I personally love the EE more than the TE, but not FOTR as much. The only EE scenes I would keep is Sam and Frodo seeing the Elves travel to Valinor, and Galadriel’s gift giving. Maybe Isildor being shot full of arrows. All the rest mess with the pacing and are minor. scenes with no bearing on anything.
Funny because I would cut the Frodo/Sam/Woodelves Scene.
Later in the Movie Sam is so excited about going to Rivendell and seeing the elves. But it makes No Sense considering He has already Seen the elves.
I love how the Theatrical Cut slowly builds Up the introduction to other races.
The Hobbits don’t Encounter anything unusual until the First Nazgul arrives. And an innoncent mind who has never seen the Movies might think:
Its Just a Rider on a Horse. Whats so Special about that ?
But then you get the Feeling that something about the Black Rider is Strange and scary even though you cannot fully understand what it is.
When the Hobbits enter the town of Bree they meet the Men of Bree, but as a Viewer seeing the Race of Men is nothing special.
And the Hobbits even though they are far away from Home are Feeling welcomed because Bree is also a place that is used to hosting Hobbits. So its the Meeting Point between two Races that live peacefully together.
The elves are the weirdest and Most magical of all the races. Therefore I think its best to meet them Last.
I know that Gandalf mentioned the Elves to Frodo but hearing about them and seeing them in Person is just Not the same.
Concerning Gandalf:
Gandalf is a Wizard but to the Hobbits He is Just an old man who is good at Fireworks 😅
So He does Not Count as Well.