Summary
Amazon’s two big fantasy series,Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerandThe Wheel of Time,are adaptations of books that both have dedicated, long-standing audiences. Their viewers share many overlapping fictional interests with one another. However, when it comes to topping the charts,TheRings of Poweris seriously struggling to maintain a positive rating among its followers.
The Rings of Powerwas one of Prime Video’s flagship shows. Developed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the story is a retelling of J.R.R. Tolkien’s wider, much older lore. The story is set thousands of years before the events ofTheLord of the Ringsbook trilogy, after a continental cataclysm in the War of Wrath. In this new Second Age, most of the characters are still reeling from great conflicts against the dark god, Morgoth, and are now attempting to stop his lieutenant, Sauron, from creating the fabled Rings of Power and reassembling the Orcs into a fighting force.The Wheel of Timeby Robert Jordanis a less prolific high-fantasy novel from the 1990s. The tale is set in a world where magic exists but can only be wielded by a select number of individuals, most of whom are women. Viewers follow Moiraine Damodred, a powerful Aes Sedai, or magic wielder. She seeks out the prophesied Dragon Reborn, a figure destined to either save or destroy the world. Jordan’s epic has many overlaps with Tolkien’s work, including his appetite for lore-heavy world histories and cyclical themes of good overcoming evil.
With these two intellectual properties sharing a common audience, why doesTheRings of Powersuffer commercially, whileTheWheel of Timecontinues to succeed? Both programs have shared fairly glowing critical ratings over their seasons, withTheRings of Powerearning 84% on Rotten Tomatoes for both seasons. However, audiences have continued to diverge from the critical consensus, giving Season 1 38%, with Season 2 minorly improving at 56%. This sits in stark contrast toWheel of Time’slatest audience score of 85%on Rotten Tomatoes, a new peak for the series. AlthoughTheWheel of Timedid see a lower audience rating of 60% in its first season due to its sluggish pacing, reception for it has only continued to improve. Now, the show has also surpassedTheRings of Powercritically, garnering a lofty height of 94% for its third installment.
What, if anything, isTheWheel of Time’s secret? Both have expansive medieval-style battles and a confident female warrior in the leading role: Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred inTWoT, and Morfydd Clark as Galadriel inTRoPrespectively. How hasThe Wheel of Timebeen able to make strides in defining itself as a more faithful adaptation than Tolkien’s new TV series? At the heart of the problem may beThe Rings of Power’slackluster writing.Showrunners Payne and McKay struck a $1 billion deal with Tolkien Estate to create the series, but they didn’t manage to acquire the rights to the period of Middle Earth’s history the series is trying to explore.
Currently, Amazon only has the rights to the originalLord of the Ringsbooks,The Hobbitnovel, and the appendices of said books. The historical tomes that cover the First and Second Ages of Middle Earth:The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales,andThe History of Middle-Earthare all off limits. This means that the writers ofThe Rings of Powerare only able to use bits and pieces of information from books set thousands of years after the events they are trying to depict. These limitations have led them to invent brand-new plotlines, alter characters, and change events to pad out their version of the Second Age.
WhileThe Wheel of Timeis not a completely faithful adaptation, it takes heavily from its source material in an unrestricted way. It’s also important to keep in mind that this is the first ever attempt at an adaptation of Robert Jordan’s work.The Lord of the Ringstrilogy of films, created for the screen by Peter Jackson, are some of the most beloved fantasy films of all time. Particularly cherished for their incredible practical sets, scene-stealing veteran actors, and tightly-paced writing. Although the later trilogy of prequel films adapted fromThe Hobbitdid not perform as well, Jackson’s vision for the franchise was long thought to be untouchable and timeless. So, any follow-up was always going to have the challenge of living up to exceedingly high expectations, regardless of the quality of the material. Critics ofThe Rings of Powerare perhaps even harsher towards Amazon Prime’s adaptation because it is tampering with a nostalgic legacy that was probably best left alone.
