‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3 Splits Critics as Its Rotten Tomatoes Score Lands

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ is back on Prime Video, and the new season arrives with plenty riding on it. Season 3 jumps 5 years ahead to the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord sets out to forge the One Ring. The first 4 episodes are streaming now, with 2 more coming November 18 and the final 2 on November 25.

The buzz before the premiere was overwhelmingly positive. In first reactions after early screenings, critics called the opening episodes epic, praised Charlie Vickers’ performance as Sauron, and said this could be the show’s best season yet. Several also noted that the new season gets off to a faster start, addressing one of the most common complaints about earlier seasons.

Now that full reviews are in, the picture looks more mixed. Season 3 debuted with a 75% Tomatometer score, according to Screen Rant. That’s still comfortably “Fresh,” but it sits below the show’s earlier seasons.

The number has moved a lot as reviews come in. Different outlets reported anywhere from 70% to the high 70s in the first hours after the embargo lifted, with fewer than 30 reviews counted. Forbes noted that even after 2 more reviews arrived, the score kept shifting.

Tomorrow, the war for Middle-earth begins again. Here’s where the map stands as you prepare for Season 3. https://t.co/dUd353M54Q

— The Rings of Power (@TheRingsofPower) November 10, 2026

For comparison, Season 1 holds an 84% Tomatometer score and Season 2 has 85%. That makes this the lowest critics’ score the show has received so far, even if the drop is fairly small.

Even positive reviews aren’t without reservations. Screen Rant called the season leaner, meaner, and more satisfying than what came before, while GamesRadar+ described it as dark and thrilling but still weighed down by dense, slow subplots. Radio Times praised a tighter story that balances Tolkien’s key moments with original material.

The new trailer for ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER’ Season 3 has been released. Releasing November 11 on Prime Video. https://t.co/YRatcjauR2

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 21, 2026

Other critics were tougher. IndieWire argued that nostalgia for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ can only take the series so far, and CBR found the season’s depiction of the war underwhelming. Forbes’ Erik Kain also gave it one of the season’s negative reviews, though he admitted the show hadn’t actually gotten worse.

Interestingly, Metacritic tells a slightly different story. On that site, Season 3 sits at 73/100, the best score for the show to date, though only a minor improvement on the 71 and 67 of the first two seasons.

The bigger question may be how fans react. The series has long had a gap between critics and audiences, with Season 1 sitting at just 38% on the Popcornmeter and Season 2 at 58%. Season 3’s audience score will only appear now that episodes are actually streaming.

Three rings for the Elven kings under the sky. Seven for the Dwarf lords in their halls of stone. Nine for mortal men doomed to die. One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne. https://t.co/0jzXt1WNAG

— The Rings of Power (@TheRingsofPower) November 10, 2026

Some think the gap could close this time. Several reviews suggest the series has taken steps to answer fan complaints, especially about pacing. Forbes even predicted that the audience score could rise, since most remaining viewers are fans who already enjoy the show.

The season certainly isn’t short on ambition. It features Sauron’s rise, the Balrog voiced by Simon Pegg, and Jamie Campbell Bower’s debut as Celeborn. Prime Video has also already renewed the series for Season 4, so Middle-earth’s story will continue regardless of how this score settles.

With the first 4 episodes now out, viewers can decide for themselves whether this is the series at its best or more of the same. The score is likely to keep shifting as more critics weigh in over the coming days.

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