PODCAST · arts
Beyond the Brandywine
by Angela & Kelsey
Welcome to Beyond the Brandywine - a Tolkien and Lord of the Rings podcast where we wander, wonder, and occasionally get lost in Middle Earth! Beyond the Brandywine is a cozy, curious, and occasionally chaotic journey across the lands of Middle Earth. Join us as we wander through stories, laugh over the odd bits of lore, and follow tangents like hobbits chasing second breakfast. We’re here to explore the places where the map fades and the questions get weird.
Episodes
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Episode 18 - Hobbit Day Tangents (1 Year Anniversary Episode)
One year in, and we threw out the research notes. For Hobbit Day and our first anniversary, hosts Angela and Kelsey surprise each other with questions and follow the tangents wherever they go. What would you ask Galadriel for? Who gets your last conversation before you sail West? Is Celeborn...
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Episode 17 - Are Men Weak? Investigating Elrond's Controversial Movie Line
Hosts Angela and Kelsey examine Elrond's famous movie line "Men are weak" and debate whether humans truly are more corruptible than elves. They review examples across the ages—Isildur, Númenor, the Nine Rings, Fëanor's kin-slayings, and more—consider authorial bias, and argue that every race has...
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Episode 16 - Ulmo Sends His Regards: Water vs Evil in Middle-Earth
How many times does water ruin a villain's day in Tolkien's books? The Nazgûl swept away at the Ford of Bruinen. Isengard dismantled by an afternoon flood. Númenor swallowed whole. Angband sunk beneath the sea. You could chalk it up to Tolkien reaching for a convenient solution — but we'd argue...
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Episode 15 - Fell and Fair: The Women Who Shape Middle‑Earth
Tolkien's women move mountains, break curses, and sing gods to sleep — and then the story quietly runs out of road for them. In Fell and Fair: The Women Who Shape Middle-Earth, Kelsey and Angela dig into this pattern, asking not just whether Tolkien's most powerful women are impressive (they...
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Episode 14 - Who Gets a Second Chance in Middle-Earth?
Grace in Middle-earth isn't earned. It's offered — and then it's up to you. In this episode, Angela and Kelsey dig into one of Tolkien's richest themes: redemption, and who actually gets there. They work through the spectacular failures, the heartbreaking near-misses, and the rare characters who...
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Episode 13 - Beyond Smaug: Dragons of Middle-Earth
Everyone knows Smaug — but what if the most important dragon in Middle-earth never appears in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? In this episode, Angela and Kelsey travel back to the First Age to meet Glaurung, the Father of Dragons: a fire-breathing, wingless, psychologically terrifying…
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Episode 12 - One by One: How would the Fellowship fall to the One Ring?
In this episode, hosts Angela and Kelsey imagine an alternate Middle-earth in which the Fellowship stays together on the way to Mount Doom and debate the likely order each member would succumb to the One Ring. They draw on Tolkien’s letters, character motives, and the Ring’s possible agency to...
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Episode 11 - The Many Faces of Gollum (Part 2)
Hosts Angela and Kelsey continue their dive into Gollum’s journey — from his simpler Hobbit-era appearance in The Hobbit to the darker, rewritten Gollum of The Lord of the Rings — using Tolkien’s revisions and letters to trace the character’s evolution. They examine key scenes (the Forbidden…
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Episode 10 - The Many Faces of Gollum (Part 1)
Hosts Angela and Kelsey take listeners on a romp through the many adaptations of Gollum — from the bizarre 1966 animated Hobbit to 1970s–80s cartoons, the influential 1981 BBC radio portrayal, Soviet and Finnish takes, and fan films like The Hunt for Gollum. Along the way they compare voices,...
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Episode 9 - What's in a Song? The Music of Middle-Earth
In this episode, hosts Angela and Kelsey explore how music weaves through every layer of Middle-earth—from the cosmic creation of the Ainulindalë to hobbits singing in the Shire. They discuss how Tolkien uses song as a form of soft power, examine epic singing battles between elves and Sauron, and...
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Episode 8 - When Disease Meets Destiny: Plague, Wraiths, and Wounds in Middle‑earth
In this episode, hosts Angela and Kelsey explore the overlooked topic of illness in Middle‑earth—everything from Bilbo’s little cold to the Great Plague, Morgul‑wounds and the Black Breath, dragon‑sickness, and the spiritual trauma carried by characters like Frodo. The episode looks at canonical...
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Episode 7 - The Worst Jobs in Middle‑Earth
Back from the holiday break, Angela and Kelsey take a playful, lore‑rich tour of Middle‑earth’s worst jobs. Ever wonder what it would be like to be a hobbit postman, or survive the deadly the mountain patrols past Shelob's lair? What about what it's really like to work for Barliman Butterbur? Or...
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Episode 6 - Are Shire Animals Hobbit-Sized?
Hosts Angela and Kelsey explore a playful yet puzzling question: are animals in the Shire hobbit-sized or normal-sized? They sift through Tolkien's text, movie visuals, and whimsical speculation—covering cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, foxes, swans, and even the curious Badger Folk—to imagine how...
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Episode 5 - Middle-Earth's Most Haunted Places (Part 2)
Hosts Angela and Kelsey wander through the scariest corners of Middle-earth, focusing on First‑Age horrors such as Utumno, the deep, nameless things linked to Moria, Nan Dungortheb (the Valley of Dreadful Death) haunted by Ungoliant and giant spiders, and Tol‑In‑Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves…
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Episode 4 - Middle-Earth’s Most Haunted Places (Part 1)
Angela and Kelsey go full-spooky for October and tour the creepiest corners of Middle-earth — from the bone-chilling Barrow-downs and the ghostly Dead Marshes to the Paths of the Dead, Shelob’s lair, and the corrupted splendor of Minas Morgul. They explore why these places haunt the lore, what...
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Episode 3 - Where Would You Live in Middle-Earth?
Hosts Kelsey and Angela debate where they would actually live in Middle-earth if they had to move there for real. They weigh geography, culture, safety, and lifestyle—covering places like Lindon, the Shire, Rivendell, Gondolin, Doriath, Gondor, Númenor, and even Mordor—while sharing personal...
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Episode 2 - Lembas, Cram & Honeycakes: A Middle-earth Food Tour
Hosts Angela and Kelsey wander the kitchens and lore of Middle-earth, tasting the ideas behind lembas, cram, and Beorn's famous honeycakes. They discuss who makes each dish, what they might taste like, and the role these foods play in Tolkien's stories. This cozy episode blends foodie curiosity...
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Episode 1 - A Long-Expected Podcast
In the first episode of Beyond the Brandywine, hosts Angela and Kelsey introduce themselves and explore some of Tolkien's strangest and most intriguing lore. They discuss Tom Bombadil's mystery, the roaming huorns and the lost Entwives, and the terrifying tale of Ungoliant — mixing personal...
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Trailer - Welcome to Beyond the Brandywine
New - coming 22 September 2025! Join hosts Angela and Kelsey on Beyond the Brandywine, a cozy and curious podcast exploring the stories and oddities of Middle-Earth. Join them as they share personal stories, nerdy tangents, and why Tolkien’s Middle-earth has been a lifelong refuge. Expect…
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Trailer - Wandering Middle-Earth with Angela & Kelsey
New - coming 22 September 2025! Join hosts Angela and Kelsey on Beyond the Brandywine, a cozy and curious podcast exploring the stories and oddities of Middle-Earth. They laugh over strange lore, follow delightfully chaotic tangents (like hobbits chasing second breakfast), and wander into the…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to Beyond the Brandywine - a Tolkien and Lord of the Rings podcast where we wander, wonder, and occasionally get lost in Middle Earth! Beyond the Brandywine is a cozy, curious, and occasionally chaotic journey across the lands of Middle Earth. Join us as we wander through stories, laugh over the odd bits of lore, and follow tangents like hobbits chasing second breakfast. We’re here to explore the places where the map fades and the questions get weird.
HOSTED BY
Angela & Kelsey
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond the Brandywine have?
Beyond the Brandywine currently has 20 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond the Brandywine about?
Welcome to Beyond the Brandywine - a Tolkien and Lord of the Rings podcast where we wander, wonder, and occasionally get lost in Middle Earth! Beyond the Brandywine is a cozy, curious, and occasionally chaotic journey across the lands of Middle Earth. Join us as we wander through stories, laugh...
How often does Beyond the Brandywine release new episodes?
Beyond the Brandywine has 20 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Beyond the Brandywine?
You can listen to Beyond the Brandywine on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond the Brandywine?
Beyond the Brandywine is created and hosted by Angela & Kelsey.
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