Some takeaways for me:

1. They love Tolkien as much as other fans and are very aware of the deeper lore.
2. One of them is a Latter-day Saint? I didn't know that. The one with glasses, when asked about his other favorite books, said that he finds spiritual inspiration in the Book of Mormon.
3. The fact that they did this interview with a YouTuber who has, at times, been critical of the show tells me that they are humble are really are working hard to do the story justice.
4. While I don't agree with all of their creative decisions, I can understand some of those decisions based on this interview.

My own opinion is that Season 2 was definitely better than Season 1 and I'm looking forward to Season 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QzGIAoBW0s