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When The Rings of Power premiered its first season, it was met with widespread disappointment. Despite the hefty budget and significant promotional efforts, fans quickly voiced their displeasure, criticizing the series for deviating from J.R.R. Tolkien's original lore. missteps like introducing characters and storylines that had no basis in the source material, along with a perceived focus on inclusivity and diversity over storytelling quality, led to a fan revolt.
Statistics reflected this disapproval: only 37% of viewers who started the season actually finished it, indicating a massive engagement drop. The show’s reception was so poor that the first teaser trailer during the Super Bowl received an overwhelming number of dislikes, foreshadowing trouble ahead.