David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 6 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss the growing control of Annatar, a visual spectacle in Númenor, and a kyber crystal search by the Stranger. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feat…

David is joined by Elysia, Jean and Ron Dawson to discuss Alien: Romulus (2024), the latest film to join the Alien Franchise. The crew starts off with their spoiler-free hot takes before taking and break and getting into a detailed, full-spoiler discussion of the movie, and the franchise as a whole. They wrap up by power ranking all the Alien films…

Elysia and Jean will make sure you have all the information you need to get the most out of Agatha All Along – the new Halloween-themed MCU series about the wicked witch of Westview, premiering on Disney+ on September 18, 2024. In this sound bite-packed recap of WandaVision and everything else that came before (00:15:49), and primer on the witches …

David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 5, Halls of Stone, of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss the factions arising within Númenor, the complex feelings of Durin the Younger, and the professional manipulations of Annatar. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the c…

In their inaugural DCUniverse episode, Jean and Elysia prep for a new era of DC entertainment by laying the last to rest – via the ultimate power-rankings of two friends with love for the DC world, but often wildly different opinions on their favorite parts of of it (00:16:21). Then, they turn their focus toward what's to come – from upcoming DC El…

David, John, and Marilyn answer all your questions about the first half of Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. Is Elrond getting too harsh a treatment? Are Sauron's evils coming from good intentions? Did we hear Rufus Wainwright's Tom Bombadil song? Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where yo…

Calling all music fans! The Lorehounds network’s first music podcast, Nevermind the Music, is officially launching on September 10 – where two friends and academics filter their appreciation of music through the frameworks of psychology, music theory, and irreverent humor. Hosts Mark and Nichole join David, John, and Elysia for a light-hearted chat…

David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 4, Eldest, of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss the introduction of the long-awaited Tom Bombadil, the distrust of Elrond, and a new kind of hobbit. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail f…

David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 3, The Eagle and the Sceptre, of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss the changing politics of Númenor, the past of Isildur, and the desperation of the dwarves. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the vo…

David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 2, Where the Stars are Strange, of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss the Stranger's search for a name, Celebrimbor's competing motivations, and the self-reflection of Galadriel. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contac…

David, John, and Marilyn recap Season 2, Episode 1, Elven Kings Under the Sky, of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. They discuss their coverage plans, the beginning of a villain-centric season, and the voice of Gil-galad. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the …

For this special crossover podcast, David and Ayehsa, from Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever, have an in depth conversation about the 1979 blockbuster film Alien, with two academics. Roger Luckhurst is the Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth-Century Studies, School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck University of London. And, Ja…

John is joined by Aaron, host of the Lore of the Rings Podcast, to discuss Of the Noldor in Beleriand, the seventeenth portion in The Silmarillion. They discuss the founding of Gondolin and the wrath of Thingol. Listen to Aaron's Podcast Lore of the Rings Podcast Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds D…

It’s the 45th Anniversary of Alien (1979) and David is joined by Elysia as well as special guest, Ayesha from the Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever podcast. The trio talk about their personal histories with the franchise before diving into their favorite moments from the show. Check out Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever: https://www.everyscififilm.com/ Con…

David and Marilyn (our favorite Tolkien Scholar) recap Season 1 of The Lord: The Rings of Power in preparation for the start of Season 2. They discuss coverage plans as well as the One Guide and Season Pass options. Then, they break down Season 1 by major story arc coving all the major plot points and key details. Contact Us Questions or comments? …

Elysia and John talk with FULL BOOK SPOILERS about what's they're looking forward to in Season 3 of House of the Dragon before answering spoiler-filled listener feedback. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Pa…

David and John answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 8, The Queen Who Ever Was, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, an…

Have you seen the biggest R-rated movie in the world yet? John joins Jean and Elysia to jump straight into the spoilers (00:09:27), looking at the highpoints of the film, and the biggest reactions from their theaters – plus John gets some comic recs. Then Elysia and Jean talk through the big Marvel news out of Comic Con (00:52:11), before jumping b…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 8, The Queen Who Ever Was, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss Rhaenyra's reunions with her husband and her old friend, Aegon's uncertain future with Larys, and the Game of Thrones tie-in we didn't ask for. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can us…

In this special crossover podcast, David is joined by Ayesha from Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever. They discuss the upcoming plans for the two podcasts to collaborate on the 45th anniversary for the original 1979 movie, Alien, as well as the upcoming film, Alien Romulus. They discuss the two trailers that have been released for Romulus and talk about…

David and John answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 7, The Red Sowing, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Networ…

David, John, and Marilyn break down the San Diego Comic Con Trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. They go through the teaser shot by shot giving their theories, filling in context from the Tolkien legendarium, and discussing their hopes for Season 2. See Our Visual Teaser Guide On Notion The Rings of Power Season 2 Trailer Guide ht…

John is joined by Knewbettadobetta, a prolific Tolkien expert popular on Tiktok and Twitter, to discuss Of Beleriand and its Realms, the sixteenth portion in The Silmarillion. They discuss Knewbettadobetta's Tolkien origin story, the geography of Middle-earth in the First Age, and why geography is so essential in Tolkien's works. Knewbettadobetta's…

It's an Acolyte end-of-season party! Elysia and John are joined by Marilyn and Jean to talk through the entire season the only way Elysia knows how: in a gameshow format. Which characters, planets, lore, and more will be picked as the best (or sometimes) the worst of the season? What does it mean to be a David Whisperer, and who earns that title? A…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 7, The Red Sowing, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss Rhaenyra's bold strategy of throwing 100 bastards at Vermithor, Alicent's return to her old wardrobe, and a new fan favorite Lord giving Lyanna Mormont a run for her money. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our web…

John and Elysia answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 6, Smallfolk, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Af…

Elysia and John recap Season 2, Episode 6, Smallfolk, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss the new generation of dragonriders, the cruelty of Aemond, and the role of the smallfolk in the war. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, se…

John joins Elysia to talk through not only his thoughts about the finale of The Acolyte, and the season as a whole – but also how the show is being received throughout the community. (And how grateful we all are to have some respectful discourse from fans.) Along the way we discuss everything from the complexities of social work to the pros and con…

In the first of two episodes dedicated to dissecting the season finale, Elysia walks you through a recap of everything that happened in "The Acolyte" – episode 8 in the series of the same name – zooming in on key details you might have missed and mining the lore for what it all means. Including, of course, everything you need to know about that cre…

David and Elysia answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 5, Regent, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affi…

Stand and deliver! David is joined by Marilyn for this Oneshot about the amazingly hilarious AppleTV original series, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. They start off with their hot takes and then discuss some of the history about the REAL Dick Turpin. After, they discuss each episode in turn and answer some listener feedback. Conta…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 5, Regent, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss a change in Rhaenyra's style, the Haunting of Harrenhal, and a new plan from Jacaerys. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hot…

In part two of our "Choice" breakdown of The Acolyte episode 7, Elysia and John field a full range of feedback, from this episode's biggest fans to (balanced) skeptics, and both your wildest and most grounded theories. Plus, prompted by your questions, they take a deep dive into the Jedi code and the rules of attachment – ending on the mic drop ema…

David and John answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 4, The Red Dragon and the Gold, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discor…

The Great Hyperspace Disaster, nuna legs, Vergences in the Force – Elysia and John explain it all in their breakdown of The Acolyte episode 7: "Choice." What did we learn from this new perspective on the Brendok witches coven, and what answers does the showrunner tell us to expect in the finale? Part of The Star Wars Canon Timeline-Lorehounds cross…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 4, The Red Dragon and the Gold, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss Alicent's guilt-ridden audiences, Daemon's visions, and the beginning of dragon battles. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. O…

Kristina from Vampire Insider joins Elysia to talk about the best show on TV that you might not yet be watching: Interview with the Vampire on AMC+ (and temporarily Netflix, later this year) – beginning with a spoiler-free look at that series for anyone who's still deciding whether or not it's for you. And then we bite into the highs and heartbreak…

Elysia and John "Teach / Corrupt" extra insight into The Acolyte episode 6 – from everything we know (and have been told by the showrunner) about the Unknown planet to what we should keep in mind about Vernestra's conversation with the alien Senator with the Beastie Boys name. Plus, more dives, of course – including a unique style of fighting only …

David and John answer listener feedback for Season 2, Episode 3, The Burning Mill, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to hotd@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Netw…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 3, The Burning Mill, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss chaotic councils, an easy conquest of Harrenhal, and a desperate attempt to avoid war. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an em…

Elysia and John dissect "Night," episode 5 of The Acolyte – a thrilling gut punch of an episode. From secret Sith and secret second blades to the Knights of Ren and our goodbye to saying John's favorite name on the show – unlike Bazil we won't leave you alone in the jungle (of Acolyte analysis). Trailer-based discussion: 01:17:47 – 01:19:52 Part of…

Elysia and Jean help you prep for next month's Deadpool & Wolverine with a big, fat goodbye power-ranking of all 18 films in the Fox Marvel universe (01:04:15) – which ones are worth watching, for D&W cameos or quality, and which are best left to nostalgia? But before that, they get Jean's reactions to X-Men '97 (00:35:28), his X-Men comic book rec…

Elysia and John recap the final episode of Season 1 of the soft reboot of Doctor Who on BBC1 and Disney+. They discuss the emotional regression of the Doctor, the redemption of Mel, and the remaining mysteries. Then, they answer listener feedback. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds Contact Us Deep l…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 2, Rhaenyra the Cruel, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss the tragedy of the Cargyll twins, the performance of Rhys Ifans, and the trauma of Helaena. Then, they answer listener feedback. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form …

John is joined by Dr. Anthony LeDonne, host of the Properly Howard and Electric Bookaloo podcasts, and Dr. Chad Carmichael, Professor of Philosophy, to discuss the second half of the chapter Of the Return of the Noldor, the fifteenth story in The Silmarillion. They discuss the Third Battle of Beleriand, the Siege of Angband, and the meaning behind …

Elysia and John are back to break down episode 4 of The Acolyte season 1 – “Day.” One calls it half an episode, the other the pivot point in a mirror image. Their scene-by-scene walkthrough picks out telling character moments, the most important lore, the silliest hashtags, and what the actors have said about their motivations in scenes. And then E…

Elysia and John recap the eighth episode of the soft reboot of Doctor Who on BBC1 and Disney+. They discuss the return of a Classic Who villain, the expansion of the Pantheon, and the Doctor's family. Then, they answer listener feedback. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds Contact Us Deep lore questi…

David and John recap Season 2, Episode 1, A Son for a Son, of the HBO Max Original Series, House of the Dragon. They discuss the hypocrisy of the Hightowers, the tragedies of both sides of the family, and Blood and Cheese. Then, they answer listener feedback. Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact fo…

A flashback episode set 16 years before everything we saw in the first two episodes of The Acolyte offers the beginnings of answers – and Elysia and John mine episode 3: “Destiny” for all possible hints of what happened that night, what we might see next, and lore worth knowing. But first, fellow Lorehounds host David joins them for a soul-searchin…

Elysia and John recap the seventh episode of the soft reboot of Doctor Who on BBC1 and Disney+. They discuss the introduction of a new fan favorite, the implications of this episode on Doctor Who canon, and the Bridgerton of it all. Then, they answer listener feedback. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/theloreho…