The Rings of Power season 3 brings audiences back to Middle-earth this November as war rages between Sauron and the Elves. Jumping ahead five years from the previous outing, the story this time all leads to a pivotal moment in the Lord of the Rings universe: the forging of the One Ring.
Unlike previous seasons, the Prime Video show is approaching the telling of this story in a different way. The first four episodes are dropping all at once before double-episode premieres each subsequent week.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, co-showrunner Patrick McKay explains the reasoning behind this. "We have always thought about Lord of the Rings as a perennial, and that it's a movie or a series that potentially your whole family can watch," he tells us. "Maybe it's a little scary for young ones this time, but we love the idea of having the whole thing out before the holidays, with the aspiration that maybe people will binge it together. We'll see. Fingers crossed."
Streaming releases on Prime Video have traditionally been weekly releases, so it's interesting to hear The Rings of Power is switching to a more binge-friendly approach this season. The release structure means the whole season will be out in a two-week window, arriving ahead of Thanksgiving.
Season 3 begins with war raging as Sauron hunts for the secret to forming the One Ring from his stronghold in Barad-dûr. Meanwhile, only a few isolated pockets remain untouched, including Khazad-dûm, Númenor, and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, who try to face off against the growing darkness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 begins on Prime Video on November 11. For more, check out our guide to watching The Lord of the Rings in order.
