Exploring Tolkien
The bi-weekly podcast for serious Tolkien fans. Hosts Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine of TheOneRing.com (the internet’s longest Tolkien community since 1999) read through The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and every Age of Middle-earth — chapter by chapter. Plus conversations with artists, creators, and scholars–and honest commentary on what Hollywood keeps getting wrong about Tolkien’s legacy. 160+ episodes.
Episodes
Túrin Turambar has officially abandoned the protection of Doriath, choosing instead to live as an outlaw among murderers and cutthroats. In our breakdown of the first part of Chapter 6 of The Children of Húrin, we explore Túrin’s tragic descent into darkness, his absolute refusal to live under anyone else&rsqu...
In this episode, we explore an incredibly rare event in Tolkien’s legendarium: a formal Elven trial. We examine King Thingol’s judgment of Túrin after the death of Saeros, uncovering how law, evidence, and mercy operate in Doriath. We also look at:
- How Mablung’s testimony and Nellas’s su...
Get the Exploring Tolkien App to listen to every episode, a Tolkien calendar, the latest news, and member exclusives! Túrin Turambar in Doriath transitions from Thingol’s foster son to a hunted outlaw. Does the fatal insult from Saeros, Túrin’s explosive reaction, and the brutal, naked chase through the woods change his destiny forever? Or is this Morgoth’s curse at work? We also discuss:
- The litany of imprud...
Is The Rings of Power Season 3 course-correcting—or just running out the clock? In this episode, we wade through two weeks of Comic-Con news and leaks, catching all the ways Amazon’s show is retooling, rewriting, and ruining Tolkien’s world. From the much-maligned Harfoots’ quiet removal to a...
Is Morwen heroic, tragic, or just stubborn to a fault? We’re on to chapter 4 of The Children of Húrin, exploring how pride, fate, and Morgoths curses shape the next generation after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. We unpack why Morwen refuses help, howt fate and free work in tandem, and how Túrin’s story is alre...
Is evil REALLY in control? Tolkien pursues this in this chapter–for the first and only time Morgoth reveals himself in a long discussion… and the results are….? We dissect this showdown on a hill of bones and discover why it is unlike anything else in Tolkien’s works, what it reveals about ...
This is my favorite interview from the December 2, 2003 roundtable discussions for The Return of the King! Bernard Hill was such a real, genuine, and engaged personality. He had great stories from the set, from time spent with James Cameron, and how much he found joy in his home and horses. And he really like the iP...
“Day shall come again”–but for now, it’s the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. In this episode, we walk through Chapter 2 of The Children of Húrin a breaking down Tolkien’s bloodiest, most tragic battle. We cover the epic (and doomed) alliance of elves, men, and dwarves, the double-cross by t...
Turin’s tragic journey starts here. In this episode, we examine the opening chapter of The Children of Húrin, exploring the foundational relationships and lineage that shape Turin’s fate. Why does Tolkien focus so much on houses and kin? How does the friendship with the crippled servant Sador color Turin...
We finally return to Tolkien’s First Age for a new deep-dive series on The Children of Húrin, starting with Christopher Tolkien’s introduction. We discuss why Tolkien considered Turin’s tale one of his “three great stories” alongside Beren and Luthien and the Fall of Gondolin, the central themes of pride, what Morgoth’s curse actually was, and more!
We also look at:
- The three great houses of...
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