One does not simply walk into serious discussion… Fool of a Took Podcast is a show where deep lore meets even deeper nonsense!
Enter the Shire-adjacent mind of Chris, your host, guide, and certified Fool of a Took as he sets out to read The Lord of the Rings for the very first time, joined by his book-loving wife RJ, fellow first-time reader and baker Laura, and Laura’s husband Patrick, a devoted Tolkien super-fan.
Fool of a Took is your book-club companion through Middle-earth—whether you’re discovering LOTR for the first time, revisiting it again, or geeking out as a lifelong Tolkien fan.
One does not simply walk into serious discussion… Fool of a Took Podcast is a show where deep lore meets even deeper nonsense!
Enter the Shire-adjacent mind of Chris, your host, guide, and certified Fool of a Took as he sets out to read The Lord of the Rings for the very first time, joined by his book-loving wife RJ, fellow first-time reader and baker Laura, and Laura’s husband Patrick, a devoted Tolkien super-fan.
Fool of a Took is your book-club companion through Middle-earth—whether you’re discovering LOTR for the first time, revisiting it again, or geeking out as a lifelong Tolkien fan.
This week we discuss book 4, chapter 8, "The Stairs to Cirith Ungol", from The Two Towers. Conversation Topics: The creepy journey through Shelob’s lair and those dark tunnelsGollum’s long game—what he’s really up toFrodo’s use of the Elven light and its deep loreThe terrifying history of Shelob and UngoliantWhat Frodo’s silent words really meanOur hilarious attempt to recreate Shelob with crab cakesThe epic showdown and Frodo’s moment of hopeThe upcoming finale of The Two Towers and what’s next for the podcastTimestamps: 00:00 – Kick off01:10 – Frodo, Sam, and Gollum’s crazy journey so far02:26 – Gollum’s sneaky long-term plans04:08 – Walking into Shelob’s lair—dark, dense, and terrifying05:50 – Facing Shelob—and her ancient evil roots07:25 – The horror of the mountain tunnels & the dark, sticky environment09:09 – Frodo pulls out the Elven light & what it really means11:37 – Gollum’s betrayal and the attack on Sam13:26 – The deep lore behind Shelob & Ungoliant’s history14:36 – Frodo’s secret elvish words 19:38 – Frodo’s shining sword scene 21:47 – Shelob’s ancient lineage & her role in Middle-earth’s dark history25:28 – How Sauron views Shelob & why she’s there27:14 – Gollum reappears & Sam’s brave fight to save Frodo30:42 – Frodo’s sense of duty & that dangerous naivety36:47 – The mysterious “Watchers” 44:12 – The lore of the great light52:43 – The deep backstory of Ungoliant & how Shelob fits into it55:28 – Tolkien’s weird words & what they really mean58:22 – Sting’s glow and how it signals danger1:06:50 – The hilarious crab cake Shelob & all our chaos1:12:06 – Wrapping up & looking ahead to the final chapter and next seasonTodays "Food for Thought": Shelob Crab CakesHonestly, I just wanted to make a Shelob model out of food. The crab legs are entirely extraneous, but they made such perfect spider legs!!I used this recipe: https://sugarspunrun.com/maryland-crab-cake-recipe/#recipe. It was FABULOUS! While they were baking, I steamed some dungeoness crab legs in the oven. To create the spider, I made one extra large crab cake and one smaller one. Once baked (the crab cakes, not me), I pushed candy eyeballs into the smaller one to make the head, and then painstakingly balanced the crab legs around the body. If you can get this thing to stand up, it looks super impressive (and hilarious)!----------------------------------------------------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: (https://www.instagram.com/foolofatookpodcast/)TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@foolofatookpodcast) Original music for the show composed by Chris NewhardGot a question? Email us Foolofatookpodcast@gmail.comFollow the fools on IG:Chris (https://www.instagram.com/chrisnewhard)Robbie Jean (https://www.instagram.com/robbiejean815)Pat (https://www.instagram.com/rolling.seas2023)Laura (https://www.instagram.com/kennylaura525)Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fool-of-a-took-podcast/id1770780731)Listen on Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/show/0e3myYq2eUbKMMtiV7qAl7)