The Rings of Power Season 3 Premieres With Sharply Divided Reviews

The third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power arrives after two seasons of groundwork. The series began in 2022, with its second season following two years later, according to Screen Rant.

The starting position is bleak. TV Fanatic recalled that season two ended with Sauron stronger than ever and Celebrimbor dead. Ahead of the premiere, TVLine Television framed the coming conflict around the War of the Elves and Sauron, while explaining how that war unfolds in the books.

On November 9, Forbes reported that the eight-episode season would launch on November 11 with four episodes. That put half the season in viewers' hands immediately.

Reviews published on November 10 exposed a sharp disagreement about the result. Screen Rant described a leaner, meaner series delivering its best episodes yet. Gizmodo Tech called it the show's most propulsive season, with Sauron closing in on the One Ring.

Other critics saw familiar weaknesses rather than a breakthrough. IndieWire Movies described a loss of enthusiasm and a series going through the motions. Polygon.com argued that the season tries too hard to copy Peter Jackson's trilogy, pointing to scenes with direct parallels to the films. /Film found both impressive highs and frustrating lows.

The four-episode premiere began streaming on November 11. TV Fanatic reported that five years have passed within the story and that the war is now coming into focus. Variety Movies highlighted Sauron assembling Ringwraiths and Jamie Campbell Bower appearing as Galadriel's lover Celeborn.

Premiere-day coverage also turned toward the consequences of the opening episodes. /Film reported that two key characters created for the series die early in the season. Mashable Tech, meanwhile, raised the possibility that the show had revealed the Witch-king of Angmar, presenting it as a question rather than a confirmed identification.

The clearest split is over whether greater momentum solves the show's underlying problems. Screen Rant called this its best season yet, while IndieWire Movies judged it too content to watch an inevitable story unfold. Those are competing critical assessments, not evidence of a settled audience verdict.

The premiere has also widened the discussion beyond Sauron. Gizmodo Tech reported that Queen Regent Míriel remains in exile but continues fighting for her people. The Wrap TV examined what episode three reveals about the Blue Wizards, adding another lore question to the opening batch.

Four episodes remain in the eight-episode season described by Forbes. The next test is whether the pace praised by some reviewers holds as the war and Sauron's plans develop.

The identity questions need particular care. Mashable Tech suggested a possible Witch-king reveal, but the supplied coverage does not establish that theory as fact. Future episodes may clarify how the show connects its characters to the Ringwraiths.