Episode
#78 - LOTR The Return of the Return of the King (Pt 1): Before the Pelennor Chaos Begins
- Published
- Apr 6, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5804
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://shows.acast.com/the-third-reel/episodes/78-lotr-the-return-of-the-return-of-the-king-pt-1-before-the
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-third-reel-a-movie-podcast-7039510/episodes/78-lotr-the-return-of-the-return-of-the-king-pt-1-before-the-pelennor-chaos-begins/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-third-reel-a-movie-podcast-7039510/78-lotr-the-return-of-the-return-of-the-king-pt-1-before-the-pelennor-chaos-begins.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
We did it. We actually did it. After trekking through Middle-earth like slightly underprepared hobbits with a podcast mic, we’ve reached the crown jewel: The Return of the King . Or as we’re calling it, The Return of the Return of the King , because nothing in this trilogy happens just once… especially endings. This week marks the beginning of the end (but not the end… there are several of those), as we dive into Part 1 of our deep-dive review , covering everything from the film’s opening right up to the thunderous build toward the Battle of Pelennor Fields. It’s politics, prophecy, ghost armies on standby, and at least one character making decisions that make you want to gently (or not so gently) shake them. For years, Return of the King has been locked in an internal battle with Fellowship of the Ring for the top spot in our rankings. Fellowship set the bar sky-high. The Two Towers came in swinging harder than expected and left us slightly stunned. So now the question looms like a giant flaming eye… does Return of the King actually live up to the legend, or have we all just been under the spell of cinematic nostalgia? Expect big moments, bigger opinions, and at least one rant about how many endings is too many endings (answer: we still don’t know). Next week, we finish what we started with Part 2 , where we tackle Acts 2 and 3, deliver our final scores, and officially rank The Lord of the Rings trilogy once and for all. Stakes have never been higher. Friendships may not survive. Grab your lembas bread and settle in. FULL SPOILERS FOR LORD OF THE RINGS THE RETURN OF THE KING THIS EPISODE. You have been warned. If you have any things you want to discuss about this film or Lord of the Rings in general, email us at [email protected] or through our socials @third_ree…