Was it any wonder that Gandalf didn't want to walk through the Mines of Moria? Kind of makes you wonder why Gimli was so anxious to see it. We discuss this, plus Bormoir's man-tantrums and Sam's genre awareness.

Episode 22 - The Ring Goes South

Oct 5th, 2017 58m 9s

We finally have a Fellowship of the Ring! The Nine walkers journey South, and the most perplexing question they have to deal with is: why does Boromir feel the need to blow his horn before a secret mission?

Episode 21 - The Council of Elrond - Part III

Sep 21st, 2017 1h 5m

We finally finish up The Council of Elrond and *SPOILERS* they're going to have to take the Ring to Mordor. We also finally get to hear about where the heck Gandalf was...and it involves a certain coat of many colors.

Episode 20 - The Council of Elrond (Part II)

Sep 21st, 2017 17m 23s

In Part II, we managed to read an additional nine pages of Council of Elrond. That's TWO more pages than we read in Part I!!!

Episode 19 - Council of Elrond (Part I)

Sep 7th, 2017 58m 51s

We spend an hour talking about seven pages. Seriously. This chapter is dense.

Episode 17 - Many Meetings

Aug 24th, 2017 1h

It only took us four months, but we've made it to book two! Frodo wakes up and runs not only into his reliable wizard friend, but an old hobbit friend. That, plus we discuss how entertaining "Errantry" would have been as a rap.

Episode 16 - Flight to the Ford

Aug 17th, 2017 57m 3s

Book I ends on a cliffhanger as Frodo hops on an Elvish horse and flies past a host of Black Riders. Does he make it? We talk about that and some other things, including the quick pacing in this chapter, the effect of the Black Rider's knife, a

Episode 15 - Tolkien Topics: Of Beren and Luthien (Part 2)

Aug 3rd, 2017 33m 37s

In part two of our discussion on Beren and Luthien, we wrap up the story and conclude with our thoughts on why Beren didn't just take Morgoth's crown, on Huan's convenient ability to speak when the plot required it, and about the depth that thi

Episode 14 - Tolkien Topics: Of Beren and Luthien (Part 1)

Aug 3rd, 2017 54m 30s

We take a one-week break from "The Lord of the Rings" to discuss the Tale of Beren and Luthien, a legend from "The Silmarillion." Our talk ranges from how Sauron replaced the Prince of Cats to the difficulty of remembering all the names of the

Episode 13 - A Knife in the Dark (Part II)

Jul 27th, 2017 47m 29s

So in Part I, we talked about about "A Knife in the Dark"...without actually getting to the knife in the dark. We cover the attack on Weathertop, Tolkien interjecting his mythology into the story, the Ring's power over Frodo, and YOUR QUESTIONS

Episode 12 - A Knife in the Dark (Part I)

Jul 27th, 2017 45m 19s

There is so much to talk about in this chapter, we couldn't squeeze it into one episode! In Part I, we make it right up to the slopes of Rivendell, discussing the two Black Rider attacks in Bree and Crickhollow, the reaction from the Bree folk,

Episode 11 - Strider

Jul 20th, 2017 57m 4s

We switch to Arabic numerals as we discuss Strider's former life as Trotter, his odd way of earning the hobbits' trust, and what we think has happened to Gandalf.

Episode X - At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

Jul 13th, 2017 46m 58s

After a three-chapter side quest, we finally return to the main campaign. The hobbits are in a strange town, they give out a strange cover story, and there is a strange dude manspreading in the corner of the bar. What are poor Shire folk to do?

Episode IX - Fog on the Barrow-downs

Jul 6th, 2017 1h

Are barrow-wights just Black Riders without horses? What is a barrow? Why does Tom Bombadil order the hobbits to run around naked on the Barrow-downs? We answer these questions and more on this week's episode.

Episode VIII - In the House of Tom Bombadil

Jun 28th, 2017 56m 43s

Who is Tom Bombadil? And what is Tom Bombadil? He is, as we have seen, an intentional enigma. We speculate on what Tom Bombadil is as we recount the hobbits' two nights chilling with him in the Old Forest.

Episode VII - The Old Forest (w/ guest Chris Wells)

Jun 22nd, 2017 43m 8s

David's brother Chris Wells joins us for a rousing discussion on maps, story pacing, and Tom Bombadil's creepy appearance. Also, we set Tom's music to...music.

Episode VI - Mushrooms Unmasked

Jun 15th, 2017 1h

In this two-for-one episode, we chastise Tolkien for fat-shaming Fredregar, ponder what we believe to be a trio of frightening corgis, and discuss why these two chapters could have been one.

Episode V - Three Is Company

Jun 11th, 2017 57m 36s

The hobbits finally leave the Shire! We'll cover all the exciting adventures and tantalizing questions: why won't Frodo just get up and leave already? Why does Gandalf never show up when you need him? And isn't Sam's love of Elves just adorable

Episode IV - The Shadow of the Past (Part 2)

Jun 1st, 2017 1h

We continue our discussion of "The Shadow of the Past" by diving deep into the exposition, focusing on the origins of magic rings, Cain and Abel tales, and what we were shocked that Tolkien name dropped in the first chapter.

Episode III - The Shadow of the Past (Part I)

May 18th, 2017 58m 38s

Nearly 70 pages in, and we still haven't left Hobbiton. Why's that? We talk about the practicality of a large, expository chapter in the middle of your narrative, and why Tolkien turned this prologue into Chapter 2.

Episode II - A Long-Expected Party

May 11th, 2017 51m 44s

In this chapter, we discuss the parallels between "Long-Expected Party" and "Unexpected Party," Tolkien's writing style, and the common character traits among hobbits.

Episode I - Concerning Hobbits

May 4th, 2017 57m 50s

In our pilot episode, we discuss "Concerning Hobbits," what constitutes a good retcon, and why a prologue about encyclopedic information can actually be a fun, interesting read.

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