409 – Runnin’ Down a Ring

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1. 

   S10 · E33 · 24 May 2026 · 2 hr 5 min

   414 – With or Without You

   The Elendilmir worn by the Kings of Arnor had not the ancientry nor potency of the original; there’s got to be a joke in there about Alan and Don, right? Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we conclude our two-part look at The Disaster of the Gladden Fields from Unfinished Tales. Isildur realizes he can’t live with or without the Ring, Aragorn discovers a piece of ancient Númenórean history, and Saruman is a naughty wizard. We wonder what the Ring makes invisible, decide neither of us will take part in The Isildur Challenge, and wonder if Aragorn can…

2. 

   S10 · E32 · 17 May 2026 · 1 hr 55 min

   413 – The Unforgettable Fire

   Isildur proclaims his sovereign lordship over all the Dúnedain; Alan knows better than to proclaim lordship over his own podcast. Join The Man of the West as he welcomes back Don Marshall to the Common Room to begin our two-part look at the chapter The Disaster of the Gladden Fields from Unfinished Tales. Isildur plans a long road trip, the orcs have the high ground, and Elendur tells his dad to walk til you run and don’t look back. We discuss the state of hand-me-downs among families of Númenórean descent, agree that it is dawn — not Don — that is ever the hope of men, and discover we both…

3. 

   S10 · E31 · 10 May 2026 · 1 hr 55 min

   412 – Far Fallen

   Saruman has no time for the simples of peasants; Alan and Matt wouldn’t mind if things were simpler. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we get an in-depth look at Saruman’s continuing jealousy of Gandalf as we conclude our four-episode study of The Hunt for the Ring from Unfinished Tales. Saruman knows it’s a long day living in Isengard, Gandalf gives reasons why smoking is actually good, and Radagast gets stuck in the middle. We alliterate with Sean Connery, wonder where the non-smoking section is in Rivendell, and decide we clearly cannot choose the hobbit in front of…

4. 

   S10 · E30 · 3 May 2026 · 1 hr 55 min

   411 – Saruman Won’t Back Down

   Gollum was peculiarly fitted to survive in Moria, though at cost of great misery; Matt is also able to survive his time on the PPP with the same cost. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we get a closer look at Saruman’s unenviable position in our third episode of four on The Hunt for the Ring from Unfinished Tales. Gollum doesn’t know how to open a door, Saruman discovers there ain’t no easy way out, and the Nazgûl make a new friend on the road north. We conclude that Númenor messed up Middle-earth timezones but agree they’re still smart enough not to bother with Daylight…

5. 

   S10 · E29 · 26 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 52 min

   410 – You Got Lucky, Gollum

   Christopher Tolkien tells us that the manuscripts for this story are “in great, though hardly exceptional, confusion” — so it seems this podcast is in good company. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we begin to sort through the various versions of the story of The Hunt for the Ring as our four-part look at the chapter continues. The Nazgûl, it seems, have an unexpected weakness; Sauron decides speed is more important than secrecy, but it’s already late in the game; and Gollum successfully hides in Moria after a failed jailbreak-slash-murder attempt. We talk about shooting…

6. 

   S10 · E27 · 12 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 39 min

   408 – Questions After Nightfall 34

   Join The Man of the West as he welcomes The Nerd of the Rings for his run of episodes this season by throwing him into the deep end of a Live Q&A in the PPP Common Room for our 34th Questions After Nightfall! Matt and Alan decide to crash several legendarium weddings, but we skip Túrin’s: we know too much. We answer an interesting question about what the Tolkien fandom will look like in 500 years, decide to film a documentary in Rivendell, and argue whether being voted your school’s “safest driver” is an insult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. 

   S10 · E26 · 5 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 12 min

   407 – River of Dreams

   Treebeard and the unnamed King of Lórien set bounds between them; Alan and James clearly know no bounds. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we conclude our six-episode look at The History of Galadriel and Celeborn in Unfinished Tales. Fangorn will walk where he wants to; of the Gwathló, we learn that the river is wide and it’s too hard to cross (especially in the middle of the night); Celeborn is (we guess) surprised to find the meaning of his name has been changed. We imagine Treebeard on the local HOA board, ask what Tolkien meant by Númenórean power arriving “in time”,…

8. 

   S10 · E25 · 29 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 49 min

   406 – The Longest Time

   Of the Elessar two things are said, though which is true only those Wise could say who now are gone — to paraphrase Merry, “that leaves us out, James”. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we return from our short break from The History of Galadriel and Celeborn to study a green gem and learn more about the Silvan Elves. Enerdhil becomes Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Book, Gandalf plays the part of a carnival magician, and Galadriel relishes being a big fish in a small pond. We wonder if “brooch” hid under the couch during the Great Vowel Shift, agree that good fences make good…

9. 

   S10 · E24 · 22 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 18 min

   405 – Tolkien Reading Day 2026

   Join us all in the Common Room for the Prancing Pony Podcast’s 11th annual Tolkien Reading Day special. Tolkien Reading Day is observed every March 25 in honor of the destruction of the Ring and the downfall of Barad-dûr. This year’s theme, as chosen by the Tolkien Society, is Unlikely Heroes — which describes each of the co-hosts who’ve joined with The Man of the West to present readings that showcase this year’s theme. Matt calls ‘dibs’, Don’s hero is a bird, Sara surprisingly doesn’t choose Aldarion, Shawn finds two heroes to thwack the Fëanor-shaped piñata, while James and Alan really…

10. 

    S10 · E23 · 15 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 56 min

    404 – Uptown Girl

    Lórien had long years of peace and obscurity under the rule of Amdír; the PPP has had 10 years of, well, obscurity under the rule of Alan. Join The Man of the West and the Sage of the South as we continue our deep dive into the story of Amroth and Nimrodel found in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn. Galadriel sees just how much those poor Silvan Elves need proper leadership; Amroth’s name, it turns out, might have come from living in a treehouse; and Imrazôr wonders what Mithrellas will do when she wakes up and makes up her mind. We encounter the Rick Steves of Middle-earth, determine…