Return of the King (Pt. 2)

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome back to B and C Book Club. I'm Kristen. [00:00:05] Speaker B: And I'm Summer. This is the podcast where we bring you all the comfort and gossip of a regular book club. But just between you, me, and her. [00:00:13] Speaker A: And you may be wondering what the B stands for. Well, the B stands for. I should have prepared for this. [00:00:21] Speaker B: Kirsten. [00:00:23] Speaker A: Barnacles. [00:00:23] Speaker B: Barnacles. I'm actually pretty sure you used that one before. [00:00:27] Speaker A: All right. I'm about 95% sure that I haven't, but okay. [00:00:32] Speaker B: And the C stands for chaos. [00:00:34] Speaker A: How has your life been going? [00:00:36] Speaker B: My life has been a little chaotic, hence my C word today. [00:00:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:00:41] Speaker B: Yeah, that's really it. I've been doing stuff. I'm gonna do a photo shoot here soon, so that's really my life. How's school? How's work? [00:00:51] Speaker A: It's. It's going. It's going. I'm still hanging out, not getting what I want done, but it's going. My life other than that is fine. So that's good. [00:01:05] Speaker B: That is good. [00:01:06] Speaker A: All right. So we are finally, officially. I know that I said this last week, but this is officially, officially the last part of the entire Lord of the Rings franchise. We are in the very last part of Return of the King, Part six, which is the end of the Third Age. [00:01:25] Speaker B: And I can honestly say that this book has been a lot. But it's been good. It's a good book. Like, obviously, it's famous for a reason, you know. [00:01:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:37] Speaker B: But it is heavy. [00:01:39] Speaker A: I do really like this book. So going into this book, my. I just really wanted there to be a nice and good Sauron defeat, which I technically didn't get, but whatever. And then I also assumed that we were going to be mostly in Sam's point of view for this half of the book. And between us reading the last. This last section, Book six, and us recording book five, you keep on telling me that he has a body, and I don't. I'm just not expecting to see a body for some reason in this book. I just wasn't expecting a body. And so I was thinking about it, and I was, okay, so if the movies have a body, but they, like, there's not a body, what would it be? And then I thought about it a lot, and I realized that the body is probably from the flashbacks to the first war that they do in the Fellowship of the Ring, where he's, like, a full body, and then they cut off the ring from his finger. Like, that's where that probably comes from. [00:02:31] Speaker B: You know what? And I will 100% give you that Because I read through this and I was like, wow, Kristin was right. I should listen to Kristen more often because he does not have a body. Like, they don't give him one. And my, like, confidence in this one fact about this book was wrong. So I need to, like, humble myself. [00:02:55] Speaker A: I'm just happy that I preempted myself with it. Of, like, oh, no. Actually, I think it might be from Fellowship over thinking about, like, movies and if he doesn't have a body, because I would have been. I was already disappointed by them not really fighting him, but I would have probably been more disappointed if I was actually expecting a body and, like, a full, full physical fight and I didn't get it. [00:03:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that definitely never happens, which is like, dude, the first four chapters wraps up this entire book in the entire series. And then, like, still we have, like, five more chapters. And it's like, crazy. Like, I never saw the actual ending of this book. I never saw happening. [00:03:31] Speaker A: Right. I felt the same way. I do feel like it basically ends. I think I even put in my notes. I'm like, this doesn't. This feels like the second to last chapter of a book. It doesn't feel like chapter four out of chapter nine of a book. Like, it. That's not what it feels like. It feels like we're basically done. Done now. But they do a ton of stuff in the last couple of chapters. [00:03:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I was like, chapter eight is just going off the rails, bro. Yeah, there's so much happening. [00:03:58] Speaker A: Honestly. Chapter eight, though, did kind of save it for me because that was the climax that I wasn't expecting. But it was. It was satisfying. [00:04:07] Speaker B: Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting it. I have absolutely zero faith that it's actually in the movies either. Like, this one's just for the readers. [00:04:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I can't remember anyone ever mentioning. [00:04:19] Speaker B: That unless it is in the movies or, like, if it is, though, it's like a blurb. Like, it's not a major thing that's happening. Like it is in the book. [00:04:27] Speaker A: Right. [00:04:29] Speaker B: But with that, on that note, let's get started. [00:04:32] Speaker A: So we are on chapter one, the Tower of Cirith Ungool. And we pick up right where we left off with Sam. He's. But he's lonely. That's all he wanted to tell everyone is that he's lonely and that he really is upset that Frodo is not with him anymore. He has to go back to the tunnel where Shlobe was and make his way through in order to get to where the orcs are keeping Frodo and he puts the ring back on. And because he puts the ring back on his hearing is heightened even though his vision goes a little fuzzy. And so he can hear orcs in the tower slash building or whatever. They're in fighting each other and apparently they're fighting over Frodo stuff and the things that they took from Frodo. But we, I guess we kind of find that out a little bit later. And he, when he goes through the entrance he feels watchers following him. And I'm not entirely sure what these people are, but they're watchers and they're following him. And he doesn't feel good. He feels like people are watching him obviously. And he sees Mount Doom in the distance. And because he can see Mount Doon he can feel like the really, really intense pull up the ring and he can feel it telling him to put it back on because he took it off once he went through the entrance. He can feel the ring telling him to put it back on because it can make him stronger. Oh Sam the strong. Like he's, he's just fantasizing about kind of the power that the ring could give him. And I at this point was like, oh, I think that Frodo doesn't have wants. Like this entire time when I thought about Frodo as a character by not reading this book and just knowing what I know tangentially from people, I always thought that he had the ring and he was able to carry the ring all the way to Mount Doom because he was just such a good person and that he was like pure of heart basically. But the way that this is portrayed to me is not that he needs to be pure of heart, but he needs to be content. And Frodo is content for some reason. Like he, he doesn't long for better. Like he is basically the top. He's not the mayor of the Shire, but he's basically like the top man of the Shire. Like he doesn't need any, anything. He just is able to live and he's able to thrive just by being him. And so he doesn't necessarily need more power. [00:06:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I can see that. And I mean that's how he was introduced in that. The very, very beginning of this whole story. Right? [00:06:54] Speaker A: Yeah, but it was just interesting to me. Like, oh, I didn't even think about that. It's not that he's non corruptible, it's that he doesn't really want more. He's fine with where he was at. He was actually happy and content and so that's why the Ring doesn't corrupt him as much as other people, because it doesn't call to his wants, because he doesn't have any, as only a mediocre white man can. It's true. [00:07:19] Speaker B: I feel that is. It is true. I mean, it's just funny when you put it like that. [00:07:29] Speaker A: I was just thinking about when this was made and I can just picture the men that are like, oh, you know what? The thing that was so great about him, he didn't want anything. He was just content to be a guy. And like, I. That's just what I feel like. [00:07:42] Speaker B: I mean. Yeah. [00:07:44] Speaker A: All right. So in order to get past the Watchers, Sam uses the file that he got from Galadriel that was Frodo's. And he makes past the entrance and past the Watchers. He knows that he should not put the Ring on once he's in Mordor, because as soon as he puts the Ring on, then Sauron will be able to find them because they're. They're in his house now. All right? They need to be very cautious as they move forward. Once he's in the tower again, he finds out the Orcs have been fighting and basically all of them are dead. He just is walking through corpses on the floor. And he does encounter a couple of them, but because he has his cloak on and because he has his shield and because they can feel the power of the Ring, they basically just run away from him as soon as he comes across anybody. He does hear two fighting. I do not have their names because I'm not going to pronounce them. But he does hear two Orcs fighting. And one of them says that they're going to go check on the prisoner. The other one Sam encounters, and again they run away. And it seems like they might go get back up, but he's like, no, I need to get Frodo. I'm not going to pursue this person and try to actually kill them. So he goes into the tower and is trying to find Frodo. And then he's about to give up, so he starts singing. And he also kind of like, hears in the distance maybe somebody singing back to him. And so then the Orc goes to Frodo's room. And because the Orc opens Frodo's door because it's in a hatch in the ceiling that Sam didn't know that was there before, Sam is able to follow the Orc into Frodo's room. And then he attacks him. And the Orc falls Down the hole in the floor to the ground. I don't know. And dies. And Frodo is there, and he's naked and he's upset, and he feels like he's lost everything. And he doesn't even believe that Sam is real for a second, but he is. And then Frodo still is, like, so, so sad. He's like, I lost everything. I lost everything. And Sam's like, no, I have. I have basically the things that you need. It's fine. Like, you didn't lose the really important stuff. I have the Ring. I have the file. I have Sting. Like, I have all of those things. And as soon as Frodo gets the Ring back, he kind of lashes out at Sam because he's like, you're a thief. You stole it from me. Da, da, da, da. And. But he immediately apologizes, and he's like, I didn't mean it. And it's been such a hard day. And it's just the power of the Ring and how it can all corrupt. Sam goes and finds some work clothes for photo wear since he was naked. And then they gather up whatever food that they have and they leave. They once again pass through the entrance of Mordor, and Sam brings out the file again. And just as they're leaving, part of an arch above them falls and almost hits them. And so they're like, running and running and running. And they finally make it to the entrance. And then a Ring Wraith just comes out of the clouds. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Yeah. And then we pick up in the next chapter, and that Ringwraith screeches, but he doesn't catch them. They're running away and they're trying to avoid getting caught. They kind of come to this point where they're like, the only way out of this is with wings. Which I thought was kind of like a little allure to how we left off our other characters. Because at the very end, Pippin is like, the eagles are coming, right? So I was like, oh, is it the eagles? So, like, I was wondering when we were gonna get that part. But instead, they drop off, like, part of the bridge to avoid getting caught. And they said it was about a dozen feet. So, like, 12ft down, and they fall into a thorn bush. Sam is like, this really hurts. Frodo's like, yeah, it's thorns, dude. And then they decide to rest there for a little bit. Sam almost falls asleep, but Frodo's like, we have to keep going, Frodo. He is like, I can't keep going if I'm gonna Be wearing this chainmail. It's too heavy. So he loses the chainmail. And then this is like a little blurb they put in. And this is the first time that Tolkien has done this for us. He puts in a relevant timeline reference in this chapter so we know what's happening with the other people. He says Theoden the King is laying dying at this moment. So this is where we are. They just escaped. And Theoden is dying with our other companions. And I definitely like that he put that in there, because he does it another part, too. [00:11:49] Speaker A: I agree. Yeah, it's very helpful to know exactly where we are in the timeline. But also, this was when I realized that once they get to the Black Gate for the end of the chapter, the end of the last book, that Frodo and Sam were already gone. So all of the stuff that we were worried about when we saw them, like, have Frodo and Sam stuff. And, like, how much do they know? What do they have? Like, how much have they talked to him? And basically, they haven't talked to him at all. Like, that's what we find out in here, is that they only have their stuff. They don't have anything else on them. And so the entire time, they're bluffing. [00:12:21] Speaker B: See, I thought that, too, but at the same time, I was like, well, they could be caught again, because we're not at that time yet. Because remember, like, yeah, the whole battle happens, Theoden dies, and then all of the rest happens. And then there's, like, seven days of them traveling to the Black Gate. So, like, there's still a good amount of time for them to get caught again. So we don't technically know that they haven't been caught yet. But, I mean, spoiler alert. They don't get caught again. But, yeah, I see what you're saying. So they continue. They find water on their way. They both get to sleep. They continue on and on and on. They come about, two Orcs looking for them, but they're having a conversation to what amounts to is. I don't even understand who we're looking for. We're told to find these Halflings. And then it became like, a elf guy we're looking for. And then it became like, some, like, fighting Halflings. And then nobody even knows what we're looking for. And they end up fighting. And then one kills the other. Because he was just being rude. [00:13:26] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what Orcs do. They like to kill each other. [00:13:28] Speaker B: It seems, yeah, that. That happens several. Several times. [00:13:34] Speaker A: It gets him out of a lot of Scrapes the bad guys killing each other, I have to say. [00:13:43] Speaker B: But before he kills him, he's actually like, there's, like, a creature. I've been tracking this creature. And he, like, makes a comment about that. And when he says that, Sam kind of like, turns to Frodo, is like, I told you that Gollum has been alive this entire time. And then Frodo's like, all right, I need you to tell me how you know he's alive. And so Sam fills him in on everything that happened to Sam while Frodo was being held prisoner. And then Frodo at the very end is like, you know what? You've done so much. You need to keep sting. I need you to hold on to the light. Let's continue on our path and we'll figure it out. They keep going. A shadow appears to be following them. Obviously, we all know who it is because we just had this conversation that he's alive. [00:14:29] Speaker A: Yeah, guys, this time I did know who it was. I have to say, before, when Gollum was falling, I didn't know. But this one I did. I got this one. [00:14:37] Speaker B: They take another break and they go to sleep. They wake up and then they fall into, like. They're in this, like, weird area where there's a bunch of orcs marching by. But they're not like normal Orcs. They're the kind of orcs that were forced into the war and are, like, kind of like slaves. And they're being whipped in order for them to keep fighting and, like, marching. And they. It's, like, dark out, and our two heroes kind of are disguised as Orcs already. So they, like, fall into the march and then they just have to keep marching on with all of these guys. And that's how they're continuing on, which is, like, smart. They're keeping their heads down. They're letting themselves be whipped in order to keep marching just to fall into it. Eventually, we come to a crossing with a bunch of other, like, armies that are marching like different kinds of Orcs. And, like, a little bit of chaos happens because they're, like, fighting to be the first ones who arrive. And, like, some orc kills another Orc. And, like, there's a bunch of yelling and whatever and they use all this chaos to, like, skadoodle. And they, like, roll out of there and they fall into this pit. And that's the end of chapter two. [00:15:49] Speaker A: Now we are on chapter three. And this is a big un. I'm sorry. This is gonna take a long time. It's Mount Doom this is. If this is the climax, if nothing else is the climax, I have to. [00:16:00] Speaker B: Say this is definitely the chapter. [00:16:04] Speaker A: Yeah, it was a lot. It's a lot. [00:16:06] Speaker B: Like the end of this chapter is halfway through the, the last book. [00:16:11] Speaker A: Exactly. We're on chapter three. All right, so we're under the elf cloak. And so know that on the side of the road where they have fallen down, they are under the elf cloak so that no orcs can see them. And they eat and they drink and they sleep there until all of the Orcs have gone. And then Sam realizes that they have to make it to Mount Dune and finish their quest and then they still have to go all the way home. And he's like thinking to himself, oh, I didn't think about that before. I really should have thought about our way home. This is kind of a one way trip, isn't it? Oh, it's okay. I can, I can die for Frodo. I'm fine. I'm more than okay with this. I'm totally going to die for Frodo. I just need to wrap my hand around it. But that's good. I'm fine. Yeah. So he's come to terms with that and honestly with how willing he was to die for Frodo. If this was any other book where I didn't know the ending, I would have probably been scared for him. But because I'm pretty sure in the first section of Fellowship, the Ring, before we get to chapter one, they say something about Sam and the history that he has with like writing the history of like Frodo and his family. So I'm like, bro, like, I know that he lives, but okay. Sam realizes that they can stay hidden if they. Because there's a lot of holes in the ground and they're just like, it's a terrible place to live. And so there's like just a lot of holes and they can like go from hole to hole and hide in the holes so that no orcs can see them. And they just keep going and sneaking. And Sam asks Frodo like, hey, give me the Ring so I can help you. Because. Because the further and further that they get, Frodo is getting worse and worse and worse and he's slowing down and he's. He. It's very hard for him to continue on. So Sam offers to take the Ring and share some of the burden with him. But Frodo, especially because it's so close to Mount Doom, is refusing to do that. He will not give up the Ring for any reason. His Vision is basically tinted by the fire that Sauron is in. And then we also get a little bit of insight into Sauron and what Sauron is thinking, which I thought was interesting in this chapter. It happens a couple of times of like, oh, and now we're in Sauron. And apparently everybody felt the winds change at a certain point and Sauron also felt the winds change against him. And he knows about the spies. And he's like, I do all know that stuff, but also I have a battle that's raging over there. So I'm really focused on that battle and like all getting all of my orcs and all of my Nazguls and everything that I need over there to that battle. And so we can kind of see that he is preoccupied and that the plan that Gandalf and Aragorn have of distracting him is working. And so finally, after a while, Sam and Frodo go back to the road and they're just walking down the road so they don't have to sneak anymore. And they don't see anyone during the day, but they get off of the road at night so that people can pass by. He keeps getting worse and worse. And then finally they have to get off the road and go directly south to the mountain. But first they decide that they're going to get rid of anything that weighs them down. So Sam gets rid of like his pots and pans. They get rid of any extra anything. They only take food, he takes rope. They take off all of their extra clothes. Like they are really just pushing it, trying to get to the top. [00:19:12] Speaker B: This is when Sam's like, yeah, we're probably never going to get this stuff again because this is a one way trip and we're going to die, but that's fine. [00:19:19] Speaker A: Yeah. The only thing that they keep is like the stuff from the elves. I think that's it. They have the cloak, they have the phial and the soil that Galadriel gave them and they have the rope. That's basically it. So they get closer and closer to the foot of the mountain and they fall asleep. And when they wake up, Frodo says that he can't go on. So Sam is like, I know that I said in my mind that I would carry him up that hill if we had to. I didn't really think I was gonna have to do it, but I will carry him. So he gives him a piggyback ride. [00:19:51] Speaker B: This is when Sam becomes the mvp. And I was like, how is Frodo the hero of the story? Sam, like literally Carries him on his back. This entire story. [00:20:02] Speaker A: Exactly. I was thinking that exact same thing. I'm like, I understand that Frodo and Sam are kind of a package deal, but when I think about Frodo and, like, the things that they say about Frodo and how he did this amazing thing, it's all about Frodo. I don't. I don't really think talk about Sam. It's like, yeah, the Sam was there and he was helping him, but he was just like a companion. You know what I mean? He wasn't like the backbone of this mission. [00:20:21] Speaker B: Literally, like, nothing would have succeeded without Sam. And I feel like Sam could have maybe succeeded without Frodo at the end here. Maybe he knew what he needed to do, too. He was like, I just have to bring this ring to Mount Doom if it's just me. It's just me. Like, he came to that conclusion when he thought Frodo was dead. [00:20:39] Speaker A: That's true. So they take a break and then randomly, they feel something in the air and they're like, we have to go now. We have to go now, otherwise we can't do this again. So then they start quick. Like, they go quicker. And Frodo's like, I can. I can walk myself now. And then again they walk and they walk and the walk. And then as morning comes, they can see the Dark Tower and the eyes on top in the distance. And even though it doesn't notice Frodo or Sam, Frodo freaks out a little bit because they can see it. And because this is basically all that he can see in his vision because of how much the ring is corrupting him. And Sam comforts him and they hold hands and they continue going, holding hands. And then they finally reach the top, very close to the cracks of Mount Dune. And then Gollum is there suddenly and he pushes Sam over from behind. And then Gollum is wrestling Frodo, trying to get the ring. But Frodo doesn't go down without a fright. He's still wearing the ring. They. It says something in here, like, maybe if, like, Gollum hadn't been not eating while he was in Mordor, because it's very hard to get food in Mordor. And so, like, he hasn't really been eating while he's been following them. And so maybe if he was a little bit stronger and he still had his strength and everything, he would have prevailed at this moment. But Frodo, because he has such strong connection to the ring, he ends up fighting back even though he is so Tired because he doesn't want anyone to take the Ring from him. And so he's able to get Gollum off. And Frodo kind of commands Gollum to stay off of him. Once he actually gets off of him. He 100% says, if you touch me again, you're going into the Doom yourself. And talk about foreshadowing. I have to say, it's in the same chapter, but still, I think this is honestly part of it of like, the prophecy especially because it was so commanding. It seems like it was like, as soon as you touch me again, you're going in that fucking fire. And you better believe it. So Sam urges Frodo to keep going and go to the cracks and to actually take care of the Ring and to let it go while he takes care of Gollum because he really, really wants to kill him at this point. And as soon as Frodo starts leaving, Gollum starts crying and tells Sam that he doesn't have to kill him because once the Ring is destroyed, then Gollum is basically gonna turn into Dust anyway. Oh, that's why Sauron doesn't need. He's dust. I just had a realization. And that's why they don't have a confrontation with him, because he. Obviously he doesn. But like, once the Eye is gone, then like, that's it. Because he's dust. He's so old that they. Anyway, I just. That just. That didn't connect for me earlier. I don't know why. Anyway, Gom says he's about to be dust as soon as the rain goes in. And so Sam decides that he is going to let him go and go back and help Frodo. So as soon as Sam turns his back and starts going to walk to Frodo, G also turns around and starts walking behind them because obviously, why wouldn't he. [00:23:36] Speaker B: Obviously. [00:23:39] Speaker A: And then we are going through the tunnel. It's super, super dark. Finally we get out and Frodo is just standing there still at the crack of Dune. And Sam calls out to him and is like, hey. Like, what are you doing? And then Frodo's like, oh, I'm sorry. I can't do it. And then he puts on the ring and he disappears. He's like, I cannot throw this ring in. I'm sorry. I know that we came all this way, but not gonna happen. And then once again, Sam is knocked over and knocked out because of Gollum. And while Sam is passed out, we get another Sauron little mention. And Sauron, now that Frodo has a ring on can see the ring and he's like, oh, they're at Mount Dune. I didn't realize that you guys are going to be at Mount Dune. [00:24:37] Speaker B: Oh. [00:24:37] Speaker A: And so he gets fearful and he. The armies that he's connected to can tell. And so the Nazgul start flying towards Mount Doom in order to try and stop the ring from being thrown in. I assume because somebody needs to get to them. Then Sam wakes up and sees Gollum wrestling with the invisible Frodo. And the fire is riding up out of the cracks. The mountain can tell that something is about to happen. And so the fire is rising. It's. The room is heated like it's. It's really, really hard to see. And then finally Gollum bites off Frodo's finger in order to get the ring. Which was crazy. I didn't know that he was gonna do that. But he bites off Frodo's fingers finger in order to get the ring. And Frodo falls his knees and as Gollum jumps off of him and kind of like backs up and starts celebrating with the ring in his hand. Apparently he's very close to the edge and so he ends up actually falling in to Mount Doom. And that's the end of that. [00:25:46] Speaker B: Let's have a moment of silence for just the little guy trying to have friends. Okay. That's all we need. Yeah. [00:25:56] Speaker A: And so then the mountain starts to shake and Sam gets them out of there and the Nazgul that were coming after them and coming to Mount Doom to stop them start to wither and die. And then Frodo is himself again. As they're kind of waiting for the end, they keep thinking that they're just basically gonna die. And then. And Frodo also says like, this must have been what Gandalf meant because if it wasn't for Gollum, the ring still wouldn't be destroyed. So that's the reason why we had to keep Gollum this whole time is like he was meant for something. We didn't know what that purpose was, but it was. This was to actually get the ring into Mount Doom and destroyed. [00:26:35] Speaker B: Yeah. And specifically what Gandalf said to him was that Gollum's role wasn't quite complete. [00:26:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:46] Speaker B: When Frodo asked to kill him before. [00:26:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:50] Speaker B: Like at the very beginning of the book too, wasn't it? [00:26:52] Speaker A: Right. You're talking about like the very beginning of like Fellowship. [00:26:54] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:26:55] Speaker A: Because when he. Because at the very beginning of Fellowship is when he tells Gollum's story and. [00:27:01] Speaker B: He was like, why don't you just kill him? [00:27:03] Speaker A: Yeah. So, yeah, from the very beginning, Gandalf said he is a role to play. We just don't entirely know what it is. Did you know that this happened? This is the one thing that I knew that happened. [00:27:12] Speaker B: No, I didn't know that this happened. I knew the Ring went in Mount Doom. I didn't know anything further than that. [00:27:22] Speaker A: I knew that Frodo was out Mount Doom and Gollum was there and that Gollum ends up dying with the Ring by getting it. But I thought it was one of those things where it was less of an accident because this is, like, purely accident. Like, he literally steps back too far and falls off the cliff. I thought it was a little bit more of an intentional accident that, like, Frod or Sam was trying to push him towards and then he ends up going into the fire. Because I know that he went into the fire with a ring but I didn't know it was exactly an accident accident. [00:27:52] Speaker B: Like, this poor little guy. [00:27:55] Speaker A: But, yeah, that was. This is basically the last thing I know about this book was that. And then everything else. I was like, okay, so this is it. Like, we're done now, right? [00:28:03] Speaker B: Yeah, agreed. I didn't really know the ending either. And so that was the end of chapter three. And I was like, okay, so we just. The rest of this book is just resolutions and going back home. So we start with chapter four. We kind of set back a little bit. The Eagles show up at the battle. Gandalf is like, hey, guys, can I get a ride? And then we flash over to Salmon Frodo. They're at Mount Doom. He's like, all right, we're ready to die. This was the end of our journey. We completed our task. Everything's good. And Sam's like, actually, can we at least, like, leave here? Because I don't want to really die here. Like, I. I'd like to be in the fresh air. So they end up, like, walking out. Frodo's like, whatever. And they go, frodo's still kind of dying. Finally, they both get to a point where they just cannot walk anymore. And they, like, lay down. And all of a sudden. I'm not gonna pronounce this because this name is the death of me. But an eagle who's known as the Windlord finds them. Gandalf is on his back. And he, like, swoops him up. And then all of a sudden, we get Sam waking up. They're in Ithian. Ithli don't know. They're in a place And Gandalf is there and he sees that the king is waiting for you, that we've been here and we've just been waiting for you guys. And then he's like, yeah, where's Frodo? And then Frodo's like, hey, I'm right here, bro. I woke up this morning, but I've been waiting for your ass who likes to sleep. And I was like, okay, don't come at him. Like, you. That's a little mean. He kind of slept, saved your life. [00:29:57] Speaker A: I'm sorry he carried you on his back. I'd be a little tired too. [00:30:05] Speaker B: And saved your life. Like, come on. So they like decide that they wake up and they get their gifts back that were from the Elves. So they get the light and their Elven sword and he gets his soil back. And then they're like, okay, we need to get dressed. And Gandalf's like, actually, you're gonna wear the like, old musty Orc clothes that you were journeying in in order to like, be honored correctly. And then we'll find you some clothes afterward. So they get dressed back in those Orc clothes and they get paraded through town. Men are like, celebrating them and being like, yes, these guys are heroes. We love you. And then they meet with Oregon and they realize he's the king we've been talking about. And they're like, strider, is that you? And he's like, yeah, we've come a long way, boys. [00:31:14] Speaker A: So funny. [00:31:15] Speaker B: It was a very cute moment. [00:31:17] Speaker A: She was like, yeah, you wouldn't have thought of me as being the king. Oh, Strider. [00:31:20] Speaker B: A. [00:31:21] Speaker A: You didn't even like me at first, Sam. [00:31:26] Speaker B: And then they get sat at the king's table for the feast and celebration. Gimli and Legolas are there and they get like a little one sentence blurb that they're there and present. We don't really get the Gimli Legolas, this Sam Frodo reunion that I wanted, but whatever. Gimli and Legos love Pippin and Mary more anyway. [00:31:52] Speaker A: They relate to them more, I think is the thing. [00:31:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Because they're like side characters. So they're like, you're not the main character of the story and so I love you for that. We find out that Mary and Pippin are like serving them. That's their little reunion. They come over as like little waiters or something and they're like, yeah, we've become knights of the city and of the Mark, and we need you to respect that. [00:32:17] Speaker A: As they should. [00:32:19] Speaker B: As they should they feast and joke. And Gimli tells us that at the end of the battle, Pippin basically, he's basically like lecturing Pippin, he's like, you need to go to sleep, dude. I just saved your life. Because you did almost die and orcs were piled on top of you and I saw your nasty little hobbit feet and I was like, that's gross. And saved your life, so now you need to go to sleep. And I was like, I feel validated that he did almost die. And I was worried for a reason. But like, also Gimli was straight up like, I love you, you need to go to bed now. [00:32:56] Speaker A: We're at chapter five, the Steward and the King. And at the end of chapter four, like I said, I had thought that this was going. This is basically like a wrap up chapter. And it felt like we were pretty close to the end. And so I thought the rest of this book was going to be very slow, boring, Marshall to the death, basically. But it was not like that. [00:33:14] Speaker B: And I, I agree with that because it definitely seemed like everything that we wanted wrapped up was wrapped up. We didn't really need more. So anything he provides after this is just him wanting to give it to us. You know, I agree with that. [00:33:31] Speaker A: And also I love it because these were kind of my favorite chapters of the whole thing, I have to say. All right, so we're, like I said, we're at the Steward and King and we're back at Gondor with Eowyn, who is restless and wants to know, like, who's in charge, what's happening in the city. Everyone is out of the city and they march to the Black Gate, obviously. And so she's kind of restless and wants to go see them. And so she asked her healer who's in charge. And they're like, oh, well, I don't know actually if anybody's in charge. But technically if somebody was going to be in charge, it would be Faramir. And as soon as this guy said Faramir, I was like, oh, this is gonna be great. I knew that they're gonna fall in love right away. I just, I could feel it in my bones that they would be the perfect match. And I have to say that I'm kind of obsessed with them. And I don't know how I live my life without them for so long because they might be my favorite, like couple in this book. And I know that everyone says Erica and Arwen, but like, I don't know anything about them and I hate them. I Don't hate them. But, like, they're irrelevant to me. It's all Faramir and Erwin, and I don't care what anybody says. [00:34:34] Speaker B: I'm gonna put something in. I, like, was joking around last recording, and I was like, oh, she's such a simp for Aragorn. I, like, respect her completely. Like, she wanted to be in the battle. She, like, was like, I want to die in battle. I want to die fighting for something I believe in. And she tried so hard, and she, like, saved so many people, and she killed all these orcs and stuff. And she's, like, still trying to, like, stay in battle, even though they were like, no, literally, you're gonna be zero help, so you need to stay in bed. And the fact that, like, when they introduce these two as meeting, I was like, he's gonna be such a simp for her. And she deserves that. [00:35:14] Speaker A: She does. [00:35:14] Speaker B: She needs someone who's as much of a simp, you know? [00:35:19] Speaker A: And he is the simpiest. I have to say. He's, like, immediately in love with her and obsessed with her. And I was like, yeah, as he should. Exactly. [00:35:28] Speaker B: As he should. [00:35:30] Speaker A: So, like, you said, she wanted to die in battle, but she's still here. And again, to me, it got. It felt more like hero worship when she was, like, thinking about Aragorn rather than love. Because she is, like, wants to be in battle, wants to do amazing things and wants to make sure that, like, she's known. And then she asked him, like, hey, can you let me go? Can you let. Make the healer let me go and so that I can go to battle. Because I still kind of want to die. And I left for a reason, and I'm. I'm alive still, and I don't love that. And he's like, technically, I don't have any authority, so, no, I can't let you go. But also, you could just come here with me, and we could walk in the garden, and you could kind of just look over there where that battle is. Even though you can't see anything distant, but you can look up there as we just sit together and talk and talk about our lives and talk about how much I love you. You know, like, we could just. We could just do that. And how pretty you are. You're just so pretty. And she doesn't really say anything. She just kind of is, like, upset. She's like, okay, I guess I'll think about it, and kind of leaves. And like, we said, he's already a simp. And so as soon as he goes back inside. He asks the healer everything that he knows about Eowyn. And then the healer's like, I don't really know much about her. You know, you should talk to Mary. And then Faramir goes to Mary, is like, okay, tell me everything you know about ew. He tells him the whole story about everything that happened and how he rode with Eowyn and everything that happened to the battle. And Faramir is like, oh, my God, I love her. I respect her so much. [00:37:03] Speaker B: She's amazing. [00:37:04] Speaker A: She's the best person in the world. And I feel the same way. And I just. I just want to say that, literally, I was, like, kicking my feet, giddy, laughing the entire time that I was reading this. I was, like, so perfect. And I love them together. And I'm just like. Like, almost crying because of how perfect they were. I'm sorry. I just have to gush about them. [00:37:21] Speaker B: Faramir deserves to be loved because he wasn't loved by his father his whole life. [00:37:27] Speaker A: Exactly. They just deserve it so much, the two of them. They're so sweet together. [00:37:32] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:37:35] Speaker A: So she does show up the next day, and she shows up for every morning for the next five days, and they. They just talk the whole time. And they. They seem to be in better spirits when they're with each other. And she says that she still wants to die in battle, but Faramir is like, you know, I have been in a lot of battles, and I have to say, I kind of don't want to leave to a battle right now. I know that, like, I'm. I'm hurt, and that's why I can't go to the battle. But also, I wouldn't really want to go to the battle because I don't want to be away from you. [00:38:05] Speaker B: Gagged. [00:38:06] Speaker A: Excuse me. That's so sweet. Gagged. And then they feel the rumble of the ring getting destroyed, but they don't necessarily know that yet. And so they think that the bad guys are still coming. And so Faramir is like, I'm gonna wait for our destruction. But I also feel just so much lighter than before. And I just feel like every time that I'm around you, I just feel so good. I just want to let you know that he kisses her on the forehead, and, like, the sun breaks through the trees, and they just feel so good, and they're just, like, next to each other, and they don't even realize that they're holding on to each other, but they're holding on to each other, and they're in love, and I'm obsessed with them, and I just can't stop saying that. I'm sorry. I really am. Then the ego comes and actually tells them what happened. And obviously now they have to make preparations for everybody coming back and Aragorn actually becoming king. And so Faramir is a steward again, and he's preparing everything. And he isn't seeing Eowyn because he is in so many meetings. He's trying to prepare for everything. And so Ewan kind of gets. Gets in a bad mood. She. She's really down in the dumps. She's not the happiest person to begin with, especially now that she has her injury. And so when she's not around people, it seems like she's doing worse. So the healer talks to Fermi, is like, hey, you should talk to her and, like, see what's going on. Because she seems to not be as good as she was before. And then Jeremy goes and talks to her, and he's like, hey, you kind of technically, now that everything is done, could have gone into the fields and, like, saw your brother and, like, done things, but you haven't. And so I was just kind of wondering why? Because, like, I have a couple of theories, but if you could just let me know, that'd be great. [00:39:45] Speaker B: He has. Yeah. [00:39:46] Speaker A: He was like. She was like, just tell me. Just tell me what they are. Because, like, I don't. I don't want to do this right now. And he's like, okay, theory number one. You are in love with Aragorn and you don't want to go out there because you will see him have his victory. And because he doesn't love you, it would be bittersweet for you to be out there because he isn't in love with you, too. Or two, you're in love with me and you don't want to leave me. [00:40:11] Speaker B: So tell me, who do you love? [00:40:13] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's like, I feel like you kind of just worship Aragorn. It's more of a hero worship. It's more of, like a captain for a soldier type of worship rather than actually being in love. And he's like, but I love you. And then as soon as he's like, I love you, she's, like, made up my mind. I do love you, too. It's okay. I want to be with you forever. And so they decide that they're going to get married, and I was not expecting any romance, and this just. It gave me a shot of life for the rest of this book, man, they're just so cute. I want them together. I want to know everything about the history and everything that will happen to them after this. I want them to succeed in life. And so finally, they are at the gates when Aragorn comes back and Faramir meets them and he announces Aragorn as the king of the people and they're going to give him his crown. And Aragorn's like, actually, could you give it to Frodo to give to Gandalf to give it to me? That'd be great. And so that's what they do. Frodo takes the crown and then gives it to Gandalf and then Gandalf crowds Aragorn. And it's just supposed to be symbolic of all of the places coming together and how we defeated this one evil as a group, basically. And he also tells Faramir that he's going to still be his steward and be his heirs. And, like, he. His family will be basically the direct underneath of Aragorn's family like it was before. And he's still putting him in that status and everything. So it's all nice. And then Eowyn tells Samir that she has to go home and take care of everything with her uncle and her brother and, like, make sure that the kingdom is ready and then she'll come back and then they can get married. And then Aragorn also tells the Hobbits, you can't leave yet because something is about to happen. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but something's about to happen. You just have to stay here for a while. [00:42:01] Speaker B: Yeah, it was very ominous. [00:42:02] Speaker A: They even ask Gandalf and they're like, yeah, just wait. Something will happen. He's really excited about it too, and he's like, but also, my time here is done. So I'm just kind of, like, chilling and hanging out. And then I'll probably take you guys pretty close to Hobbiton. But then I'm gonna. I'm also gonna peace out because, like, I'm done. And I. I don't have to do this anymore because the ring is gone. And then Elrond and Elrond's family and Galadriel all come to the city and Aragorn and Arwen are married at the end of this chapter. And it's very small, a very small, brief little thing, but it's like, oh, they showed up and everything was fine. And then they got married and they're good and they're happy. [00:42:38] Speaker B: It literally was so quick that I missed it because I kept writing, reading on, obviously, like, I missed that part somehow. And I read on. And then at a point, it was like, queen. And I was invited to the wedding. And I was like, what? Weddings happen? And I had to, like, go back. And I was like, it's literally, like, two sentences. [00:42:55] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like the last two. Two sentences of the final chapter of, like. Oh, and they got married and everyone was happy. [00:43:03] Speaker B: Is crazy. So now that Aragorn and Arwen are married our party is allowed to, like, leave and do stuff because Aragorn's taken care of and his family was there to see him get married. Which is, like, actually so sweet. Frodo's like, actually, I would really like to leave now and go see my Uncle Bilbo. Thanks, please, and bye. And Arwen is like, hey, since I'm not going back, you can go in my place. And here's this chain. And it's gonna help keep your nightmares away. I love you so much. And so they ride away for 15 days in, like, a funeral parade traveling with the late king. And then finally, they get there and they feast at his funeral. This is when they announced that Eowyn and Faramir's marriage. And Erwin's like, hey, Aragorn, you should be happy for me. And he's like, girl, all I've wanted for you since the day I met you is for you to be happy. And I was like, oh, yeah. And it also kind of feels like that moment where she's like, I'm better than you now. I found the love of my life. But also, he, like, is like, I've always wanted you to be happy. And she's like, well, okay, but that's just me looking into the mean girl. Then we, like, realize Erwin is like, hey, you worked for the king. Here's something in order to honor your service that you did for him. And here's a horn. And they kind of describe the horn as something that would, like, scare all your enemies but call all your friends, too. And so he gets this horn, Legolas and Gimli, after the whole funeral and everything, they, like, start off again. And Legolas and Gimli get to go explore a little bit. And then the whole group of them go to the Fanghorn Forest and we visit Treebeard and Quickbeam. Which Quickbeam is not in the movies, in case you're wondering. Gandalf is like, hey, how's Saruman doing? And Treebeard is like, like, yeah, I've been just basically talking to Him a lot. And I don't think he, like, loves it, but he really wants the news that I'm giving him in my story. So he kind of does love it. But then also, I let him go. And Gandalf's like, okay. It's like, dude, like, the evil's gone. Like, it's fine. [00:45:42] Speaker A: And he's like, you know how much I hate, like, torturing people. So I kind of just let him go and get us. [00:45:47] Speaker B: Like, yeah. So as we're leaving the Ents and everything, Aragorn's like, by the way, this whole area is yours to do what you will. Since we don't have a prisoner anymore, I don't really care. And the Ents are like, thank you. And then we don't get a goodbye from Legolas and Gimli. We literally get a they leak. Yeah, that's all we get. And I was so effing upset about it. Like, are you kidding me? [00:46:13] Speaker A: Yeah. They were so sidelined in this last book. [00:46:16] Speaker B: It was kind of crazy, this whole last book. But the last two books, like, they were like. Well, I'll say. The middle book. The middle book, they were the main characters, dude. Like, I loved them so much. They had great banter. They were, like, best friending it up. And then we get, like, nothing from them. This last book, they had, like, two blurbs in the first part, and they get two blurbs in this last part. Ridiculous. So upset about that. [00:46:46] Speaker A: I was happy that we actually got to see their journeys, though, because we did go back with them to the caves that were at Helm's Deep. And then we go with them to the Fangor Forest, which is them doing both Gimli and Legolas's things that they wanted to do. So it's nice that we actually see them complete their journey. I didn't think that we were gonna get that at all. I thought it was gonna be like, okay, and then they leave and that's it. It was gonna be just that. I didn't actually think we were gonna follow them, but we did follow them. And so that's nice. But again, it is one of those, like. But they do just kind of leave after that. [00:47:14] Speaker B: I thought, though, that we were. I actually thought we were gonna. We weren't gonna follow them. They were just gonna leave. But I thought we were gonna get more of, like, a heartfelt goodbye. And, like, yeah, him saying. Because he already told the Dwarves he loves them, like, him saying goodbye to the Dwarves, a little bit better. And, like, Legolas actually saying something this time. Because I don't think Legolas talked even once this whole book. So that's upsetting. But anyway, so then we go. And before the Hobbits depart, Aragorn's like, hey, by the way, just so you know, Pippin, you're actually now a Knight of Gondor and you're on leave right now. So if I want you back, you've got to get your ass back here. Just so you know. And I thought that was hilarious. [00:47:59] Speaker A: And Pippin's time with it, he's like, okay, sounds good to me. I don't. I would not be that chill about it. But they seem fine. [00:48:05] Speaker B: Yeah, they were like, I guess I made this commitment. You're right. A quick jump, one sentence. Six days later, now they happen upon Sauermann, who's just in the forest. And they're like, hey, man, do you want help? And he's like, no. F, off. And they're like, okay, bye. And then this is when Galadriel parts and she's like, okay, bye, guys. I'm out. And then finally, we're back at Rivendell and we find Bilbo. And they stay and they tell them their whole story. But as they go, like, they're noticing that Bilbo's not writing anything down. He's, like, going in and out of consciousness. He's, like, falling asleep on them. He's very old. He's not doing well. Fun fact. They get there a day before his birthday, so they celebrate his birthday with him. And then they're like, okay, we're gonna leave and we're. We're gonna come back and visit you. Gandalf is like, actually, I'm going with you because I want to go see my old friend Butterbur at the. And they didn't say this part. I just wrote it. I said, the owner of the Prancing Pony, bro. You're still mad about that? Because he was the one who was supposed to give them the letter and he never did. I was like, get off the street. Like, I need to go yell at this dude. And then, right before they leave, Elrond kind of pulls Frodo over and he's like, by the way, unless you plan on visiting very, very soon, there's not gonna be anyone here for you to. [00:49:42] Speaker A: Visit in this one. I was like, Because Bilbo is so messed up. I was like, is he going to die? It think that he was going to die soon. It made me think that he was going to, like, pass away. And that's why I fear Elrond was like, you might not be able to see somebody soon. It's not because he's. I just thought he was gonna die. [00:49:58] Speaker B: Yeah, here's something the. Okay, I knew for a fact Bilbo didn't just die. And why is. Because Sid's fun fact is that Bilbo is the only one who gets to go to, like, the elf heaven thing. [00:50:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:50:13] Speaker B: So, anyway. Anyway, there's a side note. [00:50:16] Speaker A: So now we're on chapter seven. We are homeward bound. Frodo is kind of uneasy as he gets closer and closer to the places that he was hurt by the Black Riders as they're going home. And it's one of those things where he's like, I will never be the same again. Kind of crazy. We're going back home. They make it to Bree, but it's not like it was before. A lot of people have left town. Everyone is less friendly than they used to be. There aren't many people walking around. And they make it to the Prancing Pony, and it seems like they're ready and willing to attack basically anybody that shows up that could potentially be a threat because they. They have weapons out. When they knock on the door, somebody's like, oh, they're here. And then Butterburger comes out with, like, a huge, like, weapon. And then he's like, oh, these are my friends. Why'd you see. Why didn't you say they were my friends? Like, I was not. I didn't want to hurt them. And so Gandalf asked, better, Burr, what happened? And he's like, yeah, there's been a lot of changes since you guys left. There's been a lot of ruffians coming in, like, a lot of people that aren't doing the right thing. And we. We don't really want anybody around us anymore. And God was like, well, I mean, there's a new king now, so things are gonna get better. It'll be great. And he's like, no, we really don't want anyone messing with Brie. Like, just let. Leave us alone and get up. Like, well, okay, It's Aragorn who's your king. So he actually likes this place, and I think he'll be fine with leaving it alone. I just want to let you know, like, things are looking up. [00:51:36] Speaker B: All right? [00:51:37] Speaker A: You. You don't have to be so upset anymore because everything's good. We're fine. And Butterbird does feel better once he finds out that Aragorn, he's like, oh, yeah, Strider, of course, yeah, Strider's gonna be the king. That's awesome. And then this is when we find out what happens to the most important character of all time in this series. [00:51:59] Speaker B: The one character that I was like, this is the biggest disappointment I've ever had in my life because they didn't give us an ending to him. And then they gave us this ending. And I loved it more than you could have ever possibly imagined. [00:52:12] Speaker A: Yes, it's Bill. We have Bill back. Our wonderful, wonderful, wonderful horse who was with us for a long time until we went into the tunnel with the Fellowship. Right? Because there was a sea creature that happened to come and get us, and we couldn't even say goodbye to him. [00:52:32] Speaker B: And there were wolves around, and we were pretty sure that Bill died by the wolves. [00:52:37] Speaker A: And Sam was pretty sure, too. He was also very excited to find Bill here. He was like, he came home. Not only that, is that he's like, no, Bill is mine. He's mine. I will take him. [00:52:49] Speaker B: And he's like, I'm actually not going to bed until I see Bill. Immediately. [00:52:53] Speaker A: Immediately, please. And as they leave, Butterbur tells him, hey, things aren't really going well in the Shire. Like, it's not like you. It used to be, you don't like the way things are around here, you're really not gonna like the way things are around over there. And they continue going. And Gandalf is like, hey, I'm basically gonna leave. So, bye. [00:53:17] Speaker B: My part is done, guys. [00:53:19] Speaker A: Yeah, my part is done. I really don't need to do this anymore. So good luck with the Shire. Also, there's gonna be a gate over there, so watch out for that. You guys need to hurry up and get over there before the sun sets, because otherwise they won't let you in. And he also tells him that he's gonna go talk to Tom Bombadil. And he's like, I was never somebody who could just sit and talk to somebody and just meander. And now I can. So I'm gonna do that for a while. I used to always just have to be rolling, rolling, rolling, and always moving. And now I can just sit and talk to Tom. So I'm gonna do that for a little bit. [00:53:50] Speaker B: All right. Classic Old white man. [00:53:53] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:53:55] Speaker B: He's like, I can rattle on for hours and not have anywhere to be sold. [00:54:00] Speaker A: Sign me up. [00:54:01] Speaker B: Give me that life right now. [00:54:02] Speaker A: Yeah. And I just want to know how he knows that there are gates at the Shire. How does he find his information? Who tells him this information? And then as they're walking back Frodo, again, he's having a really tough time with going back to the Shire and how much he's, like, hurt internally from it. And I do feel like this is a parallel to people that come back from war and they're shell shocked and they have PTSD and everything, and it's very hard for him to be here. And he says that he feels like coming home, is falling asleep rather than waking up. Because Pippin's like, oh, my gosh. It's like we're coming out of a dream. And Frodo's like, no, it feels like I'm going into a dream. [00:54:38] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, he was the most affected, to be fair. [00:54:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:42] Speaker B: Before I continue to this next chapter, can I. I, like, questioned this a couple of chapters ago, but I didn't really say anything, but, like, we were planning on going home to the Shire, but we. When we left last time, we sold our house. [00:54:56] Speaker A: Yes, exactly. [00:54:58] Speaker B: And we told everybody we were moving to, like, the Edge. And we, like, really don't have anything we're technically going home to. So where were we going? [00:55:08] Speaker A: Yes. [00:55:09] Speaker B: Real confused on that part. And then, like, this next chapter happens and I never get my answer. [00:55:13] Speaker A: No, I have that exact. Well, you kind of get the answer. I have that exact thought of, like, okay, so what's gonna happen to the Saxville Bagginses? Technically, they're the ones that took his house. Like, is he gonna kick him out? Like, what's gonna happen with that? I don't even understand. Like, he does have anywhere that he's technically living at the moment, in the Shire. [00:55:28] Speaker B: Yeah. So we get into the Shire and the gate is in the way, as Gandalf said it would be. And it's past nightfall, so they can't get in. And this guy is like, yeah, you can't get in. The Chief wouldn't allow it. And they're like, what the f are you talking about? You're gonna let us in? And he's like, no, I'll get in trouble. You'll get in trouble. You're not allowed in. And then they were like, yeah, move over, buddy, because we're jumping this wall. Mary and Pippin, jump the wall and unlock the gate. And so everybody gets in. And then he's like, all right, you're in trouble now. The Chief isn't gonna like this. And they're like, who the F are you talking about? And we basically find out that it's Mr. Lotho who's taken over, as quote, unquote, the Chief. And so everyone just Keeps calling him the Chief the entire time. And then, like, we keep going on and we. He's like, give us somewhere to stay. None of these inns, like, look like they're in service, so we need to stay somewhere. And the guy's like, just go there. And they all end up going there. And they see, like, posters on the walls with, like, rules listed on them. And they're like, what the hell is happening? So they get a night's sleep, and then they, like, strong hand a hobbit into telling them what's going on. And then finally they figure out a little bit of what's going on, but still not really. And the next day, some. A sheriff comes and tries to arrest Frodo. And Frodo's like, yeah, no, thank you. I actually don't like that. And he's like, just so you know, you're being arrested. And Frodo's like, okay, bye. And he's like, I don't think so. [00:57:03] Speaker A: I'm gonna say, no. You guys can follow us to the shower if you want, but I'm not getting arrested. [00:57:09] Speaker B: Yeah. And he's like, by the way, you're in contempt of arresting. And he's like, I don't care. And we keep continuing to learn a little bit more information. We learn that most of the sheriff's guys are being forced into it once you became a sheriff. Like, the ones who were before aren't allowed to leave anymore. No one really sounds happy. And I don't know how this continued going on. And then they leave, and the ones that are following them are getting too tired. So then they rest a little bit and they're like, oh, okay. Bye, guys. Have a good night. [00:57:44] Speaker A: Just catch up to us. It's okay. You can take a rest. [00:57:47] Speaker B: We'll meet you a little further down. Okay? [00:57:50] Speaker A: I remember when I used to be that tired when I was on a journey. [00:57:55] Speaker B: So they keep continuing, and then ruffians end up stopping them and threaten them. And then Pippin's like, actually, I'm the messenger of the king. And, like, takes out a sword and has a whole moment. And I was like, you fucking go, Pippin. Are you kidding me? And then he's, like, yelling at them and they scare off all these ruffians. So now Frodo's like, all right, we gotta go save Mr. Lotho, because none of this is his fault. And I'll be damned. The day that a hobbit kills another. [00:58:24] Speaker A: Hobbit, they find out that there is potentially another boss. That's kind of being mean to Mr. Lotho. And that person's name is Sharky. And they are hearing whispers of Sharky all over as they're trying to send these men away from the Shire. [00:58:40] Speaker B: So Sharky keeps coming up in conversation, but we don't really know who Sharkey is. And everybody kind of just says he's the, like, biggest ruffian. And so we just accept that fact and move on a little bit. Until later. So they come up with this whole plan to, like, save the Shire and get all the ruffians and thugs out of there. And Merry is blowing his horn that he was gifted from Irwin. And he's waking everybody up and they're starting to recruit the hobbits so that we can fight back. They kind of, like, corner the Hobbiton, which is the nearest group of ruffians to them, and then surround them and end up killing their leader. And then they find out a little bit more of everything that's happened. And Sam's dad turns up and is like, hey, guys, what's good? And he's also, like, really proud of Frodo. And then Frodo's like, actually, you should be really proud of your son because he's one of the most famous people in. In the entire world right now. [00:59:47] Speaker A: Everybody loves him. And also, just. Just to point out the reason that they hate all these people so much is because not only are they beating people up, they're not letting any food go out, they're not letting any tobacco go out, they're not letting any beer go out. So not only is it the hobbit in the Shire suffering, but also the people in Bree because they don't have any tobacco, they don't have anything like that. And so it's affecting everybody around them. How corrupted this is. Yeah. [01:00:16] Speaker B: And killing people that. They said that they've killed quite a few hobbits as well. [01:00:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:00:21] Speaker B: They even tell a story of some. So Pippin leads another charge against more ruffians. And then we win that battle as well. And now they're like, hey, we've won all of the ruffian battles and we're winning back the Shire. And they parade to the chief and find out that he's actually, like, not there. And he's been gone for a while. We find out that Saruman was the main ruffian this whole time. He was the sharky guy. [01:00:45] Speaker A: Sauron comes and he's like, yeah, I did all this. Blah, blah, blah. You can't do anything to me. Like, I'm still more powerful than you. And again, Frodo stands up to him and is like, no, you just have a little bit of power of voice and we can still stand up to you. And so they do all that they need to do. They tell Sauron to go. They're like, you need to leave. You need to leave. And Sauron is like, no, I'm not gonna leave. And so they. Pippin Mary Want to kill him. And Frodo's like, no, I'm not gonna kill him. He needs to leave. Because at this point there are so many people surrounding them that Sauron just gives up. And so he's. He gets really mad at them because he's like, not only do I have to leave now and I'm leaving with nothing, but also I now have to be grateful that you gave me my life. And I'm really upset about that. And so he turns to leave and then he calls Wormtongue and he's like, wormtongue, come with me. And Frodo's like, hey, Wormtongue. Like, just to let you know, if you don't want to follow him, you don't have to follow him. You can do whatever you want. And you actually haven't done anything technically to hurt the Hobbit kids. You. You can just leave if you want to leave. And you don't have to leave with Saruman. And then Saruman's like, that's what you think? Actually, he killed Lotho. And then Wormton's like, you made me kill Lotho. And he's like, yeah, but you still did it though, didn't you? And so that's why he kicks him over because he was like, you're trying to leave without me. No, you gotta come with me now. And so that's why Wormtongue gets mad because he kicked him over and then he ends up attacking Saruman and killing him. And then as Wormtongue is running away, the Hobbits shoot him with arrows. And so now he's also dead. [01:02:19] Speaker B: Yay. [01:02:20] Speaker A: Yay. [01:02:22] Speaker B: Yay. [01:02:24] Speaker A: Now all of the official big big bads are dead. And this was the main thing that I wasn't expecting was Saruman to come back and for us to have this really big explosion at the Shire. Like, I was not expecting this to be the ending and how so it was a really entertaining and it was fun and I loved it. Actually, I wasn't expecting it. And I think that's one of the reasons why I liked it so much is because I wasn't expecting it. [01:02:46] Speaker B: I definitely 100%, yeah. Saw that coming. [01:02:50] Speaker A: So now we are at Chapter nine, the Grey Havens. Now that everything is done with Saruman and Wormtongue, we find all the prisoners that they had rounded up when all the. The very few hobbits that actually stood up for themselves and didn't want to do specific things that they were asked before they were imprisoned. And so we found them, we got them all out. So Frodo and the Saxophone Baggins feud is now over because Lotho is dead. And his other cousin, that was his wife, I can't remember her name right now, that also starts with an L. She wanted to go back home and so she gave up her hobbit hole back to Frodo. And so he gets his house back and she goes and lives with her family and they just start rebuilding the Shire because everybody was messed up and everything was torn down. They took trees out, they took buildings off. They did everything. And so, like, they rebuilt parts of the Shire that were torn down. And then Sam used the soil that Galadriel gave him to grow everything back to way to the way it once was and actually better than it was before because he put, like, one grain of the soil in each of the places that he wanted to. [01:04:05] Speaker B: And so he had to regrow the entire Shire, dude. [01:04:08] Speaker A: Exactly. And Sam also gets married to Rosie, but they both move in with Frodo because Sam still loves Frodo and wants to take care of him and is like, hey, I kind of want to get married, but also I want to be with you, too. And Frodo's like, just move along with me, bro. You can get married. And he's like, oh, sick. Cool. So it's the best of both. [01:04:29] Speaker B: And then he got married as soon as possible. [01:04:31] Speaker A: Yeah. He was like, that was literally the only thing holding me back. So thank you so much. And then while this is happening, like, Frodo is just still really having a hard time with all of the darkness inside of him and how much the Ring affected him mentally. And I was thinking about this today, about how even though he doesn't really have wants or desires in order for the Ring to prey on him in that specific way. I feel like, because he doesn't, it literally just, like, ravaged his mind and, like, destroyed him mentally because he wasn't, like, longing for anything. It just internally destroyed him rather than him trying to physically go and get something. [01:05:07] Speaker B: Sam has a baby girl named Eleanor Sweet. [01:05:11] Speaker A: He wanted to name it after Frodo. And then he's like, but it's a girl. So I don't know what to name her. [01:05:16] Speaker B: And he was like, dude, hobbits name babies after flowers. Like, why don't you stick with tradition? And Sam's like, okay, I guess. And then, yeah, the flower that he names her after is, like one from Lorathian. Yeah. So he's like, oh, yeah, I'll totally name her that. [01:05:34] Speaker A: He's like, I did like, that flower. That flower was cool. And finally, they're about to go on a trip together to go and see Bilbo back in Rivendell because he is about to pass old took in age and they want to go see him. And Frodo is like, I'm probably going to leave after this. Like, I'm just gonna go and see him and I probably won't come back. And so this is like a farewell trip for them. Well, he doesn't necessarily know that. They just. They know that Frodo has, like, been acting different lately and that it's been very hard for him. And he'll wake up after nightmares clutching the necklace that Arwen gave him just because he still does have such a hard time with how everything went down. And just even being in peace is hard for him to deal with. And he withdraws from everybody. He really doesn't talk to anybody else. He talks to the people that he knows, and that's it. And so, on the way to Rivendell, they actually come across Elrond and Galadriel and they're all making their way to the Havens. And Bilbo is also there and he's very sleepy and he's just hanging out and it seems like he's probably gonna, like. Like, either fall asleep or die at any moment. To me personally, I'm like, he doesn't seem like he's good, but he's been. [01:06:51] Speaker B: Seeming like this for a while, though because this is like, what, a year or two later. [01:06:56] Speaker A: Yes. And so when they come across them and they're like, oh, hey, nice to meet you guys in the forest. And then this is when Frodo tells Sam, like, oh, actually, I'm going with Bilbo and we're going to the Havens. And Bilbo is, like, so happy that Frodo is going to come with them. But Sam is like, well, why can't I come? And he's like, well, we're ring bearers. And, like, we just had a lot to deal with. And you will probably come with us at one point someday because you also had the ring in your possession even though it wasn't as long as us, but you did still have it. And so because of that and because of what you went through just in that small period of time, like, you probably will eventually have to come and, like, be over in the Havens just. Just in order to find any type of peace. And so they go. And this is what started making me tear up, is that when they were about to leave to actually, like, go to the sea and go to the Havens, Frodo is like, well, you can't come with me. But it's okay now. You won't be torn anymore. Like, you're gonna be fine. Like you. I have been taking so much of your attention that it's fine. Like, you won't have to worry about me anymore. I'm just gonna go. And then, like, you can live your life and be happy. [01:08:06] Speaker B: And I'm. Oh, my God, you're literally gonna cry now. [01:08:10] Speaker A: I will. Yes. It was making me cry every time I think about it. [01:08:14] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, that's okay, because I cried. [01:08:17] Speaker A: And then Elrond and Gadriel revealed that they actually have the two elf rings. Elrond has the main elf ring and then obviously Gwadriel has the other elf ring, which we already knew about. And they're going to the Haven because the days of the ring are over. And so they have nothing left to do. It's kind of like Gandalf, like, their. Their time is now ended. They no longer have to do any of this st. And so they can be at peace and live however they want. So they go to the sea. And it's the one place they haven't been yet in this book. Like, even as they're going home and they're saying the list of everything that they've done on this trip so far, the one thing they hadn't done was the sea. And that was one thing that Bill was like, oh, the sea. We haven't been there yet. And so it's kind of sweet that this is the last place that they needed to go. And now they've basically seen all of their little realm and Gandalf is there and he has the third elf ring. And he's also going with them, Merry and Pippin, right up. And apparently Gandalf told them, like, hey, you should come and see some people off. There's going to be some things going down. And also, he didn't want Sam to have to ride back alone. And so he was like, this way you get to say goodbye. And also, Sam isn't going to Be alone when we all leave him on the shore. So they say goodbye and then they cast off. And as soon as they go through like the barrier, the Ripper ripple or whatever, in order to go to the havens, Frodo sees this amazing, wonderful new life that he's going into. And like, it's just so fruitful and beautiful and like, untouched by any darkness. And he is finally feeling a little bit happier, a little bit at peace. And Sam just sees the ship sailing away and just sees gray. And then he goes back home and is like, okay, like, this is my life now. I'm done. Like, we're back. Let's. Let's return to life. And that's, that's the book. But wow, I couldn't believe that. This stupid book made me cry on like the second to last, last page. And I was like, this hit me hard for some reason, I don't know. [01:10:14] Speaker B: Why, it's actually like a super sweet ending out of all the books. Obviously, because it is the end of the story feels like an actual ending to the book. I. I read this and I was like, this is the first time and this isn't even a romance book, but this is the first time that I felt like, like every character got the happy marriage kind of ending that I wanted them to. The only one is Frodo. But like, at the same time, like, he's still like, he lived a good life and he was perfectly fine like with moving on. And he didn't just, he didn't like, die during the story, you know, and. [01:10:57] Speaker A: Technically he didn't even die now. [01:10:59] Speaker B: Yeah, he just passed on to the gray heaven. [01:11:02] Speaker A: It's, it's not even technically heaven. It's like a haven. They are going to a specific elf, like, untouched island by anybody. That's all it is. It's just a way for elves to not be corrupted by anything. Technically, he doesn't set foot on that place. He is on an island off the coast of it, which is apparently also where Gimli, Legolas and Sam all in their, like, their time. So, yeah, I personally was very satisfied with how this whole thing ended and how it turned out and how everyone was able to move on with their lives and how they were able to actually live their lives. So, yeah, I did enjoy this book and I enjoyed the series. I enjoyed the series overall more than I thought I was going to. Even just reading Two Towers, I'm still like. [01:11:59] Speaker B: I, I think I didn't enjoy the series until I ended the series. Does that make sense? Yeah, like I feel like this last book is what really wrapped up everything for me and made me actually, like, confident in the storyline and, like, me actually, like, liking it and liking the characters and everything. So it took this last book for me to be like, yes, Lord of the Rings is amazing. But, like, before that, I was like, okay, Lord of the Rings is like, a heavy fantasy that I'm not sure I can get through. [01:12:29] Speaker A: Right. But you did it. [01:12:32] Speaker B: I did. I did do it. There were a lot of hiccups, but I did it. Out of all of the books, which one was your favorite? Out of. Including the Hobbit. So four books. [01:12:42] Speaker A: The Two Towers was my favorite. [01:12:44] Speaker B: Why? [01:12:45] Speaker A: As a whole book, I think I really like the Two Towers, and it made me more entertained, and I was able to read that book fairly quickly, and I feel like it was. It flowed very nicely. I super, super enjoyed book six of Return of the King because of just how much I wasn't expecting to like the ending of this book. And then everything satisfied me so well that I was like, wow. But the first half of this book was just so slow that I don't think that I can consider it my favorite. But this is probably my second favorite favorite. Like, it goes, two Towers, Return of the King, the Hobbit, and then Fellowship. Because I do not. With Fellowship. I'm sorry. [01:13:23] Speaker B: I actually said the Hobbit was my favorite. But that's because I feel like Hobbit was so easy to read compared to the rest of them. It was fun to read compared to the rest of them. Like, I felt like every portion of it had some fun element. Even when, like. Like, a lot was happening, there was still some amusing element to the story. Return of the King was definitely my second favorite, and that's because, like, you said, like, I felt very, like, content with the way that everything. Like, I did not have a single criticism on somebody's ending of a character at all. Like, I felt like they all got the proper ending, which was, like, the best outcome possible. [01:14:06] Speaker A: Yes. [01:14:08] Speaker B: Even Gollum, our little guy who just wanted a friend, like, my man was not gonna last long, so him dying with his precious is perfectly fine for me. So it goes the Hobbit, Return of the King. For me, Two Towers and then the Fellowship is also at the bottom for me. But now that I, like, think back on it, I don't think the Fellowship was that bad. I just wasn't better than the rest of them. [01:14:30] Speaker A: I think partially it. It doesn't help that I split up the Fellowship and I read, like, eight chapters of Fellowship and then wrote the entire book of the Hobbit. And then I went back to Fellowship. And so I feel like that breaking it up really messed with my timeline and messed with the flow of me reading it. And so just thinking about it, I'm like, that seems just like. So, like. Like, it doesn't feel like it flows and connects for me really well. Where? Two Towers. I'm getting more character development. I'm getting, like, intimate details of them. I'm. I felt like I was actually learning everybody and understanding everybody and understanding, like, how we were getting to the places that we were getting to. And so that's why I think I like that book best. [01:15:09] Speaker B: Yeah, that makes sense. [01:15:10] Speaker A: But, yeah. [01:15:12] Speaker B: All right, well, next week we get to read something different, so that's exciting. We'll see you all then.