The Rings of Power season 1 faced issues in 2022, but season 2 can avoid them with proper timing.
The show sits in a unique place in Tolkien’s universe, attracting fans despite canon discrepancies.

Release overlap with House of the Dragon impacted comparisons; The Rings of Power season 2 should time its premiere wisely.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 ran into an issue when it aired in 2022, but the coming installment could avoid the problem this time around. The Amazon Lord of the Rings prequel TV show sits in an unusual place canonically, but that didn’t stop fans of the franchise from watching in their droves. The impending arrival of The Rings of Power season 2 proves how successful the first set of episodes was, but it can be even more of a triumph if it takes one simple step.

The Rings of Power cast bring a version of JRR Tolkein’s legendary universe to life, with events taking place centuries before the books or the movies. The show’s place in The Lord of the Rings‘ timeline is one of the few facets that’s largely agreed upon by fans. Due to The Rings of Power‘s restricted access to the source material for legal reasons, the canon of the show has already veered from established lore several times. Regardless, a second season is coming, and it needs to sidestep a clash with one of its biggest competitors.

The Rings Of Power Season 1’s Release Date Was Too Close To House Of The Dragon’s

The Game of Thrones prequel’s release schedule overlapped with The Rings of Power

 

The Rings of Power was one of the best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video in 2022, and it drew a lot of comparisons with House of the Dragon when both shows were being released. The two shared much more than a genre label, although that also contributed to them being constantly compared. As well as both prequel shows being set before established fantasy franchises, The Rings of Power season 1’s release schedule almost perfectly overlapped with The House of the Dragon‘s.

House Of The Dragon/The Rings Of Power Release Schedule Comparison

Show
Season
Episode Number
Title
Release Date (2022)

House of the Dragon
1

1
The Heirs of the Dragon
August 21

The Rings of Power
1
1
A Shadow of the Past
September 1

House of the Dragon
1
2
The Rogue Prince
August 28

The Rings of Power
1
2
Adrift
September 1

House of the Dragon
1
3
Second of His Name
September 4

The Rings of Power
1
3
Adar
September 9

House of the Dragon
1
4
King of the Narrow Sea
September 11

The Rings of Power
1
4
The Great Wave
September 16

House of the Dragon
1
5
We Light the Way
September 18

The Rings of Power
1
5
Partings
September 23

House of the Dragon
1
6
The Princess and the Queen
September 25

The Rings of Power
1
6
Udûn
September 30

House of the Dragon
1
7
Driftmark
October 2

The Rings of Power
1
7
The Eye
October 7

House of the Dragon
1
8
The Lord of the Tides
October 9

The Rings of Power
1
8
Alloyed
October 14

House of the Dragon
1
9
The Green Council
October 16

House of the Dragon
1
10
The Black Queen
October 23

House of the Dragon started its ten-episode run on August 21, 2022. After just two episodes of House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power released two at once on September 1, 2022. That meant that each show released an episode within a few days of the other for a notable string of weeks before both ended in October. The fact that both shows were being aired weekly only led to even more comparisons between them.

While there were fans who enjoyed both shows, The House of the Dragon was of a higher quality than The Rings of Power. So, while The House of the Dragon benefited by being made to look better by comparison, The Rings of Power suffered the opposite fate. The Lord of the Rings spinoff was a very good show in its own right, but it was hurt by being released almost simultaneously with a direct competitor.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Must Avoid The Release Mistake That Hurt Season 1

The two fantasy shows both need room to breathe

Although there were undeniable similarities between The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, the two shows were also different in key ways. The disparities in the shows were partially overlooked due to the similar release schedules, although they were thankfully on separate streaming platforms. The House of the Dragon season 2 release month has already been revealed to be June 2024. However, The Rings of Power season 2 has yet to receive an official release date.

Although there were undeniable similarities between The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon , the two shows were also different in key ways.

That being said, The Rings of Power season 2 release window has been revealed to fall somewhere within 2024. So, it’s possible there could be a similar clash with the Game of Thrones prequel show. The rivalry between the two properties is already notable. Hopefully, Amazon will learn from the mistakes of the past and won’t release The Rings of Power alongside House of the Dragon again.

When The Rings Of Power Season 2 Should Premiere On Amazon

The Lord of the Rings show should wait until at least Fall 2024 to debut its second season

The Rings of Power season 2 needs to avoid a summer release window so the fantasy market doesn’t become saturated for another stretch of weeks. Thankfully, there’s an easy way they can do this. Amazon should hold back on airing any of The Rings of Power season 2 until House of the Dragon has finished its weekly releases of its second season. Doing so would help reduce any harmful comparisons between the two shows.

House of the Dragon season 2 will be two episodes shorter than its predecessor, consisting of just eight episodes. So, depending on when the first episode airs in June, the finale will land on Max in mid-late August 2024. This removes summer as a viable option for The Lords of the Rings‘ prequel story to continue. Instead, The Rings of Power should begin in the fall or even winter.

The Rings of Power season 1 is available to stream now on Prime Video. House of the Dragon season 1 is on Max.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Must Avoid The Release Mistake That Hurt Season 1

The two fantasy shows both need room to breathe

House of the Dragon started its ten-episode run on August 21, 2022. After just two episodes of House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power released two at once on September 1, 2022. That meant that each show released an episode within a few days of the other for a notable string of weeks before both ended in October. The fact that both shows were being aired weekly only led to even more comparisons between them.

While there were fans who enjoyed both shows, The House of the Dragon was of a higher quality than The Rings of Power. So, while The House of the Dragon benefited by being made to look better by comparison, The Rings of Power suffered the opposite fate. The Lord of the Rings spinoff was a very good show in its own right, but it was hurt by being released almost simultaneously with a direct competitor.