Prime Video’s prestige fantasy TV show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, has reached its third season, and canceling it at this point would represent not just a premature ending but a fundamentally mistimed one. For two seasons, The Rings of Power has been establishing several plotlines that are the backbone of the show, including the rise of Sauron, the forging of the rings, and the political fractures in Middle-earth.

The Rings of Power is now at a critical threshold, which is the long-awaited War of the Elves and Sauron. If the series were to discontinue, major story and character arcs such as the consequences of Sauron giving the nine Rings of Power to mortal men whose will he wants to bend would remain unresolved, thereby frustrating fans who are invested in the payoff that’s been set up since season one.

The Amazon streamer doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to high fantasy series, particularly because of the cancellation of The Wheel of Time. The Rings of Power airing for more than three seasons would not only ensure that the story is adequately explored, thus building trust with audiences, but it would also delve more into key Lord of the Rings lore.

The Rings Of Power’s Future Beyond Season 3 Is Not Guaranteed

From the outset, The Rings of Power was designed as a long-form narrative, charting the rise of evil in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The creators of the series, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, mapped out a five-season arc, but with Amazon having invested a pretty penny in The Rings of Power, with costs expected to exceed $ 1 billion, it’s not guaranteed that the show will achieve the initial plan.

Since its first season, The Rings of Power has struggled to win over fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original work. The Prime Video fantasy series has been criticized for departing from its source material and its less-than-stellar writing, which contradicts Tolkien’s story. A great example of this is how the Harfoots, who later become the Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, are depicted as a race that leaves their own kind to die if something happens to them on their journey, when Tolkien actually described them as peaceful.

Even with these criticisms, The Rings of Power has endured and tried to improve on the elements it wasn’t executing correctly. However, it might be a little too late for the show, especially because Prime Video is not getting a return on its investment due to the viewership numbers not being enough to offset the high costs it takes to create the series.

If The Rings of Power were canceled with season 3, Amazon would still lose out financially because they would reportedly have to pay Tolkien’s estate $20 million for each canceled season. But with declining viewership in The Rings of Power season 2, the series is simply not justifying why it should continue beyond season 3.

The Rings Of Power Season 3 Will Likely End On A Major Cliffhanger

The Rings of Power season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, and that will likely be the same for season 3. Based on the little information available, the third installment in the Prime Video show will have a major time jump that is likely to depict how long the war between Sauron and the Elves will last. In Tolkien’s sprawling saga, Sauron’s war ended in 1701, but the scepter in Númenor was claimed in 3255.

As much as The Rings of Power has compressed its source material, it’s simply not a great idea to portray a story that lasts centuries in a few episodes because it would ultimately feel rushed and poorly executed. Sauron’s goal has always been to gain as much power as possible, but he failed to do so with the Númenóreans because he realized he couldn’t defeat them through sheer strength alone.

Instead, he concocted a plan to be taken as a prisoner and corrupted the kingdom from within through deception and preying on their weaknesses. The Rings of Power season 3 is likely going to end on this cliffhanger, thus leaving the events that occur in Númenor and the consequences of Sauron’s actions for its later seasons — that is, if the series is fortunate enough to last.

The Rings Of Power Season 4 Would Offer A Better Ending Point

There is obviously uncertainty when it comes to The Rings of Power’s future. However, it’s clear that the show would be better off ending at season 4 instead of season 3. A continuation of the fantasy series beyond its third installment gives it ample time to conclude on the various storylines that have been introduced throughout the duration of the show.

The Rings of Power season 4 would likely depict one of the most essential events in Tolkien’s work: the Sinking of Númenor. When Pharazôn and his host journeyed to Aman with the intention of decimating it, Manwë, the chief of Valinor, sought out Ilúvatar, and he created a chasm between Númenor and Aman, thus sinking the island and its inhabitants, which included Sauron.

Following the destruction of Númenor, a massive military union called The Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed, with the hope of finally defeating Sauron. The fight that ensued was one of the bloodiest wars that Middle-earth had ever seen, with both sides taking major hits. Eventually, Sauron was severely weakened, but that wasn’t the end of him.

The ushering in of the Third Age following Sauron’s defeat at Mordor would be the perfect ending to The Rings of Power, as opposed to if it were to conclude just when the story’s defining moments were to happen. The Rings of Power season 4 would be able to provide a detailed and satisfying end to Sauron’s tyranny during the Second Age while also linking the story to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

For now, all we can hope for is that the sprawling fantasy saga gets the ending it deserves, even with its lack of mainstream success. The Rings of Power has its weaknesses, but it’s also one of the best fantasy shows in the streaming landscape right now, and it would be a shame if it didn’t tell its planned story in its entirety.

Release Date

September 1, 2022

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Showrunner

John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip

Directors

J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri

Writers

Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams