Welcome to the start of our Lord of the Rings miniseries! We kick things off with the first film of Peter Jackson's trilogy, which marks the beginning of Frodo's quest and introduces us to the main players and themes of the books/films. We welcome Bennett Eckert (MIT) and Rebecca Kuang (Yale) to consider what makes Jackson's trilogy such a powerful and successful adaptation, and explore how on (Middle) earth he managed to make these films. We explore the film's central themes while discussing Tolkien's pessimistic view of history and the endless lore he infused into his stories. Find out who would try to use the ring and become corrupted by it, and who would refuse it, in this adventure-filled episode! Follow Rebecca and Bennett on Twitter! Buy Babel! Follow us on Twitter! Buy shirts and mugs here!