Based on the Polish novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher has quickly become one of Netflix’s biggest series. The show follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) as he navigates a fictional, medieval-inspired world known as the Continent and battles droves of monsters in return for coins. Linked by destiny to Princess Cirilla of Cintra, known as Ciri (Freya Allan), he becomes her protector and de facto adoptive father thanks to an ancient custom known as the Law of Surprise. Powerful in her own right, Ciri possesses abilities no one has seen in centuries. As a result, many across the Continent aim to use her for their own political purposes. Because of this, Geralt enlists the help of a powerful sorceress named Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), who he also happens to love, in order to train Ciri and keep her safely tucked away from anyone who means to do her harm.
Such events set up the premise for The Witcher’s third season, which drew on Sapkowski’s second novel in his Witcher Saga, The Time of Contempt. As Ciri learns to harness her powers, those at Aretuza find themselves divided, which sets up an epic battle on the Isle of Thanedd between the forces of Nilfgaard, who aim to take control of the Brotherhood and Aretuza itself, and those who refuse to follow the tyrannical rule of Emperor Emhyr var Emreis (Bart Edwards).
While the series finally attempted to return to its source material after the second season strayed heavily from the books and the original lore of the Witcher story, it was criticized for its pacing and weird editing choices. As the show returns for a fourth season, which already faces its own hurdles ahead of its release, The Witcher has a chance to correct some of Season 3’s biggest flaws and satisfy a skeptical fan base.
The Witcher Season 4 Faces an Uphill Battle With Fans
Portrayed by Henry Cavill in The Witcher’s first three seasons, Geralt of Rivia quickly became synonymous with the actor. A huge fan of Sapkowski’s novels, as well as the video games based on the books, Cavill expressed a desire to embody the White Wolf before there were even discussions of a television series adaptation. Rarely do actors know every detail of a character and the world they’re from before a show’s inception, but Cavill was notorious for such knowledge while on set. For numerous diehard fans, no one fits the role of Geralt better than Cavill.
Unfortunately for viewers of the Netflix series, after the third season wrapped its production, Cavill announced that he would no longer be playing the show’s titular character. Instead, Liam Hemsworth would pick up Geralt’s sword for the series’ final two seasons. Almost immediately, the announcement was met with shock, disappointment, and even anger from many fans. However, given how far the show had ventured from its source material, it was no surprise to fans of the novels why such an ardent lover of the books would leave Netflix’s version of Geralt behind.
Because of such a massive change, the series faces an uphill battle as they aim to move the story forward with Hemsworth as Geralt. While some viewers refuse to give the actor any sort of chance, others remain cautiously optimistic about Netflix’s newest iteration of their beloved witcher. However, the series will need to correct its biggest flaws from Season 3 and continue to adhere to Sapkowski’s intricate and complex world if they have any hopes of satisfying fans in any capacity. Given the series already faces an uphill battle, they’ll need to adjust the pacing and editing choices made during the show’s most recent season.
The Witcher Season 4 Will Need to Be Flawless to Satisfy Fans
Unlike the show’s second season, its third season offered a better adaptation of Sapkowski’s novel. However, its pacing and weird editing choices, particularly regarding the show’s epic battle at Aretuza, left fans wanting. Because of this, what was meant to be a legendary battle of grave consequences for the Continent felt lackluster. Given how much was happening across the Continent with Ciri, Nilfgaard, the Scoia’tael, the Elves, and the Brotherhood, it was important the show allowed those stories to unfold at a similar pace that made sense to the viewer. Unfortunately, it came across as scattered and unpolished at times, which took away from the monumental events that unfolded throughout Season 3.
As the series enters its fourth season, it’ll need to be flawless to satisfy fans, which sounds more difficult than it actually is. As long as the series builds its narrative the way it did during its inaugural season, it should be able to overcome Season 3’s biggest flaws. The content of Geralt and Ciri’s story is there, the series simply needs to properly pace those narratives and forgo juxtaposing scenes that don’t flow.
Season 1 spanned multiple timelines, various stories, and numerous characters and managed to unfold in an epic manner that didn’t confuse or irritate viewers. The Witcher Season 4 has a chance to fix Season 3’s biggest flaws as long as they stick to the techniques that worked so well during the show’s initial season. The first three seasons of The Witcher are currently streaming on Netflix.
