TV Show Review: The Witcher Season 4

Before we go into the review proper, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

When The Witcher Season 1 premiered on Netflix, with Henry Cavill as its lead, it was massively embraced by all. The storyline, the plot, the actors, plus the fact that it aligned closely with the book it was adapted from, made it an instant hit.

By Season 3, issues came to light. Cavill was reportedly butting heads with the producers, who were deviating from the book.

It’s funny how many producers often complain about actors not being in tune with the source material. There have been cases where actors didn’t even know their movies were adaptations from a book, but here, we had an actor who had read the book, understood it, and knew the producers were deviating dangerously.

Having tried to get them to change their minds and focus on the story, and not some grand, entertainment-driven deviation, they arrived at an impasse. With that, Cavill was fired. That news did not bode well with viewers, most of whom were on Cavill’s side. No one thought they would dare move forward with another season. Who would be good enough to replace Cavill as the Witcher? No one, or so we thought.

When the announcement for Season 4 came to light, with Liam Hemsworth taking Cavill’s place, you can imagine the outcry, not because Hemsworth is a bad actor, but because replacing Cavill would always put him in a bad light, irrespective of his talent. I’ve never read the book, but having now watched all seasons of the show, I want to know where the producers get their audacity from.

Quick Recap

After losing the fight to Vilgefortz, Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt are lost to each other, each battling their demons while riding the road of destiny.

Liam Hemsworth

It’s unfair when actors are thrust into positions that immediately set them up for hate. But rejecting a role that could pay the bills wouldn’t be a wise decision either, and I get it. Judging Liam as a standalone and not through the eyes of Henry, I have to say he is a good Witcher. If Liam had come to us first, I doubt we would have had issues with it. But I get it, he was replacing Cavill, and the reaction was loud.

Still, he was a good Witcher. He didn’t try to be Cavill, which was what I liked most. He was himself and brought what he had, and it was good enough. His Witcher had heart; he was stubborn, soft, romantic, caring, and skilled with his sword. I liked him, and again, didn’t judge him through Cavill’s eyes.

Laurence Fishburne

This was a fresh addition to the crew, a vampire who journeys with The Witcher’s gang, and I thoroughly enjoyed his part. Any opportunity to see him on screen is a great one. He had that mysterious, untrustworthy-yet-trustworthy vibe that was necessary for when the truth about him was eventually revealed.

The Series

I wish I could have the same upbeat attitude for the series, but I don’t. The audacity of the producers to not round up the shenanigans with this season is appalling. You would think that with all the backlash, they would use this season to bring the chaos to an end, but no.

They decided it would be justified to have yet another season, and it’s killing me. Riding through eight treacherous episodes only to realise the story is just beginning drove me mad.

How dare they!

There were high points, sure, like the battle of the mages against Vilgefortz, but come on already. The season was already marred by negativity, with so many viewers boycotting, and yet somehow, they didn’t deem it fit to wrap it up here and give people a satisfying ending.

The Storytelling

The manner in which the story is told shows that the events are now in the past, with many reliving the story of The Witcher and Ciri, but my gosh, was it a long watch.

The fight scenes were good, and watching the Witcher face off against one or two monsters was nice. The author has clarified that Ciri is bisexual, so the kissing scene wasn’t a Netflix handiwork but an actual representation of her character from the book.

Colour me shocked!

Final Thoughts

It’s almost impossible to watch this season without thinking about Henry Cavill and seeing reasons for his disagreement with the producers. When you eventually get over that, you still find yourself struggling to keep watching. This season was not like the others, not just because the cast changed, but because it felt like a justification that didn’t hit the mark. Some episodes were heartfelt and fairly interesting to watch; others were tedious and unnecessary. As much as you anticipate Geralt reuniting with his family, the journey, unlike in previous seasons, felt wonky.

Liam was a delight, all comparisons aside, and it felt good seeing familiar faces. But based on the strength of the previous seasons, this one didn’t have the same eloquence and brutal finesse that made The Witcher series unique. Many fans refused to watch this season, and I don’t blame them. The fact that the producers didn’t think it would be better to just end it here and instead left us with a chilling ending featuring the fatality of The Rats and the knighting of Geralt made me mad.

There shouldn’t be a fifth season. But with the way it’s looking, if the show doesn’t get dropped, there’ll be more seasons, which is honestly stressful at this point. All I want is for the whole thing to come to an end already. But you know, some people just don’t know when to leave a party.

Have you seen The Witcher Season 4? What are your thoughts?