Key Takeaways:
– The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been released on Prime Video.
– Despite praise for its visuals and set designs, the series struggled with viewership, unlike the first season.
– The series has been outranked in viewership by the TV series, Prison Break, originally released in 2017.
– The Rings of Power holds the top spot for most-watched original streaming show this week.
– Fox might reconsider reviving Prison Break after its newfound appeal on streaming platforms.
The Second Season Debut of The Rings of Power
The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been out on Prime Video. Taking inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, this series isn’t a continuation of Peter Jackson’s films but a spin-off. Despite the warm reception to the first season in September 2022, the series fell short of expectations raised by the critically acclaimed films.
Critical Response and Viewership
The second season, much like the first, received mixed responses from critics and viewers alike. While the visuals and set designs were applauded, the pacing and narrative weren’t received as warmly. The viewership statistics echo these sentiments, as the number of viewers seems to have dropped compared to the first season. Nielsen’s rating further highlighted that a TV series released several years ago was more appealing to viewers than The Rings of
Power in its opening week.
Prison Break Locks Top Spot
Interestingly, the series that managed to surpass The Rings of Power in viewership was Prison Break. The series, initially released by Fox in 2003, was added to Netflix in July and since then has claimed the top spot in viewership for four consecutive weeks, proving its timeless appeal. According to Nielsen, viewers watched 1.188 billion minutes of the show across Netflix and Hulu, while The Rings of Power only clocked in 1.015 billion minutes of viewership across all eleven episodes during its debut week.
The Bright Side for The Rings of Power
However, it’s not all gloomy for The Rings of Power. Despite Prison Break claiming more viewers overall, The Rings of Power was the most-watched original streaming show this week. Following them on Nielsen’s overall streaming list is Family Guy, with 1 billion minutes viewed on Hulu.
Possible Return of Prison Break
Prison Break’s stellar streaming success has sparked conversation about reviving the series. Fox had initially been doubtful about the project with Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller in 2003, greenlighting Prison Break only when serialized shows like Lost and 24 earned popularity. Despite some criticism of the series overstaying its welcome after its first season, the series garnered strong rating results. Fox announced the final fifth season for the series in 2016 and mentioned no plans for revival in 2019.
The resurgence in viewership on Netflix and Hulu may lead Fox to reconsider their decision. Fans of Prison Break can find the series on these platforms while The Rings of Power is currently streaming on Prime Video. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may not have been able to mimic the ageless appeal of Prison Break, but it certainly won’t stop trying to capture the hearts of Tolkien’s loyal fantasy fan base.
