We turn our attention from The Hobbit to a long-hidden Tolkien gem: his 1936 Christmas poem, Noel. We take a look at thehistory of the poems rediscovery, its deep-rooted Tolkien-esque imagery, and why its message of hope stands uniquely in Tolkiens

In this episode, we wrap up The Hobbit with The Last Stage and reflect on Bilbos road home, the petty (now less petty?) Rivendell elves, the unexpected return to Bag End, and how Tolkien so thoroughly captures the meaning of home. We also take an ext

Three dwarves lost and a shape-shifting berserking bear unleashedthe 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 movies. In this episode, we dig into Tolkien

Did Tolkien “earn” The Battle of the Five Armies, or is the surprise enough to justify its existence? In this episode, we look at Tolkiens climactic battle from The Hobbit, comparing how it unfolds on the page to its chaotic portrayal in the

Bilbo owns up to his burgling — a betrayal that drives Thorin to the brink of killing him. But Bilbo isn’t cowed… and the armies of elves and men aren’t cowed by Dain’s special forces. But maybe they should be!We also expl

We look at Chapter 16 of The Hobbit, where Bilbo makes his most controversial choice-handing the Arkenstone over to Bard and the Elvenking. Is Bilbo a traitor to the dwarves, or the only one thinking clearly as war looms? Or maybe he just wants to get ho

The talking birds bring news of the dragon’s demise to the dwarves–only to find a host of elves and men are coming to the mountain’s gate. Bard makes his claim for a portion of the treasure, but Thorin finds his reasons lacking–or

You’d think the death of the dragon is is the climax of The Hobbit… right? In this chapter, Tolkien gives us action, destruction, and the rise of a new unlikely hero. We look at Bards big moment, the politics of Laketown in crisis, and what T

Smaug is gone, so the Bilbo and the dwarves… just sit there?! For a couple of days they do–and eventually they reach the treasures. Bilbo, though, makes a choice to REALLY become the burglar when he sees the Arkenstone.We explore:The deep

Smaug is finally fully revealed! This week, we finish Inside Information, where Bilbo finally comes face-to-face with the unassessably wealthy dragon. We break down the wordplay Bilbo engages in as he denies Smaug his real name, Smaugs memorable boasts