The Witcher season 3 is finally giving Henry Cavill what he wanted, but with Cavill already leaving the show, it may be too late to save The Witcher.
The Witcher season 3 is finally giving Henry Cavill what he wanted, but with Cavill already leaving the show, it may be too late to save The Witcher.
Though The Witcher seasons 1 and 2 include a fair number of plot points and characters from Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, they also make some pretty drastic changes and additions. For one, The Witcher season 2’s overarching plot concerning monoliths is not from the books. Moreover, certain characters, especially Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), have been criticized for being too different from their book counterparts. It seems these changes became too much for Henry Cavill to bear, causing him to leave the series. Unfortunately for Cavill, The Witcher season 3 seems to have finally addressed his complaints.
The Witcher Season 3 Is VERY Book Accurate (Like Henry Cavill Wanted)
It’s unfortunate that Cavill is leaving The Witcher after season 3 because it is by far the most book-accurate season of the show. The Witcher season 3 not only follows the overall plot of the novels much closer than the last two seasons, but it also takes multiple scenes straight from the novels. For example, Ciri’s (Freya Allan) duel with the Wyvern in Gors Velen and her flight from the city with the Wild Hunt on her tail are just like the corresponding book scenes. The following scene, where Jaskier (Joey Batey) and Ciri mock Geralt and Yennefer’s make-up talk from a distance, is also straight from the books.
While there are some storylines from the books that The Witcher show cannot use, it does a much better job in season 3 of adapting the ones it can use. If The Witcher had started with this level of book loyalty, it might have been able to keep Henry Cavill around. Sadly, it appears to be too little too late. Even so, The Witcher season 3’s increased loyalty to the books is a positive sign for the show’s future. If the series can survive Cavill’s departure and maintain this level of loyalty, it may have a chance to salvage its popularity and win back fans.
The Witcher Season 3’s Book Accuracy Doesn’t Fix Its Problems (& It’s Too Late)
Sadly, The Witcher has bigger problems, and though season 3 is probably the strongest adaptation of the books yet, it’s probably too late to save the show. For one, the departure of Henry Cavill is a massive blow that will be difficult to recover from. Cavill is a huge star, and his name has become synonymous with Geralt of Rivia. Replacing him is a near-impossible challenge. Moreover, the show has broader character and plot issues.
The Witcher season 3 repeats an old character mistake despite its increased book loyalty, and it fails to find the right balance between its various plot lines. The show has an ambitious number of characters and storylines to follow, and though many of them are interesting, they often feel incomplete or underdeveloped. The Witcher has not quite captured the Game of Thrones formula for juggling disconnected storylines and bringing them together in a meaningful way. Between these character/plot development issues and the loss of Cavill, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that The Witcher can recover its initial popularity.
