054 - "The Last Debate"... Marching Straight into Mordor?

This week we discuss book 5, chapter 9: The Last Debate from "The Return of the King".

The battle is won, but the war definitely isn’t. This week, the fellowship finally gets the story of Aragorn and the Army of the Dead before Gandalf gathers the leaders of the West for one last, slightly suicidal strategy session. We talk ghost armies, Legolas discovering the sea, Aragorn coming into his own, Sauron’s greatest weakness, and why marching directly toward Mordor might actually be the only plan left. Plus, Laura turns the Shadow Host into extremely alcoholic ghost Jell-O shots, which goes about as well as you’d expect.

Conversation Topics

Legolas and Gimli reunite with Merry and Pippin

The story behind Aragorn and the Army of the Dead

How the Corsairs of Umbar were defeated

Why Aragorn released the Oathbreakers

The themes of hope and fear in The Last Debate

Why Gandalf says they can’t defeat Sauron by force

Aragorn’s decision to march on the Black Gate

The plan to distract Sauron while Frodo finishes his mission

Aragorn finally comes into his own as king

How Tolkien’s World War I experience influenced this chapter

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Chapter 9: “The Last Debate”

03:24 Tolkien finally fills in the missing pieces of the battle

05:33 Legolas and Gimli head into Minas Tirith to find the hobbits

09:30 Legolas hears the call of the sea

15:35 Aragorn’s desperate race toward Minas Tirith

22:38 Aragorn captures the Corsair fleet

28:48 The Last Debate begins

30:24 Gandalf explains why Sauron cannot be defeated by force

37:29 Aragorn makes the call: they’re marching on Mordor

41:08 7,000 soldiers against the might of Mordor

43:06 Aragorn is finally coming into his own

52:07 The important question: How exactly do ghosts run?

1:05:10 Aragorn releases the Army of the Dead

1:09:45 Where is Faramir during all of this?

1:14:42 Food for Though1:19:02 Next week: “The Black Gate Opens”

1:23:22 What happens to Fool of a Took after LOTR?

This weeks "Food for Thought": The Shadow Host Jello Shots

This week we honor the good work of the Shadow Host by making jello shots in their likeness. Or something.

1 6-oz packet blue jello

1 packet unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup vodka (I used Everclear because I ran out of vodka and regretted it... we ALL regretted it)

1/4 cup Gordon's strawberry gin

1/4 cup ginger beer

1 cup hot water

In a medium-sized bowl, bloom the gelatin in the liquor/ginger beer mix. Add hot water and jello packet. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate for 3-5 hours. Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut your army out. Add candy eyes (they will not stick) and a toothpick sword! I added a small amount of edible glitter and a drop of black food coloring to make them less neon blue. ----------------------------------------------------Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed todays episode, give us a like and subscribe and share this video with someone who likes The Lord of the Rings. Content Warning: ExplicitSupport the pod on Youtube! @FoolofaTookPodcast Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/foolofatookpodcast/)TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@foolofatookpodcast) Original music for the show composed by Chris NewhardGot a question? Email us Foolofatookpodcast@gmail.comFollow the fools on IG:Chris (https://www.instagram.com/chrisnewhard)Robbie Jean (https://www.instagram.com/robbiejean815)Pat (https://www.instagram.com/rolling.seas2023)Laura (https://www.instagram.com/kennylaura525)Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fool-of-a-took-podcast/id1770780731)Listen on Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/show/0e3myYq2eUbKMMtiV7qAl7)