422 – Who Are You?

After the Kings, Gondor declined into a Middle Age of fading knowledge and simpler skills. Alan and Shawn find that surprisingly familiar. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as we begin our two-episode look at the final chapter of Unfinished Tales on The Palantíri. The Stewards know better than to use the Stones — for a while, Saruman takes the concept of free agency a bit too far, and Tolkien lets us think through the problem with Gandalf. We lament the absence of Jack Black, agree that Calenardhon’s name change is nobody’s business but the Rohirrim, and come up with a most-disturbing Lionel Richie adaptation. Also, Carnac the Magnificent.

Recommended Reading


Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (William Morrow, paperback)

The Silmarillion
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (William Morrow, paperback)

The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)

The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)

The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)

Join the discussion

More from this show

429 – Rhiannon

Tinwelint (Thingol to the rest of you) asks his daughter to “put this folly away from thee”; Sara’s been telling Alan to do the same for...

428 – Go Your Own Way

Beren is so hungry that he picks his way through leftover scraps at an Orc camp; Alan and Sara are somehow no longer hungry at all. Join...

427 – Dreams

Dairon is named among the three most magic players; Alan and Sara aren’t even named among the three most magic podcasters. Join The Man of...

Recent posts

Podcast Episodes