Despite being two seasons and multiple hours in, The Rings of Power season 3 will act as a "fresh start" for Prime Video's Lord of the Rings series.
“We really love the idea of throwing the viewer in in a way that is a completely fresh start," Patrick McKay told IGN of the upcoming season, which features a five-year time jump.
McKay continued, "J.D. Payne, my co-showrunner and I, we're huge admirers of shows that have done this kind of [time jump] before, like Battlestar Galactica and Halt and Catch Fire. That can be really fun for a viewer."
To that end, the outlet mentions how McKay looks at it as a 'soft reboot' – and a chance for new viewers to join the party in Middle-earth.
"Hopefully, this season is a great jumping-on point for fans,” McKay said. "And it truly starts with people talking about the One Ring."
The second season ended with Sauron turning the screw on Middle-earth, culminating in the fall of Eregion and the Dark Lord snatching away the nine rings meant for mortal men after killing Celebrimbor.
The half-decade gap, then, will gloss over some of Sauron's ascent as he bids to forge the One Ring – but don't be surprised if the narrative technique is deployed in future seasons.
"I think from the very beginning, we aspired the show to compress the time that's in the books, but also to have significant jumps forward in time for characters to age, for kingdoms to rise or fall, and I think you know there will probably be some jumps in the future," McKay told GamesRadar+ at a press event for The Rings of Power season 3.
The Rings of Power hits Prime Video on November 18. If you have time to kill before heading back to Middle-earth, check out our list of the best shows on Prime Video.
