The Rings of Power is Here – Read the Reactions! – Let’s Get Nerdy!

Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!

In past articles I have answered the question:

• What Are the Rings of Power? 
• What is Númenor?
• What is the Second Age? 
• Who are the Harfoots? 
• Who is Prince Durin IV? 
• What is Khazad-dûm? 
• Who is Celebrimbor?
• What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves? 
• Who is Elendil? 
• New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo? 
• What is Rivendell? 
• The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
• What is Lindon?
• What are the Nine Human Rings? 
• Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers 
• New Character Pictures 
• Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
• New Promo for The Rings of Power 
• What is Eregion? 
• Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown 
• The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown 
• New EW Rings of Power Pictures 
• SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown 
• Who is Isildur? 

The Rings of Power is finally here! The first and second episode dropped on streaming at 6pm Pacific Daylight Time yesterday, a full day before the original September 2nd airdate (although it was September 2nd in the United Kingdom when Amazon Prime blessed us). A couple days ahead of The Rings of Power debut official reviews and reactions came in from the early screenings which have been happening the world over. They ranged from Variety’s Positive Review to Entertainment Weekly’s Absolute Drag of the premier episodes.

In fairness, most reviews fell in the middle. Excited and impressed with the scale of the storytelling and a handful of standout performances, but not afraid to point out early shortcomings as they’ve made themselves known – from pacing to visual effects.

Reactions across social media have skewed a little more positive. Check out Tweets below:

Sean O’Connell on Twitter: “Here’s something you probably didn’t expect to hear. I thought #TheRingsOfPower was pretty great. Interesting new characters. Unusual locations. The looming threat of Sauron and some spectacular visual imagery. I devoured the episodes, and am excited to watch more. pic.twitter.com/uCTsjnLZpZ / Twitter”

Here’s something you probably didn’t expect to hear. I thought #TheRingsOfPower was pretty great. Interesting new characters. Unusual locations. The looming threat of Sauron and some spectacular visual imagery. I devoured the episodes, and am excited to watch more. pic.twitter.com/uCTsjnLZpZ

Jessica Ellis on Twitter: “It’s worth coming back briefly to say it: #TheRingsOfPower is spectacular. It’s lovely to be back in Middle Earth. pic.twitter.com/roSYROSNcm / Twitter”

It’s worth coming back briefly to say it: #TheRingsOfPower is spectacular. It’s lovely to be back in Middle Earth. pic.twitter.com/roSYROSNcm

Anthony – The Movie Podcast on Twitter: “#TheRingsOfPower is a CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE! The visionary team behind it has produced an epic that dives into its roots and delivers a story like no other. Its production is beyond comparison, masterfully orchestrating a mythology that fans have been waiting for. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/nvebQkdEx7 / Twitter”

TheRingsOfPower is a CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE! The visionary team behind it has produced an epic that dives into its roots and delivers a story like no other. Its production is beyond comparison, masterfully orchestrating a mythology that fans have been waiting for. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/nvebQkdEx7

https://twitter.com/Dome_Woo/status/1565806883449049088

Shahbaz @ #TIFF22 – The Movie Podcast on Twitter: “#TheRingsofPower is CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE. The scale of this story has never been done before, making each moment EPIC & BREATHTAKING. The marriage between practical and computer generated effects will set the standard for everything that follows. @LOTRonPrime @PrimeVideoCA pic.twitter.com/Grt3wsUUtC / Twitter”

TheRingsofPower is CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE. The scale of this story has never been done before, making each moment EPIC & BREATHTAKING. The marriage between practical and computer generated effects will set the standard for everything that follows. @LOTRonPrime @PrimeVideoCA pic.twitter.com/Grt3wsUUtC

https://twitter.com/habibisira/status/1565806815530684423

Although not everyone was a fan …

Lucas de Abreu Maia on Twitter: “Y’all well have to forgive me, but #TheRingsOfPower is the most grandiose example of wasteful television. Sure, it’s gorgeous, but the writing is plainly terrible, the acting is embarrassing and the rhythm is just insufferable. / Twitter”

Y’all well have to forgive me, but #TheRingsOfPower is the most grandiose example of wasteful television. Sure, it’s gorgeous, but the writing is plainly terrible, the acting is embarrassing and the rhythm is just insufferable.

Turnt Up Dylan / DKS (33.3%)《TYR》 on Twitter: “I’m at a loss for words #TheRingsOfPower $1 billion budget for this?I’m a huge #lotr fan but I’ve literally fallen asleep both times I tried to watch this Amazon rebootIt feels like they forced the side plots of all the most uninteresting characters / Twitter”

I’m at a loss for words #TheRingsOfPower $1 billion budget for this?I’m a huge #lotr fan but I’ve literally fallen asleep both times I tried to watch this Amazon rebootIt feels like they forced the side plots of all the most uninteresting characters

https://twitter.com/SFCMikeKavs/status/1565806698744406016

Ardal Ó Ceallaigh on Twitter: “#TheRingsOfPower is utterly insulting to suffer through if you’re Irish.We’re portrayed as harmless simpletons, a caricature of our culture on display to the world, embarrassingBeyond that it was a jarring, boring, visually stunning incoherent mess of a show / Twitter”

TheRingsOfPower is utterly insulting to suffer through if you’re Irish.We’re portrayed as harmless simpletons, a caricature of our culture on display to the world, embarrassingBeyond that it was a jarring, boring, visually stunning incoherent mess of a show

While I don’t believe Rotten Tomatoes is the end all be all it is a wonderful gauge for audience reactions. Aggregates of audience ratings can give good insights into what a good chunk of the viewing audience is feeling.

And it seems The Rings of Power is pretty well-liked by most of the audience who tuned in to watch. HBOMax released the viewership for House of the Dragon almost immediately following the pilot release and the second episode garnered 10.2 million viewers – even higher! HBO broke with the Netflix-led tradition of streamers keeping their number close to the vest. I’m super interested to see if Amazon Prime will throw out the number as well. If audiences first reactions and the number reflect highly I suspect we’ll be in store fo The Rings of Power for many seasons to come.

For my part, I fall somewhere in the middle. You’ll have to tune in to future episodes of Finally Friday for longer thoughts! We want to read your reactions to Episode One and Two as well. Sharing is caring!

TL;DR to have potential new audience members connecting with everything I love about J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth supersedes anything else about The Rings of Power for me. Like the Marvel Cinematic Unvierse, The Rings of Power could bring an entire crop of new people to the world of  The Lord of the Rings an everything its spawned. These premiere episodes, for me, are a celebration.

In the weeks to come we have six more episodes of The Rings of Power. If there is anything you’d like to see explored or explained in future installments of Did You Hear? be sure to sound off on Twitter or here in the comments section!