Merry’s not big enough to ride one of the Rohirrim’s steeds, while Alan and his co-host, James Tauber, aren’t exactly keen to try. Join us as we ride into Harrowdale with Théoden to find a host of men – and one determined woman – ready...
Shaun Gunner of The Tolkien Society begins his service to the PPP, just as Pippin begins his service to Denethor in what is clearly an unacceptable analogy. Gandalf reminds the Steward what it means to really be a steward, Pippin seeks a little...
Letting logic guide him rather than emotion, Sam has made up his mind to leave Frodo’s body where it is and take the Ring to Mount Doom all by himself… except that he hasn’t. We see the Ring find a new bearer, offer word-nerdery on a slightly less...
Too soon? Probably so, because Frodo's just learned that Boromir is dead — oh, and the guy interrogating him is the brother of the deceased. He questions Faramir's vision of the funeral boat, but Faramir has no doubt of what he's seen...
Three episodes into the chapter, we finally meet Sméagol… and the other fellow sharing his brain. Sam jumps the creeping, crawling creature at the bottom of the cliff, which goes about as well for Master Gamgee as one might expect. Fortunately...
We start our sixth season in style by welcoming Carl F. Hostetter to the podcast! In addition to his role as chief editor of Vinyar Tengwar, Carl has authored articles on Tolkien’s languages for decades. We catch up with him about his lifetime of...
With the Saruman situation handled, Gandalf settles in for a leisurely journey back to Helm's Deep with Merry dangling behind him. Pippin, however, is obsessing over the shiny, round and apparently indestructible object Wormtongue threw out the...
The reunited members of the Fellowship of the Ring (minus Gandalf, who's off hobnobbing with kings and trees) get some valuable bro time amid the flotsam and jetsam of Isengard. Merry and Pippin have a lot to account for — and an angry Dwarf to...
Théoden offers Wormtongue one last chance to redeem himself, but the counsellor is disinclined to acquiesce to his lord's request. Gandalf and the king catch up on the history of Saruman's treachery and the damage already done in Rohan before...
The Hobbits continue their zero-star walking tour of Rohan, trudging along with the Orcs in an endless tunnel of misery with nary a pub nor a B&B in sight. We wonder about Orc parents’ baby naming practices, revisit The Fall of Gondolin, and imagine...