Rings Of Power Wastes No Time Transforming Tolkien’s Most Iconic Setting

Published Oct 26, 2026, 5:31 PM EDT Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones). The Rings of Power season 3 is nearly here, and it looks like this installment won't be wasting any more time. There's little question at this point in the game that Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings prequel series has been divisive, with viewers leaning heavily one way or the other in their approval. The Rings of Power has taken a variety of creative liberties with Tolkien's Second Age, and that has naturally led to a lot of debate. Still, perhaps the most resounding complaints come down to pacing and the general feel of Middle-earth thus far. The first two seasons of The Rings of Power condensed thousands of years into what seems like a handful of weeks, and that naturally had significant consequences. To make matters worse, the heavy exposition required by these installments meant that, while the timeline was condensed, it moved frustratingly slowly. This, combined with the fact that the Second Age Middle-earth we see on screen looks pretty different from the Third Age Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings, creates a somewhat uncomfortable effect in Rings of Power. Whether all of this was a necessary evil is subjective, but heading into Rings of Power season 3, it should no longer matter. The latest trailer for the upcoming installment has given us a peek at how much Middle-earth has changed since Rings of Power season 2 ended. The show finally hit the fast-forward button, and the season 3 trailer demonstrates this by finally showing us a very recognizable location—Rivendell. Rivendell Does Rings Of Power A Massive Favor Tolkien's Middle-earth is full of memorable locations, many of which became even more iconic thanks to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series. A prime example is Rivendell, the Elvish sanctuary ruled over by Elrond. This is where the Fellowship of the Ring first meets up and sets off on their epic quest together, so it's a pretty big deal. Rings of Power season 3 fully embraces the design of Rivendell we are familiar with, so while Elrond's home is far from complete, what we see in the trailer immediately makes this world feel more like Middle-earth. This fact and the surrounding circumstances will do a lot for Rings of Power. As previously mentioned, many key locations from Tolkien and Jackson's The Lord of the Rings weren't featured in the first couple of seasons of the Prime Video series, because they didn't exist yet. Conversely, places like Eregion, Lindon, and Numenor are important in Rings of Power, but don't exist in the same capacity in The Lord of the Rings. It might as well be a different world, and that by no means helps against the complaints around Rings of Power. At the end of Rings of Power season 2, Elrond and the survivors of Eregion found themselves in the beautiful, wild valley that would become Rivendell. Prime Video could have taken its time to establish this place, once again dragging us through slow development while other parts of the story raced ahead. Instead, Rings of Power season 3 picks up after a several-year time jump, which means the season can premiere with Rivendell already established, finally allowing Middle-earth to feel like our familiar fantasy home. Rings Of Power Season 3 Is The Lord Of The Rings Prequel We've Been Waiting For Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video Rings of Power has had a lot going for it since day one. Despite all the discord surrounding the series, critical reception has been excellent, and Prime Video maintains that viewership is within the appropriate range. Still, it's difficult to deny that a significant part of the controversy here is that Rings of Power just hasn't been what many had expected. Lord of the Rings prequels, especially those set around stories from The Silmarillion, have been heavily requested for years. The one we got didn't initially check the boxes mainstream audiences were looking for. Scratch & Peek Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible. When we first heard about Rings of Power, we imagined the Dark Lord Sauron, the kingdom of Mordor, and the One Ring to Rule Them All. The expectation was that the devastating War of Sauron and the Elves segued into the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. To keep things from being too predictable outside the gate, Rings of Power hid Sauron in plain sight and took its time bringing about the actual creation of the titular Rings, the One Ring, and the start of war. Viewers either love or hate this, but it is, regardless, a completely valid way to approach the story. Regardless, the time has finally come. Based just on the Rings of Power season 3 trailer, it really looks as if the show is finally diving into what we expected from the very beginning. Sauron is an overt threat; his One Ring is about to be forged, and he rules from the dark kingdom of Mordor. In the meantime, Elrond steadily builds Rivendell and the forces of good continue to fight back. Rings of Power has done what it could so far, but now is when the real meat of the story begins. Release Date September 1, 2022 Network Amazon Prime Video Showrunner John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip Directors J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri Writers Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings