Regarding your point about being filler... See I am a fan of a lot of older shows because for one, I can sit and watch them in their entirety without having to wait for a new season. Secondly many of them I've seen before and can sort of just watch peripherally while I am doing something else. For me to actually SIT down and watch something new it has to be GOOD. Not just passable. Because something new doesn't have the nostalgia hooks of older favorites to keep me engaged. That old feeling of your favorite show coming on Friday or Saturday night. So this is why I coined my personal term "this feels like Saturday night" to describe a new movie or show that immediately hits that sweet spot and almost becomes an instant classic. The Rings of Power accomplished no such feat in my eyes.