The Extra Curricular: Recent Episodes
Katie Sabo, Chase Smith, and Juliana Antoninus
Three friends get together each week and start talking Tolkien. Tolkien Expert Katie Sabo, casual fan Jon Cox, and newbie Chase Smith spend each week talking through these books chapter by chapter. A great book club experience, this show offers a conversational and fun way to read along!
Join Katie, Chase, and Juliana in this one-time-only reunion of the Talking Tolkien crew!
I am glad that you're here with us, listeners, here at the end of all things. Join Katie and Jonathan as we discuss what it means to have read the Silmarillion, the Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings—what we've discovered that we never noticed before, how our understanding of the books has changed, and how our lives have changed, as well.
We finally watch the last movie in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and Katie and Jonathan have a lot to talk about. The movie makes a lot of changes—some good, some bad, and some just for the sake of movie magic.
The final chapter of the Lord of the Rings has been read and Jonathan, Katie and Chase have completed what they set out to do. They follow Frodo and Sam as they rebuild the Shire after the events of the pervious chapter and tie up the loose ends. But not all hurts can be fully healed and not all tears are evil. This is the final chapter episode of Talking Tolkien.
growing in the Shire. You can find more episodes on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher. Also, please check out our Patreon page.
The hobbits and Gandalf continue on towards the Shire. However, they have to make a stop in the village of Bree to talk with a certain owner of a certain Pony themed inn. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss these events along with chance meetings with celebrities and the economy of pipe growing in the Shire.
The end of the Fellowship has finally arrived. The day all dread is here and it takes the form of marching back through Rohan, Isengard and eventually arriving in In Rivendale. Jonathan, Katie and Chase Talk about this bitter sweet time and the nature of Bilbo's mind and its connection to the Ring.
The king is returning to Minas Tirith with the Fellowship of the Ring in tow. Meanwhile, two people still in
And like that, the dark lord of Mordor, Sauron, was gone from Middle-Earth. The Fourth Age has dawned, and our heroes get some well earned rest, but much awaits the Fellowship of the Ring in this new world without war. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss this new future along with their week in the real world.
Sam and Frodo reach the slopes of Mount Doom, bur Frodo is far too weak to climb the volcano. The Ring is too much of a burden on his mind. What is Sam to do other than pull Frodo to the top and becoming the real hero of Middle-Earth. Katie and Chase discuss these events along with a Bork Dog and Chase's first day in culinary school.
This week, Sam and Frodo trudge through the land of darkness towards Mount Doom. However, they and Jonathan, Katie and Chase make some revelations about the land of Mordor along the way. This includes water and plant life. What other secrets could be hiding in the deep recesses of this land? We will just have to find out.
Sam steps into Mordor and it is a sight to behold. The land is churning and dark, but he can not dwell on these things for long. He still has master Frodo to save from a nearby tower. Jonathan, Katie and Chase Discuss the first chapter of the final book of the Lord of the Rings and break down the nature of the border of Mordor.
Gandalf, Aragorn and the remaining Fellowship of the Ring march to the Black Gate of Mordor to force Sauron to atone for his crimes against Middle-Earth and to give Frodo some much needed time. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss these event from the final chapter of book 1 of the Return of the King and obscure references in poetry.
The battle of Minas Tirith is over and it is now time to prepare for the War of the Ring. Aragorn, Gandalf and other leaders talk in secret to figure out what their final plans will be to take down the might of Mordor for good. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss future plans and Chase's move to New York City.
We return to Merry after slaying the Witch King as he wanders around Minas Tirith in a daze. Also, Aragorn enters the city not as a king, but rather the leader of his order of Rangers so he can make final plans and see his friends. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss these events along with the importance of good humor.
The battle of Minas Tirith is getting out of Gandalf's control which leads to a difficult choice for him to make. Either go out in the field and help the riders of Rohan, or follow Pippin to stop Denethor and save Faramir. Katie and Chase lock down this week's new episode where they discuss the evils of nostalgia, knowledge vs wisdom and that Pokemon Go.
The Battle of Pelennor Fields is ranging outside of Minas Tirith and what started as a joyful decimation of evil has turned into a desperate onslaught. Dernhelm, Merry and Theoden encounter the Witch King of Angmar and the enemies numbers are growing. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss these events along with how incredibly epic this chapter is.
The Rohirrim march ever closer to Minas Tirith which is still being attacked by the armies of Sauron and is ready to fall. After talking with the men of woods outside of Gondor, Theoden is losing heart in the face of evil. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss this short, but epic chapter and the ramp up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The siege of Gondor is underway as Denethor reveals his true delusional self and Gandalf and Faramir try to defend the city. Jonathan, Katie and Chase dig in deep and discuss the nature of Denethor's fall and what really kicked off Sauron's war against Middle-Earth on one of longest episodes of Talking Tolkien.
Rohan is now shrouded in darkness like the rest of Middle-Earth. This serves as an ill omen to the people of Rohan and a reminder that war is coming. Theoden begins his march for Gondor with Merry in tow. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them as they make their journey and foreshadow the beginning of the end.
Jonathan, Katie and Chase journey in to the Paths of the Dead with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimili. They venture on to discover a secret weapon that can take down the armies of Mordor. The nature of legends in Middle-Earth and Chase's annual love of Star Trek is also discussed on this week's episode.
Gandalf and Pippin reach the awe inspiring city of Minas Tirith on this week's new episode which is also our first episode covering the Return of the King. It has been a long time coming, but Jonathan, Katie and Chase are on the final book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Enjoy as we discuss Minas Tirith and how cool the name Echelon is.
To round out our discussion on the Two Towers we watched and discussed the 2002 film version. We talk about pacing, jumping genres and how very special Brad Dourif is to Chase. We also get ready for starting the Return of the King next week.
We reach the final chapter of the Two Towers this week, and it is focused on Sam and the many choices that lie ahead of him. As the last member of the Fellowship marches forward, he realizes that he might not be as alone as he originally thought. Jonathan, Katie and Chase wrap up another Tolkien book and dope fantasy movies.
This week, Sam, Frodo and Gollum dive deep into Shelob's Lair and discover the horrible smells and death that lies within. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them in the darkness and also discuss their fondness for red onions and turn of the century internet memes.
As Frodo and Sam creep ever closer to Mordor, Jonathan, Katie and Chase come to terms with how they feel about these characters. Also, the trio pass Minas Morgul and there is a discussion about the place of spoilers in our social media nightmare future.
Frodo, Sam and Gollum leave the company of Faramir and his men. They set off across the wilderness towards Mordor, but everything is different. The Geography and weather seem to be shifting as this part of our story is coming to an end. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss Tolkien's use of descriptions and more!
After a rude awakening, Frodo is taken to a secret pool where Gollum is trespassing. Faramir is ready to kill the fiend, but Frodo has to persuade him to not end Gollum's life. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss these events and the nature of Tolkien's use of lore on this week's new episode.
Frodo and Sam are now under the care of a young captain of Gondor, Faramir. Faramir is curious about what brings two hobbits out in to the wilds, but are Frodo and Sam willing to divulge their true task? Join Jonathan, Katie and a sick Chase for this week's new episode.
Sam is hungry, and not for any more of that lame Lambis bread! He asks Gollum if he could possibly find anything suitable in the wilds for Hobbits to eat. Also, Sam and Frodo encounter some unlikely figures in the wilderness. Join Jonathan, Katie and Chase as they talk about the nature of a good meal on the fringe and the return of Baseball.
Frodo and Sam have reached the Black Gates of Mordor and thus the end of their journey! No, not really. The Black Gates are impossible to get through, but Gollum has other routes for them to take. Join Jonathan, Katie and Chase on this week's episode as they discuss Chapter 3 of Book 4 and the Thursday sleepies.
Sam, Frodo and a newly tamed Gollum make their way across the marsh leading to the Black Gates of Mordor. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them just as they are so close yet so far from their ultimate goal.
At the beginning of Book 4 of the Lord of the Rings, we reconnect with Frodo and Sam in the mountains at the edge of a disgusting marsh. Out in the wilds they discover new aspects of themselves, "monsters" and a mystical rope. Jonathan, Katie and Chase talk about Ninnyhammers and nothing else on this special Tolkien Reading Day episode!
Pippin's curiosity is keeping him awake as the fellowship rest on their journey back to Helm's Deep. He learns very quickly why it is not always a good idea to seek out trouble. Jonathan, Katie and Chase dive into the Palantír on this week's new episode covering the final chapter of Book 4 of the Lord of the Rings.
This week, the men of Rohan and the newly reunited fellowship seeking out Saruman in his tower for one final conversation. But are the men and Hobbits too weak for the power of Isengard? That and more on this week's new episode covering Chapter 10 of Book 3.
Merry and Pippin offer Chase and the fellowship some wonderful exposition as to what happened during the Ent march on Isengard...
The Fellowship marches to Isengard, but not for war. Gandalf wishes to meet with Saruman one last time before they move on. They also encounter some unlikely friends along the way. Jonathan, Katie and Chase read chapter 8 of the Two Towers on this week's episode.
As the fellowship remnant and the Riders of Rohan reach the ancient hold of Helm's Deep, Gandalf once again has to leave and take care of other affairs. Jonathan, Katie and Chase hold down as the the men fight through the night as a wave of orcs slam against the them.
Gandalf and team reach the Golden Hall, but the king of Rohan, Theoden is not quite as kingly as he should be. A snake has embedded himself among the people of Rohan and it will take the White Wizard to remove him. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them in the Golden Hall and discuss chapter 6 of the Two Towers.
The search for Merry and Pippin leads Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn into the Fangorn forest, but an old friend returns to them at the "turn of the tide." Jonathan, Katie and Chase comb through this exposition filled chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers on this week's episode.
The lost hobbits meet some living trees, start a war with them and Jonathan is stuck in the middle of #Snowpocalypse2016. Katie and Chase hold down the fort and throw around some tremendous tree puns on this week's new episode of Talking Tolkien.
The Hobbits, and by Hobbits we mean Merry and Pippin, are the hostages of many hundreds of Orcs that are running across Rohan. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them just as Pippin is trying to piece together what has happened to them along with their other members of the Fellowship.
Talking Tolkien returns to Middle-Earth as they kick this year off by starting part two of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, The Two Towers. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join the remnants of the fellowship as they run across Rohan to save the Hobbits who were captured by orcs.
This is our final episode of Talking Tolkien covering J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring. This week, Jonathan, Katie and Chase watched the 2001 film version of The Fellowship of the Ring and discussed how it is similar and how it differs from the book. Next week, they will be starting the Two Towers.
Today is the 124th birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien and it is also the first anniversary of our humble podcast. We present you a short special where we celebrate Professor Tolkien's birthday and a year of doing this podcast. Thank you for listening to us and we hope to continue entertaining you all in 2016.
This week we witness the final moments of the Fellowship as they begin to go separate ways. Frodo and Sam will be making their way to Mordor alone as we finish the Fellowship of the Ring and move on to the Two Towers. Also, have a happy New Year, listeners!
The Fellowship make their way down a treacherous river on boats given to them by the elves. Danger and evil are all around them as they have to make a decision that will alter the course of their journey. Join Jonathan, Katie and Chase as they make their way down the river with the Fellowship.
This week, the Hobbits and their Fellowship leave the elves, but not without accepting their gifts first. Also, Katie reminds us all of some deep ties to the Silmarillion, Jon notes about the nature of rivers in fiction and Chase can not stop thinking about the Ride the Ducks boat tours. that and more on this week's episode.
The Fellowship rest with the elves that reside deep in the forest. Frodo and Sam spend time with an old friend of the series, Galadriel. You might remember her from the Silmarillion where she played a Capitol role during the final chapters. Join Jonathan, Katie and Chase as they gaze into the future of Middle-Earth.
The fellowship suffers a loss that is felt deeply by Jonathan and Katie on this week's podcast. Chase also felt something as well, but it is was more shock than anything. On this week's episode, we touch base with the Silmarillion again as Tolkien weaves more lore from that book into the Lord of the Rings.
The Fellowship were defeated by the mountain, but now they aim to make it to the other side through the mines of Moria. Jonathan, Katie and Chase travel with them to an ancient city in the deepest depths of Middle-Earth. Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners!
The one ring and Frodo are finally heading south to Mordor with his marry band of wizards, elves, dwarfs and humans. However, hardships take them over as they try to cross over the mountains. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join the fellowship while also commenting on the media they consumed this week on your new and improved Talking Tolkien.
The Council of Elrond is underway in Rivendell and representatives of all the people of Middle-Earth are there to discuss the One Ring. Jonathan, Katie and Chase join them with one of the longest episodes of Talking Tolkien to date. they discuss ring lore and the nature of Sauron.
Frodo and his troop of Hobbits reach Rivendell just in time to save his life. Also in Rivendell is Gandalf and our old friend Bilbo. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss elven magic and other things on this week's episode.
A wounded and sickly Frodo makes a desperate journey to Rivendell on the back of a magical horse. Also, a figure from the Silmarillion returns to confuse Chase and lead to theories about the nature of Elf Death in Middle Earth.
Our hobbits, now in the company of Strider, wake up the next morning in Bree at the Inn of the Prancing Pony to discover that their fear of the dark riders is too close for comfort. Together they set off for Rivendell but make it no farther than Weathertop before danger strikes. That and more on this week's Talking Tolkien with Jonathan, Katie and Chase.
The troop of hobbits have finally reached the town of Bree and plan to rest in the Inn of the Prancing Pony. However, a dark figure is already there to meet with them and discuss the future of their journey. That and more on this week's Talking Tolkien with Jonathan, Katie and Chase.
Once again, Frodo and his marry band of hobbits can not seem to stay out of trouble on this week's episode! Jonathan, Katie and Chase follow the troop into a weird hidden realm and Tom Bombadil unveils his ultimate surprise: Fatty Lumpkin! That and more on this week's Talking Tolkien!
Tom Bombadil is a fascinating weirdo, but he sure is lovable. This week, Jonathan, Chase and Katie spend the entire episode talking about this odd figure in the Lord of the Rings and his impact on Middle-Earth. Who is Tom Bombadil? Who is Goldberry? Those questions and more on this week's Talking Tolkien!
Happy Tolkien Week! This week we celebrate the publication of The Hobbit as well as Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays. Our hobbits continue their journey after a scary midnight run-in with Merry. However, they get lost in the Old Forest and trapped by a tree. They're saved by none other than Tom Bombadil, who we meet for the first time. Jonathan, Katie and Chase leave the Shire on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien.
The journey of Frodo and Sam to the cracks of Mt. Doom has begun...with a seemingly delightful night walk through the forests of the Shire with their friend Pippin. However, a dark figure or figures looms behind them. Jonathan, Katie and Chase explore the outer edges of the Shire on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien.
This week is the return of the lore of the ring as Frodo is informed by Gandalf about his mystical ring of power. Jonathan, Katie and Chase discuss foreshadowing and the prospect of deal a stupidly powerful conscious ring on this week's Talking Tolkien.
Nearly nine months of Talking Tolkien have finally lead us to The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring! Jonathan, Katie and Chase kick off a new book with facts about book editions, some more lore of the rings of power and Hobbits' love of pipe weed. Those topics and more on this week's Talking Tolkien!
This week on Talking Tolkien, Jonathan, Katie and Chase wasted an evening and watched The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. They spent 24 minutes in depression and sorrow for having to watch such a dismal movie. Enjoy!
This is the final episode of Talking Tolkien that involves the wonderful book, The Hobbit. Jonathan, Katie and Chase reminiscence on the experience of re-reading and reading the book for the first time. The Battle of Five Armies is over and Bilbo makes his way back home. We loved this book and hope you enjoy this final episode on the Hobbit.
The Battle of Five Armies is here to over take the Lonely Mountain and drive the Dwarves out, or one could just get hit on the head and miss the whole thing. Jonathan, Katie and Chase break down the players in this battle and try to to figure out what it all means on this week's Talking Tolkien.
Smaug, the oh so terrible worm, can not stop the arrows of a random grim faced dude living in Lake town. Jonathan, Katie and Chase follow Bard as he leads his people away from the Long Lake and the Dwarves as they prepare for an unnecessary war. that and embarrassing High School stories on this week's Talking Tolkien.
Not every experience of Talking Tolkien has to be a positive one. Some times Jonathan, Katie and Chase have to sit through a boring, convoluted and dreadful Hobbit movie. This week, they watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and had to fight off sleep and rage during it's 2 hour and 41 minutes runtime.
This week's chapter of the Hobbit proved to be shorter than Jonathan, Katie and Chase's expectations. The Dwarves and Hobbit continue waiting at the Lonely Mountain. While they wait the Talking Tolkien team waste some time answering some silly question from a listener.
This week on Talking Tolkien, the company of dwarves and hobbit reach the Lonely Mountain. They also encounter a slumbering dragon living in the depths of the settlement. A fairly sick chase joins Jonathan and Katie on a discussion about chapters 11 and 12 of the Hobbit and Harry Potter for some reason.
Katie returns on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien. Jonathan, Katie and Chase cover chapters 9-10 of the Hobbit. The company of Dwarves are captured by the Wood-Elf King and it is going to take an invisible Hobbit to free them. The company also receive a warm welcome at Lake Town before moving on to the Lonely Mountain.
This week's episode of Talking Tolkien only features Jonathan and Chase as they dive into chapters 7 and 8 of the The Hobbit. The Company of Dwarves, Hobbit and Wizard encounter a curious man at the edge of the Mirkwood Forest and defend themselves against nasty spiders.
This is a very special episode of Talking Tolkien for it is the crew's very first video episode. This week Jonathan, Katie and Chase watched the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and broke down what they liked about the movie and what they did not like. All while drinking sidecars. We hope you enjoy this first video episode of Talking Tolkien.
This is the final chapter of The Hobbit that the Talking Tolkien crew are going to cover before watching and talking about the first Hobbit movie. The Dwarves, wizard and Hobbit end up at the top of group of trees and are saved by characters that tie back into the Silmarillion.
The Dwarves and Hobbit find themselves lost under the Misty Mountains with a horde of Goblins and a nasty creature that you all might already know. Jonathan, Katie and Chase cut through the darkness and expose the cleverness of J.R.R. Tolkien's riddles.
This week, our company of Dwarves and Hobbit find themselves caught up in a group of hungry trolls and are nearly squashed into jelly. Jonathan, Katie and Chase reflect on the nature of Elves after having read The Silmarillion and if knowledge of Arda history is required for enjoying the Hobbit.
It is finally here! The very first episode of Talking Tolkien: The Hobbit. This was a super enjoyable chapter as Jonathan, Katie and Chase experience the Shire, and the good food of the Hobbits. Oh also a surprising invitation to go on an adventure and some uninvited Dwarves.
This is it. After this episode about the Rings of Power and the Third Age Jonathan, Katie and Chase will be officially done talking about the Silmarillion. Next week they will be starting the Hobbit.
Númenor seemed like a nice place until a Dark Lord decided to tear the down will of the people living there and pushed them into war with the gods. That, an island full of corgis and more on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien where Jonathan, Katie and Chase read the Akallabêth of the Silmarillion.
Jonathan Cox, Katie Sabo, and Chase Smith have finally reached the end of the Silmarillion proper with Chapter 24. For all intents and purposes they are now done with the Silmarillion and spend their time tying up all the loose ends of the book. Over the next two week, they will be reading the final epilogues of the Silmarillion and hope to start Tolkien's The Hobbit within the next month.
This is it, the home stretch to the end of the Silmarillion. This week Jonathan Cox, Katie Sabo and Chase Smith talk about chapters 22 and 24 of the Silmarillion which are about the fall of Doriath and Gondolin. Everything is terrible and everything is sad, but hope has not run out yet. There is still one final chapter of the Silmarillion proper.
This week's episode of Talking Tolkien is the longest one yet. We read chapter 21 of the Silmarillion and talked about Turin and his many names along with his brain washed sister. What follows was hour and change discussion about name changing in Tolkien's work and the Middle-Earth equivalent of the Hall's Angels. Enjoy.
We only cover one chapter of the Silmarillion this week on Talking Tolkien. Chapter 20, Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad is epic and crazy and some horrible events take place. Tolkien experts, Katie Sabo and Jon Cox, and newbie Chase Smith dig in to the terrible battle that breaks the bonds between Men and Elves.
Previously on Talking Tolkien, Tolkien Experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox had pushed for 2 chapters per episode. This week the are covering only one chapter from the Silmarillion. Chapter 19, the love story of Of Beren and Lúthien and their own attack against Morgoth.
Epic battles, awesome women leading whole villages and great big bushy beards on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien with Tolkien experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox and not so newbie Chase Smith. This episode focuses on Chapters 18 and 19 of the Silmarillion.
This week on Talking Tolkien, people feast after a glorious battle, then they feast some more. Also a woman gets lost in the woods and is seduced by a creepy elf. That weirdness and more on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien with Tolkien experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox and newbie Chase Smith.
Epic battles! Dragons! Geography! The Silmarillion just got much more exciting on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien with Tolkien Experts Jon Cox and Katie Sabo, and newbie Chase Smith. Things are heating up as we dive into page after page of riveting geography descriptions. Enjoy!
Men have finally arrived/awoken on Middle-Earth thanks to the creation of the Sun and the Moon. That's right, The Silmarillion continues to be a crazy adventure for Jon, Katie and Chase as they talk about the creation of the sun and the awaking of men on this week's Talking Tolkien.
The peaceful world of the elves crumbles on this week's episode of Talking Tolkien. Tolkien Experts Jon and Katie guide Chase through the dark times of the Silmarillion chapters 9 and 10 where elves are killing each other and Melkor finally becomes Morgoth.
This week on Talking Tolkien, the events of the Silmarillion get hairy as Jon, Katie and Chase dive into the deception of Melkor. Also, the creation of the Silmarils by Fëanor and the destruction of the Trees of Light by a giant crazed spider are discussed.
Talking Tolkien continues with Chapters 5 and 6 of The Silmarillion. Our Tolkien experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox walk Chase Smith through the complicated families of the Noldor after they have left Valinor. Also, Melkor is free from his prison and is ready to poison the minds of the elves.
Tolkien Talk continues with Chapters 3 and 4 of The Silmarillion. Tolkien experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox enlighten Chase Smith with the tales of the coming of Elves to Middle-Earth and the imprisonment of Melkor. Soon to follow will be the waking of Men or so Chase thinks.
The Tolkien experts Katie Sabo and Jon Cox and newbie Chase Smith return to the beginning of Middle-Earth with the first and second chapters of The Silmarillion. In this episode they cover the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar: Elves and Men and the creation of the Dwarves.
Tolkien Experts Jonathan Cox and Katie Sabo are enlightening Chase Smith who is ignorant of Tolkien’s work. They start with the Middle-Earth creation myth of Ainulindalë and the listing of minor deities in the Valaquenta.