Mitch Cawley

Honestly just a great show. Encapsulates the soul of LoTR very well. Critics were hating on this for the same reason they were hating on the LoU series. They were pissed that there was 'woke' influences. They didn't like seeing a female Protagonist or a black elf. Just like they didn't agree with the decision to make Ellie a lesbian. People are petty and so far the show has been tying in the world of middle earth really well. Along with the fantastic worldbuilding, you get phenomenal cinematography, soundtrack done by Bear McCreary, and exceptional monologues. I am thoroughly enjoying it and it is one of my favourite series thus far. This is coming from someone who has the full map of middle-earth Tattoo'd on their arm and grew up reading books about the lore (ungoliath, morgoth, all of the elven heroes of past, has read the silmarillons, etc.) Getting review bombed by purists is ridiculous since most of the purists haven't even given the shows plot a chance to unfold and tie together the loose ends presented so far. The only point of criticism I have so far is in a few of the scenes, the use of face make-up in the second season was a bit overwhelming. I am unsure if they changed make-up artists between the two, but its OK to give the actors and actresses more of a natural look. The fact that the show can pass the Bechdel-Wallace test (Having 2 females on the screen without discussing a man) is honestly amazing. Not much cinema accomplishes this and in no way does it detract from the scenes. In fact portrayal of strong female characters is something that has always been prominent through Tolkiens works. I would largely ignore the noise that is so prevalent. Close-minded people are the loudest. If you enjoy the original trilogy, give this a watch.