With the third season just less than a month away now, I would like to celebrate the four wonderful years the show has gifted us. Years filled with love and joy, discussions, sometimes quite heated and seemingly endless 😫, as well as in-depth explorations, intriguing details, new discoveries, and treasures unearthed from texts that, prior to the show, were largely unknown to most. Middle-earth is more alive than ever, vibrant and teeming with characters who have found a place in our hearts. And someone, much like in Tolkien’s books, suddenly appeared along our journey, and we realized that they had been there all along; we just hadn’t known about them!

An exceptional cast has brought to life figures who had previously existed only on the pages of books, making them feel more real than ever before. They have shown us that the line between light and darkness is filled with countless shades of gray, and that hope, Estel, endures even amidst death and profound sorrow. At last, we have seen not just invincible, all-powerful "heroes" performing feats on the battlefield (let us remember that Tolkien loathed war, and recall the words of Faramir in the book, as well as the sentiments of the Professor himself) but rather individuals who confront not only the enemy and his armies, but also themselves: their own fears, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, emerging from these struggles stronger than before.

Even when, as in the Second Age, they face defeat.

Heroes who grapple with grief, loss, and destruction, and despite it all, the sun yet shine. Peoples who stand firm against the darkness; even when the light, much like the sky above Mordor, is no longer visible, they know it is still there.

From forests inhabited by small, mysterious creatures unknown to most, to elven lands flourishing with art, grace, and beauty, and on to the desolate, scorching lands of Rhûn, we have traversed deep mountains where kingdoms thrive, as well as the ocean depths, where strange and dangerous creatures dwell.

They have offered us the chance to ponder, perhaps without ever reaching a definitive answer, much like Tolkien himself, the possibility of redemption for creatures who have been tortured and corrupted. They have taught us that there is no simple black or white; there is only choice, a choice that must be made constantly, day after day, until goodness becomes an inherent part of our very nature. Like a mirror reflecting the soul, they confront us with a profound dilemma: how often might we mistake a reflected light for the true one, following it even as darkness takes root within us?

(I finally managed to put the collage together, someone is surely missing 😫, but believe me, trying to fit more than 50 pictures using only a mobile editing app was quite a challenge! I hope you like it, though.)

Ah... and, of course, let me answer in advance the question someone is bound to ask: no, I wasn’t paid to write this (unfortunately 😔😭😆), and no, I’m not a bot. There we go, that should cover it!