Secrets of Middle Earth

Episodes

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  Monsters of Middle Earth 20.10.2026 1h 30m

  Tolkien gave his monsters a few paragraphs apiece and still made them terrifying. Jeff Haecker, Rob Leonardi, Fr. Bryan Shackett, Rob Story and Patrick Mason take on wargs, werewolves, Ungoliant and the nameless things. The post Monsters of Middle Earth appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Concerning Hobbits, Part 2 06.10.2026 1h 11m

  Why would Tolkien trust the fate of Middle-earth to people who mostly want second breakfast? Jeff Haecker, Rob Story, Patrick Mason, Fr. Bryan Shackett and Rob Leonardi on unlikely heroes, courage, and the Ring. The post Concerning Hobbits, Part 2 appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Concerning Hobbits, Part 1 22.09.2026 1h 17m

  Tolkien wrote books of elven genealogy, then waved a hand at where hobbits came from. On Hobbit Day, the panel takes up the three kindreds, the Shire's missing economy, and a calendar with a day belonging to no week. The post Concerning Hobbits, Part 1 appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Announcing Holy Troublemakers 09.09.2026 2m

  Announcing Holy Troublemakers, a new podcast from StarQuest. In this weekly podcast host Dom Bettinelli will introduce you to the difficult people who built the Catholic Church. From mystics who argued with popes to missionaries who walked into places nobody sane would go, every episode tells one of their stories. The post Announcing Holy Troublemakers appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Weapons of Middle-Earth 01.09.2026 1h 6m

  Sting, a hobbit's barrow-knife, one black arrow: the smallest weapons in Middle-earth carry the heaviest freight. Thomas Salerno, Jeff Haecker, and Fr. Bryan Shackett rank Tolkien's heroic blades — with Andúril barred from competing. The post Weapons of Middle-Earth appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Mythmakers 25.08.2026 1h 46m

  Two archetypes walk you through the lives of Tolkien and Lewis and never once say their own names. Thomas Salerno and the panel on why *The Mythmakers* is not the kids' book its cover promises — and why its ending earns the tears. The post The Mythmakers appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Rings of Power S3: The Balrog Talks 11.08.2026 1h 22m

  A Balrog with Simon Pegg's voice, a husband missing for two seasons, and zero Harfoots. Jeff Haecker, Fr. Bryan Shackett, Rob Leonardi, and Rob Story pick apart the Rings of Power season 3 teaser and argue over how much of it Tolkien would recognize. The post Rings of Power S3: The Balrog Talks appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Sin of Denethor 21.07.2026 1h 17m

  Despair isn't sadness — it's the choice to stop hoping, and it destroys Denethor. Patrick Mason, Rob Leonardi, Robert Story, and Fr. Bryan Shackett on the palantír, Sauron's algorithm of doom, and the Gandalf line Pope Leo just quoted. The post The Sin of Denethor appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Roverandom 14.07.2026 1h 18m

  A dog bites a wizard's trousers, gets turned into a toy for his trouble, and that's the least strange thing that happens. Thomas Salerno, Rob Leonardi, Rob Story, Fr. Bryan Shackett, and Patrick Mason unpack Tolkien's Roverandom. The post Roverandom appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Council of Robs 30.06.2026 1h 31m

  Is Rings of Power Peter Jackson fanfiction or genuine Tolkien? Patrick Mason asks Rob Leonardi, Robert Story, and honorary "Rob" Fr. Bryan Shackett to give their takes on Seasons 1 and 2 — and cautious hope for Season 3. The post The Council of Robs appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Eleventy-First Quiz Show 02.06.2026 1h 13m

  Tolkien called 111 "eleventy-one." For our 111th episode, we celebrateswith a six-round Tolkien trivia competition that tests our panel of Jeff Haecker, Rob Leonardi, Patrick Mason, and Robert Story, who must face host Alix Murray's toughest questions. Who will win and be crowned King Under the Trivia? The post The Eleventy-First Quiz Show appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Animals of Middle Earth 19.05.2026 1h 19m

  Every creature in Arda has a story. The panel examines Middle-earth's animals — Huan, the Eagles, Ungoliant's brood, Beorn, the Nazgûl's horses — and asks what separates the natural from the supernatural in Tolkien's world. The post Animals of Middle Earth appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Women of Middle Earth 05.05.2026 1h 24m

  Tolkien's women don't need the spotlight to hold the world together. That's the point. Alix Murray, Jeff Haecker, and Kathryn Laffrey trace the powerful, mysterious women of Middle-earth from the Valar to the Shire. The post Women of Middle Earth appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Music of the Legendarium 21.04.2026 1h 9m

  Music didn't just accompany the creation of Middle-earth — it *was* the creation. Jeff Haecker, Alix Murray, and Patrick Mason trace how song, horn, and verse shape everything from the Ainulindalë to the charge at Pelennor Fields. The post Music of the Legendarium appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Leaf by Niggle 07.04.2026 1h 12m

  Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" gets a full panel reading — purgatory, sub-creation, and the eternal weight of creative work. Thomas Salerno leads Kathryn Laffrey, Rob Leonardi, and Robert King through this haunting, personal story. The post Leaf by Niggle appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Tolkien Reading Day 2026: Unlikely Heroes 17.03.2026 1h 13m

  Sam resists the Ring. Fatty Bolger outruns the Nazgûl. Lúthien tears down Sauron's tower. Jeff Haecker, Robert Story, Patrick Mason, and Rob Leonardi celebrate Tolkien Reading Day with favorite passages on unlikely heroes. The post Tolkien Reading Day 2026: Unlikely Heroes appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Into the Heart of Middle Earth with Kaitlyn Facista 03.03.2026 57m

  A new Tolkien book arrives: Kaitlyn Facista explains Into the Heart of Middle-earth—hope, virtue, and fellowship as lived wisdom. With Thomas Salerno, Jeff Haecker, and Robert Story, she shares how her book is a spiritual companion that tracks the LOTR journey. The post Into the Heart of Middle Earth with Kaitlyn Facista appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies 17.02.2026 1h 27m

  Can spectacle replace substance? Jeff Haecker, Patrick Mason, and Rob Leonardi weigh Thorin’s fall and redemption, Bilbo’s brave choice with the Arkenstone, and a battle bursting with CGI. Does The Battle of the Five Armies honor Tolkien—or bury his themes beneath excess? The post The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 03.02.2026 1h 20m

  Lavish visuals, unforgettable Smaug, and one very debated romance. Jeff Haecker, Patrick Mason, Rob Leonardi, and Kathryn Laffrey weigh Tolkien’s themes against big-screen changes in Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The post The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug appeared first on StarQuest Media.
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  Lord of the Rings (1978 Bakshi) 20.01.2026 1h 21m

  What happens when Tolkien meets experimental animation? Jeff Haecker, Robert King, Patrick Mason, and Rob Leonardi weigh Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings. Does visual ambition excuse rushed storytelling—or does Gandalf steal the show? The post Lord of the Rings (1978 Bakshi) appeared first on StarQuest Media.