Rings Of Power Creators Address Series Backlash From Lord Of The Rings Fans

Published Nov 6, 2026, 11:22 AM EST

Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.

One of the creators of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reacted to the backlash the Prime Video series has received from longtime fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth franchise.

Premiering in 2022, The Rings of Power takes place long before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and centers on younger versions of Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf, and Sauron. Critics have consistently praised the show, and it holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, but viewers haven't been nearly as receptive, with an audience score of 48%.

With just days to go until Prime Video releases the first four episodes of season 3, co-creator and co-showrunner Patrick McKay spoke with SFX magazine (as reported by GamesRadar) and revealed what he really thinks of the negative fan response. He acknowledged that he and his team would be "bad at our job" if they actively chose not to care what the public thinks. However, "that doesn't mean that [fans] suddenly in charge."

McKay wants audiences to love The Rings of Power, but he admits that, at the end of the day, "we are our hardest, harshest critics" when it comes to what's working, what's not and what he can learn as they continue expanding the show. "We're getting more confident in our storytelling, and in season 3, we feel like the show has hit its stride," he added.

Patrick McKay: "We would be bad at our job if we didn't care somewhat what people think of it, but that doesn't mean that they're suddenly in charge. We listen to what people say, and we want people to love it, but we are our hardest, harshest critics. What's working and what's not working, we're going to learn from. We're getting more confident in our storytelling, and in season 3, we feel like the show has hit its stride."

Since The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 hasn't premiered yet, it's too early to say how viewers will react to the new episodes, but Rotten Tomatoes shows a noticeable shift in audience reception. Season 1 earned 38%, while the sophomore installment rose 20% to 58%. While that means there were more positives than negative reviews on the platform, it was still under the 60% needed to be considered Fresh.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Rotten Tomatoes	Critic Scores	Audience Scores
Season 1	84%	38%
Season 2	85%	58%

While reviews for The Rings of Power season 3 haven't been added to Rotten Tomatoes yet, some critics have shared their early reactions on social media, and so far, it's getting a great response.

The series will jump forward five years this season as Sauron's power continues to grow. As his army expands across Middle-earth, Sauron is on the verge of creating the One Ring. Innocent lives are at stake, as elves, dwarves, wizards, and men figure out how to stop him from obtaining the control and domination he desperately seeks.

The cast of The Rings of Power includes Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Daniel Weyman, Ciarán Hinds, Benjamin Walker, Maxim Baldry, Sophia Nomvete, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Charlie Vickers, Jamie Campbell Bower, Zubin Varla, Eddie Marsan, Andrew Richardson, Adam Young and Simon Pegg.

McKay's fellow co-creator and co-showrunner is J.D. Payne, and they also serve as executive producers with Lindsey Weber, Kate Hazell, Justin Doble and Charlotte Brändström.

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy created such high expectations for this franchise, but McKay and the team feel like they've hit their stride with the upcoming season of The Rings of Power. Only time will tell whether fans come around and start feeling the same way as critics have been over the past four years.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 premieres Wednesday, November 11 on Prime Video.

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  Galadriel

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  Halbrand

Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.