The Rings Of Power Season 3 First Reactions Are Officially In

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.The first reactions to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 have arrived. Prime Video's fantasy series returns after a two-year hiatus on November 11, beginning with a four-episode premiere. The story will pick up five years after The Rings of Power season 2 finale, with Sauron (Charlie Vickers) more powerful and having conquered far more of Middle-earth. Sauron has now set his sights on forging the One Ring to rule them all, while Galadriel (Moryfdd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and their various allies mount a resistance against him and his armies. Ahead of the November 11 premiere, select critics have seen the first two episodes of season 3. ComicBook's Chris Killian shares that "I’ve seen the first couple episodes of #TheRingsOfPowerS3 and no spoilers, but the first 2 episodes are bangers and this series is getting better and better as it goes on. Charlie Vickers as Sauron is a highlight, he just oozes evil." After being a fan of the show's previous seasons, Nerdist's Rotem Rusak declares that the show only gets better this time around: "Season 3, Eps 1 & 2 are AMAZING. I have been a huge fan of The Rings of Power throughout, but the start of this season is not only some of the series' best work, but TV's best. I love every character; Marnûkh is my child. Tune in for this, folks!" Fay Watson of GamesRadar+ writes: "The first episode of #TheRingsofPower season 3 is epic in every sense of the world. Charlie Vickers steals the show as Sauron, almost at the height of his powers, relishing in every villainous smirk. The scale and stakes already have me thinking this could be the best season yet." CBR's Rachel Leishman praises the series for living up to the heights of the prior seasons: "I have seen the first two episodes of #RingsOfPower season 3 and it is better than ever! Just as breathtaking and captivating as its previous seasons." First reactions to new movies and shows frequently skew more positive than negative. Nevertheless, the overwhelmingly positive first reactions bode well for The Rings of Power season 3 being well-received, with Sauron, Marnûkh (Adam Young), and the increased scale being particularly strong elements. Marnûkh is a new Rings of Power character, an Orc who has defected from Sauron's army and wants to help Galadriel and her allies in the war against the villain. Co-showrunner Patrick McKay has described Rings of Power season 3 as a soft reboot with the five-year time jump and dropping viewers right into the action. Based on the first reactions, many of which hail this as the show's best season yet, the approach seems to have worked, at least in the early episodes. The first reactions emphasize that they get the season off to an exciting start from the very beginning, fixing the issue of slower pacing that has been criticized in many previous Rings of Power reviews. It's also important to note that critics only saw the first two episodes, meaning they still have not seen half of the four-episode premiere. This indicates that there will be plenty of action from the start and viewers will not need to wait until episodes three or four for the story to become more riveting. ​ It helps that after two seasons of buildup and the five-year time jump, season 3 can deliver on much of the payoff. For example, tension has been brewing between various factions on the island kingdom of Númenor since season 1, and now matters are poised to reach a breaking point this season with Elendil (Lloyd Owen), Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), and Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle). Sauron's pure evil and Vicker's portrayal, which is mentioned in more than one of the first reactions, is another form of payoff, as he no longer has to be disguised as Halbrand or Annatar, and can instead be the villain he truly is as he dominates Middle-earth and works on the One Ring. More to come... 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 Writers Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings