The Last Homely House

Our hosts spend more time with the first volume of Tolkien's collected poems (spanning 1910-1919), looking at how his experience in war comes out in these works, as well as how the beginings of Middle-Earth begin to peak through.

Far from being experts on Tolkien's early poems, our hosts spend some time talking about what were the early stand-outs in Volume 1. Greek myths. Shadows of war. And hints at a Middle-Earth to come.

We've finally got our hands on the recently published collection of Tolkien's poetry! What are our first impressions of this impressive, 3-volume collection? Tune in to find out!

After the darker subject matter of the last two weeks, we decided to do something a little more light-hearted. Can Ron and Jasmine determine what quotes are authentic Tolkien and which ones are not? Can you? Join in the game and let us know how you did!

Building off of last week's conclusion, we discuss how different the Lord of the Rings would have looked with different fantasy authors at the helm. What do you think of our darker, Martin-esque LotR? What about the lighter (shorter) Lewis-inspired LotR?

How can the deaths of one actor (Sean Bean) be so illustrative of two very different kinds of fantasy storytelling? Our hosts compare the death of Boromir in Fellowship of the Ring and Ned Stark in Game of Thrones and talk about some of the important ways Tolkien's fantasy differs from Martin's.

Our hosts switch gears from their summer (and early fall) of book club and talk about the new photos released from the Rings of Power season 3 set. What (if anything) do we learn from the shots? What are our hopes (and fears) for what's coming in the new season?

The last two hidden kingdoms fall to ruin and Earendil sails west on behalf of the two kindreds. Will the host of Valinor save the day? (Spoilers: they do.) The Quenta Silmarillion wraps up, and we add on the Akalabeth (on the destruction of Numenor) and "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" which...talks about the Rings of Power...and the Third Age.

Beren and Luthien wrest a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears is waged, and Turin...gets himself into trouble.

The Noldor depart from Valinor in pursuit of the Silmarils. It...does not go well... Wars are waged. Hidden kingdoms are established. The Noldor lose two kings. Men appear on the scene. Morgoth slowly gains the upper hand.

We had so much fun with our Book Club, we extended it by a month! We're spending October in the Silmarillion! Today's episode takes us from the Ainunlindalë (when the Ainur sing the world into existence) to the Darkening of Valinor (when Morgoth and Ungoliant consumed the light of the two trees and stole the Silmarils).

Never content to leave well enough alone, Tolkien follows up the masterfully told tale of the Ring with appendices of all kinds. From tales of years long past to random notes on translation and pronunciation. What do you think is the most interesting part of Tolkien's appendices?

The Fellowship, reunited at long last after the completion of their quest, begins to part ways. The hobbits head west to the Shire (which is not as they left it) and then Frodo departs to head even further West...

Sam rescues Frodo and the two begin the hopeless trek across Mordor and, against all odds, complete their mission...quest...thing.

Eucatastrophe on the Pelennor Fields as victory is secured in the nick of time. But will it be enough? Our victorious heroes march to certain defeat at the Enemy's very gate.

Pippen and Gandalf arrive in Minas Tirith. Battle arrives in Minas Tirith. The Rohirrim arrive (just in time) in Minas Tirith.

Smeagol is saved after trespassing in the forbidden pool...and then leads Sam and Frodo to certain death. Talk about ungrateful...

We go back in time and catch up with Sam and Frodo, east of the Anduin. They travel with their newfound guide to the edge of Mordor and meet an unanticipated ally in Ithilien.

We pick up our story with the battle at Helm's Deep and end with Gandalf and Pippen racing toward Minas Tirith.

With the Fellowship broken, our story first follows the kidnapped Hobbits and the heroic hunters who pursue them (and find more than they're looking for)!

The fellowship rests in Lothlorien, they travel down the Anduin, and ultimately go their separate ways. What were your favorite parts of these chapters? What change/growth have you seen in the characters so far? What are you watching for in the next book?

Frodo is reunited with Gandalf in Imladris only to lose him to tragedy in the dark under the mountain. These few chapters are full of ups and downs (and SO much information). What parts stood out the most to you?

From the threshold of Bombadil's door to the threshold of Rivendel, our hosts follow the growing fellowship through the Barrow Downs, into Bree, to Weathertop, and eventually to the Ford of Bruinen. What stood out to you in these chapters?

One book down, three to go! Our hosts begin their discussion of Fellowship by escaping the Shire with Frodo (only to find greater peril in the wider world). What were your favorite part of these early chapters?

We take a quick diversion from Middle Earth to look at one of Tolkien's short stories (Smith of Wooton Major). Does it show some similarities to the Hobbit? Can it teach us anything about Tolkien's opinion on Faery stories?

We wrap up our first book for the summer! Bilbo's courage and wisdom save the day and the finally makes his way back home. What did you think? If it was your first read, how did you like it? If you've read it before, what stood out to you this time around?

We continue our read-through the Hobbit with chapters 11-15. (or as Ron would call them, the DRAGON CHAPTERS!!) We go from the dwarves (and Bilbo) first entering the mountain to the point when they barricade themselves inside against those who want a part of the treasure. What were your favorite parts of this section?

Our hosts talk about the next five chapters of the Hobbit, taking them from their run-in with the wolves all the way to their safe arrival in Laketown.

At long last, we begin our read-through of the Hobbit, going from Bilbo's unexpected party to the riddle-battle under the mountain. What are your favorite parts of those first few chapters?

Our hosts try (unsuccessfully) to unravel the mystery of Tom Bombadil. What sort of being is he? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Our hosts chat about how Luthien grows into one of Tolkien's greatest characters as he continues to develop her (and how her singing becomes key to her power).

We continue our series of character deep-dives looking at Saruman and asking ourselves "When exactly did he become the bad guy?"

Our hosts spend some time today talking about Fëanor. Tolkien describes him as the greatest elf of Middle-Earth but he is also in many ways the most problematic. We talk a little bit about his history and what makes him so great and terrible.

Following up on a recommendation from a listener, our hosts talk TRoP Season 3, the newly confirmed cast members, and what the next season might have in store for us.

Why does Tolkien spend so much time talking about what people are drinking? What do the drinks say about the characters? (And what sort of cocktail does Denethor drink with his tomatoes?)

Our hosts finally return to their discussion of resting places in Middle-Earth, wrapping up with the (few) places of rest in Return of the King (and the return to several resting places that were discussed earlier).

Join our three hosts as they talk about Middle-Earth's own "Goldy-Locks." Will our takes be too hot, too cold, or just right?

We wrap up our Middle-Earth Madness Tolkien Tournament with one final category and breaking down our Final Four. Who will win and get to join the Fellowship? You'll have to listen to find out! Let us know if you played along and who you had win the final round! (The bracket can be found on our Facebook page.)

To kick off our fourth season, we have our own little March Madness tournament in Middle-Earth, except the winner of our competition gets the honor of joining the Fellowship after the fall of Gandalf. Who will it be? (If you want to play along, grab a bracket from our Facebook page!)

Our hosts continue their discussion about places of rest in Middle Earth, picking up from the Prancing Pony and making it (mostly unscathed) through the Two Towers.

Our hosts try to recover from time-change weekend by reflecting on places of rest in Tolkien's stories. They start with the the Hobbit and end within sight of the Prancing Pony.

We find out how Jasmine and Jon did answering last week's questions for Ron. And we also revisit the Lord of the Rings trilogy's Oscar success (since the Academy Awards were last night).

It's been a few years since our hosts have "introduced themselves" by answering questions about Middle-Earth and Tolkien. So listen in, get to know our hosts, see how well Jon and Jasmine know Ron, and answer the questions yourself!

It's not always "love at first sight" in Middle-Earth. Sometimes things go off the rails when "he loves her" and "she loves somebody else" (and vice versa).

Our hosts celebrate the upcoming holiday by talking about the idea of "Love at First Sight" in Tolkien's works.

Our Fellowship is whole again and Jasmine joins the conversation to add her thoughts on Gollum.

Ron and Jon continue discussing Gollum's character (and come up with a GREAT idea for a scene in Hunt for Gollum)!

Our hosts spend some time talking about the evolution of the Gollum character, why he became a Hobbit, and why that might be significant.

With War of the Rohirrim (and the appendices) behind us, it's time to start thinking about the next Tolkien adaptation bound for the big screen: the Hunt for Gollum (expected in 2026). What (and more importantly, WHO) do we expect to see when it comes out?

Jasmine has returned and she has more GREAT ideas to bring the appendices to the screen.

With the success of War of the Rohirrim, Jon and Ron talk about what other stories from the Appendices they would like to see animated.

Last week we heard about the setup for the story and met some of the main characters. This week we get into the meat of the action. Let us know what you thought: what were your favorite parts of the film?

Our hosts got out on openning weekend to watch the new LotR film, War of the Rohirrim. Tune in to hear their first impressions (and share your own in the comments)!

We haven't talked about it much but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about it! The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set to hit theaters this week! Join our hosts as they talk about where this story comes from and what they are looking forward to in the film.

Two of our hosts return to wrap up our discussions about Sauron, his powers, and their portrayals on screen.

Please enjoy this Last Homely Rerun(?) while our hosts enjoy a short break (and as Ron and Jon travel back from a conference in San Diego). Revisit their discussion from last year about the connections between their Tolkien nerd-dom and Bible nerd-dom.

Our hosts pick up their conversation about Sauron's origins, talking a bit more about Thu/Sauron as a Necromancer and how that might have helped him gain power in Numenor.

Our hosts talk about where we got the Dark Lord that we all know and love.

Our hosts rewind a few years and revisit/rate their predictions for Season 2. What did they get right? What did they get wrong? What did they get REALLY wrong?

Our hosts wrap up their initial predictions for TRoP season 3 with a discussion about all things Numenorian.

Our hosts continue with their predictions for the next season of the Rings of Power. Where will the hobbits go next? What will happen with the wizards in Rhun? Will Durin choose the ring over Disa?

Our hosts spend a little time recapping Season 2 (their likes and dislikes) and start talking about what we might expect from Season 3.

Our hosts discuss the finale of Season 2, talk about how each storyline concluded, and share some preliminary thoughts about Season 3.

Join our hosts as they discuss the penultimate episode of Season 2. What did you think about the downfall of Eregion? Sauron's machinations? The kiss?

Ron and Jasmine have to fly without Jon today as they discuss episode 6 of season 2 of the Rings of Power.

Our full fellowship reunites to discuss the latest episode of TRoP season 2, Halls of Stone. Big changes in Numenor, dark tidings from Khazad-Dum, and more! What do you think about the new season so far?

Our hosts share some initial thoughts on the latest episode of Rings of Power, "Eldest." We've met Tom Bombadil. There are new Hobbits. We've seen some Ents. And Galadriel's ring demonstrates some new powers. What were your favorite (or least favorite) parts of the latest episode?

SPOILERS AHEAD!! It's part 2 of a special, double-episode edition of Last Homely House as our hosts discuss the first three episodes of The Rings of Power Season 2. We talk about Eregion, Khazad-Dum, Pelargir, and Numenor.

SPOILERS AHEAD!! It's a special, double-episode edition of Last Homely House as our hosts discuss the first three episodes of The Rings of Power Season 2. We talk about Sauron and Adar and the goings on in Mordor, Rhun, and Lindon.

Our hosts look forward to the release of TRoP season 2 this week by discussing a few interesting points of the final trailer. Who is this new bearded stranger? Could it be Saruman? How might that work? Also, what do we think about the way the trailer's portray Sauron's power? Is it too much? Not enough?

Our hosts get back together to talk about Tolkien's final three criteria for Fantasy: recovery, escape, and consolation. How did season 1 do with each of them and what are our hopes for season 2?

What are Tolkien's criteria for fantasy stories and how can we use those to critique the Rings of Power? Our hosts revisit this question as they prepare to watch season 2. Join us today as we talk through the concept of "Sub-Creation."

Our hosts share continue sharing their reactions to the trailer for Rings of Power season 2 that was released at San Diego Comic Con.

Our hosts share their initial reactions to the trailer for Rings of Power season 2 that was released at San Diego Comic Con.

Our hosts continue (and wrap up?) their series on Vices and Virtues in Middle Earth with a discussion of loyalty and betrayal. Come for the interesting topic; stay for all the animal references!

Our vices and virtues series continues! What is tyranny? What is justice? What leaders in Middle Earth demonstrate each of them?

More vices and virtues with our hosts. Today we pick up where we left off last week and talk about vengeance and mercy in Middle Earth.

This week, our hosts explore cruelty and compassion in Tolkien's writings.

Our hosts celebrate 100 episodes, reflect on some of their favorite discussions over the last two years, and look forward to more fun topics to come.

Vanity Fair released an exclusive first look at Tom Bombadil in TROP Season 2. What do our hosts think about the news? What can we glean from the (few) still shots that were released? Join in for our discussion and then share your thoughts!

Join our hosts as they dig into the official "Behind the Scenes" video that Amazon released for The Rings of Power season 2.

Our host review the first teaser trailer for the Rings of Power season 2.

Picking back up with their conversation about Vices and Virtues in Middle-Earth, our hosts talk about how people respond to fear in Tolkien's world and how those responses may lead to virtue or vice.

Coming to you a week delayed (since we talked Mother's Day last week), our hosts give their first thoughts and impressions about the recently announced film, "The Hunt for Gollum." What are your thoughts?

We just can't seem to make it back to our Virtues and Vices series. Instead, we take the chance to talk about mothers in Middle Earth. (Our apologies for the delay and for any oddities in the audio. The internet was NOT our friend today!)

Our hosts take a quick break from the Vices and Virtues series in memory of Bernard Hill, who portrayed King Theoden of Rohan. What are your favorite Theoden moments from the LotR films?

We couldn't move on without saying a little more about Wisdom! Join our hosts as they talk about the Wisdom of the Elves, who is the wisest of the elves, why isn't Cirdan invited to the White Council, and why do Ron and Jon care so much about cutting their grass.

Continuing our discussion of vices and virtues in Middle Earth by looking at foolishness and wisdom. Where do these things show up in Tolkien's stories? What characters exemplify them?

Our hosts continue their discussion of the vices and virtues of Middle-Earth. This time we talk about the dangers of Greed and about the importance of Generosity and Hospitality.

We're starting a short series this week looking at vices and virtues in Middle-Earth, starting out with Hubris and Humility. Who are the characters that exhibit excessive pride? How does it figure into Tolkien's world and his story? Who are the humble characters? How do we see these things set against each other. Let us know what you think! (Also, let us know about other Vices and Virtues you'd like to hear us talk about!)

We've talked TRoP rumors but have you heard any of the rumors flying around for the third season of our podcast! Some amazing things coming out this year! Our hosts got together on April 1st to talk LHH Rumors. Listen in and let us know what you're looking forward to the most in this season of the Last Homely House.

Our hosts celebrate the destruction of the One Ring and the beginning of another season of the podcast. We look back on our favorite discussions of season 2 and look forward to what's to come in season 3. Join in the conversation: what were your favorite episodes this year? What do you hope we can chat about in the year to come?

Our hosts pick up a special topic today as we welcome Jon back from a conference on biblical research where he presented on the Ainulindale and Genesis. Jon recaps his Tolkien-Talk and we think together about how reading Tolkien's work can help us read the Bible in more fruitful ways.

We just can't get enough of the speculation surrounding Season 2. Our hosts continue going over some of the recent news (some confirmed details; some just rumors) about the upcoming season of the Rings of Power. What are you looking foward to the most from the new season?

Last week we talked about some (maybe far-fetched?) rumors surrounding Season 2 of the Rings of Power. This week, we spend some time with some confirmed news about the upcoming season, as well as some rumors that are more likely to come to fruition. Let us know what you think! Which rumors do you hope are true? Which do you hope are not?!

The second season of the Rings of Power is still a ways off, but it hasn't stopped people from speculating. This week, our hosts look at a list of rumors that come from an internet source who has claimed to see a full script of season 2. While remaining very skeptical of the source, our hosts couldn't help but chat about some of the CRAZY things they suggest for the next season of TRoP.

After our brief holiday tangent, our hosts return to wrap up their discussion of art in Middle Earth. Today they think about Art vs. Industry. Why is making art a good thing in Tolkien's world, while being "industrious" is a bad thing? When does "making things" move from "art" to "industry," and why is "industry" such a bad thing?

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, our hosts take a moment to honor Middle-Earth's most often forgotten partner: Celeborn. Whether it's Gandalf, Elrond, or even Sauron/Halbrand...Galadriel hangs out with everyone BUT her poor husband. Join us as we remember poor lost Celeborn this Valentine's Day (because no one else will)!

Tolkien's world is full of art, but one medium that is notably absent is painting. Paintings and drawings don't have the same place in Middle Earth that sculpture, crafting, and music have. Our hosts discuss why that might be, and then talk about Tolkien as a visual artist himself. Which of Tolkien's drawings are your favorite? Do you have another favorite artist of Middle Earth?

Our hosts talk more about art, turning from sculpture and jewels to the art of music. What is the significance of music in Middle Earth? How do different peoples use it? Does it tap into something foundational for Tolkien?