Tea with Tolkien Interview with Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Hello, my friends, and thanks for joining us for Tea with Tolkien. I’m Kaitlyn and this afternoon we’re going to be joined by Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who of course plays the Queen-Regent Míriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
I was so thrilled to be able to chat with Cynthia! I remember when we met briefly at Comic-con earlier this year, we didn’t have much of a chance to talk so it was great to have a little bit more time today. If folks are interested in checking out all of the new Behind the Scenes X-Ray footage that’s just gone live today, they can find it over on Prime Video.
Announcing the Winners of the Rings of Power Fan Community Awards on Reddit
I was so honored to be invited as a special guest co-host for the first LOTR_on_Prime Reddit community’s awards show, the Varkies! This was such a joy, especially as I was able to announce that my favorite character Adar had won “Best Dad” and I was also lucky enough to win a Varkie myself under the “content creator - other” category.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Season One Review)
SME036: With Season 1 complete, Thomas Salerno, Kaitlyn Facista, and Jeff Haecker give a new look back to the whole season, including how it all appears on a re-watch, plus their predictions for what comes next.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 8)
SME035: Finale! Thomas Sanjurjo, Kaitlyn Facista, Thomas Salerno, and Jeff Haecker discuss the Rings of Power finale; the big reveal of two characters; the forging of the Rings; and the future of this podcast.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 7)
SME034: As season 1 races toward its end, Thomas Sanjurjo, Kaitlyn Facista, Thomas Salerno, and Jeff Haecker continue to play “guess the Sauron;” marvel at the Dwarves; note the characters who CAN’T die; and note the Tolkien-ish flourishes in the script.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 6)
SME033: Doom! Thomas Salerno, Kaitlyn Facista, and Jeff Haecker discuss the latest episode, including the question of the redeemability of orcs; Halbrand’s secret; and Galadriel’s focused drive.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 5)
SME032: The mystery of mithril. Thomas Sanjurjo, Kaitlyn Facista, Thomas Salerno, and Jeff Haecker discuss the latest episode, including the great friendship between Durin and Elrond; the odd trio following the Harfoots; and Gil-galad’s tale about the origin of mithril.
Interview: ‘The Rings of Power’: A Contribution to or a Corruption of Tolkien’s World?
ROUNDTABLE: The Register spoke to four Catholic critics to get their take on the billion-dollar Amazon series halfway through its first season. Read the full article here.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 4)
SME031: Choose not the path of fear, but of faith. Thomas Sanjurjo, Kaitlyn Facista, Thomas Salerno, and Jeff Haecker discuss episode 4 and the vision of the great wave; theories about the identities of various characters; and how Galadriel’s character is being built.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episode 3)
Mysteries abound this week as Thomas Sanjurjo, Kaitlyn Facista, Jeff Haecker, and Thomas Salerno discuss the arrival at Numenor, and the increasing number of questions and strangers in this 3rd episode of The Rings of Power.
Approaching 'The Rings of Power' as a New Interpretation of Tolkien’s Myth
The very existence of The Rings of Power as a series feels like evidence that Tolkien truly succeeded in his creation of a Myth for England and for our ‘primary world’ as he would call it. A story may die with its author, but the Great Tales live on well beyond their lifetime and with that comes the inevitability of change as they are passed down from generation to generation.
New Podcast: The Secrets of Middle-earth (Rings of Power Episodes 1 & 2)
Hope and vigilance! Dom Bettinelli, Thomas Sanjurjo, Thomas Salerno, and Kaitlyn Facista discuss the first two episodes of The Rings of Power, the themes it is unrolling so far, and how faithful to Tolkien’s vision it stays.
Moments from my NYC Trip & Thoughts on the Rings of Power Screening
I can’t wait to watch the first two episodes again once they’ve been released next week. I’ll probably need to watch them at least two more times before I can begin to form any coherent or constructive thoughts, to be honest, but it will be such a joy to be able to speak freely without worrying about spoiling anything for anyone and to be able to hear everyone else’s thoughts as well. I’m excited to finally see the show speak for itself, for better or for worse!
