154. Tolkien Wrote the Ultimate Retcon – The Hobbit #38

154. Tolkien Wrote the Ultimate Retcon – The Hobbit #38

Most people haven’t read how Tolkien actually wrote how The Hobbit precisely connects to The Lord of the Rings. In The Quest of Erebor (first published in Unfinished Tales) Tolkien explains precisely how every major event in The Hobbit is connected to the greater story in The Lord of the Rings. And it’s not only the historical/factual connections–Tolkien clearly connects the philosophical underpinnings of Middle-earth more clearly into The Hobbit too!

We take a look at:

  • The three published versions of the Quest for Erebor—and why the Annotated Hobbit’s is the longest and most complete
  • Gandalf’s “absurd” commitment to Bilbo, and why he pushes for a stealthy quest instead of open war
  • Why Gandalf was concerned about the Hobbits forgetting the “high and perilous” figures of legend.
  • The crucial role of Smaug as the north’s wild card, and why Gandalf fears a Sauron-Smaug alliance

In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

  • How Tolkien could have retconned: stone giants, Beorn’s descendants, Gundabad orcs, and trala-lally elves into The Lord of the Rings
  • How Gandalf’s mysterious “waking mind” connects to fate and agency in Tolkien’s world
  • Listener corrections and deep-dives into Hobbit trivia

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit
The Annotated Hobbit
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🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
The Silmarillion

The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat

Episoder(160)

157. Is this the BEST Change in The Lord of the Rings Films? : Film Changes #44 and #45

157. Is this the BEST Change in The Lord of the Rings Films? : Film Changes #44 and #45

Orc pods and Uruk-hai origins: lore-breaking or the best possible changes? In this episode, we dig into Peter Jackson’s “orc pod” scenes and the cinematic invention of Lurtz, the alpha Uruk-hai, We al...

18 Feb 0s

156. The Cringiest Line in Lord of the Rings : Film Changes #42 and #43

156. The Cringiest Line in Lord of the Rings : Film Changes #42 and #43

In this episode, we look at two of the most unloved film changes from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: Arwen replacing Glorfindel and making Arwen the only one with power and agency in The Flight to...

3 Feb 44min

155. The Infamous Messenger Moth : Film Changes #39, #40, and #41

155. The Infamous Messenger Moth : Film Changes #39, #40, and #41

We’re back to going through ALL the changes in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings!  This week we discuss Aragorn’s sword substitions, changes at Weathertop, and that infamous messenger moth: Was Arago...

22 Jan 0s

153. The Christmas Eucatastrophe (and is The Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie?)

153. The Christmas Eucatastrophe (and is The Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie?)

We turn our attention from The Hobbit to a long-hidden Tolkien gem: his 1936 Christmas poem, “Noel.”  We take a look at the history of the poem’s rediscovery, its deep-rooted Tolkien-esque imagery, an...

23 Des 20250s

152. Tolkien Ties up EVERY Loose End (we’re done!) – The Hobbit #37

152. Tolkien Ties up EVERY Loose End (we’re done!) – The Hobbit #37

In this episode, we wrap up The Hobbit with “The Last Stage” and reflect on Bilbo’s road home, the petty (now less petty?) Rivendell elves, the unexpected return to Bag End, and how Tolkien so thoroug...

12 Des 20250s

151. Eagles Didn’t Win the Battle – The Hobbit #36

151. Eagles Didn’t Win the Battle – The Hobbit #36

Three dwarves lost and a shape-shifting berserking bear unleashed—the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies reconciles Bilbo to Thorin and gives us a completely different Elvenking than what you ...

26 Nov 20250s

150. Tolkien’s Battle Tactics – The Hobbit #35

150. Tolkien’s Battle Tactics – The Hobbit #35

Did Tolkien “earn” The Battle of the Five Armies, or is the surprise enough to justify its existence? In this episode, we look at Tolkien’s climactic battle from The Hobbit, comparing how it unfolds o...

11 Nov 20250s

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