‘The Witcher’ Season 3 Review: Fiery First Half Foreshadows an Epic Finale

*The following The Witcher season 3 review is spoiler-free and was made possible by advanced screeners provided to the Agents of Fandom by Netflix for review purposes*

The Witcher season 3 is now available for streaming, with all of our beloved characters making their return to Netflix—at least for the time being. The first half of the highly anticipated final season of Henry Cavill’s tenure as Geralt of Rivia is finally here. With Liam Hemsworth set to take over as Geralt next season and the role of Superman set to be re-cast in the DCU, Cavill fans will need to embrace the wonderful performance he gives in season 3 of The Witcher.

Netflix has released the first five episodes of The Witcher season 3 and the story primarily focuses on Cavill’s Geralt, Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). The series wastes no time getting into the classic, bloody action we’re used to seeing from previous seasons. While the third season isn’t quite as action-packed or steamy as the first two, it’s still a ride that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats throughout.

The Witcher is a very curious IP. The books and video games are incredibly well-received, but the series has been polarizing. Although it may not be a perfectly accurate adaptation of the source material, one thing fans typically agree on is how wonderfully Henry Cavill portrays Geralt of Rivia.

It was incredibly shocking to learn Cavill wouldn’t be returning in season four when Netflix announced Liam Hemsworth as his replacement in 2022. While the news certainly has dampened some fans’ excitement for the future, it definitely built anticipation for Cavill’s last dance as Geralt in The Witcher season 3.

Much like the previous seasons, Cavill knocks it out of the park with his performance in the latest addition to the series. However, he’s not alone, as Anya Chalotra continues to excel as Yennefer of Vengerberg, showing considerable character development from earlier in her story.

While Freya Allan is getting more difficult to view as a small child since she is now 21 years old, her performance as Ciri improves every season. Should this series need to pivot and place more emphasis on Princess Cirilla as the show progresses, Freya Allan arguably has the ability to carry the series alongside Hemsworth.

When Netflix made the switch to linear storytelling for the second season of The Witcher, it definitely helped with audience comprehension. While the first season was exciting, it wasn’t easy to follow—especially if you hadn’t read the books or followed the games in any capacity. Thankfully, The Witcher season 3 continues this trend with easier to follow linear storytelling.

Although we haven’t reached a point in the series where the timeline matches up to the video games, we’re getting pretty close. Avid fans who have played the games will begin to notice even more Easter Eggs in season 3 than in the past, with multiple references to the games sprinkled throughout the show. The video games take place in-universe from 1270-1272, yet we’re still in the mid-1260s throughout The Witcher season 3.

Each episode from the newest season does an incredible job of leaving cliffhangers that will basically force you to click “Continue Watching” on your Netflix app. Thankfully, if you binge through the first half quickly, you won’t have too long to wait for the second half of the season. The writers clearly knew what they were doing releasing this season in two parts, leaving an epic reveal towards the end of episode 5.

To this point, the season hasn’t been as action packed as previous seasons. The fight scenes are fewer and further between, while the sexual activities are kept to a minimum. Thankfully, the captivating story still makes for incredible television. It’s a pivot away from what we’ve seen in the past, but The Witcher season 3 handles the change beautifully.

The first five episodes of The Witcher season 3 are now streaming on Netflix, and the final five hit the streaming platform on July 27. For more coverage of The Witcher, be sure to follow the Agents of Fandom socials.