The Prancing Pony Podcast

Gollum is disinclined to acquiesce to Frodo’s request to lead them to Mordor, and he tries to escape when he thinks the hobbits aren’t looking. Sam has thirty ells’ worth of good reasons for Gollum to stay put, but the Elvish rope burns his skin (as of publication, Lothlórien Ropeworks has not issued a recall, and neither Haldir nor “One of Those Folk” could be reached for comment). Finally, Sméagol comes up with a promise that Frodo can trust… for now. All this, plus a closer look at swearing (not that kind) and a Middle-earth/Marvel mashup in the mailbag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three episodes into the chapter, we finally meet Sméagol… and the other fellow sharing his brain. Sam jumps the creeping, crawling creature at the bottom of the cliff, which goes about as well for Master Gamgee as one might expect. Fortunately, Frodo’s got his back, and the sight of Sting convinces Gollum that if he loves some precious, he should set Sam free. We take a closer look at pity and mercy for the most wretched creature in Middle-earth, wonder about the truth of the worst stories about him, and dive into word-nerdery on his original name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shrieking cry of what might sound like a Ringwraith if they weren’t destroyed forever at the Ford of Bruinen (They were, right? Right!?) makes Frodo lose his grip and his sight while climbing down a cliff. He manages to land on his feet on a ledge not far below, but he can’t get back up or down without a rope, which Sam just so happens to have, and knows how to use. We ponder (and worry slightly about) Alan’s fondness for ropes, Shawn’s fondness for booze, and Sam’s therapy bills thanks to the Gaffer’s old-fashioned parenting methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We finally begin our readthrough of Book IV of The Lord of the Rings with “The Taming of Sméagol”! All alone after fleeing Parth Galen, Frodo and Sam are lost among the barren slopes of the Emyn Muil, seeking a way down to the stinking bog below (zero stars for this hiking tour). But how alone are they, really? Are the two eyes following them attached to the head they think, and will Sam be able to get a tight enough grip on the neck below it to, uh, “handle the situation”? All this, plus a new segment welcoming our youngest listeners: Questions Before Bedtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One does not simply walk into Mordor without a recap, so before we start our readthrough of Book IV of The Lord of the Rings, we’re reviewing previous chapters to reacquaint ourselves with a couple of characters we haven’t seen for a while (no one special; just Frodo and Sam, the guys whose mission really matters here). After a look back at the story so far, we look ahead to the themes we’ll explore in the coming season. But first, dragons rejoice! We welcome Jeremy Edmonds of the website Tolkien Collector’s Guide to the common room for a little Tolkien Collecting 101. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s our first live Q&A episode of the season, which means Alan and Shawn have got our speculating caps on for another round of questions from our guests! We field questions on the married life of the Valar (but not in the way you’re thinking), the size of Hobbit feet, and an almost forgotten fight between Galadriel and Dol Guldur. Plus, opinions on The Nature of Middle-earth, a booth review of the cutting of the Ring from Sauron’s finger… and wings, schmings! We want to know: do Balrogs have the power of speech? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second time in history, Alan and Shawn throw a party of special magnificence to celebrate a milestone: 222 episodes of the PPP! Once again, we look back at some of our best moments from the past eleventy-one episodes, as chosen by our listeners. From foolish digressions to inappropriate pop culture references, smart observations to great readings, relive them all on this trip down memory lane with a few surprises along the way (and some bits you’ll see coming a mile away). Plus, what did Tolkien really think of cricket? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start our sixth season in style by welcoming Carl F. Hostetter to the podcast! In addition to his role as chief editor of Vinyar Tengwar, Carl has authored articles on Tolkien’s languages for decades. We catch up with him about his lifetime of scholarship and his highly anticipated new edition of unpublished manuscripts by Tolkien himself: The Nature of Middle-earth. Learn how the new volume came to publication as well as a sneak peek of what’s inside from Elvish biology, to the metaphysical nature of Arda, to — yes, you read correctly — dancing bears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Gandalf and Aragorn ponder the evening’s events and finally identify the object of Pippin’s affections as the palantír of Orthanc, a Nazgûl flies overhead — which means it’s time for Gandalf and the sticky-fingered Took to exit, stage east. And as Shadowfax carries them over the plains at breakneck speed (not that any necks will be broken, we hope) we bring Book III of The Lord of the Rings to a close. But before we wrap the fifth season, a mailbag question about the podcast and listener expectations gets Alan and Shawn into introspective mode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Saruman situation handled, Gandalf settles in for a leisurely journey back to Helm’s Deep with Merry dangling behind him. Pippin, however, is obsessing over the shiny, round and apparently indestructible object Wormtongue threw out the window… and when nightfall comes, his Fool-of-a-Tookishness gets the better of him. We begin to investigate the palantír, word-nerd out on its (not yet used) name, and discuss its powers and limitations. Plus, what is the airspeed velocity of a winged Nazgûl… and why would a Dark Lord use the word ‘dainty’? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices