‘Rings of Power’ Season 3 has glimmers of true gold
‘Rings of Power’ Season 3 has glimmers of true gold
The show has ironed out many of its biggest issues, and is building toward an epic Season 3 finale.
It’s always a pleasant surprise when the title I was most excited to watch going into the week ends up actually being the show or movie I liked the most. All too often, promotional campaigns for new titles give away too much of a show, or build it up into a more enticing prospect than it turns out to be.
I had some similar fears after calling out “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 3 as the show I was most excited to stream this week. But after watching the first four episodes of the third season, there’s no other title I could identify as my favorite watch of the past seven days.
In the third season of “Rings of Power,” the War of Elves and Sauron has dragged on into its fifth year. The Dark Lord has begun distributing the nine rings of Men, and the Elves have been pushed back. The Dwarves are rocked by a struggle for power, and Galadriel has been approached by an Orc with news that Sauron is attempting to forge the One Ring, which will allow him to control all the other Rings of Power.
The show has indeed picked up the narrative pace in its third season, allowing viewers to focus on established characters instead of endless, side-quest-esque plotlines. Instead, the focus is entirely on the battle to stop Sauron and the internal strife on the island kingdom of Númenor, and before the season ends, it looks like those two stories will combine into one cohesive narrative.
What I really appreciate about Season 3 of “Rings of Power” is that there are no more mystery box characters to unlock, no secret identities that are being teased out over the course of a season. We know who the key characters are, and what their motivations are.
The thing I’ve always loved about “The Rings of Power” is Charlie Vickers’ portrayal of Sauron, a character that isn’t fleshed out in Tolkein’s novels. Vickers brings yet another side to the character in Season 3; he’s openly malevolent, exuding a veneer of absolute power while harboring a deep insecurity — insecurity that is given voice by the imagined spirit of Celebrimbor, who haunts (and taunts) the Dark Lord about his failures in ringcraft.
There are still areas where the show can do better. One aspect of “Rings of Power” that has always made me wince is its propensity to try to recreate shots or lines from the Peter Jackson trilogy. It’s never pulled off with any kind of subtlety, and always comes off as the worst kind of fan service. Unfortunately, the show’s writers couldn’t help themselves from repeating this pattern in Season 3.
For all that, however, there’s less to quibble about and more to enjoy with “Rings of Power” Season 3 than ever before. As always, the show’s production values are incredible, and it’s becoming more and more of a joy to watch with each passing episode.
Watch “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 3 on Prime Video. The first four episodes are now available, and two more will debut on Wednesday. Nov. 18. The final two episodes of Season 3 will land on Prime Video on Nov. 25.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Beginning in a time of relative peace, we follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.