The Witcher Season 3 Volume 2 Review: Henry Cavill’s Last Hurrah

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

*The following The Witcher Season 3 Volume 2 review is spoiler-free and was made possible by advanced screeners provided to Agents of Fandom by Netflix for review purposes*

The Witcher season 3 has come to a close now that volume two is streaming on Netflix. While there are arguments to be made that the series hasn’t been faithful to the books or the story of Geralt of Rivia, there’s no doubt Henry Cavill has been phenomenal as the White Wolf. With many fans hoping The Witcher season 3 volume 2 would wrap up with an epic conclusion before Liam Hemsworth takes over the role, this has been the most highly anticipated season since the debut of the Netflix series.

The final episodes begin with a fast-paced, hard-hitting battle royale that feels like it could be the season finale. All the fan favorites from the first three seasons are finally on-screen together interacting in more than just flashbacks. The magical battles taking place are wonderfully choreographed, and the action will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Unfortunately, the first action-packed episode is followed by a wildly slow character exploration. In a vacuum this wouldn’t be an issue, however, almost an entire episode exploring Ciri’s (Freya Allan) unconscious despite limited time remaining in the season is a disappointing choice.

While the first episode of The Witcher season 3 volume 2 feels like an epic conclusion, the build-up to the finale raises more questions than answers. While war is waging throughout the continent and new regimes begin to take charge, the entirety of season three is more an introduction to a new adventure without much of a bow on the season’s contained story. This probably wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t for it being Cavill’s final season as Geralt of Rivia.

Although the story isn’t fully satisfying, that doesn’t mean The Witcher season 3 volume 2 isn’t an exciting watch. The chemistry between Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer (Anya Charlotra) is once again the highlight of the series.

While it makes sense to set up future seasons as the story isn’t complete, there are too many plot points left wide open with loose ends that should’ve been solved. Having said that, there’s no denying the epic action in these final three episodes.

I’m going to miss Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt of Rivia, but I’m hopeful Liam Hemsworth will do an adequate job continuing as the series lead when The Witcher eventually returns to Netflix.

The Witcher season 3 volume 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the Agents of Fandom socials for more coverage as well as potential announcements for next season.