A Shadow of the Past

"A Shadow of the Past" is the first episode of the first season and series premiere of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The episode is set thousands of years before the novel in Middle-earth's Second Age. It was written by showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and directed by J. A. Bayona.

The series was ordered in November 2017. Payne and McKay were set to develop it in July 2018, and Bayona was hired to direct the first two episodes a year later. The first episode introduces some of the key cultures and characters for the series, including the Elves and the Harfoots. The latter are precursors to the popular Hobbit race from The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings. Each culture was defined through designs and music. Filming for the first season began in New Zealand in February 2020, but was placed on hold in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in September and wrapped for the first two episodes by the end of December.

"A Shadow of the Past" premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 1, 2022, with the second episode. They had the most viewers of any Prime Video premiere within 24 hours and received generally positive reviews. Particular praise went to the visuals and production value, but some critics were unsure if the storytelling and slow pacing justified this. The episode received several award nominations, including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for its costume design.