Exploring Tolkien

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Exploring Tolkien episodes

June 13, 2023 55. The Chuck E. Cheese of Middle-earth – Of the Rings of Power, Part 1 – The Silmarillion – 35
Many of us endured Amazon's Rings of Power show last year... and now we've finally reached that part of The Silmarillion. Of course, here we actually talk about the Rings more than they were featured in the show for those, erm, amazing 5 minutes.
This week we take Michael to task for defending Amazon's show, why the rings were so seductive to each race, and why do the green elves also long for Valinor?
Then, join us in our extended episode where we discuss how the idea of Galadriel and Halbrand in a relationship (or "Haladriel" as we've heard) is absolutely absurd, and look deeper at the the lure of Rings for dwarves, elves, and men. To get the extended episode, become a member at https://www.theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month)!
📕 Join our Book Club! Become a member and join our bi-weekly Book Club where we're reading through Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead.
BECOME A MEMBER!
Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. Click here!
🔗 Episode Links
The Silmarillion
🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Google
🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The Silmarillion
The Fall of Númenor
The Fall of Gondolin
The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
59 min
June 06, 2023 54. Gollum’s Apology, Why We Love Tolkien, and the Nerdiest Thing We’ve Ever Done
Join us as we look back on one year of Exploring Tolkien!
This week we talk why we love Tolkien so much, the path that brought us to be a part of this show, all the stats for the show... and most importantly, we ask each other our EXTREMELY personal TORC Inquisition questions :) !
And join us in our extended episode where we discuss what our families think of us doing this show, if we've had any big debates, and we think we each resemble in Tolkien's legendarium! To get the extended episode, become a member at https://www.theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month)!
Thanks for listening to this weeks rather different episode... next week it's on to "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"!
???? Join our Book Club! ????
Become a member and join our bi-weekly Book Club where we're reading through "Taliesin" by Stephen R. Lawhead!
BECOME A MEMBER!
Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. Click here!
Episode Links
Game Livestream #1
Game Livestream #2
???? Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Google
???? If You Like Tolkien
The Silmarillion
The Fall of Númenor
The Fall of Gondolin
The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
1 hr 32 min
May 30, 2023 53. The Path to Gollum’s Redemption | Tolkien Discusses What May Have Happened
With the release of the new Gollum game, we decided to take a deeper dive at this character--not his motivations or history, but what Tolkien specifically said about him in his letters.
Tolkien indicates that the most moving scene in all of the Lord of the Rings was Gollum's near repentance on the stairs of Cirith Ungol, as he looked on Frodo and Sam sleeping:
"Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo’s knee – but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing."
Tolkien believed that Gollum was on the precipice of redemption, and quite nearly found his love for Frodo competing with his desire for the ring!
Join us in our extended episode where we discuss the best Lord of the Rings games made, and--if we were given the opportunity to make a game--what game would each of us create in Tolkien's world. To get the extended episode, become a member at https://www.theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month)!
BECOME A MEMBER!
Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. Click here!
Episode Links
Gollum Game (only buy this at a deep discount)
Game Livestream #1
Game Livestream #2
???? Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Google
???? If You Like Tolkien
The Silmarillion
The Fall of Númenor
The Fall of Gondolin
The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
44 min
May 23, 2023 52. Fellowship Fridays Live | NEW Lord of the Rings MMO, Galadriel’s BIG Life Changes, Gollum Game | #3
Join us as we talk about Galadriel's "life-changing" event in Rings of Power season 2, the Gollum game releasing May 25, 2023, the newly announced MMO game from Amazon, if we accept the reason for Legolas walking on snow, and more!
1 hr 47 min
May 16, 2023 51. Liars and Junkies of the 2nd Age – Akallabêth, Part 2 – The Silmarillion – 34
We finish up the Akallabêth this week talking about religion in Númenor, if the Valar gave up governing Arda (and for how long), and if men of Númenor are addicted to the light of Valinor.
59 min
May 09, 2023 50. Rings of Power Got it ALL WRONG – Akallabêth, Part 1 – The Silmarillion – 33
We reach the 2nd age of Middle-earth, and with it are compelled to bring up The Rings of Power -- and how they got even the basics wrong!
1 hr 13 min
May 02, 2023 49. Elven genetics! Race-baiting! Half-elf lies! | Of the Voyage of Eärendil – The Silmarillion – 32
Michael, Dan, and Jonathan finish the first age of Middle-earth! We see the final destruction that Fēanor's Silmarils wrought, how Ēarendil's desperate hope drove him to Valinor, and determine that--no--Elrond and Elros are not ACTUALLY half-elven!
Join us in our extended episode where we discuss why Elwing chose to be immortal "because of Luthien", if Tolkien made parallels between the story of Earendil/Elwing and the tale of Aldarion and Erendis (from Unfinished Tales), and what's up with Maedhros yeeting himself into a chasm of fire?! To get the extended episode, become a member at https://www.theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month)!
And for our members, make sure you join our Book Club where we're be reading through Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead.
BECOME A MEMBER!
Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. Click here!
Episode 34
Livestreams on Friday (when we can schedule them!)
???? Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Google
???? If You Like Tolkien
The Silmarillion
The Fall of Númenor
The Fall of Gondolin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
The Children of Hurin
1 hr 23 min
April 30, 2023 48. Fellowship Fridays Live | NEW Lord of the Rings Movies, Rings of Power DIED, Gollum Game| #1
Listen in as Michael Grumbine (from our Exploring Tolkien), John Trent from Bounding into Comics, John Carswell From The Tolkien Road podcast, The MIddle-earth Mixer, and Steve Babb from Glass Hammer talk Tolkien, movies, games, Steven Spielberg and more!
1 hr 56 min
April 25, 2023 47. The Sea is Always Right! – Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin – The Silmarillion – 31
Join Jonathan, Michael, and Dan as they discuss Ulmo's influence, Turgon's pride, Maeglin's treachery, and the Tolkien's rule on fighting Balrogs!
53 min
April 18, 2023 46. What’s Good in the Rings of Power?! – with The Middle-earth Mixer
Podcaster, Tweeter, and Tolkien fan, we chat with The MIddle-earth Mixer about Tolkien, The Rings of Power, and where these upcoming new films from Warner Bros might be going.
54 min

About Exploring Tolkien

From the publisher's feed

The bi-weekly podcast for serious Tolkien fans. Hosts Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine of TheOneRing.com (the internet’s longest Tolkien community since 1999) read through The Hobbit, The Lord of…