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Andrew McDonald (andrewww.mp4) stops by to bid a final farewell to the podcast he helped build with the second to the last episode of the feed, and of course we're talking about Peter Jackson's J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

We dig into foundational things, like Tolkien's preference of applicability over allegory, what his background as a linguist did in shaping the story, the bazooka this fires at Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, the interconnectedness of existence, and why The Lord of the Rings might be the best story ever told.

We also dive into Peter Jackson and team's adaptation choices, his directorial style (or lack thereof), Howard Shore's transcendent score, the simple structure of The Fellowship of the Ring, the insane structure of The Two Towers, the ethics of the Return of the King post-production, and much, much more.

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Lord of the Rings: How Music Elevates Story

Why TV Is Wrong For Tolkien

Helm's Deep: How To Film An Epic Battle

How Ian McKellen Acts With His Eyes

Middle Earth and The Perils of Worldbuilding

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Tolkien

Tolkien's Secret Vice

The Complete Philosophy of The Lord of the Rings

Heroism and Moral Victory - The Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson's Most Profound Change to the Lord of the Rings

A Mythology of Hope - The Lord of the Rings

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