The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy was as soon as the crown jewel of Amazon Prime Video programming.
It was supposed to not solely change Sport of Thrones as the following massive fantasy property on tv, but in addition be a part of forces with Citadel to determine Amazon Prime Video because the premier streaming service on this planet, nay, the universe. Sadly, Citadel has largely bombed and Rings of Energy has didn’t reside as much as fan expectations. Season 2 of Rings of Energy noticed a 60% drop in general viewership — a slight difficulty contemplating the present has one of many largest TV budgets of all time.
All of that is to say that cancelling The Wheel of Time was a giant mistake.
It was simply getting good
Each display screen adaptation of a novel has its detractors, and Wheel of Time was no totally different. Although many followers of the unique Wheel of Time e book sequence have warmed to the Prime Video adaptation, many have additionally criticized its deviations from the books. These modifications have had little to do with the present’s high quality, and finally the primary season’s flaws have been extra as a result of pacing errors, however Wheel of TIme has risen above its missteps and improved with every new season. Season 3 was uniformly praised by critics and largely accepted by e book followers, and its finale was the most effective episodes of fantasy tv in current reminiscence. Storylines have been firing on all cylinders and the consequences workforce labored extra time to ship coronary heart pounding motion.
In comparison with the newest season of Prime Video’s Rings of Energy, which created plot gap after plot gap because it barreled in direction of a hit-or-miss sequence of climaxes, Wheel of Time Season 3 was virtually Shakespearean.
So why not cancel Rings of Energy?
Rings of Energy has introduced in additional general subscriber income to Amazon than Wheel of Time. Nonetheless, WoT can also be considerably cheaper and sure extra worthwhile than Rings. So why did Amazon simply cancel Wheel of Time after solely three seasons? Sadly, it’s as a result of Amazon MGM Studios has already tied itself to the attainable sinking ship that’s Rings of Energy. Amazon is reportedly dedicated to 5 seasons of the present and might’t simply again down now. Wheel of Time, then again, dipped barely in viewership with Season 3, giving MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins and his colleagues the tiniest justification to drop it as a substitute of the creatively floundering Rings.
Contemplating Wheel of Time’s fanbase, this can be a nasty transfer
Sure, Wheel of Time didn’t please everyone. A few of the haters have been e book followers who didn’t just like the Prime sequence’ inclusion of gay characters. Others have been purists who didn’t approve of the alterations to the unique novels’ plots. However the individuals who unabashedly liked Wheel of Time have been way more outspoken, and even launched a marketing campaign to demand the present’s renewal after the Season 3 finale. Compared, Rings of Energy viewer reactions have ranged from “meh” to “violently hate it and consider it’s peeing on J. R. R. Tolkien’s grave.” I’ve but to see a glowing assessment of the present, and most Netizens who’ve watched the sequence categorical delicate indifference in direction of it.
This spells potential dangerous information for Amazon. Some Wheel of Time followers are already cancelling their Prime subscriptions over Amazon’s dumping of it. And if Rings of Energy doesn’t proper itself and ship a mind-bogglingly epic, Tolkienian Season 3, then viewers who solely joined Prime Video to observe Rings would possibly find yourself doing the identical.
There’s a dearth of buzzy, good content material on Amazon Prime proper now
If extra Wheel of Time followers cancel their Prime Video subscriptions and Rings of Energy can’t retain its viewership both, then what’s going to maintain new viewers coming to Prime? With the critically acclaimed The Bondsman just lately cancelled, Prime Video’s solely uniformly praised present sequence are Reacher, The Boys, Fallout, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Cross, and The Satan’s Hour. However The Boys, Reacher and Fallout are the one three with actual social media buzz, and The Boys is ending quickly …
So was it actually a good suggestion for Amazon MGM Studios to cancel its most acclaimed fantasy property — arguably one of the best on TV — and one with a Very On-line fanbase? Most likely not. However I’m not the CEO of Amazon.