Spoilerish reviews of Episodes 1 and 2

[Smaug's voice]

I'm not sure where to put it, but I found this on the Rings of Power subreddit: A constantly updating list for checking the show's accuracy to Tolkien's texts -

[kzer_za]

Well yes, a large portion of the show is basically fanfic as we knew it would be going in from a basic understanding of the rights and chronological structure. I do think there is a sincere effort to follow Tolkien’s themes from said fanfic, though I also worry that Amazon potentially interfered on one key point (and no, it’s not diversity or warrior Galadriel - I’m waiting to post about it because it’s possible they’re going to address it a little later).

But when there is so little material for a 40-hour show and the timeline is all packed super-tight (in a way that will inherently compromise the second age’s themes to some degree) is that sincere intention enough? I am not convinced so far, but we’ll see over the next few episodes.

[Eldy]

That's a fairly reasonable list. There are a couple points I'd quibble with—I think it's a major stretch to read "the Elves do not forget it" as even "debatably" implying that they established, and militarily occupied, bantustans for the Easterlings in the Second Age—but there's only one point on which I have to strongly differ from u/DarrenGrey's analysis:

Orcs were conducting dark sorcery - Debatable

No notion of this in the text. The “Unseen World” as quoted is only vaguely alluded to in Tolkien. Having dumb creatures like orcs engage in sorcery seems out of place, but we don’t know the truth of what was actually going on.

I think our glimpses of Orcs in LOTR pretty decisively disproves the notion that they were mere "dumb creatures," but even if that's a minority perspective (as I think it is), Gandalf still unambiguously states that Orcs could use magic. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves or Men or Orcs, that was ever used for such a purpose"—i.e., opening doors (FOTR, II 4).

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Good catch!

For the record, I agree that our glimpses of the Orcs in LotR (and even the goblins of The Hobbit) prove that they are not "dumb creatures." Soulless perhaps (as I have argued numerous times in the past), but not mindless.

[narya]

So what's the story behind The Green Man on the elven armor?
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/bts ... 1920_.jpeg

[Frelga]

Personal Pet Peeve. WTF was Galadriel doing with the rope on the raft? Its not like it was attached to a sail.

Trying to tighten it or hold it together? Before the larger group got et, they were pulling ropes to keep the boards together.

[Alatar]

So what's the story behind The Green Man on the elven armor?
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/bts ... 1920_.jpeg

They're the Army of Bombadil

[Aravar]

I think the point of the raft scene was to have a shot that echoed Frodo saving Sam from drowning at the end of FOTR, when Galadriel was rescued.

[Stranger Wings]

Personal Pet Peeve. WTF was Galadriel doing with the rope on the raft? Its not like it was attached to a sail.

The rope was attached to a large piece of wood positioned vertically, and she was shifting that piece of wood with the rope. She was using it as a rudder to, I presume, steer the raft eastwards toward Middle Earth.