Episodes

  • 432 – The Chain

    432 – The Chain
    Nov 15 2026
    Tinúviel asks Karkaras why he’s in such a foul mood; Sara knows better than to ask Alan the same. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as the giant wolf bites off more than he can chew (come on, you can not be surprised) as we continue our time in The Tale of Tinúviel from Beren and Lúthien. Beren does his best with a kitchen knife, Tinúviel changes her mind about going home, and Karkaras wreaks havoc in Artanor. We wax eloquent about Alan Lee’s artwork, wonder if kindergarten scissors might have done the job better, and agree that Huan would never break the chain. Also, do not follow Alan’s culinary advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • 431 – Her Face Says Freedom

    431 – Her Face Says Freedom
    Nov 8 2026
    Huan knows that the days of the power of the cats are over; Alan and Sara aren’t entirely sure that’s still the case. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as Beren is freed from the Cat Condo of Terror and Lúthien’s face says freedom, as we continue our reading in The Tale of Tinúviel in Beren and Lúthien. Tinúviel misses home, Beren loves hanging out with dogs, and Melko ponders a terrible evil. We agree that wearing a giant dead cat is a bad Halloween costume idea, discover Tolkien’s origin story for cats, and wonder if pliers might have been a better choice. Also, always take down the mobs before you take down the boss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 57 mins
  • 430 – Tell Me Lies

    430 – Tell Me Lies
    Nov 1 2026
    Huan wants to end the power of cats forever; Alan and Sara would settle for ending the power of internet trolls for a few years. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as Tevildo’s doorkeeper gets laid off the hard way as we continue reading The Tale of Tinúviel in Beren and Lúthien. Huan’s plan begins to bear furry fruit, Tinúviel spots his man and begins to tell some sweet little lies, and Tevildo finds himself up a tree. We spot even more threes, wonder what Tevildo’s severance package looks like (hint: it probably involves more severing), and decide that Miaulë might just be the best name for a cat - ever. Also, can we please stop talking about tongues and licking?? Make the HoME audiobooks happen by signing the petition here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 3 mins
  • 429 – Rhiannon

    429 – Rhiannon
    Oct 25 2026
    Tinwelint (Thingol to the rest of you) asks his daughter to “put this folly away from thee”; Sara’s been telling Alan to do the same for years now. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as Tinúviel makes good her escape from the mighty Hirilorn like a cat in the dark as we continue our reading of this early tale in Beren and Lúthien. Tinúviel knows better than to promise what she can’t deliver, Dairon gets lost in the woods and finds himself way off course, and the goodest dog ever gets his earliest introduction. We reach a disturbing conclusion, decide Tinúviel has the weirdest gap-year plans ever, and speculate about the blueprints for Tevildo’s giant cat condo. Also, three is a magic number, oh yes it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 58 mins
  • 428 – Go Your Own Way

    428 – Go Your Own Way
    Oct 18 2026
    Beren is so hungry that he picks his way through leftover scraps at an Orc camp; Alan and Sara are somehow no longer hungry at all. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we continue our look at The Tale of Tinúviel in Beren and Lúthien. Beren proves he can really think on his feet, Tevildo smells dog, and Dairon proves to be as petty as he was cowardly. We compare Tinwelint and Melko with surprising results, wonder about the torture of the balrogs (though not too much), and discover that flattery will get you… a really crappy job. Also, we’ve invented a new cat food flavor! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 2 mins
  • 427 – Dreams

    427 – Dreams
    Oct 11 2026
    Dairon is named among the three most magic players; Alan and Sara aren’t even named among the three most magic podcasters. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin our long look at the oldest version of the story of Beren and Lúthien, known as The Tale of Tinúviel. Tinúviel dances better than anyone this side of Valinor, Beren is an Elf from the wrong side of the tracks, and Tinwelint wants his daughter to listen carefully to the sound of her loneliness. We like Tinúviel’s sass, acknowledge that Beren is a hero too, and readily acknowledge that Verlyn Flieger is our hero. Also, why doesn’t she like The Beatles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 46 mins
  • 426 – Tiny Dancer

    426 – Tiny Dancer
    Oct 4 2026
    Christopher Tolkien points out the ‘undercurrent of sardonic humor’ in Tolkien’s earliest version of this story; Alan and Sara’s sardonic humor is more like a whirlpool. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we finish our walk through of Christopher’s introduction to the story of Beren and Lúthien. Christopher tells us that the original story exists only in a mostly-erased pencil manuscript, sets up the frame narrative for The Tale of Tinúviel, and explains what his father meant by ‘Gnome’. We talk about Tolkien as a different kind of war poet, engage in some lovely Fëanor-bashing, and find out precisely what a palimpsest is. Also, that’s a rom-com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • 425 – Questions After Nightfall 36

    425 – Questions After Nightfall 36
    Sep 27 2026
    Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we join a few of our patrons in the PPP Common Room for our 36th Questions After Nightfall! Sara looks for the familiar bus tires, as we answer questions about Nienna and the hobbits, Dwarves and their retirement plans, and medieval murder bunnies. Also, we wonder what the winter is like in Gondolin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 28 mins