Tirian and the true Narnians and the children go further up and further into Aslan's country, and the story concludes as Aslan shares with them the good news of their ultimate destiny.
Emeth the Calormene tells the story of his love for Aslan while Tirian and company try to discern why the land where they find themselves seems so familiar and meaningful.
Father Time awakes and blows his trumpet as the stars fall from the sky and come home to Aslan. All creatures of Narnia are summoned to the Door and look deeply into Aslan's eyes, either passing into shadow or joyfully entering Aslan's country.
Tirian begins to explore the beautiful grassy country with the strange door through which you can see the stable, and the Dwarfs complain about their being stuck in a stable only they can see.
As the last battle of Narnia rages, Tirian sees his friends and finally himself enter the stable door. He encounters Tash but then a voice banishes Tash in the name of aslan, and he meets the ancient kings and queens of Narnia.
Tirian and the true Narnians battle against the forces of the Calomenes as the Ape reaps the consequences of his deceptions.
Shift announces "Tashlan" will no longer come out, but that those who dare can enter the Stable. Joy turns to dismay when the Narnians realize it is not the Aslan of their hope and faith inside.
Tirian, Eustace, and Jill now realize that the Calormenes are advancing on two fronts, and the Ape is now being used by the Tarkaan and Ginger the Cat for their own evil ends.
"The Last Battle" focuses on many of the same themes as the season of Advent. After exploring these, we do a brief jaunt into Athanasius's "On the Incarnation" and then study Lewis's recently-discovered "A Christmas Sermon for Pagans."
Tash makes a terrifying appearance in Narnia, and Tirian and company learn some devastating news as they prepare to go to Stable Hill
Tirian and company rescue some dwarfs from captivity and expect them to be overjoyed to learn that the Ape's Aslan is a fraud, but the reaction of the dwarfs is a disappointing surprise.
Jill and Eustace are better help than Tirian initially thought, and together they embark on a mission to rescue Jewel the Unicorn, but get more than they bargained for!
Tirian's disappointment turns to Joy as help miraculously arrives in the form of Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole and they escape from the Calormenes.
The action in Chapter 4 unfolds further as Tirian, ministered to by the Narnian animals but still tied to a tree, cries out to Aslan for help.
We finish up our deeper dive into the themes of theological innovation, courage, and Truth, and begin our study of Chapter 4, "What Happened that Night."
Lewis brings up many important themes in Chapter 3 that resonate with other books he wrote. In this episode we look at some of those linkages and how they help build the foundation for the rest of the story in The Last Battle.
As King Tirian and Jewel seek justice from Aslan, they come to a stable hut where Shift the Ape is holding court and making disturbing pronouncements about Aslan.
Rumors of Aslan's return reach King Tirian, but his initial joy turns to horror when he hears that the trees are being felled for commercial gain, supposedly by Aslan's orders.
As the story begins, we meet Shift the Ape and Puzzle the Donkey. In this episode we explore apes and donkeys in Scripture and literature and unpack a bit of what Lewis is doing with these characters
As we launch into The Last Battle, we begin with looking at how The Chronicles of Narnia came into being, the brilliant way Lewis constructed these stories with multiple layers of meaning, and some of the themes that we will unpack as we study and go "further up and further in!"