As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the review embargo for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 has lifted ahead of the show's return tomorrow, and that means a Rotten Tomatoes score for Prime Video's divisive J. R. R. Tolkien adaptation has been generated.
With 29 verdicts counted, Season 3 is "Certified Fresh" with a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making this the lowest-rated season of the series on the review aggregator. As a reminder, Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power received 84%, while Season 2 has 85%.
Still, comparisons aside, 79% is not a bad result. What will be interesting now is to see how fans react. With regard to audience scores, Season 1 has 38% on the Popcornmeter, with the second batch of episodes receiving a slightly better 58%.
So, it's a solid start for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3. However, Amazon will might have hoped for a little more critical acclaim given how much has been said about this being a fresh start meant to attract new viewers and lapsed fans.
"If you accept its flaws, you can find some moments to love," writes Polygon in its review. "It’s not going to change the world like Jackson’s films, but it might be enough for those who long for more of Middle-earth’s magic, even if it’s just fleeting glimpses of it."
Radio Times was a fan, noting, "Its third instalment delivers a tighter and more interesting narrative, with key moments from Tolkien's writing being balanced with original storylines that add layers to the lore." io9, meanwhile, adds, "The propulsive pace will make binging each new drop an irresistible but also manageable time investment."
Over to GamesRadar+, and the site concludes, "With Sauron's terrible might threatening Middle-earth and the forging of the One Ring at hand, The Rings of Power season 3 is a dark, thrilling instalment – but one still mired in dense, dragging subplots."
RogerEbert.com was less impressed, writing, "While 'The Rings of Power's third season is made with love—no one could craft a world that looks this close to Tolkien’s descriptions otherwise—it also no longer feels confident about what it’s trying to say."
IndieWire awards the series a C, concluding, "'The Lord of the Rings' may engender enough goodwill to give 'The Rings of Power' a little leeway, but a full season lacking in evident ingenuity and attentive investment is enough to strip away the nostalgic sheen."
"Season 3 is an encapsulation of 'The Rings of Power' as a whole: some incredibly high highs, several frustrating lows, and the creeping feeling that time is finally starting to run out," explains SlashFilm, with Decider countering, "The Rings of Power is proudly an idiosyncratic, raucous, nerdy, and extremely metal show."
In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3, Middle-earth is at war. Five years have passed since the fall of Eregion. Sauron’s armies have marched across the whole of the world, conquering all in their path.
Only a few isolated pockets stand between the Dark Lord and total victory – Khazad-dûm, where the Dwarves are now sealed deep within their mountain halls, and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, which are protected by their Three Rings.
But deep in the land of Mordor, in his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord toils day and night, obsessed with harnessing a power that will bring the last of his enemies to their knees: One Ring to rule them all...
The first four episodes of Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on November 11, 2026.