Exploring Tolkien

Exploring Tolkien is a weekly show that dives deep into JRR Tolkien and all the ages of Middle-earth. Jonathan Watson and Michael Grumbine are your hosts as they read through Tolkien’s works, interview other Tolkien enthusiasts and authors, and critically examine how Tolkien’s world is being treated by mega-corporations like Amazon.com and Warner Bros.

135. The Greedy and Petty Elves of Mirkwood – The Hobbit #22
Apr 15, 2025 – 46:37
134. When Bilbo Became the Hero – The Hobbit #21
Apr 1, 2025 – 1:00:08
133. Ainulindalë – A Reading in JRR Tolkien’s Voice
Mar 18, 2025 –
132. Evil or Elves or Both… Terror in Mirkwood : The Hobbit #20
Mar 4, 2025 – 54:05
131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19
Feb 18, 2025 – 1:04:27
130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18
Feb 4, 2025 –
129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17
Jan 21, 2025 – 52:22
A Song of Ice and Fire
Jan 15, 2025 –
128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16
Jan 7, 2025 – 40:35
Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem
Dec 25, 2024 –
127. Where War of the Rohirrim went Wrong – In Depth Review
Dec 24, 2024 – 1:09:38
126. Why Did Tolkien Change The Hobbit (and what did he change)? : The Hobbit #15
Dec 17, 2024 –
125. Bilbo Trembled and Found Pity : The Hobbit #14
Dec 10, 2024 –
124. Miserable Riddles in the Dark : The Hobbit #13
Nov 26, 2024 – 51:44
123. Nightmare in Moria : The Hobbit #12
Nov 19, 2024 – 46:51
122. The Real Misty Mountains : The Hobbit #11
Nov 12, 2024 –
121. Tolkien Gave Up on Fixing The Hobbit : The Hobbit #10
Nov 5, 2024 – 45:24
120. Where the Children’s Story Ends and the Epic Story Begins : The Hobbit #9
Oct 29, 2024 – 42:58
119. The Rings of Power Leaves us with Dwarf Politics and Randomly Shouting Elves
Oct 8, 2024 – 2:08:10
118. Yes. Elrond kissed Galadriel.
Oct 1, 2024 – 2:15:33
117. Clueless Elves, Big Beasts, and Bombadil Inverts Tolkien’s Words
Sep 24, 2024 –
116. Hollywood Doesn’t Understand the Númenoreans’ Faith
Sep 17, 2024 –
115. Tom Bombadil has Become Obi-Wan in The Rings of Power
Sep 10, 2024 –
114. Rings of Power Returns – Episode 1 Review
Sep 4, 2024 –
113. Looking at the War of the Rohirrim Trailer (and Rings of Power clips)
Aug 27, 2024 – 57:36
112. Are these Really the Same Elves from The Lord of the Rings? : The Hobbit #8
Aug 20, 2024 –
111. This is why Tolkien SHOULD have rewritten The Hobbit : The Hobbit #7
Aug 13, 2024 – 1:01:27
110. A Brave Burglar and Deficient Dwarves : The Hobbit #6
Aug 5, 2024 – 48:43
109. Gandalf Gets Pushy : The Hobbit #5
Jul 30, 2024 – 30:21
108. What Went Wrong with Tolkien’s 1960 Hobbit Rewrite : The Hobbit #4
Jul 23, 2024 – 1:01:41
107. How the Baggins Side of Bilbo Lost : The Hobbit #3
Jul 16, 2024 – 53:35
106. The Hobbit was NOT Originally in Middle-earth : The Hobbit #2
Jul 9, 2024 – 55:08
105. Tolkien Changed The Hobbit Twice : The Hobbit #1
Jun 25, 2024 – 49:32
104. The REAL War of the Rohirrim, According to Tolkien
Jun 18, 2024 – 50:56
103. Tom Bombadil, The Hunt for Gollum, and Viggo Mortensen are Back… and so is Dan!
Jun 4, 2024 –
102. An Interview with Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry) – 2003 Roundtable Interviews
May 29, 2024 – 33:13
101. Bree’s Dark Turn
May 21, 2024 – 46:14
100. Should The Lord of the Rings Films have kept the Barrow-downs?
May 14, 2024 – 52:12
99. Tom Bombadil is NOT important? Tolkien said it!
May 7, 2024 – 35:19
98. Why Peter Jackson Cut the Old Forest and Old Man Willow
Apr 30, 2024 – 41:01
97. Peter Jackson CUT the Godfather of the Shire : Film Changes #30 and #31
Apr 23, 2024 – 36:42
96. The Wizard Duel and Orthanc in Real Time : Film Changes #29 and #30
Apr 16, 2024 –
95. An Interview with Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings Composer – 2003 Roundtable Interviews
Apr 9, 2024 – 44:19
94. The Rings of Power is PEAK TV – Top Scenes, Top Characters and Top Quotes
Apr 1, 2024 – 1:02:13
93. Sauron’s FIRST Defeat – Finishing Tolkien’s Unfinished Tale – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 8
Mar 26, 2024 – 1:00:16
92. NEW Tolkien Book with UNPUBLISHED Content Announced!
Mar 19, 2024 – 23:41
91. Finishing Tolkien’s Unfinished Tale – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 7
Mar 5, 2024 – 53:40
90. A Spiteful Marriage, a New Enemy, and a Watery End – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 6
Feb 27, 2024 – 50:40
89. The Sacrificial King and the Fallen Queen – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 5
Feb 20, 2024 – 46:08
88. Middle-earth’s Worst Dad – Aldarion and Erendis – Part 4
Feb 13, 2024 – 47:21

Recent Reviews

Conchobar Schmidt

Quality decline

Production quality has suffered, making it difficult to listen to.
LerTy14

Become a Member!

Fell into this podcast a couple months ago after the glowing review of the greatest show ever made, episode aired early April. This episode started my journey to binge every single podcast episode. I became a member and have greatly enjoyed my experience with the extra content and joining a new community of Tolkien enjoyers.
someone else took my name

If You Like Tolkien

Best podcast to both escape into fantasy worlds and explore philosophy most applicable for today. No longer a freeloader. Definitely worth the $4.
JohnTuttleIII

Great podcast for Tolkien lovers

I enjoy listening to you guys talking about your love of all things Tolkien
fdfhcfgg

Phenomenal.

In a world that seems intent on subverting Tolkien’s stories, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear Michael, Jonathan and Dan appreciate Tolkien’s world for what it is, without imposing their own world views on it. I’ve never heard anyone delve so deeply into Tolkien’s universe: a must-listen-to if you’re a real Tolkien fan!
dani_california

I sub-create because I am created.

These guys are better than any literature class I ever took! They are appreciative of Tolkien’s work and knowledgeable about him as a writer and a man. They delve into On Fairy Stories and The Silmarillion in a way that (I believe)would cause Professor Tolkien to smile and raise his glass. Finally, they embrace and share in Tolkien’s Christianity (as I do) and discuss how his faith is an integral part of his Fairy stories even if he was not always immediately aware of it.
kwillis90355

Best Read Through Podcast for Tolkien!

Best Podcast for a read through of The Silmarillion!!
PastorDarylMessina

This is FANTASTIC!

Easily the best chapter by chapter read through of the silmarillion that I’ve found. Great insight, usually stay on track. Overall awesome!
DreamNomad

Funny, In Depth, Entertaining

Three guys from very different backgrounds and a mutual love for Tolkien! I love how they are always respectful and thought-provoking, and show me things in the books I missed before or explain the concepts behind the writings of the master of fantasy. Definitely recommend. It’s listenable as you drive or work.
Linnaelin

Awesome!

Great podcast for those who want to delve into the world of Tolkien! I’ve read the Silmarillion several times and I am enjoying so much hearing other perspectives! Definitely recommend if it’s your first read through or your 40th! Great job Jonathan, Michael, and Dan!
Agentony

Fantastic Podcast

I was searching for a LOTR podcast and came across this one. I’m extremely happy to have found Window on the West. Jonathan, Dan, and Michael are excellent hosts with a very fun attitude and a clearly elevated knowledge on Tolkien . This podcast is great for newcomers as well as long time fans. The Silmarillion is tough and dense, reading through it with these three hosts really allows you to understand Tolkien’s work to an even greater depth. I recommend this podcast to anyone who is a fan of Tolkien, a fan of the LOTR, and even anyone who would just like to listen to 3 friends talk about the epic fantasy world created by J.R.R Tolkien.
Pcola Benny

Excellent!

If you want to read (or simply listen) through The Silmarillion with three brilliant guys, this is the podcast for you.
AaronAirmet

Insightful and fun

A great intro to the Silmarillion, whether you’ve read it before or not. The three hosts play off each other well and dove into relevant topics that are true to Tolkien’s themes. Keep it up!