058 - Frodo Fails to Destroy the Ring Inside "Mount Doom"

After two years of reading The Lord of the Rings, we’re finally here. This week, we discuss book 6, chapter 3: Mount Doom from The Return of the King.

We get into Sam literally carrying Frodo up the mountain, the Ring completely taking over, Gollum showing up at exactly the right (or wrong) time, and Frodo making it all the way to the finish line… only to completely blow it. We also argue about whether Frodo actually deserves credit for completing the quest, what the hell happens to the Nazgûl, why Sam’s mercy toward Gollum ends up saving everyone, and whether Samwise Gamgee has officially become the MVP of this entire story.

Fool of a Took is four friends drinking, eating, and making our way through The Lord of the Rings one chapter at a time. Two of us are reading the books for the first time, two supposedly know what they’re talking about, and somehow we’ve made it all the way to Mount Doom.

Conversation Topics

Sam and Frodo’s final journey to Mount Doom

Sam realizing they may never make it home

The Ring’s growing power over Frodo

Sam carrying Frodo and refusing to give up

Gollum’s return and Sam’s decision to show mercy

Frodo claiming the Ring and failing at the final moment

Gollum destroying the Ring and completing the quest

Timestamps

02:29 Recapping The Land of Shadow

06:28 Sam realizes they may never make it home

14:37 Frodo and Sam leave everything behind

20:04 Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom

25:52 Gollum returns for one final attack

30:39 Frodo claims the One Ring

34:07 Gollum destroys the Ring

43:12 Did Frodo actually complete the quest?

50:09 Sam, Frodo, Gollum, and the Ring-bearers

54:50 Why Sam has become the heart of the story

1:04:21 What actually happens to the Nazgûl?

1:09:04 Could the quest have ended differently?

1:13:29 Food for Thought: Mount Doom lava cakes

Today's "Food for Thought": Mt. Doom Molten Lava Cakes

I have been holding off on making molten chocolate lava cakes until just the right chapter, and this is it!!

It turns out there are two ways to make these: you can simply underbake a chocolate cake and eat raw cake batter, or you can stick a ball of ganache into cake batter and cook it through. Both methods are described here: https://www.joshuaweis.... I chose the ganache method after trying both and deciding I didn't want to risk food poisoning.

Make sure to try a few test cakes, as ramekins of different dimensions and volumes will require different baking times.

----------------------------------------------------

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: Explicit

Support the pod on Youtube! @FoolofaTookPodcast

Instagram: (  / foolofatookpodcast )

TikTok: (  / foolofatookpodcast )

Original music for the show composed by Chris Newhard

Got a question? Email us Foolofatookpodcast@gmail.com

Follow the fools on IG:

Chris (  / chrisnewhard )

Robbie Jean (  / robbiejean815 )

Pat (  / rolling.seas2023 )

Laura (  / kennylaura525 )

Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple...)

Listen on Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.c...)