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DARK SECRETS: Mordor | Vintage Vibes

How Silicon Valley misreads The Lord of the Rings

On October 30 2025, the Department of Homeland Security in the United States posted a Tolkien meme. It pictured Merry Brandybuck – one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s four hobbit protagonists in The Lord of the Rings – speaking to another hobbit Pippin at the climax of The Two Towers, the second…

The Conversation

‘When I show people this, they think it’s Mordor’: the architect viewing the West Midlands as a national park

Birmingham City University thinktank imagines new approach to urban areas and land use across the region

The Guardian - UK

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 episode 3 recap: a new king of Númenor

Here's what happens in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 episode 3.

WhatToWatch

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Shadow of Mordor is worth revisiting for the nemesis system alone

These vendettas still feels fresh 10 years later.

PC Gamer

The internet mashed up Moneyball and The Lord of the Rings and made some hysterical memes

They're taking the shortstops to Isengard!

USA Today Sports Media Group

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review

This stealth adventure has its charms, despite a fractured identity.

PC Gamer

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review — Time’s too precious for this sneaky action game

There’s potential in this twisted Tolkien side-tale, but not much in the way of fun

Evening Standard

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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum — I wasted 12 hours reviewing this

Lord of the Rings: Gollum wastes the potential of its somewhat interesting premise by serving up repetitive action, a bland storyline and a litany of technical issues that occasionally verge on game-breaking. It’s a painful experience that even the most diehard Tolkien fans should avoid.

Tom’s Guide

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum review: "Not so much an unexpected journey as it is one to avoid altogether"

Deep in the blackened bowels of Barad-Dur, a great evil is brewing. Sauron's army grows with every passing day, as the Dark Lord's piercing eye surveys the lunar wastelands of Mordor for his prized possession – the Ring of Power: one ring to rule them all. It's far from his…

GamesRadar

‘Rimmed with fire’: rare butterfly genus named after Sauron in Lord of the Rings

Newly discovered species with vivid orange and black markings named for evil ruler of Mordor to pique interest in conservation

The Guardian - UK

'Rings of Power' Episode 7: How a real apocalypse inspired Mordor's return

When Alex Disenhof set out to create Mordor for 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' his inspiration didn’t come from fantasy or fiction. It came from something much more personal.

Inverse

Mordor? 'Rings of Power' just changed Tolkien's canon for the better

Here's how the explosive climax of Episode 6 of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' changes the Southlands forever and expands a moment in Middle-earth history that hasn't previously been explored.

Inverse

'Rings of Power' theory reveals Sauron's terrifying evil plan

We could be watching the creation of Mordor in real time if this 'Rings of Power' theory is correct.

Inverse

'Rings of Power' Episode 3 explained: Mordor twist may confirm a huge finale theory

An important part of Sauron’s plan has been revealed. Here's why one twist in Episode 3 of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' may confirm a long-held fan theory about where the Amazon series' first season is heading.

Inverse

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Reason

Ukrainians Calling Russian Invaders "Orcs"

Apropos "ruscism," I thought I'd also note this other relatively new usage, seemingly pretty clearly from Tolkien. Some Googling suggests there are some possible broader connections, e.g., to this Russia/Mordor item, but I can't speak to how common the usage was in the past. But right now it does seem…

People

Galadriel Morfydd Clark

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