Jones Copeland: And The Watch of the Unseen

The first season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). Set thousands of years before the novel in Middle-earth's Second Age, the series begins in a time of relative peace and follows various characters as they face the re-emergence of darkness. The season includes a mystery about the whereabouts of the Dark Lord Sauron and concludes with the forging of the first Rings of Power. It was produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema and with J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay as showrunners. Amazon acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings in November 2017. Payne and McKay were set to develop the series in July 2018. They intended for it to be visually consistent with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) film trilogies, despite being separate from them. A large international cast was hired and each Middle-earth culture was defined through designs, dialects, and music. Filming began in February 2020 in New Zealand, where the films were produced, but was put on hold in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in September and wrapped in August 2021, taking place in Auckland and on location around the country. J. A. Bayona, Wayne Che Yip, and Charlotte Brändström directed episodes. Special effects company Wētā Workshop and visual effects vendor Wētā FX returned from the films. The season premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 1, 2022, with its first two episodes. This followed a marketing campaign that attempted to win over dissatisfied Tolkien fans. The other six episodes were released weekly until October 14. Amazon said the season was the most-watched of any Prime Video original series and third-party analytics companies also estimated viewership to be high. Initial reviews were generally positive, particularly for the visuals, but there were mixed feelings on the season's Tolkien connections and criticisms for its structure. Commentary about the season focused on vocal responses from Tolkien fans, online backlash to the diverse cast, and comparisons with concurrent fantasy series House of the Dragon. The season received various accolades including six Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations.