J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy franchise returns this week with the Season 3 premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the first reviews of the new episodes are now online. Amazon’s depiction of Middle-earth’s Second Age continues with a five-year time jump as Sauron goes to war with the Elves in his pursuit of all the titular rings. So far, there is some debate as to whether the third season is an improvement over the previous two or it’s still dragging, but most reviews continue to highlight the show’s visuals and performances.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 3
80%
Starring:Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur
Here’s what critics are saying about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3:
Has the series gotten better?
The Rings of Power Season 3 is the best season of the show so far.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
Season 3 turns The Rings of Power from a niche franchise for those most dedicated to Tolkien lore into must-watch TV.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
It’s probably the most intricate adaptation of a work I’ve ever seen.
– John Kirk, Original Cin
If you’ve not enjoyed the show so far, you’re not going to enjoy it now… [but] for all its flaws, The Rings of Power is getting better season by season.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
Prequelitis remains, but at least the execution has improved.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
The Rings of Power Season 3 is very much the same — still chock-full of thrilling, epic highs… and plodding, cringey lows.
– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
This Lord of the Rings series has always had trouble finding the right balance among its varying subplots… Nowhere does that feel more glaring than in Season 3.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
What specifically has improved?
The Rings of Power brings something to the show’s third season that the previous two lacked: a sense of focus.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Taking the time to build out the plot has paid off in Season 3, with a narrative that feels cohesive despite the existence of several overlapping storylines.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
There’s a sense of immediacy to the events of The Rings of Power season 3 that gives the proceedings a feeling of cohesion that the show has lacked in the past.
– Graeme Guttman, Screen Rant
It finally feels as though the series is hitting its stride.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
It takes all the wonderful earnestness of the first two seasons and mixes it with heightened suspense, a greater intensity of darkness, and a more nuanced, psychological look at all the characters.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
Most of all, The Rings of Power Season 3 is fun… a raucous roller coaster through the darker chapters of Middle-earth’s history. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally rules!
– Meghan O’Keefe, Decider
Is there a particular highlight?
The unexpected highlight of the season comes when Galadriel and Arondir form a fellowship with unexpected company: a former agent of Sauron.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Sauron’s conversation with the Balrog (an unrecognizable Simon Pegg) is one of the most dramatic moments of the whole season.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
Sophia Nomvete’s Stone Singing, as always, is a true highlight, as it goes to fiercer, more intense places than ever before in season three.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
Could newcomers skip the first two seasons?
Although it seems unlikely, showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay claim that new viewers could begin watching the show at this point. Why anyone would do such a thing is a mystery.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
Will it satisfy die-hard Tolkien fans?
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay dream up some of the most spectacular fantasy concepts Tolkien nerds could only ever dare to imagine.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
The Rings of Power Season 3 successfully balancing what fans know will happen alongside the journey that will take them there is what makes for good TV.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
It might be enough for those who long for more of Middle-earth’s magic, even if it’s just fleeting glimpses of it.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
The prequel has caused some fiery discussions within the fandom, and that’s not going to end with the arrival of Season 3.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
Does it still pale in comparison to Peter Jackson’s movies?
In its third season, showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay find worthwhile stories to tell in Middle-earth, but this series still can’t quite live up to a more straightforward journey involving a hobbit and a Ring.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
The closer the show’s plot and action gets to The Lord of the Rings, the more it feels like a pale imitation of Peter Jackson’s already-perfect movie trilogy.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
This is Middle-earth brought to vibrant life, every bit as breath-taking as Peter Jackson’s vision of Tolkien’s world.
– Molly Edwards, GamesRadar+
How is this season’s portrayal of Sauron?
Charlie Vickers absolutely crushes it as a Sauron who is at once SO evil and SO pathetic and SO fabulous and SO needy; it’s truly amazing.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
Charlie Vickers’s Sauron will have you rooting for the villain every step of the way. He brings a delightful sense of theatricality and purpose to every evil act.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Thankfully, Vickers sells this alternate version of the character as a deceiver and relentless social climber who schemed his way to his former master’s crown.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Vickers embraces his full potential as Sauron in Season 3, and it’s one of the most delicious parts of The Rings of Power.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
As supreme baddie Sauron, Charlie Vickers drips with oily charm. But watching him slither around twirling his moustache obliterates the aura Sauron had on the page and the big screen.
– Ed Power, Daily Telegraph
What about Daniel Weyman’s performance as Gandalf?
While it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Sir Ian McKellen doing the wizard justice, Weyman makes a convincing enough younger iteration.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
Daniel Weyman remains an exceptional choice for a younger Gandalf.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
The man long known and now confirmed as Gandalf (Daniel Weyman) is still little more than a mysterious symbol. (Just wait ’til you see him… put on his hat?).
– Ben Travers, IndieWire
Are there any other standout characters this time?
The “orc with an arc,” Marnûkh, is an unexpected delight. Young’s performance makes it clear there’s some pathos hidden under this character’s snarling Cockney accent, giving him depth.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Adam Young as Marnûkh [is] easily one of the season’s best new additions.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
My personal favorite addition to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 is an orc named Marnûkh.
– Meghan O’Keefe, Decider
The rogue orc Marnûkh may be a Gollum knockoff, but he’s a surprisingly compelling and funny character.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
Fans of Bower will be happy to hear that [his Celeborn] is one of the greatest new additions to the series.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
How does the show look this season?
Creatively and technically, the most expensive series on streaming has never looked better nor felt more cinematic.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Season 3 is every bit as visually spectacular as the previous two installments, with cinematic scope that longs to be seen on the biggest screen available.
– Molly Edwards, GamesRadar+
Even the worst sequences benefit from impressive sets and costuming.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Look [forward] to a pretty spectacular action sequence in Episode 4.
– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
The action sequences are spectacularly brutal.
– Meghan O’Keefe, Decider
A lengthy climactic sequence near the end of the season deploys shifting aspect ratios, operatic music cues, and dead-eyed stares aplenty, but they don’t add up to the riveting spectacle its creators intended.
– Ben Travers, IndieWire
What about the pacing?
The pacing has gotten a lot quicker, thankfully.
– Cheryl Eddy, io9.com
Snappy editing whisks us from one battlefield to the next with stylish, Indiana Jones-esque map transitions, ensuring that the series rarely drags.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
Some of the most sluggish pacing in streaming.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Does it have any major problems?
A central problem is that many of this season’s dire turns are driven by silly chance happenings rather than heartfelt disagreements or tragic acquiescences to temptation.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
There are simply too many far-flung locations to check in on, too many main characters and uninteresting supporting players to service, too much nerdy lore for casuals to digest.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Politicking and scheming is not this show’s strong suit, so it’s baffling why so much focus is placed on the brewing rebellion, spies and double agents, and the type of manoeuvring that feels very Game of Thrones-lite.
– Molly Edwards, GamesRadar+
The show also spends too much time taking the same approach as Solo: A Star Wars Story, providing unnecessary origins for everything from the construction plans of Lothlorien to the origins of Gandalf’s hat.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
The Rings of Power is starting to buckle under the weight of its lore obligations.
– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
What can still be improved moving forward?
The sections in Númenor remain the worst part of the series.
– Samantha Nelson, Polygon
The Númenor drama… was always a slog, and Payne and McKay’s attempts to inject it with edge through subterfuge and assassination attempts fall flat.
– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
Some elements of the plot, like Rhun and Gandalf, still feel tacked on.
– Graeme Guttman, Screen Rant
The real issue with the series continues to be the existential matter of whether we need a story about the forging of the Rings of Power in the first place.
– Ed Power, Daily Telegraph
Prime Video has continued to make confusing decisions regarding the release of The Rings of Power, which does nothing to help a show that hasn’t had the easiest time finding success.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerSeason 3 premieres on Prime Video on November 11, 2026.
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