in Season 2, premiering August 29th. Links to all videos referenced are posted under the cut.

Please note, this episode was recorded on August 1st, so we don't include every up-to-date piece of information in our discussion. There have been several new reveals in the interim, including photos of the Stoors and track titles from Bear McCreary's soundtrack. This episode will also not include information from the August 14th trailer.

We're so excited to dive back into our favorite show and we hope you'll join us on all our Season 2 adventures!

About the pod: Where the Shadows Lie is a Rings of Power fan podcast with Kat and Wren. Join us as we prepare to go wild about Season 2, dive into all of our favorite character arcs, speculate about twists, and celebrate the amazing cast and crew. Catch up on our Season 1 episodes or dive into our Season 2 spec, and tune in when Season 2 premieres on August 29th for weekly episode recaps and discussion. This is a positive, analytical space for fellow Rings of Power fans – all are welcome!

Find us on buzzsprout or your podcatcher of choice.

twitter│instagram│wtslpod@gmail.com

Trailers, interviews, and other official promotional clips referenced in this episode:

Official Rings of Power San Diego Comic-Con Trailer

SDCC Hall H Cast Panel

MTV SDCC Cast Interview with Ema Horvath, Megan Richards, Maxim Baldry, and Tyroe Muhafidin

Variety SDCC Interview with Morfydd Clark, Charlie Vickers, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Sophia Nomvete, and Charles Edwards

EW SDCC Interviews with Benjamin Walker, Charlie Vickers, Charles Edwards, Sam Hazeldine, Sophia Nomvete, Morfydd Clark, Daniel Weyman, Megan Richards, Maxim Baldry, Tyroe Muhafidin, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Lloyd Owen, Ema Horvath, Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Trystan Gravell

Comicbook.com SDCC Interview with Morfydd Clark, Megan Richards, Daniel Weyman, and Benjamin Walker 

Call to Adventure Featurette

Forging the Rings Featurette

Barrow-wights BTS Exclusive

TV spot featuring Valandil and Kemen