I’m liking, not loving, Rings of Power. As a Tolkien fan it does enough to keep me engaged and happy. But as we’re reaching the end of season one, I’m getting a bit confused. I am not sure who exactly is the target audience for the show. I feel like the show is making some baffling decisions that I would not expect in such an expensive endeavor. Am I the target audience? I grew up loving Tolkien. I watch every episode (not when it drops though). I listen to podcasts about Rings of Power. But if I’m the audience, what are the show runners thinking? If I am not the audience, the question remains but for different reasons. I’ll write about spoilers ahead for the first seven episodes of season one.
My first question. What is going on with the release times? Does Amazon truly expect people on the east coast to watch at midnight? On a Thursday night/Friday morning no less. It’s a work night for everyone on the east coast and I can’t imagine anyone waking up Friday morning to watch before heading off to work. Friday work chats about Rings of Power are then off the table. By Monday we’ve already had a weekend and Sunday NFL. Is anyone even talking about Rings at work? Is Amazon trying to link their Thursday Night Football with Rings? After watching three and a half hours of football ending at eleven o’clock I think most viewers brush their teeth and shuffle off to bed. Again, a midnight release on a work night? It feels like Amazon doesn’t want people naturally discussing the show.
For both Tolkien fans and non-fans the show is making some strange choices in an attempt to build mystery and drama. The most egregious example is SPOILERS INCOMING Isildur “dying” during a major battle. Anyone who has read Lord of the Rings or seen the Jackson films knows Isildur’s eventual fate. The audience knows he must survive Rings of Power. So why are the writers “killing” him? Why not build up another character for us to love and kill them? It is very possible a new viewer hasn’t read or seen the films. But if a new viewer gets all excited about the characters in Rings and looks up information about Isildur, they will instantly learn he can’t possibly die. To me this is a massive unforced error because it goes against one of the most important plot points all Tolkien fans already know and one of the most easily found spoilers for any non-fans. There is the possibility that Rings will completely veer away from all the established canon but that feels like an impossibility. I doubt the Tolkien estate would have agreed to work with Amazon if they knew Amazon would blow up existing lore. Tolkien fans will also be extremely and vocally upset if Rings goes so far off the rails.
Part of me feels that Amazon is not too concerned with the current audience for Rings of Power. I think the show is a loss leading proof-of-concept. Amazon is looking to make a big splash into streaming and have gone in on live sports and big budget scripted shows. Jeff Bezos is a big nerd and saved The Expanse. Maybe he’s the audience. It’s possible he just put the mandate out that he wants a Tolkien spectacle and Amazon is using their marching orders to tent-pole their streaming strategy. I know if I were one of the wealthiest people in the world I would provide money to make my passion projects come true (ask me about my John Woo inspired Battle of Gettysburg fever dream). Rings might just be a way to keep the boss happy and demonstrate the ability to provide perfectly streamed 4K television.
The Keasy Depot 