Criticism is nothing new for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. As soon as the series was announced, some The Lord of the Rings fans were skeptical. Despite its massive budget, they were afraid that Amazon wouldn't be able to live up to the quality that LOTR material demands. The Super Bowl teaser did little to quell the growing apprehension, and then, reports that The Rings of Power would be changing and adding to Tolkien's lore had some fans up in arms.
Things didn't get much better when The Rings of Power dropped on Prime Video and the series' introductory montage left out a lot of important lore points. That continued throughout the series, and it also added to LOTR canon. A minority of LOTR fans adamantly hate The Rings of Power, calling it a bastardization of Tolkien's material. While that might be an overblown and disproportionate response, it's still clear that the series didn't live up to some people's expectations. As a result, there are even rumors that the showrunners are on their way out the door.
Will The Rings Of Power's Showrunners Be Fired?
Amazon has spent an unworldly amount of money on The Rings of Power. However, the company made an odd choice on what to do with that investment. Executives named Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne as co-showrunners. As huge Tolkien fans, the decision made sense -- but they were both first-time showrunners. The pressure of making something LOTR-centric is difficult enough, but trying to do that as first-time showrunners was surely difficult.
Unfortunately, TV fans (and LOTR fans especially) are unforgiving. So, there are rumors that Amazon wants to course-correct for Season 2. Rumors also say that Amazon will do that by removing McKay and Payne from their positions as showrunners. Those rumors first showed up on the 314th episode of the YouTube livestream show Midnight’s Edge in the Morning. While being interviewed, noted film critic and industry insider, Chris Gore, had some strong words for The Rings of Power. He said, “I heard from someone who has a contact at Amazon that – if you wanna know – that effectively, they’re going to be retooling,” he explained. “And [Payne and McKay] are more than likely… they’re not gonna be publicly fired, but their role will be reduced.”
Firing The Rings of Power's Showrunners Is a Bad Idea
Of course, all of that is still a rumor, but firing (or even just demoting) McKay and Payne isn't a good idea. Some series have been successful after replacing their showrunners, but there's something to be said for continuity. Replacing McKay and Payne after a single season would signal that Amazon has completely written off Season 1 as a failure. It would be like Amazon's executives admitting that they made a mistake -- granted, that is what some fans want.
Regardless, The Rings of Power showrunners have set their course and should be allowed to correct it for themselves. They're already looking at Season 1's success and disappointments while getting ready to film Season 2. Payne told Variety, "Certainly, you look at audience response, and you see what characters people love, and what kinds of storytelling move them. I wouldn’t say we're over-correcting for any of it, but we’re certainly listening to people’s responses."
Thus, while some fans might want McKay and Payne gone, it would be better to let them correct their mistakes. They're first-time showrunners, and let's be honest: they did a pretty good job. The Rings of Power's viewership numbers have even spiked since the finale. There's no way that they could have catered to everybody's expectations and wishes. So, while it's possible that they could be replaced, it would be better if they stayed.
The Rings of Power Season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video.