The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is gearing up to make its return on the 2026 TV schedule, and fans should mark their calendars because the release schedule for Season 3 is a bit confusing. The fantasy show isn't doing traditional weekly releases, and it's not going full-binge either; instead, it will be taking a page out of Netflix’s Stranger Things handbook and releasing episodes in blocks. While this does give me a headache, the showrunner's reasoning for it makes perfect sense. Those with an Amazon Prime subscription will be treated to the first four episodes of Rings of Power Season 3 on November 11. A week later, on November 18, two more episodes will be released. Then, the final two episodes will be released on November 25. In the past, this show has dropped a chunk of episodes at the start and then released one at a time on a weekly basis. However, this model they're using for Season 3 is quite different, and it will give fans the show very fast. It sounds like getting the streaming service to agree to the schedule was a bit of a challenge, as co-showrunner Patrick McKay told io9: We’re always in conversation with Amazon, and we’re advocating for what we think is best for the show.It’s not the first time showrunners have had to advocate for a different release strategy with their streaming services. Just last year, the Duffer Brothers sat down with Netflix to persuade them into releasing the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters alongside the streaming service drop. Plus, that final season was released in three chunks between Thanksgiving and the new year. McKay and his co-showrunner J.D. Payne weren’t gunning for a theatrical release, but they did feel strongly about being able to release the show in blocks instead of rolling out episodes weekly, as McKay continued:We generally, as the creators, feel that the show plays better on a binge because it really is so highly serialized and there are so many storylines. It’s the kind of show, just as viewers, that we find that you really have to pay attention to and you want to get that feeling you get when you’re hooked on a show where it sweeps you away.As much as I think the binge-watching model is ruining television, I can see why a block release makes sense for Rings of Power. The show is packed with storylines, and they can't all be addressed in every episode, meaning fans would sometimes have to wait weeks before they saw their favorite characters back on screen. That won’t be the case this year, which will be a welcome change, especially after the revelation about what The Stranger’s actual name is. Season 3 will also feature a time jump, which means there’s going to be even more for fans to catch up on. In an age when everyone’s attention spans are so short, it makes sense that a block schedule would be used so fans don’t forget minor details that might be important in subsequent episodes, which is exactly the point McKay was making, saying: And we find when you watch it, boom, boom, boom, boom, it sort of works better. So we’re always advocating for more episodes sooner, and then this particular season, we really wanted it to be out by the holidays. We wanted people to be able to binge it over the holidays. So it’ll be a quick release, but then you can watch it at your leisure.In a way, The Rings of Power release schedule has something for all kinds of television watchers. Fans who want to watch things immediately or prefer a weekly release can engage in mini-binge sessions every seven days. Meanwhile, fans who prefer an hours-long traditional binge session only have to wait three weeks for the entire show to be released instead of six to eight weeks. It will be interesting to see how the new release schedule affects its viewership, but The Lord of the Rings fandom is huge, and Season 4 is already in development, so I’m sure it will be fine.If you haven't been watching the show, or need to brush up before Season 3 begins, now is the time to do it!