After the release of the first part in June, The Witcher Season 3 seemed to set things up for an action-packed, magic-filled final few episodes — just what the departing Henry Cavill deserved after making this show what it was for years. Yet, the last few episodes feel short of an exciting finale, making this a lackluster farewell to Cavill.
The Witcher Season 3 has some fun bits that always come along with The Witcher — familial bonding, political intrigue, magical creatures, and surprise fights. There are moments that feel special and the series’ soundtrack that brings you back to the Continent. But these events don’t always feel as important as they have in previous seasons. While the first part of the season definitely could hold your attention, the main characters didn’t get to shine the way they always do with so much happening and so many people to focus on.
Still, Geralt, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra, Sherwood), and Ciri (Freya Allen, Gunpowder Milkshake) are back and lovable as ever as a happy family. While it’s nice to see these moments initially the three are quickly separated in the second part of the season. This is disappointing as it would have been nice to see more of them together before Cavill’s final episode. Even fan favorite Jaskier (Joey Batey, The White Queen) while always charming barely gets to interact with the core characters this season.
After part one, it becomes clear to the viewers that Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu, Marco Polo) is playing a big role in the treachery against Aretuza. We see these events play out in a magical battle between the elves and the mages, with Redania and Nilfgaard both vying for a chance to get hold of Ciri and take the others down. They are all swept up in a huge fight, where chaos is at an all-time high, and betrayals and multiple deaths follow in the episodes to come.
There are quite a few big deaths, callbacks to the past, and moments where things feel hopeless. It’s easy to continue to root for Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri as they go down their individual paths, but the episodes feel anti-climatic. Geralt’s battle with Vilgefortz is anticipated and interesting – seeing as Geralt finally has an enemy who can best him. Yet, it’s thrown into the jumble and sees Geralt basically bedridden for an episode and a half, cutting down the time Cavill has in this final part. Ciri goes into the desert and experiences visions for an entire episode, and Yennefer’s storyline is made into a side-plot just to see how the mages are doing after the fall of Aretuza.
It’s a bit sad to see it end this way in Cavill’s final season. The Witcher kicked off in 2019, fairly true to its source material, working hard to match different elements from the games and novels. This slowly changed as the show went further, with many – including Cavill – against this. It’s important to mention this because the show feels like it’s trying too hard at times to make new storylines happen when they don’t need to be there and are a far cry from the original text. The criticism from fans about it deviating from the source material has pushed many away from wanting to watch it, even though it may have started out as a success.
The dark and intense yet humorous tone of the show isn’t as present in this new installment. The wondrous, fantastical elements and focus on the motivations of our core characters aren’t spotlighted as they once were. Perhaps these pieces are overshadowed by how much is happening – and the fact that characters we’ve seen once or twice are name-dropped and brought into the fold at random points throughout the episodes.
There’s an unfortunate undercurrent to this season: it just feels sort of random. There are plotlines happening without explanation and lore a fan can’t fully explain. What has always been a beloved fantasy series that truly gripped the hearts of many, including yours truly’s, season three feels less special and certainly not an epic farewell for Cavill, who has led this series as an amazing Butcher of Blaviken.
However, it may take some time for these half-developed plot points to come to fruition. Perhaps, next season, they will take the center stage. With Radovid undeniably stepping into a bigger role, Ciri meeting a new crew and developing her magic, a fake Ciri taking the throne, Geralt gaining a new adventure partner in Milva (Meng’er Zhang, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Cavill leaving the reins in the hands of Liam Hemsworth, Season 4 will bring many changes and fresh stories to tell.
The question is, will anyone be watching?
