Exploring Tolkien
Episodes
153. The Christmas Eucatastrophe (and is The Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie?)
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We turn our attention from The Hobbit to a long-hidden Tolkien gem: his 1936 Christmas poem, “Noel.” We take a look at the history of the poem’...
152. Tolkien Ties up EVERY Loose End – The Hobbit #37
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we wrap up The Hobbit with “The Last Stage” and reflect on Bilbo’s road home, the petty (now less petty?) Rivendell elves, the ...
151. Eagles Didn’t Win the Battle – The Hobbit #36
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies reconciles Bilbo to Thorin and gives us a completely different Elvenking than what you saw in the movie...
150. Tolkien’s Battle Tactics – The Hobbit #35
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did Tolkien "earn" The Battle of the Five Armies, or is the surprise enough to justify its existence?
149. Bilbo’s Honest Betrayal – The Hobbit #34
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo completes his betral
148. Bilbo Doubles Down on Burglary – The Hobbit #33
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We look at Chapter 16 of The Hobbit, where Bilbo makes his most controversial choice-—handing the Arkenstone over to Bard and the Elvenking.
147. Is Thorin Gold-Sick or Just Sick of the Elves – The Hobbit #32
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thorin shrugs off Bard's 3 reasons for having a claim to the treasure... is Thorin really gold-sick? Or does the elves presence affect him?
146. Smaug’s Hydrophobia – The Hobbit #31
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You'd think the death of the dragon is is the climax of The Hobbit... right?
145. Is the Arkenstone a Silmaril? – The Hobbit #30
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Smaug is gone, so the Bilbo and the dwarves finally reach their treasure--but Bilbo makes a choice to REALLY become the burglar when he sees the Arken...
144. Never Laugh at Live Dragons – The Hobbit #29
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Smaug is finally fully revealed as Bilbo finally comes face-to-face with the unassessably wealthy dragon
143. Playing Tales of the Shire So You Don’t Have To
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new game, Tales of the Shire was released last month after numerous delays... so, I took a bullet for the team and played the game.
142. Size Matters to Every Dragon – The Hobbit #28
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo finally becomes a real burglar in this chapter, venturing alone into the heart of the Lonely Mountain.
141. An Interview with Elijah Wood
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview--just before The Return of the King was released--Elijah wood reflects on the journey of becoming Frodo Baggins.
140. Into the Mountain’s Throat – The Hobbit #27
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss one of The Hobbit’s quieter chapters, where Bilbo and the dwarves finally reach Erebor’s hidden entrance.
139. The Problem with Thorin – The Hobbit #26
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Thorin and company finally reach the Lonely Mountain, reality sets in—and it doesn’t smell so pleasant.
138. What Tolkien Really Thinks About Politicians – The Hobbit #25
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tolkien makes it pretty clear what he thinks about politicians in this chapter.
137. Do the elves have ANYTHING valuable to trade? – The Hobbit #24
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo and the barrel-sealed dwarves make it to Laketown--with most of them barely alive!
136. The Lowest IQ Elves of Middle-earth? – The Hobbit #23
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special episode, we reveal the exact barrel music sung in Thranduil's halls as the dwarves were tossed into the river!
135. The Greedy and Petty Elves of Mirkwood – The Hobbit #22
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo fully embraces his role as hero and finds a way to save the dwarves.
134. When Bilbo Became the Hero – The Hobbit #21
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo is the only one left to save the dwarves--and to his own surprise, he's up to the task!
133. Ainulindalë – A Reading in JRR Tolkien’s Voice
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here is an approximation of Tolkien's voice reading Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion that we put together including some of his idiosyncratic pauses...
132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this first half of chapter 8 of the hobbit--Flies and Spiders--Jonathan and Michael discuss the evil enchantment of Mirkwood, and if the elves migh...
131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With talking animals, animals serving food and dancing bears, this may just be the oddest chapter in all of Middle-earth!
130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves are dropped off on the Carrock, and find themselves in the company of a man who rather doesn't like dwarves--but who l...
129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stuck in trees with fire at their heels, the company find themselves surround by intelligent wolves and taunting orcs.
A Song of Ice and Fire
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in Southern California this week.
128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty.
Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened!
127. Where War of the Rohirrim went Wrong – In Depth Review
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago. Are those hopes realized in this anime Lord of the Rings film?
126. Why Did Tolkien Change The Hobbit (and what did he change)? : The Hobbit #15
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change--particularly Bilbo and Gollum's interact...
125. Bilbo Trembled and Found Pity : The Hobbit #14
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 2nd half of "Riddles in the Dark" is the most rewritten part of The Hobbit in the 1951 rewrite! And it's where Bilbo takes a giant leap (so to s...
124. Miserable Riddles in the Dark : The Hobbit #13
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Riddles in the Dark" is not only the most memorable event from all of Middle-earth -- it's also the turning point that ultimately let to The Lord of ...
123. Nightmare in Moria : The Hobbit #12
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The goblins of moria grab the dwarves (and hobbit) who decided to camp out on their "front porch", leading to some real terrifying moments!
122. The Real Misty Mountains : The Hobbit #11
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first part of Chapter 4, Over Hill and Under Hill, is unique for it's direct correlation with Tolkien's own past. We discuss: Tolkien's hik...
121. Tolkien Gave Up on Fixing The Hobbit : The Hobbit #10
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Tolkien attempted to rewrite the Hobbit in 1960, he just gave up halfway through Chapter 3. In this episode we look at: Changes in time and ...
120. Where the Children’s Story Ends and the Epic Story Begins : The Hobbit #9
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the second half of Chapter 3, A Short Rest, Tolkien seems to start a shift from a children's story to more of an epic quest.
119. The Rings of Power Leaves us with Dwarf Politics and Randomly Shouting Elves
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The final episode of The Rings of Power (season 2) wraps up by revealing Dwarf politics, Númenorean politics,
118. Yes. Elrond kissed Galadriel.
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rings of Power abandons all lore to satisfy their dumbest desires.
117. Clueless Elves, Big Beasts, and Bombadil Inverts Tolkien’s Words
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rings of Power's elves are simple imbeciles, the Númenoreans now decide rulers based on what big animals do, an Tom Bombadil inverts one of Tolki...
116. Hollywood Doesn’t Understand the Númenoreans’ Faith
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was disappointing but not surprising to see how badly Hollywood writers treat the Númenorean's faith. We take a deep look at episode 5 of season...
115. Tom Bombadil has Become Obi-Wan in The Rings of Power
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not sure how this Tom Bombadil came into existence--but he's definitely incredibly different from Tolkien's Bombadil.
114. Rings of Power Returns – Episode 1 Review
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of The Rings of Power is here! And with it comes new hackneyed phrases, ridiculous contrivances, and incredible coincidences.
113. Looking at the War of the Rohirrim Trailer (and Rings of Power clips)
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the the latest visions of Middle-earth by Amazon and Warner Bros.
112. Are these Really the Same Elves from The Lord of the Rings? : The Hobbit #8
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Chapter 3, A Short Rest, for the first time we meet the elves of Rivendell... and they certainly seem different than the same characters in The Lor...
111. This is why Tolkien SHOULD have rewritten The Hobbit : The Hobbit #7
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We weren't huge fans of Tolkien's changes to chapter 1 of The Hobbit in his abandoned 1960 rewrite--but chapter 2 surprised us with its pitch perfect ...
110. A Brave Burglar and Deficient Dwarves : The Hobbit #6
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we get into how the trolls find a balance, of sorts, between, fear and goofiness--and maybe it all starts with their accents.
109. Gandalf Gets Pushy : The Hobbit #5
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bilibo finally makes his way out the door--but was it his decision or did Gandalf force him out? And what is "the king" that's mentioned?
108. What Went Wrong with Tolkien’s 1960 Hobbit Rewrite : The Hobbit #4
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Tolkien set out to rewrite The Hobbit in 1960, much was lost, but much was gained. In the end, do the gains outweigh the losses?
107. How the Baggins Side of Bilbo Lost : The Hobbit #3
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bilbo loses the comfort of his home and finds that the Tookish side of his mind is starting to overcome the Baggins side
106. The Hobbit was NOT Originally in Middle-earth : The Hobbit #2
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We examine if The Hobbit was originally set in Middle-earth, and how Bilbo's Tookishness is starting to take over.
105. Tolkien Changed The Hobbit Twice : The Hobbit #1
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know Tolkien revised the Hobbit from his first edition in 1937 to a updaed edition that's more in line with The Lord of the Rings in 1951 to a...
104. The REAL War of the Rohirrim, According to Tolkien
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You know that the film The War of the Rohirrim will be released later this year, right? Well, here is Tolkien's story of Helm Hammerhand, as HE told...
103. Tom Bombadil, The Hunt for Gollum, and Viggo Mortensen are Back… and so is Dan!
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We brought our original amigo, Dan Coats, back to talk about Tom Bombadil, The Rings of Power, The Hunt for Gollum, and more!
102. An Interview with Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry) – 2003 Roundtable Interviews
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan discuss their relationship with Peter Jackson, what it took to get through years of filming, and how working...
101. Bree’s Dark Turn
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The films brought us a dark and evil Bree -- but Tolkien calls it "friendly" and "familiar"!
100. Should The Lord of the Rings Films have kept the Barrow-downs?
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dropping the Barrow-downs removes one of the most important callbacks in the final Battle of the Pelennor Fields before Minas Tirith.
99. Tom Bombadil is NOT important? Tolkien said it!
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Bombadil is a polarizing figure in Middle-earth. Some hate him, some love him. Peter Jackson decided to completely avoid that discussion and simpl...
98. Why Peter Jackson Cut the Old Forest and Old Man Willow
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first REAL dangers outside of the Shire were cut from the films... but did that decision improve them?
97. Peter Jackson CUT the Godfather of the Shire : Film Changes #30 and #31
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson cut the one Hobbit who had the backbone to stand up to a Nazgul, the one who struck fear in the hearts of other Hobbits!
96. The Wizard Duel and Orthanc in Real Time : Film Changes #29 and #30
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson made some pretty significant changes to Orthanc... especially when it comes to that Wizard's Duel!
95. An Interview with Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings Composer – 2003 Roundtable Interviews
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke with Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore. He really goes in depth on his thoughts and composing process!
94. The Rings of Power is PEAK TV – Top Scenes, Top Characters and Top Quotes
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As season 2 of the Rings of Power approaches, Michael and I decided to look back at our favorite scenes, favorite characters, and favorite quotes from...
93. Sauron’s FIRST Defeat – Finishing Tolkien’s Unfinished Tale – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 8
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of looking at The Mariner's Wife, we fully finish Tolkien's tale--but staying true to Tolkien's characters and world.
92. NEW Tolkien Book with UNPUBLISHED Content Announced!
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This month we found out that renowned Tolkien scholars Christian Scull and Wayne Hammond will be publishing a NEW book with NEW content by Tolkien!
91. Finishing Tolkien’s Unfinished Tale – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 7
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aldarion and Erendis is perhaps Tolkien's most emotionally gut wrenching tale.... and it deserves to be finished!
90. A Spiteful Marriage, a New Enemy, and a Watery End – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 6
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We don't know exactly how Tolkien intended to finish Aldarion and Erendis--but he gave us some pretty strong clues!
89. The Sacrificial King and the Fallen Queen – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 5
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we close out the prose of this story, the king makes a great sacrifice for the greater good of Númenor, and the new queen becomes a pitiable creat...
88. Middle-earth’s Worst Dad – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 4
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aldarion gets married and is able to stay on land for a few years... up until his daughter turns 4, and then he just leaves AGAIN!
87. Mariner, King, or Husband? – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 3
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aldarion and Erendis finally get married! But Aldarion can't seem to make up his mind on who he really is.
86. Men are from Mars, Women Hate the Ocean – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 2
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These two aren't exactly star-crossed lovers--their complicated and long-gestating relationship runs for decades, and that's just BEFORE they get marr...
85. This Sea is NOT Always Right – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 1
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife is not exactly a happy story, but as you'd expect with anything Tolkien writes, it's full of meaning, beauty,...
84. Removing Radagast and Hobbit Thieves : Film Changes #27 and #28
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Radagast was completely removed from the film... and Merry and Pippin are common Hobbit thieves!
83. Meeting Gandalf in Bree and a Glimpse of Gildor : Film Changes #25 and #26
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson cut 6 chapters from the Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf told Frodo to meet him at the Prancing Pony!
82. Bilbo’s Party Changes and 17 Years Lost : Film Changes #23 and #24
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is Bilbo's party true to how Tolkien wrote it? And what happened to those 17 years Tolkien talked about?
81. Tolkien Created an Entire North Pole Mythology!
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Starting in 1920, JRR Tolkien wrote letters from Father Christmas to his children--and continued doing that for 24 more years!
80. Gandalf’s a Headbanger and Frodo’s Unexpected Introduction
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Was Gandalf's head bump in character? And was it a good idea to start the film with Frodo's and Gandalf's relationship?
79. Tolkien’s Christmas poem was lost for 80 years!
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1936, Tolkien wrote a poem published in an obscure school magazine--and it was only found again 10 years ago!
78. Bilbo’s Prologue and The Rings of Power is NOT fixing The Lord of the Rings Films
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michael and Jonathan found out someone's been copying our look at the changes PJ made to the books--and then applying that to The Rings of Power?! We ...
77. Men Want Power, Isildur Didn’t Kill Sauron, and the Ring’s Mind – with The Tolkien Road!
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that--according to Tolkien--Isildur didn't actually kill Sauron? Seems kinda clear from the text!
76. Saruman the suck-up, Elrond hates Men, and Formless Sauron – with the Middle-earth Mixer!
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Middle-earth Mixer joins us this week to look at why Peter Jackson made some pretty big changes to 3 central characters: Sauron, Elrond, and Sarum...
75. Gimli’s Comic Relief, Boromir’s Wrong Hair, and Legolas’s Big Elf Boots
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson brought most of the comic relief for The Lord of the Rings via Gimli--which, based on his character in the books, is definitely off char...
74. Aragorn’s Big Change and The Hobbit Youth Movement
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Young Hobbits, dark Aragorn, and remaking a character to be a reluctant king.
73. How Peter Jackson Changed the Wizard, the Pranksters, and Frodo’s Best Bud
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson changed Gandalf, Sam, and Merry and Pippen for The Lord of the Rings films -- but how much did he change them, and was it worth it?
72. Adapting Lord of the Rings, Cutting up the Story, and Dropping the Poetry
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We jump into the deep end of analyzing Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings as we look at every film change he made!
71. An Interview with Lord of the Rings Screenwriter Philippa Boyens
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lord of the Rings screenwriter Philippa Boyens discusses her approach to writing the film.
70. An Interview with Viggo Mortensen
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Viggo is thoughtful and soft-spoken, but has a driven personality that allows him to inhabit roles like Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.
69. Music is Escape : An Interview with Jeff Johnson – Musician, Composer, Producer
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you haven't listened to Jeff Johnson's music yet, you're missing out.
68. An Interview with Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom joined us to talk their thoughts about the films, their careers, and the crazy premiere in Wellington for...
67. An Interview with Ian McKellen : He Read Tolkien EVERY NIGHT Before Filming
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jackson's Gandalf answered our questions earnestly and thoughtfully--particularly when discussing wisdom and fidelity to Tolkien's books.
66. Happily Ever After isn’t Enough – On Fairy Stories, Part 6
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this final part of Tolkien's essay, we look at Consolation and Eucatastrophe and how important they are to this literary art.
65. Escape Isn’t Possible with “Modern” Storytelling – On Fairy Stories, Part 5
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are we supposed to recover from? And why do fairy stories provide it? And why do we need to escape? And how do fairy stories break us out?
64. Movies are NOT Sub-Creation – On Fairy Stories, Part 4
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Tolkien talks about Fantasy, he doesn't simply mean fiction stories set in sword-and-sorcery worlds.
63. Kids Ruin Everything – On Fairy Stories, Part 3
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tolkien pushes back against the coupling of fairy-stories and children! True fairy-story is where literary belief and subcreation are fully realized.
62. Tolkien Still Matters : with Nick Groom, author of Tolkien in the 21st Century
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week Michael and I talked with Professor Nick Groom, author of Tolkien in the 21st Century and discuss why Tolkien still matters!
61. An Interview with Peter Jackson : It’s for the fans!
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On December 2, 2003 I was part of a roundtable interview with Peter Jackson. Here's the full recording!
60. The Origins of Fantasy – A Soup with Distance and Time: On Fairy Stories, Part 2
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The origins of fairy story are hard to define... and though it may feel like Tolkien doesn't give us an answer, he gives us some good starting points.
59. Talking Tolkien with Renowned Artist Ted Nasmith
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ted Nasmith has been creating visions of Middle-earth since the early 1970s when he decided to send JRR Tolkien one of his early pieces--and the profe...
58. Is Star Wars a Fairy Story? – On Fairy Stories, Part 1
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Michael, Dan, and I discuss the first part of Tolkien's seminal essay "On Fairy Stories", where Tolkien defines what a fairy (aka fantasy) ...
57. This is the (raw) Meat – The Silmarillion – A Final Look – The Silmarillion – 37
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
High beauty, strong women, and the meat of Middle-earth!
56. Make Tolkien Great Again – Of the Rings of Power, Part 2 – The Silmarillion – 36
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
** Use the code "GREAT" at https://shop.theonering.com to get $2 off anything! ** It's hard to believe, but this week we finish "Of the Rings of Po...