Rings of Power Season 2 has surpassed its previous Rotten Tomatoes score with another Certified Fresh rating – but Lord of the Rings fans (most of whom haven’t watched the new season) aren’t buying it.
Ring of Power Season 1 was the subject of big complaints; whether it was its alleged bastardization of Tolkien’s source material, its diverse casting (Arondir’s Ismael Cruz Córdova was targeted by online trolls), or Galadriel being written as an “unlikeable” character.
Some criticisms were valid, others were rooted in bigotry and stubbornness. And, as expected, the vitriol has already resurfaced with Season 2’s premiere on Prime Video.
In our four-star review, we said, “Amazon’s Lord of the Rings epic redeems itself… [but] will Rings of Power Season 2 create a lasting peace among fans? Absolutely not.”
It contributed towards the series’ new Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%, an improvement from Season 1’s 83%.
Just to clarify, if you don’t know how the website works: that means 86% of critics gave it a positive write-up. They may not all be rave reviews, but they’re ultimately on the positive side. That cannot be denied.
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The Rings Of Power is currently at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. I find this hard to believe. pic.twitter.com/iskEZdCtgy
— Erik 'daibo' Kain (@erikkain) August 28, 2024
Nevertheless, certain viewers have already made up their minds. “I can’t believe critic reviews anymore. They did the same with The Acolyte and it was trash,” one user wrote.
“Yeah… wait for the audience (who aren’t paid shills) to give their input. Never trust the critic scores on RT when wokeness is involved,” another user posted.
A third also wrote: “Lol. I’ll wait for the Audience Reviews, because those closer represent how good/bad something actually is.”
On that last comment, they’re wrong: audience ratings are constantly manipulated by outspoken minorities, mostly to review-bomb titles (like The Acolyte and Captain Marvel) or to inflate their reception.
In the meantime, make sure you check out our recaps of Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3. If you’re unsure when Rings of Power takes place in the Lord of the Rings timeline, we’ve also got you covered.
