Many fantasy authors have taken ideas from J.R.R. Tolkien, since he was an excellent story writer and a fabulous world builder. Christopher Paolini, the author of Eragon, mimicked Tolkien in language and maps but didn't do so well with quality of writing.由Philip Dudt

Many characters in Tolkien's work go through redemption, by their own actions , or by someone else's. Catholicism teaches penance, which focuses on what someone does to find forgiveness for their actions. In a way this makes sense why so many characters in The Lord of the Rings find redemption through their own ability. Does Galadriel go through re…

There are lessons to be learned from Tolkien's stories, but how practical are those lessons? Frodo's journey with the One Ring may be the most 'relatable' part of Lord of the Rings. It's just not easy to find commonality with a wizard or an elf. Here's our opinion on the matter.由Philip Dudt

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his books on Middle-earth from a Christian worldview, not necessarily because he wanted everyone to take that from his work, but because that's how he sees the world working. It isn't blatently obvious that The Lord of the Rings has Christian themes, but you don't need to look hard for them. Middle-earth is enjoyable to people …

Evidentally, Amazon could have done some things better in The Rings of Power season 1. Aspects of the first season, such as story telling and the main protagonist, could have been improved. The story line would have been improved by speeding up the pace and instead of Galadriel as the main chracter use Celebrian or Isildur. There are strategies tha…

There are three big influnces on Tolkien's writing. One is his Christian worldview, one is the epic poetry of the Medieval Ages, and the other would be his life experiences. We mill into the details about each of these very inspiring topics. Just remember, Tolkien isn't about allegory.由Philip Dudt

Epic fantasy would contain magic, dragons, beasts, and wizards, just to name a few things. Middle-earth isn't infested with magic, but along with the other worldly characters in the story you can tell it's very different from the world we live in today. Matt puts it well, 'They (Amazon) wanted to make a modern fantasy show set in the Lord of the Ri…

The Middle-earth lore can be dense and boring, so maybe this made it difficult for Amazon to create a show that really captivated the audience. On the other hand, what seems to stand out in The Rings of Power is the lack of truly good characters, truly evil characters, and characters who struggle with doing what is good or evil. Arguably, ROP only …

Misconceptions abound around how many fans watched The Rings of Power and thought the show worth watching. The poll created by Philip was meant to capture this idea, not necessarily how many fans watched all of the first season. The results may not be what you would expect, and maybe there’s something else to tell about ROP’s success/failure than n…

It's tough to tell a modern themed story in Middle-earth since the lore contains themes that are timeless. It's very unclear how many fans watched the show and would recommend it, so Philip started a poll to find out since A stat came out on the completion rate of the show. This poll hopefully speaks to whether fans thought the show would be worth …

Good leaders are people you want to follow. In the Rings of Power, Gil-galad seems a little harsh and Galadriel a little too kick butt. Maybe this just works for the show...? It's not exactly like the books, and a lot more Elven leaders are good.由Philip Dudt

There are basically two sides to the hope coin: hoping in yourself or hoping in someone else. It is very prevalent that Tolkien's characters put their hope in someone else (i.e. Frodo to destroy the One Ring). It isn't as clear about who the characters in The Rings of Power put their hope. Most of the time the players in The Rings of Power story mo…

Tolkien's family heavily influenced his writings which started with him creating stories for his kids which encouraged him to write more. The relationship between Tolkien and his wife Edith influenced the creation of the famous lovers in Middle-earth, the human Beren and the elf Luthien. Family relationships play a huge role in The Lord of the Ring…

Characters like Sauron chose the evil path from the beginning and might have a desire to do something good, but what makes him evil is that he never has a change of heart. Gollum is a character who constantly struggles with loving and hating the One Ring, which is all together evil. Galadriel is probably the most pure character in Tolkien's writing…

Miriel's blindness is unique to the show but has potential to create an interesting storyline. A Numenorian leader, who played an important role leading up to The Fall of Numenor, is missing from the ROP storyline. Will he appear, or will someone else usurp his role? With the addition of Elendil's daughter, Earien, drama will probably surmount with…

There is potential for Amazon to come up with some interesting storylines based off of some of the Numenorian leaders, such as Queen Regent Miriel, Pharazon, Elendil, and Isildur. Which characters, who have an important part to play in the books, will end up in The Rings of Power?由Philip Dudt

The problem of evil and how to respond to challenging situations is a pivotal part of Galadriel and Sauron's character development.由Philip Dudt

Controversy around the Rings of Power stems from whether themes in the show line up with themes in the books. The producers of the show have done a good job paralleling Galadriel's temptation by the ring in the Fellowship and her temptation by Sauron in the 8th episode.由Philip Dudt

In this Epilogue for season 1, Philip, Matt, and Mark each give their overview of 'The Rings of Power' by mentioning what they liked or didn't like, regarding anything related to lore or the screen play. Predictions were given for season 2. Research Links: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb…

Philip, Matt, and Mark, share their different predictions leading up to the eighth episode. Amazon had a good idea of how to end the first season with some strong unique parallels to Tolkien's work.由Philip Dudt

Philip, Matt, and Mark give their predictions for Sauron in anticipation of his reveal during the finale of season 1. Is Tolkien's world monotheistic or polytheistic and how does that work itself into the problem of evil? Oh, and Matt is determined that Balrog's don't have wings. Research Links: "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" The Eye (…

Philip and Mark discuss the caveat on the way ROP is portraying how characters react to trials, and is the darkness needed to understand the light, or what is good. Is Galadriel's character shaped by the dark things she experiences or does she need to learn how to be a good person by coming close to what is evil?…

Philip and Mark bring to light Galadriel's unmentioned family, and what's the agenda behind it? Tolkien displays his characters as good unless affected by evil while Amazon gives even the most incorruptible character a bad side. Amazon doesn't stay close with the lore, to their detriment. Research Links: "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" …

Philip, Matt, and Mark discuss Sauron and his mysteriousness in the show and the books and whether the producers are capturing their audience or stringing out the show. Research Links: "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" The Great Wave (TV Episode) - IMDb由Philip Dudt

Philip and Matt discuss the revealing of Numenor, the greatest kingdom of Men, a grumpy Galadriel, and the fate of each race: from the Elves to the Men, and Numenor in between. Research Links: "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Adar (TV Episode) - IMDb由Philip Dudt

Philip talks about whether the show lives up to wokeness and risque content, and Matt shares his unending knowledge of whether details from the show are matching up with the book, and does it really make it or break it?由Philip Dudt

Philip and Matt attempt to dissect the daring mission to create a Middle Earth show, with little to go on. Research Links: "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" S1E1: A Shadow of the Past (TV Episode 2022) - IMDb由Philip Dudt

Philip gives his reason for starting the podcast and why he named it The White City.由Philip Dudt

Devil in the white city