Be hasty to tune in as Alan and Shawn welcome Clifford Broadway to The Prancing Pony Podcast! Clifford (also known as Quickbeam) has been on staff at TheOneRing.net since 1999, nearly from the beginning. We catch up with him for a conversation about the history of TORn, his work co-writing and co-producing the documentary film Ringers: Lord of the Fans, and the enduring legacy of Peter Jackson’s adaptations. Plus, a look ahead to Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power series and the changing face of Tolkien fandom.

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Frodo convinces Gollum to leave the Forbidden Pool, not without some feelings of regret at his betrayal of the wretched creature. After a brief interrogation, Faramir is satisfied that Gollum knows nothing and won’t come back to this secret place, and hands him into Frodo’s keeping along with a decree that Frodo himself may walk free in Gondor for a year and a day. But the news of where the party is going next is not good, for the name “Cirith Ungol” is one of dread among Gondor’s loremasters. For the life of us, we can’t figure out why Faramir doesn’t explain this more clearly.

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Frodo is awakened by Faramir in the middle of the night to be treated to a sight he did not expect: a familiar-looking creature fishing in the pool below the waterfall. After Faramir pokes more gentle fun at Anborn’s inability to distinguish an emaciated hobbit from a squirrel or kingfisher, Frodo asks for mercy for the creature, whom he reveals to be his guide on the way to Mordor. We also speculate on the question “What if Faramir never met Frodo” and share highlights from TexMoot 2022, Alan and Shawn’s first in-person moot appearance in over two years.

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Alan and Shawn once again welcome listeners to the common room for our latest Q&A episode! This time we answer questions about themes in Tolkien’s legendarium, talk about favorite niches in Tolkien fandom, and even discuss what keeps characters going when hope fails. Also, why did it take so long for the king to return to Gondor? Why do some characters get better results out of the palantíri than others? And why are the Elves of the First Age always getting lost? All this, plus an exciting what-if about Faramir going to Rivendell instead of his brother.

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Bring a friend and come along with us for our seventh annual celebration of Tolkien Reading Day, observed every March 25 in honor of the fall of Barad-dûr. This year’s theme chosen by the Tolkien Society is Love and Friendship. We’ve selected some of our favorite passages from the legendarium to showcase the theme, including friendship that spans generations, romantic love that blooms in wartime, the loyalty of lifelong companionship, and the unlikely love between would-be enemies. Plus, a reading from outside the legendarium reminds us that it’s never too late to reach out to another in friendship.

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Faramir continues wowing the hobbits with his knowledge of Gondorian history, prompting Sam to one-up him with a recitation of his new spoken word piece “Fifty Things I Love About Galadriel”. But the talk of Lórien opens the door to a conversation about the lesser qualities of Faramir’s brother, and Sam (disarmed by the freely flowing wine) lets slip what really happened between Boromir and Frodo at Parth Galen. All this, plus Faramir reveals he’s already got a thing for the Rohirrim… and we speculate on whether Gollum robbed graves as well as cradles.

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It’s supper time at Henneth Annûn, and Faramir‘s men set out the evening meal. Soon the plates and the goblets are full (then empty, then full again) and Frodo and Faramir are chatting away about ancient history and current events, minus one or two topics that are best avoided at the dinner table. We observe the only real religious ceremony in The Lord of the Rings — and sidebar on why Tolkien left it that way — and Anborn’s poor eyesight (or judgment) raises serious questions about whether he should be allowed to carry a ranged weapon.

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Frodo learns the identity of the wandering wizard Faramir calls the Grey Pilgrim, and it’s exactly who he thinks (which is to say it’s not John Cleese in horned headgear). But that just means there’s more bad news to share, this time the news of Gandalf’s fall in Moria. As Faramir learns more, he gets closer to the dark secret carried by the halfling… but will Frodo be able to trust him with the full truth, or is the memory of Boromir’s betrayal still too near? All this, plus more blindfolds for Frodo and Sam, and an interview with composer and guitarist Dave Brons.

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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… fortunately, over the course of their conversation, he manages to dispel all doubts about Frodo’s honesty as well. We revisit the Perilous Realm, learn which of Denethor’s sons actually paid attention in school, and cover the history of the Stewards of Gondor. Also, some killer word-nerdery on the word bane.

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Sam awakens from his nap (honestly, the guy can sleep anywhere) to find Frodo standing before the Rangers of Ithilien, as if on trial. Faramir presses the witness for information about his quest, but the conversation keeps coming back to Boromir as Sam listens in steadily rising anger at the implications being made towards his master. We see what happens when a hobbit gardener gets his fill of “sauce”, discuss Faramir’s quality (not for the last time), and learn just how special the wild Kine of Araw really are… but are their horns actually that loud?

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