At the Sign of The Prancing Pony [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.9]

Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie for the best chapter we’ve read in a Month! The Saga of Tommy Dabomba is officially over, and Tolkien replaces him with the suave and dangerous Strider. Don’t worry, we mostly pretend not to know his real name. Maggie calls this chapter a crossroads, and that label becomes the basis for our discussion. Merry and Pippin return to their original supporting roles, the strong narration of The Hobbit comes roaring back, and we’re poked and prodded with all sorts of magical callbacks and hype. Cam breaks down Strider’s masterful introduction – he feels immediately familiar, but still carries some of the magic and danger of the unknown world beyond the Shire. Maggie analyzes Frodo’s big song – a full two pages of the chapter – and we work together to dissect the pointed Frodo v. Bilbo comparisons in this scene. Cam even spots some interesting echoes of Tom, and we rejoice that he’s finally in our rear-view mirror. Let’s hope he stays there, so we can keep an eye on him. I haven’t forgotten about the bathtubs and the frolicking. In our Second Breakfast segment, Cam tries to figure out what happens when fantasy authors settle into their magical worlds. Using Harry Potter as a comparison, we look for complications, tests, and questions that can only be explored in sequels – once everyone is familiar with the rules. Expect lots of Prisoner of Azkaban and some scattered August Rush bashing throughout the episode. You know what? I think we totally forgot to talk about horror movies this time. Happy holidays. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod