Season 4 of The Witcher has fought an increasingly uphill battle towards success. Fans of the series were overcome with disappointment following the announcement of Henry Cavill’s (Man of Steel) departure, and Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) being recast as the grey-haired beast slayer was met with a similarly awkward reaction. Season 4 and 5 of Netflix’s fantasy giant were filmed back-to-back, with production allowing little, if any, time for audiences to give their thoughts on Hemsworth as the successor of Geralt.
Outside of the recasting, the series had been stained by controversy before. Passionate viewers, largely consumers of the legendary CD Projekt Red The Witcher video games and run of books, have expressed discontent at Netflix shying away from canon and rich lore. Unfortunately for The Witcher’s reputation, this was also heavily implied to be a fundamental reason behind Henry Cavill’s exit from the series. Despite conjuring an inconsistent timeline, recharacterization of fan favourites and narrative struggles, audiences consistently return. But is their devoted loyalty rewarded with Liam Hemsworth’s iteration as Geralt of Rivia?
“Not the worst”. These are Hemsworth’s opening three words under the beloved grey wig, perfectly defining the efforts of Season 4. In another reality, Hemsworth may have discovered social media flourishing with praise for his performance as the stoic Geralt. Certainly fitting the build, he carries his weapons with a monster-slaying swagger, resulting in truly exciting action sequences, exemplified by some striking visual effects. Yet there is a lingering sensation that Season 4 never quite shakes, an unreplicatable gruff and stoicism from the Cavill era that will long leave fans wishing what could’ve been. Make no mistake, Hemsworth delivers a satisfactory version of the magic enhanced Witcher, but perhaps one more emotionally restricted and unable to rid the reputation of his predecessor. Every glimpse of the character feels ‘off’, with this feeling never fading and uncomfortably persisting.
Season 4’s writing, for better or worse, is consistent with the three seasons that came before. A muddled mix of drawn-out adventuring, familiar power struggles within a magical war and cumbersome side plots which congeal into a struggle to retain audience attention, with reserved flurries of charming action and Witcher delights thrown in. Fantastical world building feels simultaneously present but only half-formed, with the series on the cusp of a truly magical lore it refuses to explore in depth. This is the ethos of the Netflix series, which continues to unambitiously ride the coattails of the celebrated games and books, far more enjoyable alternatives to the show.
Despite online vocalisation surrounding Ciri’s lack of importance, Freya Allen (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) finds little substance within a bland script. Her confident performance maintains the character’s reputation, infusing dry wit and self-assuredness into the princess of Cintra, who otherwise stays stuck in the same narrative rut as the prior seasons. With her character denied meaningful evolution and familiarly relegated to the sidelines, her story quickly becomes tiresome, a frustrating gap blocking early intrigue into the new interpretation of Geralt. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Anya Chalotra’s (Creature Commandos) Yennefer of Vengerberg, a performance which makes the best out of poor writing. There’s an understandable focus upon Geralt, given his focus as the titular character, but his narrative is never thrilling enough to justify the dullness of the two female leads storylines, who are yet again given scraps to work with.
Whilst Liam Hemsworth isn’t the cause of Season 4’s failures, his unshakeable inclusion, as surprisingly natural as it can be, offers little assistance in boosting the series to the glory of Season 1. Season 4 remains dull and uninteresting. With it glaringly obvious that many issues derive from the writer’s room refusing to choose between pleasing either die-hard fans or introducing newcomers into the enthralling premise. Instead, they consistently pave down the lane of aiming to appease both and miss the mark, pleasing neither. Season 4’s finale admittedly includes riveting action and harrowing consequences, but arrives too late for success. If you found plentiful entertainment in prior seasons, then the fourth may be for you, but any audience members on the fence will rapidly grow distant from the series and refuse to continue.
The Witcher Season 4 is Available Now on Netflix
