“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” just wrapped up Season 2 and the wait for next season could be a long one.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of incredible TV floating around. While everyone waits likely years for their next chance to step foot in the Second Age of Middle-earth, there are plenty of fantastical shows to keep up with in the meantime. On top of that there’s currently no shortage of prequel series out there.
From obvious picks like “House of the Dragon” to lesser-seen gems like “Black Sails,” these are seven shows to dive into for a binge while we wait for news on the next season of “Rings of Power.”
House of the Dragon
Bit of a no-brainer here. During both “House of the Dragon” and “Rings of Power’s” first seasons, they competed directly week-to-week, but that wasn’t the case for Season 2. If you’re craving that high fantasy epic with a lot of money thrown at the production, then HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel is the ticket. Season 2 just wrapped in a similar fashion to “Rings of Power” – with the entire land on the precipice of larger war.
The Wheel of Time
Prime Video’s other major fantasy swing also shows a lot of promise. “The Wheel of Time” leans on the density of its world and lore, much like “Rings of Power,” so if you like getting into the nitty gritty of what makes a series tick, past and present, then it’s your next move. The series starts like just about every classic fantasy story does – a farmboy and his friend leave their village because they’re destined for greater things – but becomes anything but typical fantasy fare as the series unfolds.
Check it out if for no other reason than Rosamund Pike plays the series’ Gandalf comp and has a blast doing it.
The Last Kingdom
“The Last Kingdom” might have run for five seasons and a wrap-up movie on Netflix, but it still seemed like not enough people were talking about it. The series is a historical drama based on “The Saxon Stories” novels that chronicles the rise of Uhtred – a Saxon raised by Danes – as he helped shape the whole of England.
Black Sails
“Black Sails” was running on Starz at the same time “Game of Thrones” was peaking in popularity over at HBO, and for that reason, it may have been eclipsed – which is a tragedy because it’s one of the great shows to come out of the 2010s. Part historical drama, part “Treasure Island” prequel, the four-season series follows the lives of pirates, real and imagined, through their exploits on the ever-changing sea.
The show had as much production quality as “Thrones” and as award-worthy acting, but just couldn’t get out of the fantasy behemoth’s shadow. Give it a chance now and you’ll be hooked.
Andor
Sci-fi rather than fantasy, but “Andor” strikes a lot of the same chords as “Rings of Power.” Both are well-shot, well-written prequels unpacking a world on the brink of a larger, more devastating war. The series’ first season stands as the crown jewel of everything made in the Disney-led era of Star Wars. Even if you aren’t a fan of a galaxy far, far away there is plenty to love in the Diego Luna-led series.
His Dark Materials
Another adaptation of a classic set of fantasy novel, “His Dark Materials” also flew largely under the radar at HBO despite the popularity of the source material. The three-season run boasts an impressive cast, including Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kit Connor. It’s a faithful adaptation that can scratch the fantasy itch while everyone waits years for “Rings of Power” Season 3.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The final fantasy prequel on the list is Netflix’s astounding but criminally unseen “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” The amount of love and care put into every frame of this brief prequel to the iconic ’80s film is constantly evident. The show deserves to be seen for the craftsmanship alone, but the story is great and lifted higher by an impressive cast, including Taron Edgerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Isaacs, Simon Pegg, Mark Hamill, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg and Awkwafina.
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