Season 3 of Netflix's The Witcher is finally here, bringing with it actor Henry Cavill's final performance as Geralt of Rivia before he is replaced by Liam Hemsworth. Before the show's premiere, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich assured audiences that this season will provide Cavill with a heroic sendoff and please fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels by adhering more faithfully to the source material.
Audiences who were already enjoying Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Witcher will likely find things to like in this next season. Those who took issue with the show's numerous deviations from Sapkowski's novels will also likely find things to loathe about the series if they haven't already given up on it. In truth, Season 3 of The Witcher is a mediocre continuation of a franchise that is quickly losing its charm. Especially since it seems to have little to offer beyond what fans have already seen.
The season starts strong with a fast and bloody fight sequence that comes close to rivaling the iconic Blaviken fight from Season 1. It's followed by a montage that attempts to repair the rift between Yennefer and Geralt after the sorceress attempted to sacrifice Ciri in Season 2. It's a fun enough sequence, even if it does feel like the show is trying to push audiences through an entire arc so it can get on with the events of Sapkowski's Time of Contempt (translated to English by David French).
Book fans aren't going to be any more pleased this season. When the show does try to draw from the books, it's laughable. Yen calling Ciri "my ugly one" doesn't work when Freya Allen looks like she just stepped out of a mascara ad, whereas book Ciri had stepped out of the harsh wilderness and fallen fortress of Kaer Morhen. The show seems to prioritize stylish visuals over building an immersive world.
That approach seems to define a lot of the third season. Nearly every episode contains a flashy fight sequence that overdoes it with slow motion, followed by either an exposition dump, a forgettable monologue, or scenes that don't contribute to the story or the characters as much as the series seems to want viewers to think. That's true for supporting characters such as Radovid, Philippa, Dijkstra, and even Geralt himself.
Visually, the show has improved. The world does feel big at times, and some of the characters have upgraded their appearances, though costumes are a mixed bag. Geralt and Ciri have jerkins and coats that at least look like they would endure in the wilds of the Continent, while Yennefer sometimes looks like she took whatever was on discount at the nearest fast-fashion chain.
The combat scenes are where audiences will find that the show has lost its charm. The battle scenes are fine, but the monster scenes are noticeably lackluster. Season 3 adds some new creatures to the bestiary, but they are all more of the same: grey-looking masses of limbs, teeth, and claws. It isn't going to appeal to fans of the books or video games, where the monsters are unique, with some even being treated like part of a complex ecosystem. In the show, they're more or less something audiences will have to sit through until the next scene starts.
When it comes to Yennefer and Ciri, the show doesn't offer much more than what audiences already know about them, and the dynamic between each character rarely adds anything. Jaskier and Ciri do share one scene taken from the novels that is surprisingly delightful. Unlike Yennefer and Geralt, Ciri and actor Freya Allen do get a chance to shine. Ciri's arc offers a couple of moments where she can show a bit of charisma and emotion. Her journey is more relatable and depicted with more heart than others.
Yennefer, by contrast, has grown and matured significantly over the last two seasons. At least, actor Anya Chalotra is able to play her as a sorceress who has come into her own. She's not the unlikable, somewhat whiny character from Season 2. She's confident, powerful, and more in line with how longtime fans think of Yennefer of Vengerberg. The only issue is that there is too little supporting it. As mentioned, viewers only get a short montage and a couple of other scenes before Yennefer gets to this stage. The rest of the show assumes that's enough for her character to be compelling. At one point, after Yennefer shows concern for Ciri after a whole lot of uncertainty, Tissaia tells Yen, "You finally became a mother." It feels unearned and mars an otherwise decent leg of Yen's arc.
Geralt appears here and there, but aside from a few underwhelming monster fights, there doesn't seem to be much for him to do this season. Season 3 sees the witcher on the hunt for Rience, the fire-wielding mage who hunted Ciri last season. He unknowingly finds himself tangled further and further into the politicking shaping the Continent and a growing rift between the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. It's not a terrible sendoff for Cavill, but it's probably not the epic conclusion that some might have hoped for.
The highlight of the season is its fifth episode, which explores one of the biggest events from the novels. It's structured differently, with the same event explored from different angles and certain pieces being left out until later. It's odd, but by the end of it, it's justified. It's a shame that the rest of the season doesn't do enough to make allegiances and schemes clear enough for viewers to enjoy the manipulations and politicking at play here.
The major players all get a good amount of screen time, but it will be difficult for audiences to follow along with their schemes and plots. Not because any of it is particularly elaborate or clever, but because it's all lost in monologues that the show plays off as dramatic when more than half of them are pretty forgettable.
The Witcher Season 3 isn't terrible. It's just okay television. For some, it'll disappoint only because Season 1 showed potential, Season 2 took a step in the wrong direction, and audiences may have expected things to improve this season.
The Witcher Season 3, Vol. 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Vol. 2 is scheduled to be released on July 27.