Prime Video is committed to producing five seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as planned, amid continuous controversy regarding lore inaccuracies. The series debuted two years ago in 2022, and Amazon Studios initially announced that it would create five seasons. The second season is currently airing its weekly episodes until October 3, 2024.
Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke recently shared a memo to staff regarding the viewership of The Rings of Power Season 2, which is significantly lower compared to the debut season. The first three episodes of Season 2 have been viewed by 40 million people since its premiere on August 29, 2024. However, compared to the first season, which drew 25 million viewers on its first day, the achievement seems rather underwhelming.
Furthermore, The Rings of Power has been heavily condemned by fans of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning films and those who have read Tolkien’s literature. In fact, the second season’s Rotten Tomatoes score is very close to the first, with an impressive 83% critic score and a disappointing 58% audience score.
Despite being an outstanding fantasy series both visually and, for the most part, narrative-wise, the poor ratings are due in part to the controversy surrounding Tolkien’s lore. Nonetheless, Prime Video has no intention of discontinuing the series anytime soon, and all these negative reviews, controversies, and statistics seem ineffective in persuading it otherwise.
Prime Video has no intention of discontinuing the series anytime soon.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the third season of The Rings of Power has been in the works for some months, though Amazon Studios has yet to announce it officially. Based on THR’s sources, Prime Video is committed to producing all five seasons, which should reassure fans who appreciate The Rings of Power regardless of others’ opinions.
The Rings of Power Showrunner Has the Perfect Response for Haters
While it is normal for any TV series to face criticism, regardless of how good it is, The Rings of Power has arguably received far more criticism than it deserves, even with some changes it makes to Tolkien’s lore. Apparently, J. D. Payne, the series’ co-showrunner, is aware of the trolls that surface in response to every episode of The Rings of Power, and he has just the right response. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated the following:
“The Fellowship had to look to each other, and those who support it, and remember what it’s fighting for. And when we see that millions of people are watching this and responding so positively to it – that’s who we’re fighting for. And those who watch every episode and [negatively] write about it on social media and make YouTube videos, we’re happy to have you guys, too. It wouldn’t be a journey through Middle-earth without some trolls along the way.”
The Rings of Power has always been a slow-paced series, with the Elven rings not appearing until the final episode of Season 1. With the second season doing the same, the show needs a significant adjustment in pacing, especially if it is to outperform the prior season. So, what are your thoughts on The Rings of Power Season 2 thus far?
