A divided audience
The AI considers it Certified Woke Trash, while users consider it Very Woke. The 24-point difference (weighted 16) is among the stronger disagreements in our database.

2022
AI and users disagree
Messaging overwhelms the narrative.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power scores 91/100 on the IsItWoke scale and lands in Certified Woke Trash.
The messaging is doing a lot of the work in this show.
The strongest reasons behind the rating are Dialogue often feels like it serves a modern ideological agenda rather than character development or plot progression. and many characters appear to be included primarily for their symbolic representation rather than organic narrative roles..
See the full breakdown below.
AI vs Community
AI: Certified Woke Trash · Community: Very Woke · 20 votes · 24-point disagreement.
Woke Context
Based on rated titles in our database — filmography and franchise patterns, not personal judgments.
The AI considers it Certified Woke Trash, while users consider it Very Woke. The 24-point difference (weighted 16) is among the stronger disagreements in our database.
Season-by-season woke breakdown coming soon.
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Community voters most often cited the following (optional tags they chose after voting). This reflects perceptions, not facts.
| Signal | What was measured | Strength | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Message-first dialogue | How much the dialogue, monologues, or character interactions feel driven by overt messaging, moral lecturing, ideological framing, or making a point instead of serving the story naturally. | 16/20 | +11 |
| Legacy rewriting | How much an existing franchise, adaptation, setting, or known property appears significantly altered, reinterpreted, or re-centered in ways that feel driven by modern ideological priorities rather than faithful or organic storytelling. | 18/20 | +11 |
| Ideology over story | How much the overall storytelling prioritizes ideological framing, message delivery, social commentary, or activism-coded narrative choices over pacing, conflict, immersion, and entertainment. | 14/20 | +10 |
| Modern politics injection | How much contemporary political discourse, activist framing, or modern culture-war signaling appears injected into fantasy, sci-fi, historical, or otherwise escapist settings in a way that feels noticeable or immersion-breaking. | 17/20 | +10 |
| Protected protagonist pattern | How much the protagonist fits the protected-protagonist pattern (agenda-driven character construction) rather than competence fantasy. Score HIGH only when: competence appears unearned or unexplained; protagonist rarely faces consequences; antagonists exist mainly to demonstrate protagonist superiority; narrative treats protagonist as symbolically superior; plot shields protagonist from vulnerability. Score LOW when: competence is grounded in training, profession, or past experience; protagonist suffers damage or setbacks; real physical danger and survival tension exist (normal action storytelling). Do not penalize competence fantasy. | 16/20 | +10 |
A short read on tone, themes, and messaging — not a plot synopsis.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power leans heavily into modern ideological framing, often at the expense of coherent storytelling. Dialogue frequently feels like it is designed to deliver a message, overshadowing character development and organic interactions.
The characters, while diverse, often come across as tokenistic, lacking the depth that would make them feel integral to the narrative. Significant departures from established lore indicate a prioritization of contemporary themes over the rich history of the source material, which can alienate long-time fans.
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