The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 First Reviews: A More Focused, Cinematic, Action-Packed Return to Middle-earth – Rotten Tomatoes

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 First Reviews: A More Focused, Cinematic, Action-Packed Return to Middle-earth

Critics say the epic fantasy series finally feels like it’s finding its identity, even if its penchant for lore-heavy storytelling weighs it down a bit.

By Christopher Campbell | Published November 10, 2026, TAGGED AS: Action, movies

J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy franchise returns this week with the Season 3 premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the first reviews of the new episodes are now online. Amazon’s depiction of Middle-earth’s Second Age continues with a five-year time jump as Sauron goes to war with the Elves in his pursuit of all the titular rings. So far, there is some debate as to whether the third season is an improvement over the previous two or it’s still dragging, but most reviews continue to highlight the show’s visuals and performances.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 3
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Starring: Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur

Here’s what critics are saying about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3:
Has the series gotten better?

The Rings of Power Season 3 is the best season of the show so far.
– Rotem Rusak, Nerdist
Season 3 turns The Rings of Power from a niche franchise for those most dedicated to Tolkien lore into must-watch TV.
– Therese Lacson, Collider
It’s probably the most intricate adaptation of a work I’ve ever seen.
– John Kirk, Original Cin
If you’ve not enjoyed the show so far, you’re not going to enjoy it now… [but] for all its flaws, The Rings of Power is getting better season by season.
– Louise Griffin, Radio Times
Prequelitis remains, but at least the execution has improved.
– Elijah Gonzalez, But Why Tho?
The Rings of Power Season 3 is very much the same — still chock-full of thrilling, epic highs… and plodding, cringey lows.
– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
This Lord of the Rings series has always had trouble finding the right balance among its varying subplots… Nowhere does that feel more glaring than in Season 3.
– Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm

Image from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 3 (2026) (Photo by Ben Rothstein/Prime Video)

Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 First Reviews: A More Focused, Cinematic, Action-Packed Return to Middle-earth | Rotten Tomatoes