The Prancing Pony Podcast

The Fellowship stop at Parth Galen to rest and make the decision they’ve been putting off since Lórien: to go west to Minas Tirith, or east to Mordor. Frodo asks for an hour alone to make his decision, but Boromir (not taking the hint, or not wanting to) follows him, and manages to persuade him that he needs to get as far away from Boromir as possible. All this, plus we push the limits (again) on how many music references we can squeeze into a single podcast, and we background check Sauron’s resume to confirm his Necromancer credentials.

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Gimli gives mad props to Legolas for shooting down the — whatever that thing was — while Frodo (who knows exactly what that thing was) deals with some stuff. Sam’s perplexed at having lost count of days in Lórien, leading to a debate about the nature of time that would make Doc Brown proud, while Boromir is getting creepier by the day. All this, plus a look ahead to The Two Towers with a news report from the Fords of Isen, and a look back into the history of Gondor as the Fellowship pass by everyone’s favorite riverside rocks.

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Floating down the Anduin, the Fellowship put off their next move for a few days after leaving Lórien. Sam’s not sure if he’s most scared of the trees, the lack of trees, or the curiously Gollum-shaped log that’s following them down the river (which Aragorn has known about, like, forever). Before anyone can say “failure to communicate”, the Company are attacked by Orcs… and something worse. We talk Entwives, vehemently defend Tolkien’s use of the word “eyot”, and watch what happens when a wood-elf trades his slender bow for a great one.

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Join us once again as we welcome guest listeners to the common-room for our eleventh unscripted Q&A episode! Looks like Elves are back on the menu (that came out way weirder than we meant it to) as we answer live questions about Galadriel, the fading of the Eldar, and whether Elrond has Thranduil on his speed dial. Also, Alan and Shawn read favorite passages from The Lord of the Rings to shine a light of hope through the darkness, and go deep into the dictionary and Tolkien’s works to discover the difference between and “oath” and a “vow”.

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Galadriel says farewell with a few extra-special gifts for the extra-special members of the Fellowship while the others sit back and grumble about their belts and stuff. Gimli — unfazed by Celeborn’s presence — sweet-talks the Lady into giving him something incredibly personal, and Frodo and Sam receive gifts that seem nice, but aren’t something they’ll be using every day. We remember our painful teenage years with some weepy ‘80s love songs, whack the Fëanor piñata again (because why not), and interview James Tauber of the Digital Tolkien Project.

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Now outfitted with boats, travel gear, and road snacks, the Fellowship leave Lothlórien. They make it just a little way down the river before they’re attacked by a gargantuan swan (which is just a big boat! Whew. And obviously we all totally knew that... who’s freaked out? We’re not freaked out) and invited to finally have a meal with the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. After an epic picnic on the grass, Celeborn — typical dad — gives directions, and Galadriel gives the Company “personalized” gifts that prove exactly who her favorites are.

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Galadriel and Celeborn test the Fellowship once again by kindly inviting them to leave Lothlórien and not let the light plaited screen hit them on the way out. The Company are all ready to move on, but not sure where to go — fortunately, a few boats delay the need to make a decision for at least another week. Pippin gets confused looks for saying the M-word around Elves; Sam might have warned him if he wasn’t so busy geeking out on ropes. And your hosts get word-nerdy on lembas and the ladies who make it (warning: this podcast may contain gluten).

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Galadriel welcomes Frodo and Sam to come on in and see what’s happening with her Mirror. Sam receives a vision of some devilry at work in the Shire; but the Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds, and Sam is forced to choose between going on and going home. Frodo catches a glimpse of someone who fortunately can’t see him just yet, and Galadriel faces a temptation of epic proportions. Eärendil shows up to shine a little light on the situation, and we speculate about everything from ring resizing to Irish linguistics.

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The Fellowship pass “some days” in Lórien as guests of Galadriel and Celeborn (though not the kind of guests who actually get to see or speak to their hosts), and get plenty of recovery, escape, and consolation from their travels and their grief. With nothing to do but eat, drink, rest, and walk, they are content — but life in a time bubble can’t last forever, and even Sam knows they’ll have to be leaving soon. Frodo remembers Gandalf in song, Pippin gets awfully protective about his blankets, and your hosts graciously accept corrections offered by actual experts in their fields.

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The Fellowship comes to Caras Galadhon — the city of Lothlórien — where lights twinkle like stars in trees as tall as skyscrapers. After climbing to a high a and enormous flet they are greeted by Middle-earth’s #1 power couple: Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. Celeborn’s welcome is warm at first, but cools when he learns the Company awoke something very warm (and wingless) in Moria. But when the Lady comes to their defense, even Gimli starts to feel all gooey inside. All this, and a sidebar illustrates the dangers of research in the murky waters of Tolkien’s unfinished material.

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