These days, there are few IPs popular enough to pull in fans without a huge star – and Netflix, soon to lose franchise lynchpin Henry Cavill from The Witcher, is hoping its biggest fantasy series is one of them. The evidence thus far has been hit-and-miss. Yes, the books and video games are adored by millions, but a recent spin-off series, The Witcher: Blood Origin, currently has an 13 per cent audience rating on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – implying that TV fans of the franchise are less engaged. When Liam Hemsworth, best-known from the Hunger Games films, being Miley Cyrus‘ ex-husband and, er, Neighbours, takes over as grouchy monster-hunter Geralt Of Rivia, will The Witcher‘s loyal followers depart en masse?
Before that question gets answered, Cavill needs his heroic sendoff. The contents of season three, which drops its final few episodes today (July 26), were reportedly what made him quit over “creative differences” in October last year, apparently incensed at what the writers had done to his gruff, no-nonsense hero. Really, though, it’s more of the same.
Geralt is still striving to keep young, orphaned princess Ciri (Freya Allan) safe from a host of enemies who all believe her to be the perfect solution to their problems, getting into some suitably climactic battles while doing it. The elves, pointy-eared and persecuted by men, think she’s their saviour due to an ancient prophecy. The Tudor-like Redanian king wants to marry her so he can claim lordship over her homeland, Cintra. Then there’s the powerful kingdom of Nilfgaard, ruled by Ciri’s secret dad Emperor Emhyr; rogue fire-wielding mage Rience; and the Brotherhood Of Sorcerers, each of whom has a dastardly plan for the fledgling mage (and her generational, untapped magic powers).
If that sounds like a lot to keep track of… it’s because it is a lot to keep track of. One of The Witcher‘s main weaknesses as a TV show is the massive amount of information the viewer is expected to retain from episode to episode. In the new ones, characters regularly pop up that haven’t been mentioned (let alone seen) since the first season. And if you’ve left a large gap between binge sessions, you’re going to need a hefty recap to follow the plot at all. Throw in some dodgy faux-medieval dialogue, nerdy lore and the frankly unpronounceable names and the opening titles should probably carry a warning for casual viewers: “Turn back, lest ye fall asleep within 20 minutes.”
That said, there is definitely something compelling about The Witcher, something that has kept us hooked through 21 hours of storytelling. We can’t quite put our finger on what, but if you pushed us, we’d probably say (sorry, Netflix) that it has something to do with Cavill. These final episodes zip by in a whirl of flashing swords and witty retorts when Geralt’s on screen, but get bogged down when he’s off it. Other characters – his occasional love interest Yennefer; the lute-spinning, joke-cracking bard Jaskier – come alive during tête-à-têtes with the silver-haired warrior, then suddenly turn deadly dull after he departs. Ciri, reduced to an impotent MacGuffin during the first part of season three, does slightly better. She gets a standalone episode wandering a desert, otherworldly realm, and later meets some new friends, setting up a more central, independent role for her in the future. For the most part, however, this remains the Henry Cavill show. Can The Witcher survive without him?