047 - Aragorn Takes the Haunted Road in "The Passing of the Grey Company"

This week we discuss book 5, chapter 2, "The Passing of the Grey Company", from "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien. Conversation TopicsA quick recap of Minas Tirith, Denethor, Pippin, and the darkness falling over GondorThéoden, Merry, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Rohirrim ride back toward Helm’s Deep and DunharrowHalbarad arrives with the Rangers of the North, a message from Elrond, and a very ominous reminder about the Paths of the DeadArwen’s secret banner, Elrond’s sons, and the danger of riding around with your girlfriend’s terrifying brothersMerry struggles without Pippin, finds comfort in Théoden, and pledges himself to the king’s serviceAragorn uses the Palantír, reveals himself to Sauron, and takes control of the Stone of OrthancThe Corsairs of Umbar become the real problem, forcing Aragorn to choose the fastest and worst possible road to GondorÉowyn begs to ride with Aragorn, revealing both her feelings for him and her fear of being trapped in a life she never choseThe Grey Company enters the Paths of the Dead, where Gimli has an absolutely terrible timeAragorn summons the Oathbreakers at the Stone of Erech and rides east with the army of the dead behind himChris has strong feelings about the endingTimestamps00:00:00 Mismatched socks and a very Grey Company welcome00:01:00 Recapping Minas Tirith and the dawnless darkness00:03:19 Aragorn, Théoden, Merry, and the ride back through Rohan00:05:38 Halbarad, the Dúnedain, and the arrival of the Grey Company00:06:15 Arwen’s banner and Elrond’s murder twins00:10:45 Merry pledges himself to Théoden00:16:06 Aragorn takes on Sauron through the Palantír00:20:22 The Corsairs, Minas Tirith’s deadline, and the plan for the dead road00:23:53 Éowyn, Dunharrow, and the worst romantic timing in Rohan00:30:39 Into the Paths of the Dead00:39:32 The Stone of Erech and the Oathbreakers answer00:42:55 First reactions, chapter pacing, and the missing ghost drama01:17:05 Food for Thought: Oatbreaker lace cookies01:20:22 Next week: The Muster of RohanToday's "Food For Thought": Oatbreaker CookiesWhat's an Oathbreaker's favorite cookie? These Oatbreakers! ...I'm fired??These are based on thin, crispy lace cookies but with oats added. I used this recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes... I added some toasted, chopped walnuts for extra texture.A few tips: Make sure your oats are not clumped when you drop them on to the baking sheet. Spread them out evenly or you will have underbaked, chewy spots. While they do spread out while baking, they will not spread into a circle unless you are careful to shape them round. Mine got a little floppy after cooling, so perhaps I didn't bake them long enough or it was just too humid that day. ----------------------------------------------------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: (  / foolofatookpodcast  )TikTok: (  / foolofatookpodcast  ) Original music for the show composed by Chris NewhardGot a question? Email us [email protected] the fools on IG:Chris (  / chrisnewhard  )Robbie Jean (  / robbiejean815  )Pat (  / rolling.seas2023  )Laura (  / kennylaura525  )