These days, dragons and elves have taken over streaming as HBO Max’s House of the Dragon and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally make their premiere around the same time. Both are essentially prequel series with House of the Dragon taking place years before the events of Game of Thrones (GoT) and The Rings of Power set thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies.

Both shows also feature a mix of fresh (dragon-riding Milly Alcock has emerged as a breakout star) and experienced talent (Morfydd Clark takes the lead role in Rings of Power). Both series have also generated a great deal of buzz since they premiered. And while both have the benefit of an established fan base, it seems that one show appears to be a bigger hit than the other.

House Of The Dragon Made History For HBO, But Critics Are Divided

House of the Dragon was the first of the two to premiere, taking fans back to Westeros while at the same time with an emphasis on Emilia Clarke’s House Targaryen this time around.

There are also more dragons than before (as the title of the show might suggest) and critics readily praise the show’s grandeur, cinematography, and improved portrayal of female characters.

On the other hand, many have also taken issue with the characters themselves with some claiming that they appear to be flat and rather uninteresting.

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Despite the criticism, however, viewership for House of the Dragon has soared. In fact, its pilot episode was watched by 9.986 million viewers.

Since then, that number has grown to over 20 million viewers so far, according to HBO. Meanwhile, viewership for the show’s third episode was also up by 27 percent, compared to the show’s second episode.

It seems the interest in the show is growing as the plot begins to take a darker turn. In the third episode, Second of His Name, Alicent (Emily Carey) has adjusted nicely to being queen, having already given birth to a son as she expects her second child with King Viserys (Paddy Constantine).

Despite the joy and festivities, however, there is a raging war with Crab Feeder (Daniel Scott-Smith). And while Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) is nearly killed in the conflict, the cavalry essentially arrives, and he brutally disembowels Crab Feeder instead.

The Rings Of Power Marks Amazon’s Biggest Premiere And Reviews Are Mostly Positive

Amazon’s The Rings of Power premiered just a few weeks later on September 1. The series (or at least its first season) revolves around a younger Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) who was then the commander of the Northern Armies.

Following the death of her brother, she vows to hunt down Sauron despite the growing belief among the elves that the threat from Morgoth is mostly gone.

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From the beginning, many thought that doing a series based on LOTR would be a major gamble (some even thought it wouldn’t work), and rightfully so. So far, however, critics have noted that Rings of Power is giving LOTR fans exactly what they hoped for — a journey back to Middle-Earth filled with intertwined stories that revolve around elves, dwarves, men, and hobbit-like “harfoots.”

That said, some have also noted how weak other characters seem to appear, especially when compared to the fearless Galadriel. As for fans, the show has also been received well for the most part, although the cast has been subjected to some racial attacks since it premiered.

Amidst all these, The Rings of Power appears to be winning the streaming wars at present. In fact, Amazon revealed that during the show’s premiere date, The Rings of Power drew in an astounding 25 million viewers worldwide.

“It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories - among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre - have led us to this proud moment. I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate – and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew - for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy,” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement.

“And it is the tens of millions of fans watching – clearly as passionate about Middle-earth as we are – who are our true measure of success.”

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As for the shows’ futures, House of the Dragon readily scored a season renewal following its premiere success, although the release date for season 2 has not yet been set. Meanwhile, Rings of Power has always been perceived as a five-season series, so fans need not worry about the show’s fate.

That said, no information has been given about season 2 just yet. Love them or hate them, there’s more of both shows to come.