We’ve only had two seasons of The Witcher on Netflix, but the show was already going through something of an identity crisis. It started with a bang, with a big, gory debut that showed exactly why the books and games before it were so popular. It was dark yet funny, full of action, sexual tension and all sorts of cool monsters – plus an excellent Henry Cavill as the rugged and lovable Geralt of Rivia. Season 2, on the other hand, lost some of that personality as it attempted to tell a larger – and more typical – fantasy story while at the same time deviating significantly from the books. Things got even more off track with the prequel Blood Origin.
Now we have Season 3, which will be split into two volumes and will mark the end of Cavill’s run as Geralt (the show will continue starring Liam Hemsworth). The first volume doesn’t entirely move away from the epic story the series tries to tell – there are still feuding factions and magical powers and questions about the nature of the world itself – but it mostly puts the focus back where it belongs : then the protagonists are Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer. More importantly, the show is fun again and the big storylines don’t get in the way of the gore and jokes.
As Season 3 begins, not much has changed: everyone across the continent still seems intent on finding Ciri (Freya Allan), a young princess with mysterious powers that hold the key to uniting a vast, violent world could . Kings, mages, elves – each wants to find them for their own nefarious reasons. Despite this, she lives in a reasonably comfortable situation with Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra).
They’re on the run and constantly moving at the slightest sign of trouble, but they’ve also settled into a comfortable sort of family routine. They sit around sharing meals and washing dishes while Yenn – who is finally regaining her magic after being tragically disfigured last season – tries to teach Ciri how to control her powers. After two seasons of death and betrayal, it’s nice to see the three of them living quiet, happy lives.
Of course, that doesn’t last long.
External forces force the small family unit to separate. Yenn takes Ciri to the Aretuza Magic Academy in hopes of helping her study and protecting her while Geralt pursues Rience (Chris Fulton), a fire-wielding mage who is after Ciri at the behest of a mysterious benefactor.
There is still a lot of political maneuvering and betrayal to keep an eye on. The remaining elves are at odds over who to join and how best to exact revenge on humanity. The Kingdom of Redania finds itself at the heart of the action thanks to wily spymaster Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and his partner Phillipa (Cassie Clare), who spent most of Season 2 as an owl; the Brotherhood of Wizards grapples with power struggles; and the White Flame (Bart Edwards) continues his quest to unite the entire continent under his rule. That’s not even counting characters who find themselves in entirely new situations, such as the exiled magician Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), who is now a perpetually drunk poison tester.
But thankfully, unlike more recent forays into the Witcher universe, all of the background information is succinctly and entertainingly told, and mostly stays in the background. This allows the show to focus on the main cast again – and this time it’s meeting those very characters. As always, Geralt remains a dour but surprisingly lovable middle-class man, but Yenn has once again emerged as a powerful, defiantly independent mage, and Ciri comes into her own, finally being more than just a damsel in distress whose power is activated by screams.
This shift is perhaps best illustrated by Jaskier (Joey Batey), who blossomed into a grumpy rock star in Season 2, but reverts to being a free spirit who cracks far too many jokes, usually at the wrong time. This time he has a rivalry with another bard and has a crush on a prince. He feels like Jaskier again – despite the hair and eyeliner.
And while there’s a lot going on, Book One of the new season is all about one thing: revealing who the new big villain is. Getting there involves all sorts of typical witch things: lots of battles with terrifying monsters (including one particularly grotesque creature that wouldn’t look out of place in either “Akira” or “Inside”), fancy parties full of sexual tension, and some really screwed up treacheries , and Geralt is a smartass, much to the frustration of the elite. But the most fun comes from finding out who the secret villain is pulling the strings behind the scenes. The first episode ends with a party that sees you from multiple perspectives, forcing you – along with Geralt and Yenn – to sift through the lies, deceptions, and illusions as a band sings, “All is not what it seems .” I was really surprised by the big reveal.
The Witcher producers said Cavill’s transition to Hemsworth will be “pretty smooth”. Still, this season is an important farewell for this version of the character – and sets up a major showdown for this version of Geralt. At the same time, this season is also kind of a return to form, taking The Witcher back to the things that make it unique – it’s funny, gory and sexy. There’s even a bathing scene that’s pure Witcher character.
Volume one of The Witcher season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. Volume two will be released on July 27th.