Exploring Tolkien

Exploring Tolkien is a weekly show that dives deep into JRR Tolkien and all the ages of Middle-earth. Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine are your hosts as they read through Tolkien’s works, interview other Tolkien enthusiasts and authors, and critically examine how Tolkien’s world is being treated by mega-corporations like Amazon.com and Warner Bros.

Episodes

145. Is the Arkenstone a Silmaril? – The Hobbit #30

September 4, 2025 • 52 mins

Smaug is gone, so the Bilbo and the dwarves finally reach their treasure--but Bilbo makes a choice to REALLY become the burglar when he sees the Arkenstone.

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144. Never Laugh at Live Dragons – The Hobbit #29

August 19, 2025

Smaug is finally fully revealed as Bilbo finally comes face-to-face with the unassessably wealthy dragon

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143. Playing Tales of the Shire So You Don’t Have To

August 7, 2025

The new game, Tales of the Shire was released last month after numerous delays... so, I took a bullet for the team and played the game.

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142. Size Matters to Every Dragon – The Hobbit #28

July 22, 2025

Bilbo finally becomes a real burglar in this chapter, venturing alone into the heart of the Lonely Mountain.

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141. An Interview with Elijah Wood

July 11, 2025

In this interview--just before The Return of the King was released--Elijah wood reflects on the journey of becoming Frodo Baggins.

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140. Into the Mountain’s Throat – The Hobbit #27

June 24, 2025

In this episode, we discuss one of The Hobbit’s quieter chapters, where Bilbo and the dwarves finally reach Erebor’s hidden entrance.

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139. The Problem with Thorin – The Hobbit #26

June 10, 2025 • 46 mins

As Thorin and company finally reach the Lonely Mountain, reality sets in—and it doesn’t smell so pleasant.

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138. What Tolkien Really Thinks About Politicians – The Hobbit #25

May 27, 2025 • 43 mins

Tolkien makes it pretty clear what he thinks about politicians in this chapter.

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137. Do the elves have ANYTHING valuable to trade? – The Hobbit #24

May 13, 2025

Bilbo and the barrel-sealed dwarves make it to Laketown--with most of them barely alive!

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136. The Lowest IQ Elves of Middle-earth? – The Hobbit #23

April 29, 2025 • 44 mins

In this very special episode, we reveal the exact barrel music sung in Thranduil's halls as the dwarves were tossed into the river!

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135. The Greedy and Petty Elves of Mirkwood – The Hobbit #22

April 15, 2025 • 46 mins

Bilbo fully embraces his role as hero and finds a way to save the dwarves.

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134. When Bilbo Became the Hero – The Hobbit #21

April 1, 2025 • 60 mins

Bilbo is the only one left to save the dwarves--and to his own surprise, he's up to the task!

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133. Ainulindalë – A Reading in JRR Tolkien’s Voice

March 18, 2025

Here is an approximation of Tolkien's voice reading Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion that we put together including some of his idiosyncratic pauses and speech patterns.

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132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20

March 4, 2025 • 54 mins

In this first half of chapter 8 of the hobbit--Flies and Spiders--Jonathan and Michael discuss the evil enchantment of Mirkwood, and if the elves might have a small part in it.

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131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19

February 18, 2025 • 64 mins

With talking animals, animals serving food and dancing bears, this may just be the oddest chapter in all of Middle-earth!

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130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18

February 4, 2025

Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves are dropped off on the Carrock, and find themselves in the company of a man who rather doesn't like dwarves--but who loves a good story!

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129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17

January 21, 2025 • 52 mins

Stuck in trees with fire at their heels, the company find themselves surround by intelligent wolves and taunting orcs.

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A Song of Ice and Fire

January 14, 2025

Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in Southern California this week.

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128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16

January 7, 2025 • 40 mins

Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty.

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Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem

December 25, 2024

This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened!

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Exploring Tolkien

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}145. Is the Arkenstone a Silmaril? – The Hobbit #30

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}144. Never Laugh at Live Dragons – The Hobbit #29

143. Playing Tales of the Shire So You Don’t Have To

142. Size Matters to Every Dragon – The Hobbit #28

141. An Interview with Elijah Wood

140. Into the Mountain’s Throat – The Hobbit #27

139. The Problem with Thorin – The Hobbit #26

138. What Tolkien Really Thinks About Politicians – The Hobbit #25

137. Do the elves have ANYTHING valuable to trade? – The Hobbit #24

136. The Lowest IQ Elves of Middle-earth? – The Hobbit #23

135. The Greedy and Petty Elves of Mirkwood – The Hobbit #22

134. When Bilbo Became the Hero – The Hobbit #21

133. Ainulindalë – A Reading in JRR Tolkien’s Voice

132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20

131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19

130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18

129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17

A Song of Ice and Fire

128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16

Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem

Popular Podcasts

145. Is the Arkenstone a Silmaril? – The Hobbit #30

144. Never Laugh at Live Dragons – The Hobbit #29