“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” showrunner Patrick McKay commented on the mixed audience reaction to the first two seasons. In an interview with SFX magazine, he emphasized that the team listens closely to audience feedback, but has no intention of handing over creative control:
“We would be doing our job poorly if we didn’t care at all about what the audience thinks. But that doesn’t mean they’re in charge now. We listen to the viewers and want them to like the series, but we are our own harshest critics.”
The first season of “The Rings of Power” received 84% positive reviews from critics at the time, but earned the approval of only 38% of viewers. The second managed to improve the situation slightly: the scores rose to 85% and 58% respectively. Whether the third season will be able to consolidate this trend will become clear very soon. McKay himself remains optimistic and claims that with each season, the creators feel increasingly confident in their chosen direction:
“We will learn from what worked and what didn’t work. We are more confident in telling our story, and it feels to us like the series has hit its stride in the third season.”
The events of the third season will take place five years after the fall of Eregion, when Sauron’s war against the Elves is in full swing. The first four episodes will premiere on Prime Video on November 11, with the subsequent pairs of episodes arriving on November 18 and 25.