Shadows Over Middle-Earth: Season 3 May Mark the End for The Rings of Power
The show's creators have five seasons in mind, but will they be able to do it all?
On October 3, 2024, the final episode of the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was released. In the first season the creators focused on revealing the personalities of the characters, but in the second chapter they revealed the history of Middle-earth and introduced new faces.
Work is already underway on the third season, but many fans are certain that it will be the last for the series.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Was Seen by More Than Half as Many Viewers as the First
The analytics company Luminate shared data on TV series viewership on streaming services. The authors of the study noted that in 2024, the popularity of streaming projects declined – the Hollywood strikes of writers and actors had their effect, which is why the services had to postpone their shows to a later date.
Among released projects, the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power suffered the most. One of the most expensive shows in history saw a 60% drop – more than half of the viewers of the first season never returned for the second.
Previously, Amazon said the second season of The Rings of Power garnered more than 55 million views in one month. After that, the company stopped sharing the show's success.
The Wheel of Time Author Doesn't Believe in The Rings of Power Success
In addition, The Rings of Power was criticized in a recent interview by Brandon Sanderson, best known for his books about the Cosmere universe and his work on the finishing of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.
When asked in an interview with Polygon which of his works he would like to see adapted for the screen, Sanderson chose Stormlight. However, he expressed concerns about the quality of such an adaptation, citing The Rings of Power as an example:
“With an unlimited budget and unlimited creative control, I think I could make something really good. But who knows? I mean, The Rings of Power essentially had that, and it's not very good.”
In addition, Sanderson said that epic fantasy sagas need a visionary director, and this time the criticism was aimed at The Witcher. According to the author, such a visionary was Henry Cavill, but the creators of the series did not listen to him.
If Viewership Continues to Decline, the Third Season May Well Be the Last
The prospects for The Rings of Power don't look good at all, especially for one of the most expensive TV projects in history. The second season, although it received a slightly more positive review, is unlikely to have a significant impact on viewership.
It is quite possible that when the third chapter of The Rings of Power is released, another significant portion of the audience will turn away from the series, which would be a real disaster for a project with such a large budget.