As The Rings of Power season 2 leans heavily into The Lord of the Rings lore, its creators say it’s ‘not a response’ to fan ire over season 1
Exclusive: ‘It was always the plan’
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
One ofThe Rings of Power’s showrunners has insisted thatseason 2’scloser ties to its source material “is not any kind of response” to fan frustrations with the first season.
Speaking to TechRadar ahead ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s release, Patrick McKay stressed that he and co-creator J.D. Payne didn’t decide to lean more heavily into J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved works following criticism from sections of the author’s fanbase. Instead, McKay maintained that “it was always the plan” forThe Rings of Powerseason 1to be less faithful toThe Lord of the Ringsbooks, appendices, and legendarium before they fully committed to canonical events in later seasons.
McKay’s response comes almost two years after the hitPrime Videoshow’s first season launched. While the high-fantasy series was a runaway success forAmazonMGM Studios – it’s the most-streamed Prime Video TV Original of all time – the prequel project was slammed by legions of diehard Tolkienities. Indeed,The Rings of Power’s sparkling success couldn’t save it from some baffling and horrific fan backlashthat not only chastized McKay and Payne’s take on the source material, but also led to racially-aggravated verbal attacks towards its black cast members.
In the time between between its first two seasons, we learned thatseason 2 would forge closer ties toThe Lord of the Rings' booksand their supporting texts. Indeed, the arrival ofThe Rings of Power 2’s first trailer suggested its creators had learned lessonsfrom the first season, not least in their attempts to religiously adapt what Tolkien had written about Middle-earth’s Second Age.
Of course, as the first teaser and its follow-up trailers revealed, there would be plenty more original content that Payne, McKay, and the show’s other writers had devised. However, those at the helm of one of thebest Prime Video showswere clearly ready to fully embrace events in Tolkien’s literary works, and bring them to life on the small screen as dutifully as possible.
What made McKay and Payne wait an entire season to deliver on that promise, though? Why didn’t they just dive headfirst into the written material and adapt it verbatim from the get-go? And did the fan ire force them to change tack from a storytelling approach?
Merry #TheRingsOfPower season 2 Eve! To celebrate, here are some more gold carpet moments from its world premiere - starting with @bearmccreary and the inspiration he took from Tolkien’s works for this season’s vocal-led songs: pic.twitter.com/dViTk8EbkgAugust 28, 2024
“We set upon this journey with a plan,” McKay told me. “That plan was for a multi-season arc that would start in a place that welcomes audiences back to Middle-earth and introduces all of these characters. Some are canonical characters in a much earlier phase of development where they might look different to what you’d expect, and some are new characters, hopefully created in Tolkienian fashion that use the hints in the text as a springboard. That first season would then lead you into the Second Age before kicking you into what are now seasons built around canonical tentpole moments.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
“So, really, it’s not any kind of response [to the backlash], or us learning anything from last season. It was always the plan to have a big season one that invites everyone in and, now they’re immersed in our world, they’re in this universe of major historical, mythical,canonevents that we aim to build whole worlds around.”
That blueprint, although divisive amongThe Lord of the Rings' fanbase, is certainly taking shape now. In myreview ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s first three episodes, I called it a “darker and more dangerous installment that’s far more faithful to its literary inspiration”, and added that it continues to be a “well-oiled, character-driven slice of prestige TV”. Here’s hoping the rest of this season lives up to the lofty expectations I’ve set for myself and others.
You might also like
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming
Phishing attacks surge in 2024 as cybercriminals adopt AI tools and multi-channel tactics
