The showrunners for The Rings of Power, Amazon’s billion dollar bomb, have announced that despite sagging ratings in the second season, the Lord of The Rings show will return for season 3.
Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV; Sophia Nomvete as Disa in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
It’s baaaack…
Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed that season 3 of the Tolkien Lord of The Rings adaptation will move forward, and that they’re already working on it.
The duo, who had virtually no experience in the industry before being handed the reigns on the most expensive show ever made, let it be known in an interview with friendly outlet Screen Rant.
JD Payne: We’re working on it.
Patrick McKay: We’re working now!
JD Payne: We’re prepping now, very, very intensely. Um—
Patrick McKay: That’s all we can say!
JD Payne: We do [have some exciting stuff coming]. It’s gonna be really good. We’re excited.
Patrick McKay: It’s gonna be awesome.
“Awesome” would be a welcomed change for the writing duo, who have offered up diminishing returns with both seasons of their Lord of The Rings modern day disaster.
Screen Rant, in its article, referred to the show as a “hit.” However, the only hit that Rings of Power has experienced in its first two seasons has come from ratings numbers.
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel; Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad; Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
The first season came out swinging with a massive marketing campaign, yet it only had a completion rate of 37%. That means a whopping 63% of viewers tuned out, casting this Prime Punchline out like the will of Sauron from the body of Theoden, King.
Soon thereafter, Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios announced significant layoffs, in which hundreds of employees lost their jobs.
But they were still determined to come back for a second helping.
And, as the saying goes, “second verse, same as the first.”
The Balrog in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
Despite friendly outlets like Screen Rant providing favorable coverage, The Rings of Power couldn’t hide from the actual numbers. The second season failed to draw even the paltry numbers of the first.
The show’s second outing saw an astounding 24.3% decline from its predecessor.
#RingsOfPowerS2 (Ep5) continues to falter compared to #RingsOfPower S1 & #Reacher S2 3rd week’s.#ROP S2(Ep5)- Runtime 1Hr 1Min, Viewed 747Mil Mins.#ROP S1(Ep4)- Runtime 1Hr 11Mins, Viewed 988 Mil Mins.#Reacher S2(Ep5)- Runtime 43Min, Viewed 943Mil Mins.https://t.co/qUspiR5Yrt pic.twitter.com/EDArYV72kd
— MAC (@NowItsKnown) October 11, 2024
But, of course, Amazon studios head Jennifer Salke bragged to Variety (another friendly outlet) that the show was a success.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 15: Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios attends “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere & Screening on August 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
“Obviously very different marketing levels and all of that [to Season 1],” Salke said when asked about the reception to the second season. “But that being said, over 55 million people at this point have engaged since Season 2 launched.”
Note the word choice there. Salke claimed that 55 million people had “engaged” with the show. Not “watched” or “viewed.”
“Engaged.”
“Engaged” ?? WTF does that mean? I smell BS here. https://t.co/RlzUPu5E6E
— Valliant Renegade (@ValliantRenegad) October 10, 2024
The Rings of Power champions diversity over storytelling, with the show’s creators and cast harping constantly about race and gender within the show as opposed to anything about story quality. The actors often speak of themselves as though they’re civil rights heroes and not modern day millionaires standing around in codpieces.
“You know powerful women, they make people cross and I feel blessed to play her,” Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel said. “And to make Sauron cross.”
Charlie Vickers as Sauron and Morfydd Clark as Galadriel n The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
Actor Ismael Cruz Cordova also stated that it was “a big controversy of me being the first elf that wasn’t white. I loved the nerve that I pinched. I really do. I was so excited to create something new. A lot of people speaking on behalf of Tolkien, I don’t know if they understand the spirit of Tolkien. His work speaks of the times.”
Showrunner J.D. Payne also called critics of the show “evil.”
“The spirit of Tolkien is about disparate peoples who don’t trust one another and look different from one another finding common ground in friendship and accomplishing big things,” Payne said. “That’s the spirit we’ve tried to inculcate into every single comma and period in the show.”
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024), Amazon MGM Studios
He then addressed critics, stating, “That this aspiration would be offensive to people and enrage them … it’s very hard for us to understand. What are they protecting? I don’t see how people who are saying these things think that they’re fighting for good.”
Are you going to watch Rings of Power season 3? Do you think ratings will drop again? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know!
