In today's episode, Peter Owens from the Things You Can Do and I talk about Gollum. What motivates him? What's wrong with him? Should we pity him or fear him? Or something else? Come along for a journey into the ethics of Middle Earth where we'll discuss good and evil, pain and addiction, love and pity, and incontinence. Also, Frodo and Sam's Special Boat for Boys™ .

9:30 | Illustrated Hobbit Reddit Post

11:30 | Film Depiction Blog Post

23:45 | Anti-Climacus (Soren Kierkegaard), The Sickness Unto Death (Normally Peter try to put the edition and page, but I got this off the internet because I couldn't find my copy of this text - it's probably in a box somewhere in the basement, but I promise a cursory google search will confirm it's factuality!)

Things You Can Do, Season 1 Soundtrack

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In the Hobbit, we meet strange men found nowhere else in Middle Earth: The Men of Lake-Town, the Men of Dale, and Beorn, a skin-changer who takes the form of a huge bear. Who are these people? Where do they come from? And are they related to any of the other Men we see throughout Tolkien's stories? Find out in this week's episode!

Map of Rhovanion

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Theme Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

On the run from the Valar, Melkor seeks out a new ally in his quest for revenge against those who imprisoned him. The result of this alliance will be the complete remaking of the world order, and establish him as Morgoth: The Dark Foe of the Earth. Learn about Morgoth, his war with the Noldor, and his influence on early Mankind in this week's episode!

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Theme Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

Greatest of the Ainur, the bringer of Fire and Ice, He Who Arises In Might: He is Melkor, the source of all evil in Middle Earth. But what motivated him to turn from Eru Iluvatar? And how far will he go in his mission to rule the Arda; or barring that, destroy it? Find out on this week's episode!

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Our Sponsors: The Ex-Baptist Sister's Podcast and Things You Can Do

To submit a question to the show and to find all of my Social Media go to lotramapod.com

Theme Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

Smaug, Glaurung, Ancalagon the Black: Names that strike fear throughout the history of Middle Earth. The Dragons were the bane of Elves, Men, and Dwarves from the their first appearances in Beleriand to the Northern Wastes of the Third Age. But what are Dragons? Where do they come from? And are they still alive today? Find out answers to all these questions and more on this week's episode!

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Theme Music by Michael McBride

Proudfoots/Proudfeet Music by Martin Landstrom & Peter Owens

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

Bilbo Baggins: Respectable Hobbit, Resident of Bag End, and... Burglar?

How did a upstanding Shire citizen get mixed up in an adventure with dwarves and dragons to begin with? That meddlesome wizard had something to do with it, but what were Gandalf's reasons for choosing Bilbo? And why that particular timing? Find out all that and more on this week's episode!

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Our Sponsor: The Ex-Baptist Sister's Podcast

To submit a question to the show and to find all of my Social Media go to lotramapod.com

Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

It's the last day Mailbag March! On this mailbag episode, I'm giving my biased opinions on topics such as:

• What if Aragorn Claimed the One Ring?
• What if Merry and Pippin Were Tasked with Taking the Ring to Mordor?
• How to Read Tolkien without Getting Bogged Down in the Details?
• Is Amazon's "The Rings of Power" Any Good?

Find out answers to all this and more on this week's episode!

Rings of Power Spoilers: 30:24-34:28

Our Sponsor: The Ex-Baptist Sister's Podcast

To submit a question to the show and to find all of my Social Media go to lotramapod.com

Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti

It's Mailbag March! On this mailbag episode, we answer some smaller topics such as:

• What is the Arkenstone and Why Did Thorin Want It So Badly?
• Should Gandalf the White Have Been Given A New Name?
• Did Tolkien View Himself as an Author or Historian?

Find out answers to all this and more on this week's episode!

Mythopoeia

On Fairy Stories

To submit a question to the show and to find all of my Social Media go to lotramapod.com

Music by Michael McBride

Cover Art by Lauren Ciatti