The Last Homely House

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.