In this episode of The White City Podcast, Philip, along with co-host Mark and guests Jared Stonefield, Nathan Danneker, and Maverick Dickson from A Lost Plot podcast , extensively reviews the Season 2 finale of "The Rings of Power." The group dissects the tightly packed storylines such as Numenor, Eregion, the Dwarves, the Harfoots, and Isildur’s …

Philip brings back Jared Stonefield to discuss the Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 7. There are some worldview similarities with the Sauron and Celebrimbor storyline but a grave difference with The Kiss between Galadriel and Elrond. Highlighted moments include a parallel between the battle of Eregion and the battle of Helm’s Deep, revelations about…

Philip brings back Nathan Danneker to discuss the 6th episode of The Rings of Power, Season 2. They explore multiple storylines including the dwarf and elf relations around Sauron, the harfoots and the stranger, and Sauron's manipulations. Other points of interest focus on the worldview coming from #ROP and the Stranger’s rambling storyline. Resear…

Philip brings on Jared Stonefield, who has a deep knowledge of the Middle-earth lore, to discuss ROP episode 5. This episode begins to ramp things up with Numenor, build on the relationship between Celebrimbor and Annatar, and show the beginnings of a dwarven ring's affect on King Durin III. This is a wholesome analysis on the Rings of Power. #lotr…

Cool scenes are rushed and too much time is given to cheesy plotlines. In this episode, Philip and Mark discuss the lore on screen for the first time, along with the moments that were great and the moments that need improvement. #theringsofpower #lotr #lordoftherings #tolkien #tombombadil #ents #entwife #amazonprimevideo #lore #rushed #rop 00:00 Ov…

There are lore accuracies and inaccuracies in The Rings of Power Season 2, Episodes 1-3. Philip and Mark will be discussing what they enjoyed and didn't enjoy about these epiodes and how impressed they were with the storylines, but what also let down. Furthermore, it appears there are changes in characters such as Gil-Galad and Galadriel. 00:00 Met…

The SDCC and Official Trailers for The Rings of Power Season 2 have come out and Philip and Mark give a breakdown and review of the trailers. They discuss the excitement around new characters like Tom Bombadil and the Entwives, the portrayal of lore characters, and major plotlines such as The Fall of Eregion and Sauron's deception. They also explor…

Philip brings on Nathan Danneker to discuss Rachel Maddow's reference to Lord of the Rings as a 'right-wing favorite' and how the conservative label misrepresents the iconic series. 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Learn About the Guest, Nathan Danneker 02:30 What Makes Lord of the Rings Special? 04:56 Fans from A Lot of Different Backgrounds Enjoy Lord of…

Philip, Matt, and Mark give their reactions and commentary on The Rings of Power Season 2 teaser trailer, discussing its general fantasy feel, potential storylines, and character portrayals. They express mixed feelings about the show's direction and quality, with specific critiques on writing and aesthetic elements. They also touch on adaptations i…

In this episode, Philip, Matt, and Mark talk about courage, most prevalently concerning Rohan. The horse riders are an unrelenting force fueled by ferocity and righteousness. Sam's faithful courage is also touched upon. 'What can men do against such reckless hate?' 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Rohan Doesn't Look Back 07:30 Defining Courage and Tolkien'…

Philip, Matt, and Mark discuss the different aspects that influenced Tolkien's work, such as his Christian worldview, historical and mythological inspirations, and timeless themes. They also explore Tolkien's unique ability to weave these elements together into compelling narratives that continue to captivate audiences. 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Set…

Matt and Philip dive deep into different characters’ varying resilience to the One Ring's influence in Tolkien's Middle-earth. Starting with the enigmatic Tom Bombadil, who remains unaffected by the Ring's power. The narrative then explores the ring's different temptations and impacts on characters like Galadriel, Sam, and other races of Middle-ear…

Matt and Philip delve into the theme of swearing oaths in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. They analyze the consequences of these oaths through characters such as Feanor and his sons, who swear to retrieve the Silmarils, and the Men of the Dead, who are bound by an oath to Isildur until released by Aragorn. The discussion explores the implications of sweari…

Philip and Matt bring on a guest, Albert, who advocates for a real Middle-earth that existed far back in our history. In so many words, Albert argues that Tolkien didn't realize he was writing on true stories.Door Philip Dudt

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.Door 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.Door 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.Door 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.Door 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?Door Philip Dudt

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

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.Door 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.Door Philip Dudt

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.Door Philip Dudt

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.Door 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.Door 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?Door Philip Dudt

Philip and Matt attempt to dissect the daring mission to create a Middle Earth show, with little to go on.Door Philip Dudt

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

Devil in the white city