41. The Jock Who Joins the Glee Club.

Jared, Oriana and Ned talk about Oriana’s choice of topic: Legolas Greenleaf. Not originally planned as a member of the Fellowship – the honor was going to go to Glorfindel, who helps Aragorn and the hobbits evade the Nazgûl en route to Rivendell – Legolas ended up as a classic retcon character, introduced as the son of Thranduil, the Elvenking featured in The Hobbit, even though no such character was ever mentioned or described in that book. A brilliant archer who makes light of burdens, literally can walk on snow and isn’t above teasing his suffering companions – but someone who can react badly if his own privilege is ever questioned – he’s at once fascinating and more than a little infuriating, though his unique relationship with Gimli is one of The Lord of the Rings’s more intriguing subplots. What kind of universality can be read into the character as maybe representing what Elves are like – or is he simply his own individual self? How does he come across to the hobbits, who are the ones ‘telling’ the story in Tolkien’s own construction of it, and is he truly relatable to them at all? What does his profound change of mood when he nears the sea say about Tolkien’s deeper conception of not only Elves but how they considered time? And just what do we think of Orlando Bloom’s performance of the character in the Peter Jackson films? (And separately: did we have thoughts on various The Rings of Power trailers? Oh did we ever.)

Show Notes.

Jared’s doodle. Legolas would do that as often as he could, truly.

Jared and Ned did indeed meet for the first time in Seattle for lunch at a Vinason location.

COVID’s still a thing – don’t sleep on it. And yes, if you get it, get yer Paxlovid.

So, The Rings of Power trailers? Which do you want? This one, this one, or this one?

The EW story introducing the Númenoreans.

Want to see the SDCC panel on The Rings of Power? Go nuts.

Bear McCreary conducting at SDCC. (We still think this might be his masterwork.)

Support the Harper Collins Union.

A typical interview with the showrunners. Mm.

The 1951 letter to Milton Waldman with the ‘other minds and hands’ passage.

Our episode on Dwarves and the attendant stereotypes.

We’re not saying this kind of thing is what WILL happen with Ar-Pharazôn but you know…

Irish fairies and their kid-stealing ways.

Adûnaic! If you’d like to learn more.

Legolas…we’ve heard of him.

Ms. Marvel was indeed a pretty good show.

Our episode on friendship.

Legolas shoots down the Winged Messenger.

The Ask Middle-earth Tumblr on sea-longing.

Orlando Bloom’s Legolas in The Return of the King. Just that.

That ‘stars are veiled’ moment. The sidelong look happens a bit later.

Yes, yes indeed, they are taking the hobbits to Isengard.

Shout out to DayQuil!

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