Currently, the Rotten Tomatoes score for Rings of Power is steeply divided between critics and audiences. For critics, the show has a certified fresh score of 84%, while the average audience score is at a low 34%. Early reviews were favorable for the show, with critics generally saying that the show had a promising start and setup. But now that the episodes are out in the wild, it’s not quite as clear whether the average viewer or fan is feeling the same.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
“Review Bombing” is what happens when a product, service, or piece of media is flooded with negative reviews. Usually, the negative reviews are from individuals that didn’t even experience the good or service. This is done to ensure that whatever the target is has zero to little success. Disney is also currently facing a similar issue with trolls review bombing She-Hulk.
What is Wrong with Rings of Power?
Prime Video
Rings of Power has been facing a divided fanbase for several months into its development, with multiple reasons behind fan outcry. Some fans on social media call out against the concept of an original story set in Tolkien’s second age. Many were not happy with the treatment of the lore. The biggest outcry, however, is the casting of actors of color to inhabit Tolkien’s fantasy world. The cast has since spoken out about the issue, with Morfydd Clark calling the outcries “nonsense.”
A representative of Prime reached out to Variety to confirm that the halt on reviews isn’t new. According to the anonymous spokesperson, a new system for reviews was quietly brought in for the premiere of A League of Their Own last August. The system involves a 72-hour delay for all user reviews on Prime Video, which are then checked over to make sure they were not created by a bot or troll before being made public. This new system has appeared to have worked for A League of Their Own, as the show currently has a 94% critic score and 85% audience score.
