This week, Dave, Neil, and Joanna debate the most iconic moment of the Lord of the Rings movies! But first, they check in on the Big Movie Bet to see where things stand as the summer comes to a close (4:04). Then, they get into Lord of the Rings by talking about what the franchise means to each of them (12:21) before getting into pretrial awards and dismissals (27:31). Later, they reveal each of their top three choices and listen to some of your picks to figure out which four should make it to the final poll (42:55).

Now it’s up to you to decide! What is the most iconic moment of the Lord of the Rings movies? You can vote for the winner at ⁠TheRinger.com⁠, on The Ringer’s X feed, and in the Spotify app, where you’ll find Trial by Content. The winner will be announced on the next episode!

You can send your picks for the next topic and a few sentences to support your pick to ⁠TrialByContent@gmail.com⁠. You can also submit suggestions for future Trial by Content topics. Is there a great pop culture debate that you’d like us to settle? Send it on over!

For a list of all the movies discussed on this week’s episode and a preview of what is to come on Trial by Content, head on over to ⁠Letterboxd.com/TrialByContent⁠ and follow us there!

Hosts: Dave Gonzales, Joanna Robinson, and Neil Miller
Associate Producer: Carlos Chiriboga
Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal
Theme Song and Other Music Credits: Devon Renaldo

Subscribe: Spotify

Dave Gonzales

Dave Gonzales is a writer, producer, and podcast host living in Denver, Colorado. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’ His other podcasts are ‘Fighting in the War Room’ and ‘Da7e and Neil’s Pop Culture Adventure.’

Joanna Robinson

Joanna Robinson is a cultural critic appearing on several podcasts, including ‘House of R,’ ‘Prestige TV,’ and ‘Trial by Content.’ Formerly a senior writer at Vanity Fair from 2014-21, she is the author of the New York Times bestselling book ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’

Neil Miller

Neil Miller has been a podcaster and pop culture blogger since 2006, when he founded the independent website Film School Rejects. He has cohosted popular pods about ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Lost,’ has produced a TV show (‘One Perfect Shot’), and is a tortured lifelong Cleveland sports fan.