Of all the enduring fantasy projects that are still inspirational today, Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings is certainly among the top fantasy movie franchises of all time. There are currently many exciting upcoming fantasy TV shows currently in development, but The Lord of the Rings franchise has one of the most interesting. With the Tolkien estate owning the rights to most of the iconic author’s work, this has meant that there is a limited amount of material to adapt for the screen.

This lack of permitted source material is the main reason why the recent Lord of the Rings projects like The Rings of Power TV series have occasionally felt far removed from the original trilogy, elaborating on small scenes and the Middle Earth history documented in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books. This has involved major canon changes in The Rings of Power, which has sometimes made the show unpopular with Tolkien fans.

Now, the spinoff series appears to be finding its feet at last, with the second season being a dramatic improvement on the first. While critics have consistently given the show an 84% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews for The Rings of Power have not been good among fans. That said, the massive 20 point ratings jump between the first and second seasons not only gives the show an advantage heading towards season 3’s November release date, but sets up an exciting future for the Lord of the Rings franchise.

The Rings Of Power Season 3 Has A Huge Advantage Over Season 2

The Rings of Power got better after quietly switching directions in season 2, after the show’s stunning visuals and battle scenes failed to drown out the loud outcry over the major character changes. The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, while being action-packed, is still character-driven, with very little extensive historical lore. The first season of The Rings of Power did not use this approach, instead elaborating on Middle Earth’s history in a way that gave it an extremely different tone to The Lord of the Rings.

Historical epics are not everyone’s favorite genre, but the strategy could have been a good thing, if not for the significant character changes that alienated Tolkien fans who would have enjoyed the historical aspect. Instead, viewers were left with a show that was considered poorly-paced and weighty, with not enough similarity to The Lord of the Rings to allow them to trust that the story would come together eventually.

However, with the first season’s lore established, the second season could truly begin the story, and the series began to come into its own. The Rings of Power season 2 nearly doubled its Rotten Tomatoes audience score, adopting a more character-driven approach and tense scenes that rivaled some of the best in the original movies, which sometimes contained elements of a great thriller. Now, with the third season scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on November 11, it has the huge advantage of being much more anticipated than season 2 was.

Season 3 Arrives At The Perfect Time For The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

Credit: MovieStills

There are several upcoming Lord of the Rings projects in the works, and even if the third season of The Rings of Power does not make the anticipated dramatic improvements to the second season, it is arriving in time to keep momentum building. The Rings of Power officially switches main characters in season 3, and if the show truly becomes a force for good in the Lord of the Rings franchise, this will welcome in a new era.

The two live-action movies joining the Lord of the Rings franchise will be some of the most nerve-wracking for fans, as both are set to elaborate on small details in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, featuring newly created characters. That said, with The Hunt for Gollum being directed by Andy Serkis, who will also be reprising his role as Gollum, and both The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past starring several actors from the original trilogy, this could redeem the franchise at last after The Rings of Power‘s shaky start.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

7/10

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