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Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMount Doom [Return of the King, Ch.13]We're finally here, at the "end of ends" – Sam and Frodo reach Mount Doom and destroy the One Ring, but is all as it seems? We sure don't think so. Theology comes roaring back in Tolkien's writing, but his hobbits have placed their faith in themselves and the quest, not a higher power. Similarly, as they accept the fact that the end of the quest will also probably be the end of their lives, they don't make any appeal to an afterlife or their own salvation. Then Gollum storms in like Milton's Lucifer in Paradise Lost, the fallen angel wi...
2021-12-0355 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieGrowing Up w/ Harry PotterIt's our 100th episode! To celebrate, we're finally taking a dedicated look at the Harry Potter series of books / audiobooks / movies and exploring their titanic, continued influence on our lives. We grew up with this series, and it forever shaped our generation's perception of art and culture. Perspective is the theme through this conversation as we look back on what we see differently now, the moments we never noticed before, and just how influential and prophetic this story continues to be. Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Instagram: @secondbreakfastpod YouTube: https://bit.ly/2OT6RP...
2021-11-3057 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Land of Shadow [Return of the King, Ch.12]At one point, we compare this chapter to The Revenant. The quest has never been more grim, grimy, or urgent. Cam and Maggie argue that this gauntlet is the first time that Sam and Frodo have ever truly, fully shared the burden of their mission – Frodo carries the Ring and Sam keeps hope alive for them both. We discuss the many loaded structural echoes that contribute to the dread and drama of this chapter, and Cam makes a comparison [shockingly] to Doctor Faustus and the nobility of perseverance in the face of not just failure, but absolutely certain, overwhelming od...
2021-11-2643 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieDuneWell hot damn, is there anything cooler than a sandworm? Cam and Maggie finally saw Denis Villeneuve's Dune, and they are just head over heels for the world of Arrakis. There's so much to talk about – that rare feeling of falling in love with a brand new franchise, the similarities / influences / comparisons to Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings – and a whole section where we unpack the moments and characters in Dune that George Lucas spun out to create Star Wars. You know there's nothing we love more than adaptation, and this movie stands on the shou...
2021-11-2442 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Tower of Cirith Ungol [Return of the King, Ch.11]Book Six of LOTR starts off with a bang as Sam takes over as Ringbearer / protagonist and Tolkien immediately forces him to re-enact Die Hard. Cam continues to develop his "Grey Company" theory as Sam tries to play all the role of every member of the original fellowship and survive his awful journey through the tower. We discuss the Ring planting visions of temptation in both Frodo and Sam's minds, and Maggie decides Sam is the best possible Ringbearer in Middle-earth, even more so than Tommy "Dabomba" Bombadil. Then Tolkien makes his timeline all fuzzy and gives Sam a...
2021-11-1939 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieSherlock HolmesJoin Cam and Maggie for a rootin' tootin' good time as they talk about Chuck Palahniuk's fantastic Substack newsletter, how good Succession is, and how they definitely didn't just get back from their honeymoon after getting married live on the podcast in front of a studio audience at the top of the Empire State Building. Oh and I guess Maggie read The Hound of the Baskervilles too, so we talk about how great Sherlock Holmes is and the impossibility of modern murder mysteries being fun or – uh – mysterious. Then we talk about the classics and how they're not stuffy, diff...
2021-11-1630 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Black Gate Opens [Return of the King, Ch.10]Nazgûl and orcs and hill trolls oh my! The finale of Book Five of LOTR sees our heroes ride into a trap and parlay with the flaming skull known as the Mouth of Sauron. It's some fantastic heavy metal stuff, and a piping good chapter of Tolkien. We break down the importance of time jumps in this chapter, and their effect on the reader. Tolkien rallies the reader into a confident sprint before dropping a shocking revelation that fills us with doubt and dread because the chronology has become so scattered. Maggie further develops her theory about the l...
2021-11-1257 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe War of the Ring [Part One]Christopher Tolkien is back again the third book in his History of Lord of the Rings series, The War of the Ring. Cam read the first half of the book and collected all the most fascinating, illuminating tidbits (like a truffle pig). He and Maggie discuss them in their usual academic, whimsical fashion. Revelations include: Saruman as a failed wizard, the Palantir's secret origins, Daddy Tolkien's time schemes, "corpse lights," dreadful name changes, the torture of the creative process, and Sam Gamgee's superpower. Feedback & Theories: secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Instagram: @secondbreakfastpod YouTube: https://bit.ly/2O...
2021-11-0936 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Last Debate [Return of the King, Ch.9]Of all the chapters we've covered so far, this one probably benefits most from our close reading analysis. Aragorn gathers the captains for a Council of Elrond redux, but the differences from that first meeting are extremely revealing. We finally, and quietly, learn the limits of Gandalf the White and "doubt" is introduced as the most powerful weapon against enlightenment / knowledge. Tolkien also sets the stage for the sort of graveyard blowout I wanted from GOT's finale while also kinda re-enacting a classic scene from Macbeth. On the other side of things, we have a glorious reunion between Gimli...
2021-11-0552 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMailbagCam and Maggie recount their experience seeing throwback rock-metal supergroup Fuzz at Mohawk in Austin and discuss their new perspective on the 1978 classic Halloween after seeing it at a drive-in. We also work through some great listener recommendations inspired by the Halloween Special last week, and then read / react to a wonderful email about Tolkien's callback-laden use of fire imagery, the role of Catholicism in his magic system, and Denethor's difficult, nuanced position in Gondor. We're also a great new evil or shithead binary that will show up in future analysis. To close things out, Maggie desperately tries to...
2021-11-0341 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Houses of Healing [Return of the King, Ch.8]Hold on to your helmets, this chapter is all about Aragorn's rise to power as he leapfrogs past Gandalf the Grey, Faramir, and even Gandalf the White to become the guy everyone trusts to lead them in the fight against Sauron. We're introduced to the "black shadow," a mysterious illness that physicalizes all of the imagery that's been smothering Gondor, and who emerges with the miracle cure for all of our sick and wounded characters? That's right – it's Aragorn, who evolves to become not just a great future king but also a wise healer / conjurer on the level of an...
2021-10-2936 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieHalloween SpecialBoo! We're in the home stretch of Spooky Season, so today we're looking at a ton of different horror movies. Think of this episode as a bunch of overly specific recommendations from overenthusiastic friends. Cam and Maggie have prepared answers to the following prompts: - Their personal game changers in the horror genre - Movies that are better the second time you watch them - The most haunting, stick-with-you and truly bother you messed up horror they've ever seen! Happy Halloween, and let us know your answers to these prompts too!
2021-10-2649 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Pyre of Denethor [Return of the King, Ch.7]Well I guess we spoke too soon last week – this battle isn't quite over yet! Denethor sweeps into the story to battle the ghost of Gandalf the Grey for the Most Disappointing Father Award and then after he dies Gandalf kinda excuses all of his bad behavior by blaming Sauron. Cam is not convinced. We break down the active theological interference of the God of Middle-earth in this chapter and his difference of values with Denethor, as well as Gandalf's big pivot moment where he has to either make an obviously Gandalf the Grey choice or a "long game" Ga...
2021-10-2249 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieLed Zeppelin's The Battle of EvermoreThe year is 1971: we just went to the moon, Nixon is President (woops), Disney World just opened...and Led Zeppelin is singing about Tolkien. Join Cam and Maggie as they break down one of Zeppelin's most Middle-earthian songs. Ringwraiths, the Dark Lord, and magic runes abound - and Arthurian legend is thrown in for some spice. This kaleidoscope of folklore and magic imagery eerily reflects the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and encourages us to once again ponder the ways in which legendary moments pass into legend. Galadriel, Gandalf, and Éowyn make their way into the discussion too, along w...
2021-10-1939 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Battle of the Pelennor Fields [Return of the King, Ch.6]Oh boy – what a finale. I don't think we've ever been this excited for an episode, even Maggie's recap feels like a spirited campfire reenactment of the chapter. The Witch King rises to previously unknown heights, eclipsing Smaug and Saruman and almost retaking the power of Tolkien's almighty fire imagery – but then Éowyn shows up and ruins his whole day. The power of light and gold (and Aragorn) show up, the heroes wrestle control of both fire imagery and water imagery, and Tolkien recedes into the realm of impressionistic metaphor to describe the terrific violence that ends this battle. Éomer a...
2021-10-1554 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Evil Dead"Join us!" as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of this stone cold classic. Sam Raimi's 1981 masterpiece The Evil Dead is somehow both the funniest horror movie ever made and also one of the most disturbing. We were lucky enough to see it on the big screen recently and oh boy did it give us a lot to talk about. Bruce Campbell's performance (arguably the greatest lead performance in the genre's history) struck Cam as a fantastically nuanced expression of a man's struggle to live up to the masculine ideal, and the terrible self-consciousness he feels when compared to Scotty, w...
2021-10-1237 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Ride of the Rohirrim [Return of the King, Ch.5]Echoes and mirrors and callbacks – oh my! We've got a new Gandalf the Grey and a new Gandalf the White in this chapter, as the mysteriously well-informed Ghân-buri-Ghân appears and Théoden undergoes a glorious promotion. At the same time, we see Pippin's dread through Merry's eyes as the Rohan arrive with an answer to the fire imagery that has overwhelmed Gondor. We end the discussion with a striking symbolic discovery – two dead men and two dead horses – and we've both got theories about who they represent! Shadows of death and the dead wander through these pages – after all t...
2021-10-0844 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieSpawn: Issue #10TLDR: This comic shows artists who sell their creations to corporations bound and gagged in the seventh circle of Hell as the characters they created (Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, the Hulk, Wonder Woman, the Joker, Wolverine, etc.) are trapped in a prison cell begging for freedom and screaming the word "injustice" into the abyss. Who can save them? Maybe no one, maybe Spawn, or maybe Spawn's creator – Todd McFarlane! This comic isn't just a love letter to the ideas of artistic integrity and creative freedom, it's a mission statement for Image Comics and the creators-first mentality that rocked th...
2021-10-051h 03Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Siege of Gondor [Return of the King, Ch.4]Pippin just might have overtaken Sam as the MVP of Lord of the Rings. He's certainly braver and more badass than Merry or Frodo now – this chapter sees him literally run into fire and revive hope for all of Middle-earth, with zero friends or allies, against overwhelming odds! Flaming torrents, Nazgûl, the sorcerer Ringwraith King of Angmar, trumpets and hunters and "innumerable" orcs – this battle is exhilarating, and Cam calls it the best chapter Tolkien has ever written. Maggie finds the battle much more uneven, and Gandalf's deployment pretty frustrating. But hey, she doesn't write these descriptions, so I can...
2021-10-0159 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe House of Cards TrilogyOoh what a strange break from Lord of the Rings! Not really, political intrigue is the back bone of every world-building story, regardless of drama - one of the most frequent Game of Thrones directors also directed 34 episodes of The West Wing. And as we get deeper and deeper into the Rohan / Gondor relationship in LOTR, Tolkien's increasing interest in geopoltical intrigue is threatening to outpace all that pesky Ring drama! So today Cam is taking a look at all three series of the BBC's House of Cards adaptation, to learn more about trilogies, echoes, reflections, mustache-twirling murd...
2021-09-2850 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Muster of Rohan [Return of the King, Ch.3]Merry is our new POV character and Tolkien is marinating us in metaphors! Join Cam and Maggie for a romp through Middle-earth geopolitics and callbacks and echoes but still no Bill the Pony. Our lead hobbit hears a battle song and realizes he's about to live his own little tune when the group reaches Gondor – where everyone might die! Tolkien shocks us both when he abandons nature and description in favor of largely unknown character. Everyone in every storyline agrees that Aragorn is the new Gandalf the Grey. And Cam sees Smaug, the "winged shadow" of our imminent doom, ha...
2021-09-2444 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMalignantJoin Cam and Maggie for a gleeful discussion of James Wan's Malignant. Spoiler alert for the whole episode - don't worry if you don't read the descriptions, we say it at the beginning of the episode. There's so much to talk about with this movie, and by golly it's just nice to see a filmmaker at the top of their game having this much FUN. Cam tracks all the moments of humor and wonderful over-the-top goofiness in Wan's earlier work to find the roots of all this movie's magnificent twists. Maggie has a problem with Gabriel's electricity powers. God, it...
2021-09-211h 15Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Passing of the Grey Company [Return of the King, Ch.2]What a chapter title! Who is the Grey Company – is it the new, lean and mean fellowship led by Aragorn or is it the parade of metaphorical ghosts and literal corpses that now follows our heroes? Join Cam and Maggie for a spirited investigation of this question and many more. Aragorn really comes into his own here as the one true successor to Gandalf the Grey, and we've got quotes and theories galore! He's got his own Balrog moment, his own Council of Elrond moment, his own Palantir moment, even his own nod-to-a-secret-and-magical-past "Mithrandir" moment! For Second Br...
2021-09-171h 02Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMinas Tirith [Return of the King, Ch.1]Back to the books! Join Cam and Maggie for their first foray into Gondor, as Pippin takes the reigns of story and Gandalf the White becomes just as much of a disappointment as his predecessor. Oh and hey what's up with Denethor? Is he a magical, telepathic, wrathful leader or just a terrible father? Tolkien upsets the binary black / white imagery of Middle-earth here with the ominous white tree of Gondor and the moment where Gandalf the White is greeted as a bad omen. Daddy Gandalf also drops a chess metaphor that gives us powerful GOT vibes, and we...
2021-09-1045 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Night HouseJoin Cam and Maggie for a discussion of David Bruckner's unnerving, masterful new horror film, The Night House. So many of our Lord of the Rings discussions have centered around echoes and twisted callbacks, and this film takes those ideas and runs a marathon with them. As a work of surreal grief horror, the story deftly avoids all the major modern tropes and pitfalls of the subgenre and brilliantly swerves into shocking, satisfying character moments. We spend a lot of time praising Rebecca Hall's knockout lead performance, which elevates the tight, efficient script with nuance, humanity, and a striking, grou...
2021-09-0856 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Two Towers [Part Two]Discussion of The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers [Extended Edition] in Glorious 4K! Join Cam and Maggie dive into the second half of Peter Jackson's glorious Two Towers adaptation and find a whole host of echoes across the Middle-earth filmography. Théoden goes full Thorin, Helm's Deep turns into the Battle of the Five Armies, the Ents save the day with water superpowers just like Arwen did in Fellowship, Aragorn has a near death experience mirroring that of Gandalf the Grey – there's a ton to talk about here. We also examine the big change this ada...
2021-09-0354 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Green KnightJoin Cam and Maggie for a technicolor exploration of David Lowery's spectacular new film, The Green Knight. You know how much we adore A24 folkloric horror and this movie is quite honestly the bee's knees. Our discussion begins with an investigation into the calm surrealism that Dev Patel's masterful performance lends to the whole film, before we look at its episodic, almost color-coded story structure and Lowery's unique, modern twist on morality tales. There's also a great deal of love thrown to The VVitch and the casting crossovers into this movie (remember Boromir starring in the first season of...
2021-09-011h 20Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Two Towers [Part One]Discussion of The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers [Extended Edition] in Glorious 4K! Join Cam and Maggie for an hour of Aragon worship and Théoden hate, in equal measure. The first disc of Two Towers is as much of a devastating villain showcase as the book was, and we're back to break down some new theories, callbacks, and even a call forward to the best moment in the Hobbit trilogy. Maggie is underwhelmed by the trees, but Cam wins her back with some Shakespeare anecdotes. We analyze the movie's markedly different version of Gollum (th...
2021-08-2754 min
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Witcher: Nightmare of the WolfJoin Cam and Maggie for a discussion of the fantastic new Netflix anime film, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Spoiler alert (and there are spoilers throughout the episode) – we loved this movie. As a standalone spinoff, a prequel, and a jumping-on point for the larger Witcher universe, wowza. We work through all the many tropes upended by this subversive movie, from the Han Solo rogue to the violence to this series' brutal pragmatism. Expect lots of comparisons and fascinating diversions from genre standards like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Cam also explains why he thinks th...
2021-08-2544 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Choices of Master Samwise [Two Towers, Ch.21]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Ten Join Cam and Maggie for the grand finale of The Two Towers! Viking King Samwise finally gets his day in the sun, and we couldn't be happier. Cam has a new priori-incantatum-style theory about Sam being the last man standing from the original fellowship, and he thinks he's spotted the ghosts of Sam's past companions hidden throughout this chapter. We also look at Sam's experience putting on the Ring for the first time, and Maggie has a startling realization that might upset the whole magical hierarchy of Middle-earth...
2021-08-201h 15Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieShelob's Lair [Two Towers, Ch.20]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie as they do their best to talk about a big spider for an hour without actually thinking about them. The concept of "grey magic" comes roaring back in these pages to throw off our understanding of magical hierarchies and the power players of Middle-earth. Galadriel and Shelob emerge as transcendent, mysterious forces that could singularly turn the tide of the battle against Sauron. Maggie and Cam debate the divine intervention of Galadriel's phial of light and the strange elvish voice that speaks through Frodo...
2021-08-131h 02Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Stairs of Cirith Ungol [Two Towers, Ch.19]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Eight Join Cam and Maggie for a chapter full of character-driven horror and a role-reversal villain introduction like we've never seen. Maggie reaches a conclusion about free will that somewhat bridges the gap between her original position and Cam's. Sméagol breaks through the Ring's death grip on him and Gollum long enough for us to wonder which one of them is really in charge, and if we could ever really know for sure. Cam attempts to define Frodo's heroism as it compares (unfavorably) to past Middle-earth heroes, and w...
2021-08-061h 03Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieJourney to the Crossroads [Two Towers, Ch.18]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Seven Join Cam and Maggie for a spooky, echo-laden chapter of Daddy Tolkien's sci-fi epic, Fantastic Beasts and In the Darkness Bind Them. We're in a good mood this week, it's a fun episode. Faramir leaves and provokes a new evolution in Cam's "living ghost" theory. Maggie gets to talk about Gothic architecture and gargoyles and freaky grinning stone heads because Tolkien is officially leaning in with the horror imagery. We also work through a dozen beautiful, weaponized callbacks to The Hobbit and the happier days of Fellowship that...
2021-07-3057 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Forbidden Pool [Two Towers, Ch.17]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Six Join Cam and Maggie for Frodo's Big Day Out. This is a very busy chapter for our favorite Ring-bearer – he commits to Gollum, (possibly) changes his tune on faith, and becomes an active part of the fellowship for the first time. Cam's theory about ghosts / "middlemen of the twilight" evolves as well, and Faramir evolves to be more like both versions of Gandalf. Maggie and Cam debate Frodo's pledge of loyalty to Gollum: is it a single moment of mercy, or a shift in his priorities? Meanwhile, magic gr...
2021-07-2356 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Window On The West [Two Towers, Ch.16]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Five * Video of Andy Serkis performing his new versions of the LOTR audiobooks (coming out this September): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sez-kWSsHr0 * Join Cam and Maggie for a provocative, character-focused chapter of The Two Towers. The headline of these pages has to be the innumerable comparisons between Faramir and Gandalf the White, being new and improved evolutions (or ghosts!) of two deceased members from the original fellowship, Boromir and Gandalf the Grey. We break down the similarities between these characters, from their introductions to the wa...
2021-07-161h 13Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieOf Herbs and Stewed Rabbit [Two Towers, Ch.15]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Four Join Cam and Maggie for a fascinating, moody slice of Tolkien. Eyes are watching everyone in this chapter – Sam is watching Frodo, Frodo is watching the Eye of Sauron, Sam is side-eyeing Gollum, Gollum is watching the Ring, the Black Riders are watching everyone from the sky, the God of Middle-earth is looking down on everyone – it's a busy, paranoid dynamic. Amid the chaos, Cam thinks he might have spotted the ghost of Gandalf the Grey (a few times!). Sam and Gollum have an argument in third person that r...
2021-07-0959 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Black Gate Is Closed [Two Towers, Ch.14]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Three Join Cam and Maggie for a strange little detour through Frodo's mind. This chapter pauses the narrative as our sterling (and possibly insane) leader mulls over the choice to trust Gollum and take his alternative route into Mordor (which we have dubbed Shelob Boulevard). There is much discussion of "fate" in these pages, and we come out on very different sides of the debate. Frodo's signature line here is "What good lay in choice?" and that question sparks a spirited conversation about free will and Frodo's relationship with ch...
2021-07-021h 31Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Passage of the Marshes [Two Towers, Ch.13]*We are the guests on this week's That's What I'm Tolkien About with Mary Clay Watt! Check out her show – it's wonderful and we had a great time! Our episode comes out Tuesday, here's the link: https://feed.podbean.com/tolkienaboutpod/feed.xml* When Tolkien is on his game, he's simply the best. This chapter is pitch perfect LOTR, an efficient and provocative exploration of Gollum and Sauron that gives us a whole lot to talk about. Our long-standing theories about seen/unseen and the connection between fire/enlightenment both crop up in Gollum's characterization. Sauron inherits qua...
2021-06-251h 13Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Taming of Sméagol [Two Towers, Ch.12]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter One Join Maggie and Cam for their first Frodo + Sam chapter in eleven weeks! Tolkien takes us back in time to find out what our hobbits have been up to – lots of wandering and backtracking, apparently. Discussions of moral ambiguity abound in a grey landscape filled with grey magical objects, pale grey light, fishy choices, and our favorite fish-loving friend, Gollum. We question the trustworthiness of Gollum/Sméagol, along with the agency of our hobbit heroes themselves. If Two Towers is a book about the villains, who is our v...
2021-06-181h 00Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Palantír [Two Towers, Ch.11]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Eleven Join Cam and Maggie for – BREAKING NEWS: New Lord of the Rings movie just announced! We start the episode by reacting to the exciting announcement of new anime prequel The War of the Rohirrim. Then we move into discussing this wonderful chapter, the last part of the first half of Two Towers [yes that was a lot of math for me]. Crystal balls are the object of fascination here, as Tolkien pivots hard back to magical objects being the roots of all evil and the main engines propelling th...
2021-06-111h 09Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Voice of Saruman [Two Towers, Ch.10]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Ten Join Cam and Maggie for a deep dive into this fantastic chapter. Tolkien is back on his game here, giving us huge character moments, plenty of action, and a fascinating villain-led look at the theology / philosophy of Middle-earth. Gandalf the White asserts his absolute dominance over the existing magical hierarchy and shames Saruman into irrelevance. The conflict between fire and water based magic systems reaches a fever pitch. Dialogue takes center stage and Tolkien carefully describes the tone of almost everything Gandalf the White and Saruman say to...
2021-06-041h 20Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFlotsam and Jetsam [Two Towers, Ch.9]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie for the show's One Year Anniversary. Tolkien got us a very special present (another mediocre chapter) but as always, we make the best of it. If the last chapter was a strange, depersonalized "history" of the events it described, then this chapter is a character-focused oral history of the assault on Isengard. Pippin dominates the conversation (oh how things have changed since Rivendell) but the real star of this chapter is the many echoes it teases. Deceased characters and classic scenes are conjured in...
2021-05-281h 59Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Road to Isengard [Two Towers, Ch.8]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Eight Join Cam and Maggie for a terribly strange chapter of Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's style changes wildly here, it's like he wrote this chapter in Old English. There's an interesting meditation on history and legacy and myth beneath all of the stilted, depersonalized prose – but it takes a little digging to find it. We've got examples and theories out the wazoo (I just wanted to see how that felt to type, can't believe I spelled 'wazoo' correctly on the first try) Gandalf the White suddenly has a lo...
2021-05-211h 29Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieHelm's Deep [Two Towers, Ch.7]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Seven Join Cam and Maggie for one of Tolkien's greatest battles. There's action and fire and terror in these pages, but it's striking how much Tolkien keeps the emphasis on his characters. He is absolutely in his groove here – there's so much to talk about. There are some fascinating echoes back to dead and absent characters [Boromir, Gollum, the Black Riders, Gandalf the Grey] and a sense of weaponized juxtaposition that sees Tolkien making grand points about hopelessness and war through his architecture descriptions. Some of the echoes are br...
2021-05-141h 18Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe King of the Golden Hall [Two Towers, Ch.6]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Six Join Cam and Maggie for a spirited discussion of Théoden and Wormtongue! The Meat and Potatoes Detective Agency (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) invade the house of the Rohan in this gorgeous, provocative new chapter. But then Gandalf sort of ruins things and resolves all of the new characters' storylines in like a paragraph each. We consider Gandalf the White's status as a Middle-earth cheat code, and wonder what a slow-burn version of this sequence could have looked like. Maggie notices Frodo in absentia and walks us through s...
2021-05-071h 30Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe White Rider [Two Towers, Ch.5]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Five Join Cam and Maggie for – shut up, GANDALF IS BACK! Or is he? Cam doesn't think the Old Man / Gandalf the White is really the wizard we once knew and lovingly resented. He works through his whole strange theory, which involves lots of Dante. Maggie argues that Gandalf was able to return because he never really died. It's a fun episode with lots of disagreement and even more dumb jokes! Yay, it's almost one year into this and we're finally being our real selves. We also discuss the ev...
2021-04-301h 28Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieTreebeard [Two Towers, Ch.4]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Four Join Cam and Maggie in their quest to defeat Tom Bombadil 2.0! Treebeard sings and wanders and babbles and emotionally detaches and brings the entire story to a screeching, pine-scented halt in this endless, miserable, dry chapter – but we have some fun with it. Pippin seems to be the new Chosen One in Tolkien's Middle-earth, and we wonder what this means for his mortality (hi Gandalf). We also discuss the legend of the Entwives as an echo of Goldberry, and Maggie finds a possible narrative explanation for the strange ab...
2021-04-231h 09Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Uruk-hai [Two Towers, Ch.3]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Three Join Cam and Maggie for a chapter that celebrates all things Pippin. I guess he's our main character now, and Tolkien takes great pains to differentiate him from Frodo or Bilbo. The stakes are higher than ever – our new heroes don't have a wizard's protection or any survival skills. Merry and Pippin are launched into a great adventure, without weapons or friends or anything but some lembas bread. The orcs are developed into real characters and genuine villains. We learn about the infighting and resentment that plagues Middle-earth's "ev...
2021-04-161h 12Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Riders of Rohan [Two Towers, Ch.2]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter Two Join Cam and Maggie for our first big adventure with the new company – Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas! Their gruff, decidedly un-magical perspective gives us a wonderfully rugged new look at Middle-earth. Mud, blood, and dead orcs abound, but Gandalf still manages to echo through the chapter. Hints of eagles, strange narrative jumps, and the appearance a mysterious Old Man lead us to wonder about Gandalf's continued involvement – and influence – within this story. Cam develops a theory about Two Towers being the villain showcase of The Lord of the Rings...
2021-04-091h 37Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Departure of Boromir [Two Towers, Ch.1]Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter One Join Cam and Maggie for the curious beginning to Two Towers. This is the shortest LOTR chapter yet, and the first one to focus in on just a few members of the fellowship. (All Hail the Three Hunters: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli!) The new narrative structure expands each of these characters, especially Aragorn, who starts to feel like a hybrid of the curious Bilbo we knew in The Hobbit and Geralt from The Witcher. We discuss Boromir's death and debate the respectability of his send-off. Is his waterfall...
2021-04-021h 07Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Fellowship of the Ring [Part Two]Discussion of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring [Extended Edition] in Glorious 4K! Join Cam and Maggie in their (our?) continued adoration of Peter Jackson. We watched the second half of the extended Fellowship movie, starting at about 1:24:00 when the gang gets to Rivendell. This film takes every possible opportunity to expand character relationships – and sometimes it even contradicts Tolkien's version of the story. Galadriel's gifts are totally different! Gollum's introduction happens in Moria! Boromir is a much better friend and simultaneously manages to have more red flags than Sauron! The translations and in...
2021-03-261h 15Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Breaking of the Fellowship [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.22]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Ten Join Cam and Maggie for the last pages of Fellowship. Boromir takes a turn for the worst and Tolkien imbues his breakdown with echoes of Smaug, Gollum, and Sam. We analyze Frodo's "terror and grief" at Boromir's betrayal and finally decide whether or not Fellowship was a horror book. Maggie leads a discussion on Frodo's agency as a protagonist and Tolkien's confused message about free will. Cam continues the discussion into the vision sequence that positions Gandalf and Sauron as the angel and devil sitting on Frodo's...
2021-03-191h 03Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Great River [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch. 21]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie for this odd duck of a chapter. Expectation hangs heavy over every page. Gollum lingers in the shadows and echoes of Gandalf are everywhere. Mysteries of time and Tom are unveiled, but only if you read between the lines. There's a terrible orc ambush, but no one dies or even uses a weapon. Tolkien is blocking predictions and unnerving the reader – and it works wonderfully. We work through all the layered echoes and misdirections. Cam catches the first few teases of Gandalf the Wh...
2021-03-121h 10Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFarewell to Lórien [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.20]YouTube Exclusive bonus discussion about last week's chapter, with Maggie's thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cRsQSQrY30 // Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Eight Join Cam and Maggie for a bittersweet farewell to the elves. Galadriel sings at us more than once, and Boromir continues to whine the whole time. Maggie runs through the elves' gifts to the Company – Cam is less than impressed with Sam's magical box of dirt. We also compare them to the posthumous gifts Dumbledore gives to the trio in Harry Potter. Who is...
2021-03-051h 33
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Mirror of Galadriel [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.19]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Seven Join Cam for a deep dive into Tolkien's most provocative, magic-heavy chapter yet. Much like Gandalf, Maggie was unavailable this week, but her excellent recap kicks things off and helps us keep track of Middle-earth and all the new elvish names and places. We're treated to some more prejudice against the dwarves, another unsettling reference to Aragorn's death, and a brand-new mentor who might just take Gandalf's place! Cam explores Galadriel's many revelations, and their profound impact on the philosophy and theology of Middle-earth. Tolkien appears to...
2021-02-261h 16
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieLothlórien [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.18]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Six Join Cam and Maggie for a brief respite at the luxurious Elvish Resort: Lothlórien! This "downtime" chapter is the most effective yet. It's full of callbacks, meditations, reflections (both literal and figurative), and - blindfolds?? Cam questions Aragorn's leadership skills, and suggests an interesting allegiance pattern for Gollum. Maggie asks if Lórien helps heal some of the divisive wounds between the races of Middle-earth, and posits an interesting theory about mindfulness. The chapter is at once a reflection on Gandalf's contributions to the Company, and an...
2021-02-191h 14
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Bridge of Khazad-dûm [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.17]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Five Join Cam and Maggie in saying goodbye to Gandalf the Grey. The Balrog has arrived, and with it, Tolkien has delivered his best chapter yet. Fellowship is a horror book again, and Cam is seeing ghosts everywhere. Ballin's last words and echoes of The Hobbit radiate through these pages. Maggie worries about Frodo's prospects as the hero of Middle-earth, and wonders how effective Gandalf's death would be if you hadn't read The Hobbit. The wizard's death brings us to a crossroads in our longstanding "Who's the Narrator?"...
2021-02-121h 18
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Journey in the Dark [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.16]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Four Join Cam and Maggie in celebration of this exciting, well-rounded hype machine chapter. Tolkien comes back with a bang, rattling off two fascinating drawings, a marathon dwarf song, lots of genuine character development, and even a few flashes of horror! Maggie basks in the presence of "the Gandalf she has always wanted" and Cam mourns poor Bill. We break down a bunch of funky echoes of The Hobbit together and try to figure out if Gollum is stalking our new friends. Cam tries to identify the quintessential...
2021-02-051h 20
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Ring Goes South [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.15]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Three Join Cam and Maggie for a special late-night episode. The whole Fellowship is together now, and we finally get to know some of our new friends! Legolas seems cool, Aragorn remains the Alpha, and Maggie hates Boromir for some reason. We dive into the first fully-fledged adventure of the book, breaking down the sudden evolution of Tolkien's nature writing and Elrond's total uselessness as a mentor. Maggie leads a discussion about the birds and their strange, uncertain role in Middle-earth. Are they Gandalf's spies, BFFs to Radagast...
2021-01-291h 23Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Council of Elrond [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.14]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Two Join Maggie and Cam as they dive headfirst into Tolkien's longest chapter ever! We meet some new core characters, hear a LOT of information and backstory – and are heartily disappointed that this chapter's thrilling action is all secondhand. Cam expresses his frustration at the repeated lack of communication between Middle-earth's factions, and Maggie doesn't understand how such a good story can be packaged in such a dull way. We continue to question who is really In Charge of the happenings in Middle-earth, and are surprised that the ex...
2021-01-221h 10Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMany Meetings [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.13]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter One Join Cam and Maggie as they return to the books – and are surprised by some old friends! Gandalf and Bilbo are both back from the dead, even though Cam thinks one of them might be a ghost. Old School Tolkien returns here – Gandalf feels like narrator, we're reminded that Bombur is fat, and Frodo is exceedingly polite. We express our growing disappointment with the wizard and his lack of answers (despite apparently having global omniscience). For the first time in any Middle-earth book, the phrase "Lord of the...
2021-01-151h 37Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Fellowship of the Ring [Part One]Discussion of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring [Extended Edition] We're finally here! Join Cam and Maggie for a spirited discussion of the first half (roughly) of the Fellowship movie (For those following along at home, the first hour and twenty-four minutes). We watched everything through what we've read in the book, and boy is Viggo Mortensen a total babe. He is more Aragorn than the book Aragorn. Stunning! We break down all the changes from the book and their effects on the story. This movie is an interpretation of Tolkien's work, but...
2021-01-081h 41Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFlight to the Ford [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.12]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Twelve Join Cam and Maggie for the grand finale of Fellowship Book One! This chapter has a truly blockbuster ending, and we dig through all the fascinating, provocative details hidden within the confrontation with all nine (!) Black Riders. Strider's telepathy continues to unsettle Cam, and he's got an intriguing follow-up to last week's conversation about free will and Frodo's subservience to the Ring. We analyze the color palette of this chapter – startlingly grey – and offer a few different theories about what that color means in Middle-earth. (This part of the disc...
2021-01-012h 30
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Knife in the Dark [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.11]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Eleven Join Cam and Maggie for a holiday extravaganza? I don't know. We've got a fun little seasonal skit at the start of the episode. Maggie's secret talent is her Linus impression – but hey, the episode is good too! Strider continues to ruthlessly alpha Frodo, and this time he throws some shade at Gandalf too. This is the most cinematic chapter we've ever read – tons of combat, multiple cuts away from the hobbits, and magic absolutely everywhere. Cam breaks down the explosive finale between Frodo and the Black Riders and its...
2020-12-251h 42
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieStrider [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.10]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie for another doozie of a chapter. We're both head over heels in love with Strider, and more convinced than ever that this book is just Prisoner of Azkaban. Dementors were one thing, and prophecies too, but now Strider is exactly the same sort of cool uncle as Sirius Black was! (rip) This chapter is all about Maggie's seen and unseen theory. The only image is fire and darkness, and it all gets weaponized into a beautiful power struggle between Strider and Frodo – you can guess wh...
2020-12-181h 52
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieAt the Sign of The Prancing Pony [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.9]Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Nine Join Cam and Maggie for the best chapter we've read in a Month! The Saga of Tommy Dabomba is officially over, and Tolkien replaces him with the suave and dangerous Strider. Don't worry, we mostly pretend not to know his real name. Maggie calls this chapter a crossroads, and that label becomes the basis for our discussion. Merry and Pippin return to their original supporting roles, the strong narration of The Hobbit comes roaring back, and we're poked and prodded with all sorts of magical callbacks and hype. Cam...
2020-12-111h 26
Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFog on the Barrow-downs [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.8]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Eight Join Cam and Maggie for (hopefully) the last ever appearance of Tom Bombadil. Oh no wait, Frodo summons him back the second we get rid of him. We struggle through another chapter of nonsense words and third person singing, but this time it is punctuated by bits of action, intriguing symbolism, and – Dementors? Luckily, we just rewatched Prisoner of Azkaban, so we're in a good position to catch the thirty thousand parallels between this chapter and that book. Oh boy. Cam finds some more evidence that Goldberry is a...
2020-12-041h 47Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieIn the House of Tom Bombadil [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.7]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Seven Join Cam and Maggie in this unfortunate Thanksgiving extravaganza. This whole chapter is spent trapped in a "penthouse" with unnerving Tolkien supervillain Tommy Dabomba. He really bounces off the walls this time in a surreal assault of singing, third person references, troubling revelations, intriguing red flag plot developments, and unending references to colors and trees. Yeah, there's a lot of dung to sift through this week – the man enters the room solely to compliment his wife's girdle. Because it's a holiday, Cam decides to commit to the bit an...
2020-11-271h 45Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Old Forest [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.6]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Six Join Maggie and Cam in their irrational hatred and fear of Tom Bombadil. He shows up at just the right time and offers our heroes exactly what they need. It's suspicious – and he speaks in nonsense words and sings about himself in third person. Oh and he might be a wizard, whose convenient little house in the clearing of an evil wood gives Cam some strong Hansel and Gretel vibes. Horrifying. In this episode, we break down all of our suspicions about Tom. We also unpack the numerous si...
2020-11-201h 13Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Conspiracy Unmasked [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.5]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Five Join Maggie and Cam for a discussion of Tolkien's restraint and provocations. This chapter is full of callbacks and echoes from The Hobbit, but it also continues to pivot away from many of the patterns and priorities established by that earlier story. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin slow down and catch their breath following their latest escape from the Black Riders, and in their downtime, we learn a lot more about their group dynamics and decision-making hierarchy. We discuss Tolkien's growing interest in friendship and loyalty, Frodo's expectations o...
2020-11-131h 38Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Short Cut to Mushrooms [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.4]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Four Join Maggie and Cam as they attempt to outrun the Black Riders, Old Maggot's dogs, and updates about the election. This chapter is a sneaky one – lots of character development and atmospheric work, but no huge plot revelations. We discuss all of Tolkien's quiet declarations here, from the changing nature of danger in Middle-earth to the totally restructured "episodic" nature of this adventure. Echoes and pivots persist throughout this chapter. Gandalf is absent, for the first time, but he might still be pulling the strings. All of the hob...
2020-11-061h 22Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThree Is Company [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.3]Cam has some new stories out this week - an original political satire about a moose and a spooky reimagining of an Edgar Allan Poe short story. Listen to the audiobooks here: www.cameronfucile.bandcamp.com And thank you for the support! // Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Three Join Maggie and Cam for a spirited discussion about this dangerous, thrilling chapter. A hissing, faceless Ringwraith stalks our hobbits through the Shire, we meet some "high elves," and Tolkien draws a dozen fascinating points of contrast between t...
2020-10-301h 51Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Shadow of the Past [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.2]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter Two Join Maggie and Cam for this humdinger of a chapter. We finally learn the rules of the Ring and the history of its movements – from its fiery creation through its whole blood-splattered journey into Bilbo's waistcoat in the Shire. Gandalf takes the reins again as our nearly omniscient narrator to lead us through decades (!!!) of time jumps and a string of character introductions. Aragorn! Mordor! Sméagol! We break it all down for you in this episode, and then the wizard's insights finally settle some of our most heat...
2020-10-231h 37Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Long-Expected Party [Fellowship of the Ring, Ch.1]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter One Join Maggie and Cam as they say goodbye to Bilbo and finally meet Frodo! This first chapter of Fellowship is a fascinating riff on the first chapter of The Hobbit. We break down the similarities and differences between the chapters and investigate Tolkien's continued interest in class commentary about the Shire. The narrator is less irreverent and involved this time around (much to Cam's dismay) but characters like Gandalf and Frodo are as important here as Bilbo was to The Hobbit. This episode investigates the big Party's multifaceted n...
2020-10-161h 48Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieElevensies [Second Breakfast Minisode](Heated) Discussion of Khee Hoon Chan's Polygon article, "Games Need to Return to Black and White Morality" Join Cam and Maggie as they break down a troubling, provocative article related to our last episode and Tolkien's views on allegory and the motivations / ramifications of storytelling. We respond to claims such as "stories are inherently moral" and the idea that "allowing a sense of moral dilemma over both sides … reinforces the kinds of false equivalencies that might slow down social change". There is a lot to discuss in this article – we cover polarization, the relationship between activism and art...
2020-10-131h 28Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggiePrologue [Fellowship of the Ring]Discussion of The Fellowship of the Ring, Prologue, Note on the Text, Forward to the Second Edition Join Maggie and Cam as they read through Tolkien's introduction to The Lord of the Rings. For the first and only time, we get to hear Tolkien's opinions and preamble on his own work. We explore the implications of his strong opinions on allegory and self-expressed motivations for telling these stories. We also consider the timeline of LOTR's production (18 years!) and Tolkien's new judgment of hobbits and their lifestyle. He outlines their feelings on politics and policing, foreign wars and c...
2020-10-091h 53Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Hobbit [Animated, 1977]Discussion of Rankin & Bass' The Hobbit Join Maggie and Cam for a psychedelic adventure through time and space and hideous character models. This episode explores the strange animated world of Rankin & Bass' 1977 adaptation of The Hobbit, which blows through the entire book in an hour and fifteen minutes. We discuss (and describe) all of the weird character choices, from the dwarves' visible throbbing brains to Bilbo's Princess Leia hairline. I won't even tease the evil creatures here – they're too wild to spoil. We explore the deviations and unexpected book loyalties in this film and have a lot of...
2020-10-021h 22Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Battle of the Five Armies [The Hobbit, Movie 3]Discussion of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies [Extended Edition] Join Maggie and Cam for two hours of praising Martin Freeman. This episode explores Peter Jackson's final Middle-earth movie and its unexpectedly strong acts of interpretation. We discuss the fascinating deviations of tone, scope, and character in this film, including Gandalf's knowledge of Bilbo's Ring, the surreal representation of Thorin's inner turmoil, and Tauriel's contagious love story. Dwarves finally get some real character development in this version of the story, and Maggie suggests that Bilbo's big moment is different here. Cam offers theories about bridges...
2020-09-252h 08Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Last Stage [The Hobbit, Ch.19]The Last Stage [The Hobbit, Ch.19] Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Nineteen Join Maggie and Cam for the grand finale of The Hobbit. Bilbo finally chooses a future and resolves his longstanding Took / Baggins internal struggle. Gandalf shows his hand and clarifies the power and role of magic in this world. Multiple songs are sung, and a very unexpected character appears in the book's final illustration. This episode is an analysis of the final chapter and a retrospective on Tolkien's many hints and provocations thus far. Some of our theories are confirmed and others are t...
2020-09-182h 05Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieElevensies [Mailbag Minisode]Join Maggie and Cam for a special mailbag episode. We respond to your comments about our recent episodes – including Bilbo's role as a burglar, Gandalf's god-like role in the story, Maggie's greed theory, and the neutrality of war. In our Second Breakfast, we reflect on our recent road trips across the country and the role of location in the reading experience. Maggie also got to talk to BookTuber Noelle Gallagher on Instagram! Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-09-1547 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Return Journey [The Hobbit, Ch.18]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Eighteen Join Maggie and Cam for a melancholy meditation on hollow victories, tragic deaths, and the outcome of the Battle of the Five Armies! We continue our discussion about Gandalf's transcendent magical meddling and consider the final resting places of his favorite puppets – Thorin and Bilbo. This episode explores binaries within characters and Tolkien's unparalleled power of suggestion – this chapter is eight pages long and we spend two hours parsing its many hints about characters' inner turmoil. Cam draws two to three hundred comparisons to Doctor Faustus. During our Second Break...
2020-09-112h 17Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Clouds Burst [The Hobbit, Ch.17]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Seventeen Join Maggie and Cam as they slash and debate their way through the Battle of the Five Armies. This chapter brings everything to a head – Bilbo's character regression, the recent consolidation of magic back into Gandalf, and Thorin's emotional turmoil regarding the treasure of Erebor. This episode explores the duality of light and dark in this story as well as the more nuanced, political, global perspective we've developed since reaching the Lonely Mountain. We deep dive into a theory Cam presents about Gandalf's transcendent role in this chapter and the hints of...
2020-09-041h 55Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Thief in the Night [The Hobbit, Ch.16]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Sixteen Join Maggie and Cam as celebrate Gandalf's return and analyze Bilbo's parlay with the enemy. The hobbit's character growth seems to have come full circle in this chapter, but the idea of regression continues to dominate the narrative. This episode explores the magical hierarchy of Middle-earth and the loyalty / disloyalty of Bilbo's gamble with the Arkenstone. Maggie questions and explores the chapter's many Game of Thrones precursors and Cam continues to develop his theory about Tolkien's parentheticals. We also talk about birds. During our Second Breakfast, Cam talks about t...
2020-08-281h 19Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieThe Gathering of the Clouds [The Hobbit, Ch.15]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Fifteen Join Maggie and Cam as they head back into the Lonely Mountain – and Thorin's mind. This episode explores the psychological trauma of the dwarves' displacement now that they are trapped inside their old home. We investigate Tolkien's fondness for birds – from the eagles to the ravens and the traitorous thrush. The treasure of Erebor introduces a new perspective on greed in the story and we analyze the concept of regression in relation to the dwarves' fears and Bilbo's renewed obsession with food. During our Second Breakfast, we discuss grief, failu...
2020-08-211h 25Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFire and Water [The Hobbit, Ch.14]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Fourteen Join Maggie and Cam for this discussion of a very pivotal chapter. A dragon is dead, and the survivors are grumbling. This episode explores the book's hard shift into politics and a global perspective. Maggie continues to develop her theory about 'greed' in light of recent events and Cam's disappointment with Smaug's death leads to a debate about narrative expectations and subversion. During our Second Breakfast, Maggie extends her thoughts about duality into ancient Egyptian art and we talk about what's left in the story without our fire-breathing villain. C...
2020-08-141h 19Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieNot At Home [The Hobbit, Ch.13]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Thirteen Join Maggie and Cam as they triumphantly return to the books to talk about magic and ghosts. This episode explores the unnerving similarities between the Ring and the newly introduced Arkenstone. We continue our discussion on the power of sight in Middle-earth amid a chapter blanketed in darkness. Cam offers three working theories about the Ring's power and influence as a magical object, and Maggie meditates on the concept of "home" in this story. During our Second Breakfast, we respond to one critic's strangely abstract praise of The Hobbit a...
2020-08-071h 29Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: The Desolation of Smaug [The Hobbit, Movie 2]Discussion of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug [Extended Edition] Join Maggie and Cam in this special episode, where they question the narrative implications of having Benedict Cumberbatch voice every character in the movie. We discuss the nature of evil and the strange, incestuous relationship between Smaug, Sauron, and the Necromancer. This episode also explores the parallels between the Ring and the Arkenstone, as well as the many callbacks within this movie and the series so far. We also try to figure out who the real villain of the prequel trilogy is - Smaug or Azog? In t...
2020-07-311h 50Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieInside Information [The Hobbit, Ch.12]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Twelve Join Maggie and Cam as they finally meet a dragon. Smaug's arrival provokes an extended, heated debate about pride and self-preservation. This episode explores the similarities between Smaug and Gollum as isolated mountain-dwellers who challenge Bilbo and complex characters in their own right. Tolkien pushes us to reexamine the concept of invisibility in the story as well, in addition to our ideas of greed, heroism, and corruption. During our Second Breakfast, Cam draws parallels to a true crime docuseries that reignited his love of provocative, complicated art. Ha...
2020-07-241h 44Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieOn the Doorstep [The Hobbit, Ch.11]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Eleven Join Maggie and Cam as they finally reach the Lonely Mountain. This episode explores a short chapter that is loaded with symbolism and existential meditation. Callbacks and teasers echo across a bleak landscape. We deep dive into them all and offer some theories about outsider grief and visual storytelling. Cam evolves his Creature of the Week theory. During our Second Breakfast, we consider the roots of this chapter in the film genres of horror and Westerns. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at ...
2020-07-171h 12Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Warm Welcome [The Hobbit, Ch.10] Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Ten Join Maggie and Cam on their weekend getaway to Lake-town. This episode explores the dwarves' relationship with fate and legend, as well as the politics of non-intervention embodied by the Master of Lake-town and the King of the Wood-elves. Songs are weaponized to exploit nostalgia and heroism while quiet greed, calculation, and apathy threaten to derail the dwarves' mission. Cam complicates the idea of "evil creatures" in this world and Maggie defends Tolkien's lengthy nature descriptions. During our Second Breakfast, Maggie extends her discussion about fate and legend with a...
2020-07-101h 08Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieBarrels Out of Bond [The Hobbit, Ch.9]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Nine Join Maggie and Cam as they fight off drunken Wood-elves and stuff each other into barrels. This episode explores Bilbo's motivations and subconscious as he works to rescue the dwarves. Tolkien pushes us to reevaluate our "food and shelter" theory from last week. We also debate the power of the ring as both a practical tool and a narrative device. Cam leads a discussion about faith, magic, and luck. During our Second Breakfast, we consider George Lucas' objectives in making Star Wars, inspired by the documentary "Empire of Dreams"....
2020-07-031h 24Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieFlies and Spiders [The Hobbit, Ch.8]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Eight Join Maggie and Cam as they encounter the scariest Creature of the Week so far - giant spiders! This episode explores Bilbo's shocking character development and the new roles that he might be taking in the story. We reconsider our theories about the ring's power and xenophobia in Middle-earth. We also celebrate some long-awaited dwarvish development and unpack the many callbacks and echoes in this chapter. During our Second Breakfast, Maggie connects Cam's new theory about food and shelter to the recently released Hunger Games prequel. We also discuss gender-bent productions o...
2020-06-261h 41Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieQueer Lodgings [The Hobbit, Ch.7]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Seven Join Maggie and Cam as they encounter yet another new creature, Beorn! He's hairy and grim and maybe a way for Tolkien to talk to us about disappointing father figures. This episode explores the chapter's many structural echoes and the value of callbacks. We also debate the power of repeated foreshadowing [hi, Mirkwood] and once again bemoan the lack of dwarvish character development. Cam continues to reference Winnie-the-Pooh, but this time he has evidence. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com...
2020-06-191h 11Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieMOVIE: An Unexpected Journey [The Hobbit, Movie 1]Discussion of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition) Join Maggie and Cam in this special episode exploring the 2012 movie adaptation of The Hobbit. This film covers the first six chapters of the book. Cam and Maggie discuss the film's production history and analyze it as its own work, before digging into the many interesting deviations and creations in this adaptation. This episode explores the expanded prologue and the film's relationship with the larger LOTR universe. We also reflect on the screen representations of Gandalf and Bilbo as they compare to their book counterparts. Later on, we de...
2020-06-121h 54Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieOut of the Frying-Pan and Into the Fire [The Hobbit, Ch.6]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Six Join Maggie and Cam as they encounter snarling, red-eyed wolves and eagles who apparently speak English. This episode explores the limits and convenience of Tolkien's magic system. We also debate the ring's hold over Bilbo and continue to question Tolkien's relationship with environmentalism. Cam suggests that the eagles know about Bilbo's secret - and declares that all dogs are bears. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-06-051h 22Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieRiddles in the Dark [The Hobbit, Ch.5]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Five Join Maggie and Cam as they meet the slimiest creature in all of Middle-earth - Gollum! This episode analyzes the obvious and unexpected similarities between Bilbo and Gollum, as well as Tolkien's exploration of each character's subconscious. We also discuss the introduction of the Ring and consider the literal and poetic extent of its corruptive power. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-05-261h 21Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieOver Hill and Under Hill [The Hobbit, Ch.4]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Four Join Maggie and Cam as they journey through their favorite chapter thus far! This episode explores a sudden escalation of dramatic stakes and Tolkien's tricky hybridization of narrative styles. We also reconsider our disappointment with Chapter Two and celebrate some long-anticipated dwarvish development. Cam finally enjoys fantastical singing. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-05-2646 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieA Short Rest [The Hobbit, Ch.3]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Three Join Maggie and Cam as they continue their journey through Tolkien's Middle-earth. This episode explores the narrator's impatient time jumps as missed opportunities for character development. We also discuss Tolkien's talent for accessible worldbuilding, and consider a few emerging narrative patterns. Maggie leads an aggressive deep-dive into the Elves' songs. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-05-251h 03Second Breakfast with Cam & MaggieRoast Mutton [The Hobbit, Ch.2]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter Two Join Maggie and Cam as they continue their journey through Tolkien's Middle-earth. This episode explores Gandalf's role as a narrative safety net and Bilbo's shortcomings as an adventurer. We also analyze the tonal shift in Tolkien's nature descriptions and consider a possible occurrence of dwarvish magic. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-05-2558 minSecond Breakfast with Cam & MaggieAn Unexpected Party [The Hobbit, Ch.1]Discussion of The Hobbit, Chapter One Welcome to Second Breakfast! Join Maggie and Cam as they begin their journey through Tolkien's Middle-earth. This episode explores the connection between Tolkien's lyrical narration and Bilbo's voice. We also question the dramatic stakes of this adventure, and analyze Thorin's ambitious breakfast order. Cam confronts his disdain for high fantasy. Have an observation, comment, or theory on this episode? Email us at secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @secondbreakfastpod
2020-05-2559 min