Samwise returns to where he left Frodo in the pass of Cirith Ungol, only to discover his master already defeated and being dragged away by Shelob. Acting on instinct, Sam leaps into action, armed with his guts, the elven-blade, and the Phial of Galadriel — which proves to be a valuable weapon for bringing actual starlight into the darkness of Shelob’s Lair. We see Sam go through his darkest moment yet, discuss how spiders are not like dragons, and power through lots of talk of spider-stench (and spider droppings, because of course we did). [Trigger Warning: this episode includes discussion of suicide.]
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) “The Choices of Master Samwise”, pp. 711-15
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
34:00 “it’s happening to him.” I think Shawn nails it here. It is Faerian drama. “If you are present at a Faerian drama you yourself are, or think that you are, bodily inside its Secondary World. The experience may be very similar to Dreaming…” — OFS 74
About Sam calling Frodo “my dear” it is still done in Australia, (because our English was closer to British English) but only by people in their 70s and 80s.
Alas, the habit of calling someone “love” shows no signs of diminishing!
The feeling of the worls ending when someone you love has died?
Aye, I remember that when my father died.
I loved him more than anyone.
It hard to believe that happened seven years ago on August 8th 2015
How DARE the sun go on shining!
The most annoying thing about it (apart from my unfortunate tendency to weep in public)
was this annoying song that kept playing over and over in my mind
“Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye”
And I HATE The Carpernters. A load of mawkiah sacharine tripe
Neithan the Wronged
Tuesday June 28th 2022
00:06
What I’d say when I’m looting your corpses? Forgive me, masters, but I have a lot to unpack here.