Netflix The Witcher Season 3 spoiler-free review – Yen one door shuts…

Regardless of how you feel about Henry Cavill’s sudden and unexpected exit from The Witcher, the time is nevertheless upon us. Season 3 of the dark fantasy series is here, and in true Netflix fashion, is divided into two parts. Volume 1, which consists of the first five episodes of the eight episode season, is available on Netflix from today.

Before you run straight to your streaming device of choice, I would highly recommend that you brush up on what happened in 2021’s Season 2, because there is a lot going on in Season 3. And with practically no time passing on-screen between where we left them to now, the continued story kicks off immediately.

As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) takes Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) into hiding, determined to protect his newly reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they hope to uncover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery.

When it comes to politics and treachery, this season has it in abundance. So much so that Season 3 feels far slower than its predecessors, leapfrogging across the continent from Redania, Nilfgaard, and Aretuza to various nameless remote forests and villages to pick up plot threads and drop story tidbits for later. As it progresses, this season does eventually find its footing and become more engaging, but the Game of Thrones scale of cast expansion, scheming and sub-plots is lot to keep up with. It almost made me long for the “Monster of the Week” format of Season 1 which maintained a tight focus on the three series leads. While some of the massive roster of side characters (both new and returning) are diverting enough – and fan favourite Jaskier the bard gets a richer, more expanded arc – there’s only so much screen time to be shared. This leaves our main trio less in the forefront than before.

What time we do get with them is mostly spent on settling into a sweet found family dynamic as Yennefer earns back trust after the events of Season 2. If the past two seasons were mostly about Geralt and Ciri respectively, this time it’s definitely Yennefer’s turn to shine, and Chalotra excels as she portrays the next steps of the character’s evolution. Progressing from initially aloof and scheming to rash and desperate in the Season 1 and 2, Yennefer has finally found her footing in Season 3. Warmer and more trusting, but determined and sure of herself, Yennefer’s character development is a highlight over the course of the new series as she takes charge of not only Ciri’s magical education, but also her own narrative.

What may come as something of a surprise is how Geralt doesn’t get the same treatment. Considering that this is the last time we get to see Cavill don the skintight leathers of the Witcher, he’s definitely not the focus of the show – which is a little disappointing, but also suitable given the circumstance. I would have expected more of a “fuss” over Geralt, but considering that Cavill’s exit was announced after filming wrapped, it does make sense that there’s nothing out of the ordinary for his character.

Well, when I say “out of the ordinary”, there’s not a lot of ordinary going on. It’s just another day on the job for Geralt – now in full-blown Liam Neeson “Do whatever it takes” Dad Mode – who must face down hideous monsters and mow through swathes of disposable henchmen in order to protect Ciri. The action scenes, though fewer than before, are more visceral than ever. Barely five minutes in and the blood is flowing, tapped via the enjoyably stylish and always coherent fight choreography that we’ve come to expect of the series.

The creatures that we do see are perhaps not rendered as seamlessly as before, but they’re no less gruesome, veering further into body horror territory. In saying that, it’s strange: there are some aspects of the show where you can see the budget was increased – including much better costumes and contact lenses. But in other areas, like some of the CGI monsters, it’s not quite up to scratch.

This review is based on the entirety of Season 3 (Volume 1 and 2), and if you can make it through a slow, tangled start, overstuffed with characters and agendas, fans will find the return of a couple of signature aspects of the first season, which helped distinguish The Witcher from other dark, adult-orientated fantasy shows from the get-go.

I wouldn’t call it fan service, though, and ultimately it’ll be interesting to see how viewers respond to a season of thrilling highs and muddy lows; brutal house cleaning and business as usual. Especially since many audience members already seem as grumpy as Geralt over the behind-the-scenes tumult. Season 3 of The Witcher is clearly part of an ongoing story (no surprise cancellations here), and it has that sensation of being a single chapter versus a final page, which comes with its own lesser level of satisfaction. Regardless of how you feel about it, the chess pieces have been repositioned on the board, and more is to come.

The Witcher S3: Volume 1 premieres globally, today, on 29 June, while Volume 2 arrives in one month’s time, on 27 July. Watch both exclusively on Netflix.