TV Review: "The Witcher" (Season 3, Volume 1)

The first half of the third season of the hit Netflix series sees a much-needed return to form.

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the second season of The Witcher. I didn’t hate it, necessarily, but its deviations from the novels were just so glaring–and so much of a betrayal of certain characters, namely Yennefer–that it made me wonder if there was any hope for the series going forward. Now that I’ve watched the first half of the third season, I can safely say that some of my concerns for the series’ longevity have been allayed, while others remain.

Of all of the changes that the second season made to the stories of The Witcher novels, arguably the most egregious was its suggestion that Yennefer would sacrifice Ciri just to get her powers back. To be sure, Yennefer’s sense of self and her identity are inextricably intertwined with her ability to control Chaos; it’s one of the things that has made her sacrifice of her fertility worth it when she first began her training at Aretuza. However, to suggest that she would ever give up Ciri, let alone offer her up to some malevolent creature, was beyond the pale. 

Fortunately, that storyline was largely resolved by the second season finale, and while the first episode of the third makes it clear that Geralt, for one, hasn’t forgotten (or entirely forgiven) what Yennefer was willing to do, it’s not long before they have a rapprochement. In large part, this stems from Yennifer’s efforts to train Ciri in the elusive arts of Chaos, recognizing as she does that the young woman has tremendous potential. The first episode does a strong job of showing just how much Ciri struggles with this particular challenge, even as it also shows that Yennefer has a lot, though not infinite, patience with her young charge. 

Indeed, seeing Yennefer and Ciri bond with one another is one of the highlights of this second season, and this is very much in keeping with the novels, where it’s clear that for Yennefer Ciri is the daughter she never had. Even when she finds the young woman’s antics exasperating–and sometimes downright infuriating–she repeatedly makes it clear that she has her best interests at heart and that everything she does is in an effort to keep Ciri safe and alive. As she has from the very beginning, Anya Chalotra quite simply embodies Yennefer, combining equal parts strength, vulnerability, and sensuality, all of which are exactly as Sapkowski described her in his writings. 

For Geralt’s part, each season of the show has seen him gradually soften and change, as he accepts that he is not only bound to Ciri by destiny, but also has a great deal of affection for her. This continues into the third season, where he remains committed to making sure that none of the warring kingdoms of the North–let alone the unscrupulous and ruthless Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard–get their cunning hands on her. As with Chalotra, Cavill simply is Geralt, from his blonde hair to his rippling muscles to his gravelly voice and (slowly softening) cynicism. The third season gives him more of a chance to breathe, and there are several remarkably human moments for Geralt, particularly one in which he remembers his deeply fraught relationship with his mother. 

Unfortunately for all of them, the Continent isn’t the type of place that has a great deal of tolerance or acceptance of such tender feelings. Everyone in power has their own intentions for Ciri, including Graham McTavish’s Dijkstra, the spymaster of Redania. Though he was something of an afterthought in the second season, this one gives McTavish more to sink his teeth into, and he clearly shows himself to be a keen and ruthless operator. 

Lest we forget, there’s also the delightful Yaskier who, like everyone else, finds himself drawn into complicated political schemes, even as  he also develops a lovely little romantic relationship with Prince Radovid of Redania. This is quite a development for Yaskier who, as well know, is more of a rapscallion and a love-them-and-leave-them type than someone capable of developing romantic feelings for another person. Of course, we’ve known for a while now that he also has a good heart (no matter how much he might try to deny it), so these developments make perfect sense, and I give a lot of credit to Joey Batey for continuing to imbue this character with irascible charm (even if I do hate his new haircut). At the same time, he also shows that he truly cares about Ciri, too, though I strongly suspect his actions in this regard are going to bring him more sorrow than joy.

In many ways, the third season of this show is a return to form. For all of its temporal disjunctions, I think that the first season stayed truer to the spirit of the novels than the second, balancing political machinations, character development, and action sequences. In straying so far from the source material, the second season painted itself into something of a corner, but in returning to it, this season shows all the things that made this series so popular in the first place. Though it can at times be a bit difficult to keep all of the moving pieces straight, for the most part it’s clear, and the revelation of who has really been behind some of the more sinister actions of the season–including a grotesque experiment including Ciri lookalikes–is deftly and effectively delivered. 

All of this begs the question, though: whither now, Witcher? It’s no secret that the character of Geralt has been recast, and instead of being portrayed by Henry Cavill he will now be played by Liam Hemsworth. Now, I have nothing against Hemsworth; if he lacks some of the effortless charisma of his elder brother Chris, I’ve still enjoyed him in some of his most notable appearances. By this point, though, Cavill has become so indelibly associated with Geralt that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. I, for one, find it difficult to imagine Hemsworth in the fifth episode, which sees Geralt and Yennefer going to a grand ball before a Conclave involving the mages of the North. It’s just such a sublime illustration of what makes these two characters–and the actors who portray them–so beloved.

For now, though, we can set aside those questions and simply enjoy what the third season of The Witcher has to offer us.