Sam – the strong, loyal, gentle hero

Sam was dreading this moment. She had dreaded it for years—as though a lifetime had passed since the

fellowship was born. She knew this moment would come. A moment of weakness, or a moment of strength. She

hoped—desperately—that it would be the latter.

She asked Frodo to throw the Ring into Mount Doom. But there was Frodo, completely succumbed to the

Ring’s power.

“The Ring is mine!”

“No, no, Mr. Frodo!”

“I believed in you. The fellowship believed in you. Please don’t do this!”

Frodo snapped the chain from his neck and feverishly slid the Ring onto his finger.

Disappointed, Sam watched as Frodo vanished.

Samantha—Sam—was writing a fanfiction or a review—she wasn’t quite sure—of The Lord of the Rings:

Return of the King on her laptop, seated at the kitchen island. Sam, who had always believed Samwise was the

true hero of the duo, was furiously typing out a scathing takedown of Frodo’s weakness and failure.

“If it had been Sam, he would’ve tossed that ring into Mount Doom without hesitation,” she muttered.

Her father, Jason, stood at the sink washing dishes. He had seen the movies back in college but barely

remembered the scene. Or perhaps, as Sam suspected, he just didn’t want to remember.

“Are you inserting yourself into the story again? How many reviews are you going to write about that movie,

Sam?” he asked, half-smiling.

“Dad, they all think Frodo was a hero. But he wasn’t.”

“We go over this every time you rewatch those movies, Samantha. Doesn’t it ever get old?”

“No, it doesn’t. Not until you admit Frodo was a coward and a loser. He totally gave in to the Ring.”

Jason sighed. He knew how to survive these conversations: avoid them completely—and definitely avoid

rewatching the movie.

It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy fantasy anymore. It was that those films reminded him too much of a time and a

person he couldn’t get back. A feeling that never really passed.

“Didn’t you once tell me you named me Samantha as a tribute to Samwise?”

“Your mom insisted—and I happily agreed.”

“She always said I should be brave, like Samwise.”

“Yes. But Frodo wasn’t completely weak, Sam. He was just… in a difficult place. You’ll understand more when

you grow up.”

Jason had watched all three movies on a geeky date with his late wife, back when they were college sweethearts. For him, those films weren’t just movies—they were a time capsule. She had passed away last

year, and he still wasn’t ready to rewatch them without her.

“Dad, if you watch the movies with me—like you did with Mom—I promise I won’t leave another anti-Frodo

review.”

Jason paused. Sam was helping him face the grief he kept pushing away. Maybe today was the day.

“Dad,” she said softly, “I have Mom’s journal. She wrote about your dates. Don’t you want to know what she

thought—about the movies… and about you?”

Jason had never asked about the journal. But this felt different. Maybe it was time.

“Okay, Sam. I’ll watch them with you. Extended edition and all. But you have to tell me what your mother wrote.”

“Deal, Dad. Of course.”

Sam grinned. She had finally gotten her stubborn dad to say yes.