Middle-earth is back. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 3 premiered on Prime Video on Wednesday, November 11, with the first four episodes available at once. If you have been on the fence about returning to Amazon’s big-budget Tolkien series, here is what you need to know, without major spoilers.

A five-year time jump and a darker Sauron

According to Decider’s review, the new season opens five years after the end of Season 2. Sauron, played by Charlie Vickers, is ruling from his stronghold in Mordor and still working on the formula for the One Ring.

Vickers no longer has to play coy. After two seasons of the character hiding in plain sight, first as Halbrand and then in other guises, the show now treats Sauron openly as the villain. Decider describes this version as sadistic and theatrical, and says the drama is “darker and more mature than ever before.”

The season also keeps a version of Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) around as a taunting voice in Sauron’s head, pointing out his failures at the forge.

Familiar faces and new ones

Many favorites return. Morfydd Clark is back as Galadriel, Owain Arthur as Durin IV, and Gandalf, now fully Gandalf with his staff in hand, has a mission in the eastern land of Rhûn. In Númenor, tensions between the King’s Men, led by Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle), and the rebel Faithful reach a boiling point.

Newcomers include:

  • Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband, seen in a First Age flashback.
  • Eddie Marsan as Thráin, Durin’s brother, who arrives in Khazad-dûm to stir up trouble.
  • Andrew Richardson as Anárion, Isildur’s brother.
  • Adam Young as Marnûkh, an orc who claims he wants to help stop Sauron.

The season also introduces the Ring-servants who will one day become the Nazgûl, showing how Sauron corrupts mortal men. For longtime fans of “The Lord of the Rings,” that is one of the most anticipated threads.

So, is it good? Critics are split

Reviews are mixed. Decider was enthusiastic, arguing the show is “finally truly epic” and praising tighter storytelling, brutal action and characters who finally have something to do. Other critics were much cooler. The Guardian called the revamp “too little, too late,” and IndieWire labeled it a low point for the franchise.

Audiences appear a bit warmer than critics so far. Screen Rant reported early Rotten Tomatoes numbers of 81% from audiences and 78% from critics, though scores like these often shift in the first weeks of a release.

One caveat worth knowing: Decider noted that Prime Video sent critics seven of the season’s eight episodes, so no reviewer had seen the finale.

How to watch

The first four episodes are streaming now on Prime Video. The season runs eight episodes in total, with the rest arriving in the weeks ahead. If you need a refresher, Season 1 and Season 2 are also available on the service, and many fans like to rewatch the Season 2 finale before diving in.

Should you jump back in?

If the slow, mystery-heavy pace of earlier seasons put you off, Season 3 is pitching itself as a faster, darker, more confident show. If you never warmed to the series’ invented storylines, the critical split suggests it may not change your mind. Either way, the first four episodes are a big enough chunk to decide for yourself over a weekend.

The bottom line

“The Rings of Power” Season 3 brings a time jump, an openly villainous Sauron, the rise of the Ring-servants and a batch of new characters. Critics can’t agree on whether it finally works, which makes it one of the most debated TV premieres of the week.

Image: Gold ring on Apple keyboard by wyncliffe via Flickr, CC0 1.0