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 saw in the movies. In this episode, we dig into Tolkien’s penultimate chapter, “The Return Journey,” unpacking the emotional aftermath and story-shaping consequences of the war that changed Middle-earth.

We also explore:

  • Why Beorn’s sudden intervention was more than just another “eagle rescue”—and what Tolkien draws from the real definition of berserkers”.
  • Thorin’s final moments and his transformation from gold-obsessed king to the Dwarf who names Bilbo “child of the kindly West” — did he earn that change?
  • The fate of Fili and Kili—Tolkien originally spared them in his draft… and why he changed that.
  • What the actual division of treasure reveals about Dwarven honor, claims, and leadership
  • How Tolkien uses this chapter to quietly set the stage for The Lord of the Rings and fill out the wider world of Middle-earth

Plus, we tackle the bigger questions:

  • Did Bilbo’s “betrayal” actually make things worse?
  • Why is Bilbo so eager to leave—has the Baggins/Took conflict finally resolved?
  • And what’s up with the mysterious “three parts” of the goblins wiped out in battle?

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

  • What the untold story of Beorn’s descendants and their wild realm could have been—and how Tolkien left open the door for new adventures
  • The evolution of Bilbo as a character: has he truly found peace between Took and Baggins?

🔗 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

Avsnitt(159)

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

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...

6 Jan 59min

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 Dec 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 Dec 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

149. Bilbo’s Honest Betrayal – The Hobbit #34

149. Bilbo’s Honest Betrayal – The Hobbit #34

Bilbo owns up to his burgling — a betrayal that drives Thorin to the brink of killing him.  But Bilbo isn’t cowed… and the armies of elves and men aren’t cowed by Dain’s special forces.  But maybe the...

28 Okt 202556min

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