Season 0 (Pre-Show) Archives - THE RINGS OF POWER WRAP-UP

014 – Foundations: Harfoots & Orcs

ROP Admin — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 01:00:00 +0000

We conclude our series of foundational episodes with a couple of, uh, shorter entries. First up, a deep dive into what we know of the history of the Harfoots (and other Hobbit folk) in Middle-earth, a people of much greater diversity than you might think. After that, a rundown of Tolkien’s changing views on the origins and nature of the Orcs, plus their history through the First and Second Ages before the big – in more ways than one – finale on Trolls and Balrogs! Hold the wings, please.

013 – Foundations: Dwarves

ROP Admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Our third foundational episode on the lore of Middle-earth is all about the Dwarves! Join us as we explore the mysterious and secretive history of the Khazâd from their creation by the Vala Aulë all the way down to their early friendships and unfriendships with Elves and Men in the First and Second Ages. We scour Tolkien’s unfinished writings for accounts of the awakening of the original seven dwarves — and learn which one was actually named Sleepy. Plus, word-nerdery on Khuzdul, the language so secret Dwarves don’t even write it on their tombstones.

012 – Foundations: Men

ROP Admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 01:00:00 +0000

In our second foundational episode covering the lore of Tolkien’s legendarium, we review the history of Men — humans, not males — in Númenor and Middle-earth! Catch up with us on the origins of Men, their story through the First Age, and the vast difference in nature between Men and Elves (hint: it’s not pointy ears). We’ll also introduce you to some of the characters we know will be major players in the series, and remind you of the real reason you don’t want Elves writing your histories (unless you want to be called “Sickly”).

011 – Foundations: Elves

ROP Admin — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 22:40:56 +0000

With the series premiere less than a month away, we begin our series of foundational episodes to catch you up on the lore of Middle-earth up to the beginning of The Rings of Power! In this week’s episode, we cover the millennia-long history of the Elves at faster-than-starlight speed: the Two Trees, the Silmarils, Finrod, Galadriel, Celebrimbor and more. Plus, Alan reminds us all of what life was like before GPS systems.

010 – The Elves Take San Diego

ROP Admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Alan gives a recap of his experience at San Diego Comic-Con, from catching up with old friends, to lunch with the cast, to the awesome reveals of Hall H! And of course, we break down the trailer released at SDCC complete with creepy bad guys, creepy old men, creepy sword materialization… really, just loads of creepy stuff. Plus, Galadriel gets her hands on one of her uncle’s seeing stones, Arondir defies physics — again — and much more!

Useful Links:

The official release of the SDCC trailer is available on the official Prime Video Youtube channel here.

009 – How About a Heads Up Next Time, Amazon?

ROP Admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 23:43:37 +0000

Alan and Shawn finally break down the teaser that dropped on July 14, while they were both on summer vacations (oops!). Galadriel puts Elrond in his place with Middle-earth’s greatest “you idiot” look, and we may be seeing the discovery of mithril in Moria! Plus, terrifying unidentifiable red stuff… and lots of physics-defying Elvish fighting techniques.

Useful Links:

The official release of the trailer is available on the official Prime Video Youtube channel here.

008 – A Shooting Star Is Not a Star

ROP Admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 22:44:51 +0000

We unpack the new trailer dropped on Amazon Prime Video on July 6, with a first look at some new characters — and a better look at some previously seen ones — as Middle-earth observes the falling meteor. Alan falls on his sword at the appearance of a figure who’s clearly made of wood (but not a witch), and Shawn has reservations about writing systems. And what’s the difference between a mandarin and a satsuma anyway?

Useful Links:

The official release of the trailer is available only through Amazon Prime, so you’ll need to log in to watch it. If you’re not already a member, unofficial versions are readily available on Youtube.
Amazon Trailer

007 – Goodliness of Speechcraft: An Interview with Leith McPherson

ROP Admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Word-nerds rejoice as Alan and Shawn welcome our first guest to The Rings of Power Wrap-up: show dialect coach Leith McPherson! We speak to Leith about her time on Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit films and her experiences on the new series, the underappreciated joys of The Lord of the Rings Appendix E, and the importance of language in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Plus, a little pronunciation coaching from Leith for one of the world’s most well-known Tolkien fans.

006 – Empire Strikes First

ROP Admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 21:14:22 +0000

Alan and Shawn catch up on the last few weeks of Rings of Power news from Empire magazine and elsewhere online, including the mysterious tower, our first look at Orcs, and the much-maligned sneak peek at Celebrimbor. The promise of practical effects has us excited, but some of the marketing stokes our nerd cynicism… all this, plus more talk of character hair than we’re used to.

Useful Links:

Amazon television commercial
Fandom article on Celebrimbor
Lenny Henry comments in Empire Online
IGN exclusive orcs article

005 – Reasons For Hope

ROP Admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 23:21:48 +0000

Alan and Shawn reveal details about their conversations with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay at the Amazon event in London last month. From citing Tolkien’s letters and understanding ‘the core of the original’ to the importance of avoiding allegory and “peak bleak”, the showrunners — and John Howe! — were able to give us lots of reasons for our continued optimism!

Season 0 (Pre-Show) Archives - THE RINGS OF POWER WRAP-UP

014 – Foundations: Harfoots & Orcs

Recommended Reading:

013 – Foundations: Dwarves

Recommended Reading:

012 – Foundations: Men

Recommended Reading:

011 – Foundations: Elves

Recommended Reading:

010 – The Elves Take San Diego

Useful Links:

Recommended Reading:

009 – How About a Heads Up Next Time, Amazon?

Useful Links:

Recommended Reading:

008 – A Shooting Star Is Not a Star

Useful Links:

Recommended Reading:

007 – Goodliness of Speechcraft: An Interview with Leith McPherson

Recommended Reading:

006 – Empire Strikes First

Useful Links:

Recommended Reading:

005 – Reasons For Hope

Recommended Reading: