Hello, and welcome to the NataCast, podcast, the podcast that usually goes through a song of ice and fire one chapter a week, but not here.

I'm one of your hosts Emmett, also known as Poor Quentin. While my co-host Jeff, also known as Brendan B. Fish is away, I've picked up where I left off last time with J.R.R. Tolkien's, the Lord of the Rings.

Last time, I covered the first part of the Siege of Gondor, book 5, chapter 4 of the Lord of the Rings,

and this week we're going to finish that chapter up.

So after the intense extended scene with Denethor and Faramir I talked about last time,

Gandalf and Pippen have a little debriefing, which also gives the audience a chance to catch

our breath and take stock before Tolkien takes us over the next higher hill on this roller

coaster of a chapter. And I love that all that matters to Pippen and all that he's heard

is Frodo.

Is there any hope for Frodo?

Even though he qualifies it.

Well, mostly for Frodo.

A little for us, but mostly for him.

Because his mission is the most important of all.

And also because he's my friend.

And I love him.

Pippin's head and heart are both in the right place, able to align with

one another, which is exactly what Denethor can't seem to do, always exalting his own position,

and then crumbling when the inadequacies of that position make themselves clear.

Gandalf talks to Pippen much in the same way he talked to Eragorn, Legolas, and Gimley

when they ran into him in Fengorn Forest. It's a mix of intimacy and detachment, sharing his

thoughts as they zoom in and out, showing us how he sees things. As always, what separates

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