The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been criticized for altering elements of Tolkien’s work, but it seems it was necessary in some cases.
The subject of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerSince the series premiere on Prime Video, there has been a lot of discussion about the Tolkien lore adaptation. Among the myriad changes made in Middle Earth history, the three Elven Rings was the first of the titular bands to be forged, something the production had to do to better fit the overall story they intend to tell. over their multiple seasons. Speaking in a new interview with Inverse, Rings writer Gennifer Hutchinson explained:
“So much of the season was about the elves and their journey, and Galadriel’s journey, and the fading [of Eregion]. So we wanted to connect those rings in that story. It was about narrowing our focus on them and closing those rings out for the season. Because we had to make rings. It felt like the culmination of that arc, rather than trying to manage the timeline in a different way.”
The rings of power has been viewed by two different audiences: those who know Tolkien’s work in great detail and those who have a passing knowledge, and the latter seem to have enjoyed the show much more. However, in the context of the series being a show based on certain parts of Tolkien’s novels and having many gaps to fill, there would always be changes that would be mentioned by some fans. There have certainly been enough in recent months.
How will The Rings of Power Season 2 handle fan criticism?
The rings of power showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay discussed how the show’s second season will move the story forward and incorporate more elements of Tolkien canon, but not necessarily because of the fan reaction to the first season. McKay previously said:
“We are very excited. Season two has a canonical story. Some viewers may be thinking, “This is the story we were hoping to get in season one!” We’ll give it to them in season two.”
But in an interview with Vanity Fair, Payne noted that while they’ve listened to what fans have said, the content of season two has been set for some time. This means that while the next season may include more Tolkien’s lore, that doesn’t rule out some subtle last-minute changes. He said:
“Sure, you look at the audience reaction, and you see what characters people like, and what kind of stories touch them. I wouldn’t say we overcorrect for anything, but we certainly listen to people’s reactions. In terms of how season two affected, we wrote most of season two before season one came out. We are now refining the last bits as we start shooting. But actually the cake was already baked a bit before the reactions from the public came in.”
Season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently streaming in full on Prime Video.