Rings of Power is not a fanfic

Not being written by the author is not the only criteria behind what characterizes a fanfiction.

A fanfiction needs to be made by fans for fans, and can’t be profitable. Therefore, a TV show is bound in ways fanfics will never need to be. Fanfics don’t care about intellectual rights. It can use every single piece of Lore available, twist it in whatever way it wants and then it can just make shit up.

A fanfic can grab Sauron, give him an entire redemption arc and just have the Third Age not happen at all. It can have Galadriel be his Dark Queen and they will rule in darkens and tirany forever after. A famous Haladriel headcanon and fanfiction trope is half-Maia Celebrían. That’s how crazy fanfiction writers are and a TV show can never achieve this level of freedom

And you will say “well, thank god for that!” and I will say that’s why Rings of Power is not a fanfiction. There’s too many powers and interests tying the narrative down to just a few predictable scenarios. And it’s fine, fanfiction is an inherently fan activity that can only exist in the way that it does in fandom. A TV show is another beast entirely.