Lets Continue! | Part 1 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | First Time Watching | Extended 

Gandalf speaks in riddles. So if he confused you, its understandable. He technically died after defeating the Balrog. A quick explanation would be something like. The God in this universe basically said "nah dude you still got work to do. Here's a free power up. And I'm giving you Saruman's old job as head wizard. That guy is so fired. Now get back out there."

The smirk you made when Gandalf said "you would not part an old man from his walking stick" lol😂

Eomer was banished "on pain of death" which means if Eomer ever came back, Grima could legally have him killed. Grima was the king's advisor and wielded power through Theoden but he can't just have Eomer killed.

Great pickup on "Every little thing matters." Tolkien spent the bulk of his lifetime working on the universe of Middle Earth, right up to his death. And yes, everything is intimately interconnected.

20:19 Whats more heartbreaking about this scene is when you put it from the perspective of Tolkien. He fought & lived through WW1 but many brothers in arms didnt and many parents had been told their sons where dead. Cant imagine what he felt on those days.

Gandalf was “sent back”. Gandalf is a Maia, a spiritual being in Tolkiens mythology that’s like an angel, who was sent to middle earth clothed in a mortal form by the Valar (the most powerful of the angelic beings, whom Gandalf served). When Gandalf’s mortal body died, his spirit (his normal Maia form) returned to his superiors who sent him. They returned him to finish his task. (More on that task below) Sauron is also a Maia- an evil one. There were five good Maiar were sent to help the peoples of middle earth stand fast against Sauron. But the five sent were not permitted to use their full angelic powers. Their job was to help and encourage the peoples of middle earth to fight evil, not to do the fighting for them. Only one of the five stayed true to the task…Gandalf. Saruman was the one we see in the films who did not. More about the rest in the books.

Funny fact, Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) Broke his Big toe when he kicked that helmet after the Rohan riders killed the Uruk Hai that night. The scream he lets out if from the pain he got when it broke, they thought it was so good so they kept it. They all thought he acted it brilliantly, but it fact he broke his toe and kept acting out the entire scene. This man is unreal xD

(Me waiting for the next 20 minutes or so for the video to be available): ‘A reaction is never late Abdur Rehman. Nor is it early. It premieres precisely when it’s supposed to!’ 😆

I like how almost all of your questions are answered almost immediately after you ask them 🤣

One thing that may help: Frodo, Sam & Gollum are currently in the Kingdom of Gondor and will be running into people from there. The rest of the Fellowship are currently in different locations within the Kingdom Of Rohan. There are basically two kingdoms of men involved in the story, with new characters introduced from mostly those two kingdoms.

I'm glad you rewatched Fellowship. I've found that most movies that are really worth watching once are worth watching a second time.

I don't completely understand why but seeing Shadowfax for the first time usually makes me cry. It feels like the closest I will ever get to seeing an actual Unicorn.

Gandalf is a Maiar, a celestial spirit. Think of him as an Angel. He can't die as men do as his spirit returned to Valinor, the Undying Lands where he and Saruman came from. He was "sent back until [his] task is complete" because Sauron - who is also a Maiar - still threatened Middle Earth.

So mind blown the poor dear girl could barely speak. Shows the power of the film.But the emotions are written clearly on her face. Lovely to see

So you may have heard the name Eru Iluvatar mentioned, he is the creator deity of Tolkien's world. Gandalf's resurrection as The White Wizard was a direct intervention by Eru, one of only 2 or 3 known times that he has affected events in such a personal way. It's a pretty big deal.

I think the moment from Gandalf and the 3 hunter's arrival at Edoras, Theoden's exorcism, and Theodred's funeral are my favorite moments of the trilogy. There's just so much rich world building and weaving Anglo-Saxon history into it. I find it so beautiful.

11:25 The reason Aragorn is screaming so genuinely is: That Viggo Mortensen kicked that helmet so hard that he broke his toe.

So Gandalf's return ties into the wider mythology of the world that is expanded way more in Tolkien's other works. For the purposes of the movie, Gandalf is essentially an angel given a mortal body, and when he defeated the Balrog his body was so utterly exhausted that it expired. But since Saruman had betrayed the mission that he and all the other wizards (Gandalf included) were sent on, Gandalf was given back to the world in a rejuvenated body, and with greater knowledge and power than before so that he could better combat the threat of Sauron and Saruman combined.

It's been several years and infinite amount of times I've seen these movies and I still can never hear Legolas say "they're taking the Hobbits to Isengard" without busting out in to singing the song 😂😂

11:18 did you know that when Aragorn… just kidding. Here’s a better fun fact. Just before you cut to that famous Aragorn scene, Eomer’s sword falls out of his sheath as he mounts his horse :)

Gandalf’s body died but his spirit is immortal. Then the gods sent him back to help since he was the only wizard who stayed true to the purpose. When Gandalf says “you did not kill me” he’s just referring to when Saruman captured him in the fellowship instead of killing him.

Fangorn is his name. (Means bearded tree) Yes. The forest is named after HIM. And he’s over 15,000 years old ❤❤❤❤ It tags along with the Gandalf stuff too.

Glad you rewatched the Fellowship, and I'm glad you're watching the extended editions.. this is possibly the best trilogy ever, and each movie is better than the last..

Good on you for rewatching Fellowship. Will definitely allow you to follow Two Towers and Return of the King better.

According to Tolkien, Elves could even dream while moving about, "blending living night & deep dream." When Aragorn, Gimli & Legolas are running across the Plains of Rohan pursuing the orcs who captured Merry and Pippin, Legolas never sleeps, and even stands watch while his wiped out Dwarf & Human companions That & out of the entire journey Legolas was both Stoic and ethereal but the one whose heart remained the lightest & kept the fellowship afloat in so many ways ❤. So it was weird how the film gave it all to Gimli! 😂❤️. Also remember what I mentioned before too about how he walked ontop of the snow & such. It’s beautifully nuanced stuff!

Longtime LOTR fans (that's a weak word for us, but I can't think of a better one at the moment) really get involved when someone reacts from the heart and shows such an interest in understanding the story the way you do. You've got a great group of well-informed followers here. All the best to you!

The books had maps in them to really help track where everything is happening. Your rewatch of the first movie yielded information that will make the rest of trilogy that much better viewing. Brilliant.

"Don't follow the lights!" The scene in the Dead Marshes was inspired by the legends of will-o'-the-wisps. Will-o'-the-wisps are a type of atmospheric ghost light. In the case of will-o'-the-wisps, this is caused by the oxidation of gases released by organic decay (which is common in swamps). Another type of atmospheric ghost light called St. Elmo's fire is caused by the ionization of air molecules around an object, usually a pole-like structure such as a ship's mast or a chimney (but is also seen sometimes on the leading edge of airplanes in flight).

Great reaction, you're doing a good job of understanding the plot as it moves along, more at times than other reactors. Also, you'll notice a lot of the questions you're asking are sometimes answered within the moving story. Nice to watch your reaction, stay tuned it only gets better.

Gandalf did die and was sent back by the head god to finish his task. Gandalf is actually an Angelic type being, but he is not allowed to use all his power and is supposed to mostly provide guidance. Plus, he leveled up and a few upgrades and is the new the White Wizard.

I have watched this series dozens, maybe even hundreds of times, and I still cry throughout.

This trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart. I was a kid when this came out, and the scene with the drowned spirits reaching for Frodo after he tips forward into the bog scared the Hell out of me. I liked to make myself feel like a badass by watching it alone with the lights out - though of course I'd have to glance over my shoulder afterwards, just in case... : )

Have you seen, or intend on watching the appendices? These are hours of amazing footage on how the world and the movies were made, 6 or 9 DVDs depending on which edition of the boxed set it is... It goes into pre and post production of the films... Well worth seeing

i love hte fact thtat u really went the extra mile of rewatching the wohle first movie just to get a better understanding of the lore. thats some respect to tolkiens work. reall appreciate you

I really appreciate that you watched the first film a 2nd time. Most people as these films were released saw it more then once so it makes sense if you want the full effect. Thank you.

“Gollum” basically is the corruption of the ring personified. He’s a great character study into mental illness, trauma and addiction. (a lot of people interpret Gollum as having multiple personalities (DID) but it’d probably be more accurately described as psychosis brought on by a form of schizophrenia, since DID isn’t characterised by “personalities” interacting with each other in real time, and often not being aware of one another)

Gandalf is one of the many Maiar (lesser angels) in Tolkien's mythology. In this universe, he's existed since the beginning of time. So, when his physical body died, his spirit merely returned to the domain whence he came. Then he was sent back (as the leader of the wizards) to complete his task.

What Frodo saw was the scouring of the Shire after the last book :) The events do not occur in the movie though

Fun fact, when the aragorn kicked that helmet he actually broke his leg and it had to be amputated, he has been rocking a wooden leg ever since.

11:22 When he hits the helmet, his finger actually breaks and he actually screams. Greetings from Antalya/Türkiye

The range of emotions on your face makes my heart happy that you enjoy this Stef. It's such an awesome world and story.

24:32 The fact that you caught the whistle is really impressive. Most people wouldn't pick up on that detail.

WELL....... you were quite fast in uploading that, thank you very much, commented on your fellowship video and really wanted you to continue and here you did on the same day I watched your others. thank you very much indeed.

4:02 I think Sauon's eye in this form was not in the LotR books. Instead it was like a marking on the armor of Sauron's forces (like the white hand of Saruman on his forces) and Sauron looked across the world with a Palantir of his own (that's one of the round balls, you see Saruman having one in his tower 6:52 and there are a few more of them in the world).

Gandalf (the Grey) did die, but not at Saruman's hand. He died as a result of his fight with the Balrog. That's what Gandalf the White meant when he said, "You did not kill me; you will not kill him."

a nice little "fun fact" about the swamps of the dead: they are an homage of a north-western front during WW1. the battlefield became so muddy through constant artelleryfire and rain, that soldiers began to drown in the puddles of mud. one slight misstep and it was often already to late and it was almost impossible to get them back out. hope everyone sleeps well now

The brilliance of the writing and acting in this movie. You were in tears over the death of a character that never appeared awake and alive on screen (Theodred, Theodin's son)

What great fun it is to watch you watch this! Thanks for taking us on the journey. You've already gotten lots of comments about Gandalf's origins (he's like an angel, etc). I'll just add one thing, though it's probably already been said: when Gandalf shows himself to Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, he says, "I AM Saruman...or rather Saruman as he should've been". He's referring to the fact that Saruman was sent to be the head of the wizards to help prevent Sauron from rising again. Gandalf is basically saying that the "higher-ups" (spiritually speaking) have made Gandalf the head of this effort in place of Saruman. (Also, think about how crushing it must've been for Gandalf to find out the head "Sauron-fighter" had in fact switched sides...) Thanks again, looking forward to the next!

"the only thing I can think of is him before the ring and then him after the ring, and they're just kinda conjoined into gollum" you picked that up insanely well for not seeing much of gollum yet

God these movies are so perfect. I remember being 8 when the first one came out. This is peak movie trilogies, the king

Life is a struggle but most of us forget that family is who you owe debt to so to meet your ancient ancestors with the same heart and struggle they did to make life so much better for you is a true entrance to the halls of a warrior and praise from your fathers.

Gandalf is not human, he is a Maiar, Maiar are like spirits that can take phisical form. Gandalf have like 3 thousen years and always look like and old man, thats why he really cant die, Maiars can only lose some power and be unable to take a phisical form again, but they always will be alive like a spirits. Other Maiars in the movie are the Balrog(the demon that fight with Gandalf), Saruman and Sauron. They all are like the same race but they can take diferents form

I am glad you took time to see the Fellowship a second time! When you completed all three parts, see them again! We use to have marathons where we see the whole trilogy (which I consider one film) in one sitting. And try to find the behind the scene clips (they come with the DVD), they are fantastic!

I'll try to describe the geography a bit. Since we have parts of the Fellowship scattered, it can be a bit hard to follow. The mountains they had to cross in the first movie were the Misty Mountains. Isengard is at the southern tip of those mountains and they run north past Rivendell (where Elrond was). Moria was underneath those mountains about half-way between Rivendell and Isengard. Lothlorien, where Galadriel rules, is the elven kingdom on the eastern side of Moria. The river they used to go south was the Anduin and it runs down to the sea in the south. On the eastern slopes at the southern end of the Misty Mountains is Fangorn Forest, That's where Treebeard lives and where the hobbits escaped the orcs. It marks the northern border of the Kingdom of Rohan. Across the grasslands to the south are the White Mountains, which form the border between Rohan and Gondor (where Boromir was from). Edoras is on a hill on the north side of the mountains. Where the White Mountains come near the southern tip of the Misty Mountains in the west is the Gap of Rohan, and Helm's Deep is on the south side of the Gap. The City of Minas Tirith (the "White City" Boromir mentions and capitol of Gondor) is at the eastern tip of the White Mountains. Gondor itself is primarily between the White Mountains and the Sea but also claims the strip of land between the Anduin River and the Mountains of Mordor. This is where Golem was taking the hobbits south when they were captured. Mordor is directly East of Gondor and Rohan and is surrounded on the north, west, and south by the Mountains of Mordor. The Black Gate is at the northwest corner of the mountains. Minas Morgul (where the Black Riders rode out from) is in the middle of the western side of the Mountains of Mordor and directly across the river Anduin from Minas Tirith. Osgiliath is a city in between the Minas Morgul and Minas Tiith on an island in the river, creating the best crossing spot. Some of these become more important later, but I believe all of them have been mentioned (even if just in passing).

This will help make sense of the movies. Gandalf is the same species of being as the Balrogs/Sauron before twisted by Melkor[Morgoth]. They are all Maiar (primordial spirits). Gandalf named Olórin created by Eru’s Thought (extensions of Eru Îlluvatar himself whilst they had their own free will & individuality. He essentially got the chance to experience and study other parts of himself through this.) among the other Ainur before the Years of the Lamps roughly 9,000+ years before arriving in Middle-earth; In Valinor he was known as Olórin.(Remember though he formally existed before the world existed and his form becoming Gandalf hadn’t happened yet. He was sent to Middle-earth in human form around the year 1000 of the Third Age. So his many forms had different ages in length of existing. He’s very cool right! Could he get any cooler!? 😎❤️ Another thing is when he arrived in middle earth he was disguised as an elf & lived among them whilst they were unknowing & he became to be known as Mithrandir to the Quendi/Eldar❤️ He could have very well dwelled with the elves far earlier just do to his curiosity & simple desire to explore and be around the firstborn (TheElves) Gandalf The Grey/White Estimated at 15,000 years old (following his quote "300 lives of men, I have walked this earth"), It says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar besides Melian herself. There were a lot of Maiar that were considered really great and powerful. However, there is a much longer answer. Like Sauron(former name is Mairon) & the other Istari (the order sent around the same time & of which he was appointed leader but he being who he is & a student of the Vala by the name Nienna & Lorien(Irmo). Gandalf was a Maiar, an angelic spirit created by Eru at the beginning of time and therefor one of the many Ainur who sang the world into being & Eru just helped their creation take shape and basically stated “behold YOUR creation” & basically what happens in that world goes sort of preordained as by that song eons ago so really only the ages after Dagor Dagorath will truly be an age that isn’t full of strife and sadness and longing. Also. These lamps are what were before even the two trees. These were Giant mountains but also like light houses but housing a great power but it may have also been where two special Maia lived that helped in the creation in the sun and moon after Melkor With eldrich terror Ungoliant killed the trees, so yea “Arien” is the Maia who basically exists with the sun and her brother and or lover of sorts is the one who wanders with and guides the moon. Of which that other Maia was “Tillion”

11:25 Fun fact Viggo actually broke his toe, kicking that helmet

Behind the scenes fact - When Aragorn kicked the Orc helmet the actor broke his toe, but his scream worked so well for the scene it was left in.

I personally love the lore behind The Dead Marshes because it hints at how progressively more evil their surroundings are getting, meaning the ring is getting stronger and stronger. In the book, when Sam pulls Frodo out of the water, Gollum tells them you can’t actually touch the bodies (Frodo tries to touch it in the book, but this suggests Gollum also tried to touch and even eat the bodies at one point), and it shows that even in a place so abandoned that Gollum even says the orcs “will go round for miles and miles”, they’re still cursed and powerful enough to pull Gordon in almost immediately. It’s almost like a taste of the threats to come, and is just great worldbuilding

Yay..... been checking everyday since fellowship for this🤗 Unfortunately it's 4am and I need to go to bed. Be watching this when I awake😊

An Uruk's choice of beverage: Grog! Distilled from blood sucking bloat flies. Keeps the spirits high and heals all ailments if you're an Orc. Delicious at every occasion! 11:23 that scream after the kick was genuine. Viggo broke his toes when he kicked that helmet.

This is one of the first movies that I really loved I’ve seen a lot of reactions to this movie but I respect you so much for rewatching it to understand what you missed and not just hating on it this movie is a masterpiece

I’d be surprised if you had any really big questions by the end of the series. It’s pretty good about that sort of thing, in my opinion.

21:59 "who's he tryina' convince" is too damn real!!

Frodo was shocked when Gollum fished him out of the mere, presumably because he thought it was Sam saving him, it was a great surprise that it was Gollum.

Thanks for watching. Such a great series. Just... you can't find movies like this anymore.

11:23 when Viggo/Aragorn kicks that helmet,he legit broke 3 toes and used the pain to scream with.

11:22 When Vigo kicked the helmet he broke his toe. That scream is him actually in pain.

Back before this film came out in theaters there was some controversy over whether or not they needed to change the title with 9/11 still fresh in people's memories.

The actor who played Gimmley and Tree Beard was in a great scifi fantasy series from the 90s called Sliders. He plays the professor and our band of heros get lost traveling between parallel worlds trying to find their way home. Excellent show

Hello there Stef! Gandalf it´s one of the five Istari... sent to the middle earth by the Valar. With Saruman, it´s also Gandalf, Radagast and the two blue wizards. Saruman was the white because he was chosen as the leader of all them. When he turned to evil... the Valar chose a new leader.... returning Gandalf as Gandalf the white.

I know we all appreciate you learning about this new fandom... I am just so happy about your little references like "Its not just a boulder... its a rock!" :D

Gandalf died indeed, in his fight against the Balrog and his body was badly damaged. But as his task wasn't complete (to help Middle Earth against evil) Iluvatar gave him a new body and Gandalf choose the same form in order to be easily recognised. So, he returned in a new body but in the same shape to end his task and with the rank of Saruman (White Wizard), who was removed from his mission by Iluvatar.

I just love how Sam sells Frodo for some freakin salt Also i love me a good Spongebob reference

Oh Girl this was one of the sweetest reactions I’ve ever seen to Lord of the Rings! I almost started to cry with you🥲 Was a joy to witness your emotional rollercoaster. Really looking forward for more reactions, there are a lot of Movies for you to cry about 😊 Much love from 🇩🇪

If you want some real appreciation for this master piece, check out the making of. The attention to detail and proper craftsmanship that went into it is staggering.

Wow! What a roller-coaster of emotions 🤣. Great reaction.

I was quite recently in cinema on LOTR marathon and the collective mood of all the people there was absolutely amazing ... when Boromir was dying it was dead silence and the air in the room was absolutely still ... half an hour later when legolas says his most famous line (6:45) the crowd busrted into cheers and laughter ... what a beutiful experience

15:33 "They're there? Hold on. I need to prepare." One does not simply prepare for Mordor.

Gandalf tells saruman "you did not kill me" referring to when he had Gandalf as a prisoner in book 1, as Gandalf escaped with the help of the eagle. Gandalf did die defeating the balrog.

Grima mention of the ring of Barahir that Aragorn wears actually predated all the ring of powers including the One Ring which Frodo carries.

As the member of the LOTR fandom…I feel obligated to tell you that at 11:23 DID YOU KNOW THAT HERE WHEN ARAGORN KICKS THE HELMET AND SCREAMS…HE ACTUALLY BROKE HIS TOE AND SCREAMED IN PAIN…BUT PETER JACKSON LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT HE KEPT IT IN?’ There you go Stef…I have done my duty and now it’s yours to remember this as a true LOTR fan!😆😆😆

2:38 Btw, Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth are both 2 of the same beings called Maia and Sauron and Saruman are Maia as well. In the Simarillion book we learn that there is Eru Iluvatar, the god of Arda (which is the name of Tolkien's LotR world). Then there are the Vala, god's arch angles so to speak. And then finally there are the Maia, which are comparable to god's regular angles. The Vala and Maia helped god create Arda with their combined song of creation. 14:38 Gandalf's name in Valinor (god's undying lands/continent where the elves, gandalf and all the 4 other wizzards, one of them Saruman, come from) is Olórin. During the song of creation the Valar Melkor created as disharmony with the others and basically became the big main antagonist of the franchise. He was later also called Morgoth. Some of the Maia, like the Balrogs and Sauron joined his cause to rebell and fight against god and his forces (of good). Sauron became Morgoth's 2nd in command and throughout the 2nd and 3rd age basically carried Morgoth's lecay after Morgoth was defeated in War of Wrath, a war of unimaginable scale (even in comparisson to the battles in these movies) with winged dragons as big as mountains involved (like Ancalagon the black) at the end of the 1st age (there are 4 ages in total and some time before like the age of the trees, the LotR story takes place at the end of the 3rd age). RU-vid has some really interesting videos about The War of Wrath, Morgoth, the battle that caused 13:03 and the 4 ages in general. I would love to see your reactions to those stories as well, the backstory to the LotR story so to speak.

The same actor that plays Gimli is the voice of Treebeard the Ent.

This has been so fun to watch. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much and really trying to understand everything, because it is tough on a first watch with all the names, locations, and storylines. Some people in the comments are hating because you miss nuggets here and there, but they definitely missed stuff on their first watch too lol

As lots of people have pointed out, Gandalf is a Maia. What's interesting to know is that Sauron, his great enemy, also is one. And so was the balrog, that's why Gandalf said it was a foe beyond any of the others.

The actor who played Arigorn broke his toe when he kicked that helmet in frustration when he thought Merry and Pippin were dead

11:23 that was actually method acting from Viggo Mortensen, he went outta script and improvised by kicking theat helmet! he also broke his two toes doing it but stayed in character despite the huge amount of pain 💀

since i didnt see anyone else say it. did you know when aragorn kicks the helmet he actually broke his toe and that scream was his reaction? its a canon event someone tells you this.

First step to watching LOTR marathons regularly. Welcome to the club! 😄

Eomer was banished "under pain of death," which means he's banished forever, and if he comes back, they'll kill him.

I ran across your reaction to Fellowship of the Ring and was immediately attracted. Thank you for being here.

“Under pain of death” means the *sentence* for breaking a law is a death penalty. The “law” or order being passed was the banishment of Eomer from Rohan. If he returned he would be put to death. The riders with him were loyal to him and knew the order was B.S.

When Gandalf says "you didn't kill me and you won't kill him" to Saruman as he is trying to remove him from Théoden's body, he is recalling when Saruman put him on top of Orthanc Tower in the first movie instead of killing him outright. He was trying to turn Gandalf evil, as he was tempted towards it (his motivations were to possess the One Ring himself, not to give it to Sauron in the books). So Gandalf was saying he knew Saruman had not taken to killing anyone directly still. As for the Boromir/Aragorn "my king" part...you said in another comment you noticed Boromir belittling Aragorn previously, but Aragorn did similar when they were in Lothlorien. Boromir kept trying to bring the ring to Gondor and was arguing with Aragorn over it, that's when Aragorn said "I would not bring The Ring within 100 leagues of YOUR city..." That was him still denying his fate/calling while also belittling Boromir & Gondor, which was the fastest way to get under Boromir's skin since he was a very proud warrior and protector of Gondor. When Boromir lay dying, Aragorn gave him hope by saying "I will not let the White City fall, nor OUR people fail." He was pledging an oath to Boromir while starting to accept his own fate and that's when Boromir says "our people..." and proceeds to say how he would have followed him and called him his king. It was a really well played piece to the movie as it calls back their opposition to each other and distrust ending with the bond of fellowship, kinship, respect, and honor. Just one of many reasons this is one of, if not THE best movie trilogy in history.

And there was Eru-illuvitare who sang a song and created the Valar

One of the nice things about the books is that there are maps included, so you can get an idea of where things are located and how far they have come. The men that came up with the oliphaunts are from a southern region called Harad, and they've been recruited by Sauron. Hmmm... Let me back up: Starting at the Shire, they go east, out of the Shire to Bree, then they continue a good way further east until they come to Rivendell, where Elrond lives and they form the Fellowship. From there, they head south, with the Misty Mountains to their left (east). They try to go around the southern end of the Misty Mountains, but Saruman's bird-spies are there, so they try to cross over these mountains, but the snow stops them. So they instead go under the mountains through Moria, and come out on the east side - the Misty Mountains run roughly north-to-south. Then they continue south to Lothlorien, where Galadriel lives and Frodo looks in the mirror, and they all get gifts. They take boats down the river, going further south. When the first movie ends, they're at the northern border of Gondor. Gondor is to the west of the river, and Mordor is on the east side of the river. Just north of Gondor is Rohan, separated by another mountain range that runs roughly east-to-west. Frodo and Sam cross to the east side of the river toward Mordor. The Black Gate is at the northwest corner of Mordor, and they proceed south according to Gollum's advice, in the "no-man's-land" between Gondor and Mordor. The people with the oliphaunts come from Harad, which is even further to the south than Mordor. Most importantly, Smeagol/Gollum is correct: There are only three ways into Mordor: 1. The Black Gate - absolutely no way to get in that way without being caught. 2. Go all the way around the mountain borders and enter from the eastern side. This would add hundreds of miles to their journey and weeks, if not months of time. And all that time, the ring will be working its evil on Frodo's mind. And they'll run out of food. And there are orcs and other servants of Sauron all around. And all the natural hazards. Not really feasible. 3. The secret way that Gollum escaped the last time he was there. Still dangerous, but the only way in without being caught. It's like trying to enter Hell itself - there's no safe way to do that.

The part about the dead marshes includes Legolas’s Father; Thranduil, & Thranduil’s father Oropher, were to join the Last Alliance in from a different angle to achieve a certain war tactic but Oropher and others got waylayed by orcs & many corrupted men which lead to eventually Oropher dying there, this loss effected Legolas’s father so very deeply forevermore. The bond between he and his son is the same bond Thranduil has with Legolas. And the braid he wears is to honour his grandfather. I believe after his death braids became less common. A sort of respect thing I believe. Both his father and Grandfather lived in Doriath(Elu Thingol’s domain[Elwë], which was heartbea of middle earth; Aside from Gondolin which held this mantle until it’s secret location was given up by a tortured elf who was the son of a very important mother who was the sister of the high king Turgon). All on a landmass called Beleriand that sunk under the sea after a set of disastrous events that lead to many greater outcomes much later on in the legendarium. This here is a whole set of stories of which also includes a quite a bit of Galadriel too but moreso other characters during this era. Of Beren And Lùthien comes to mind and Children Of Hurin!! You’ll fall in love even more after the third movie. Then you can enter into the lore videos like Moviejoob and OmarioRPG have done reaction videos too. Amazing stuff. One thing to add though is this scene resembles a lot from the other battle Tolkien was involved in called The Battle Of Somme. Look into it and tell me your thoughts.

What Frodo saw in Galadriel's mirror was the Shire falling. The Hobbits enslaved. It is touched upon more in the books.

When Gandalf tells Saruman that he didn't kill him, he's referring to when he was captured in the first film. Nothing to do with his encounter with the Balrog.

Yes it is pretty much one 13 hour movie

Past the Black Gate, to the south, you can see Sauron's Tower ( Barad-dûr ) and Mount Doom, Frodo's and Sam's goal.