Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

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 illu...

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...

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 unp...

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...

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 Arken...

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 pers...

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 narrat...

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...

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 Rin...

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...

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. Du...

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...

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...

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 un...

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 dw...

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...

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 decla...

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.   H...

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 obs...

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' so...

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 epis...

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 obse...