The Witcher season 4 is a major chapter for the Netflix series, and the show partly succeeds in this turning point, though it can’t ever get back to what it was at its peak. It is hard to talk about the fantasy series without addressing the elephant in the room, as Henry Cavill’s exit completely changes the show.
While some of season 4’s issues come from the actor’s departure, I can’t say the show’s shortcomings are entirely due to that. It was clear in season 3 that The Witcher was facing story issues, and while The Witcher season 4 cast has become a talking point, it is in that area that, yet again, the series is lacking the most.
That is not to say that season 4 is bad. I mostly enjoyed this new go-round throughout the Continent. However, the show has not managed to return to the heights of its first two seasons, and certain moments dragged on. Still, I’m invested in these characters, and with more action this time around, The Witcher still manages to entertain.
Liam Hemsworth Is A Fine Replacement For Henry Cavill As Geralt, But Not Perfect
As someone who felt that Cavill was better suited as Geralt of Rivia than his more famous DC role as Superman, I was not the most hopeful about the recast. It certainly did not help that the show felt the need to explain the change of actors by essentially replaying key moments from previous seasons, but with Hemsworth in the flashbacks.
Sure, he was physically present as Geralt in the scenes, but those flashbacks stripped the moments of emotion and context, playing like a slideshow to make everyone understand that this is what Geralt looks like now — deal with it. Instead of pulling us back into the story, the sequence made me remember and miss the show’s heyday.
After that, though, Hemsworth’s performance as Geralt was more enjoyable than expected. Yet, I couldn’t help but compare Hemsworth to Cavill in the role.
Hemsworth’s Geralt is charismatic, and he had the most entertaining story to me out of the show’s lead trio.
For the most part, Hemsworth does a serviceable job of inhabiting the same gruff persona Cavill displayed as Geralt. However, there are some key differences between the two. Hemsworth’s Geralt is more expressive than Cavill’s, which took some getting used to. I liked the quieter Geralt and the dynamic that it brought.
Cavill also had better comedic timing, even though Geralt was known for his dry delivery. Those moments, when he caught the audience off-guard with a surprise sense of humor without ever trying to lean too heavily on outright comedy, are not really there in season 4. Hemsworth maintains Geralt’s grunts, but not to a similar comedic effect.
Still, Hemsworth’s performance in itself works for The Witcher season 4. The action scenes, something the show had been lacking, came back in full force and were as bloody, kinetic, and creative as one has come to expect from the fantasy series. Hemsworth’s Geralt is charismatic, and he had the most entertaining story out of the show’s lead trio.
The Witcher Season 4’s Story Is Hit-Or-Miss
While Geralt was obviously going to be the main talking point of the season, The Witcher became a hit series thanks to Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan). But when it came to season 4, Ciri’s storyline with the Rats was difficult to connect with, even if I understand the role it has in Ciri finding herself.
However, the group’s characters weren’t exciting. Honestly, it felt like every time the show cut to that storyline, it dragged, and Ciri was not at her best with the group anyway. As for Yennefer, her story of creating an army to go up against Vilgefortz this season was much more interesting.
The show is at its best when the trio is together, which continues to be true with [Liam] Hemsworth’s Geralt…
Ever since season 1, The Witcher has done a great job of making its magic corner one of the most thrilling parts of the show. Allowing Yennefer to assemble her own team gave room for some of the smaller characters to grow in exciting ways, with Yennefer herself being someone who has undergone transformative changes throughout the seasons.
It all builds to a boiling point, with Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer’s storylines coming together in an effective reunion that results in an action-packed finale. The show is at its best when the trio is together, which continues to be true with Hemsworth’s Geralt, and I hope that The Witcher season 5 gives us many moments with them together before the show ends.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg
- Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt is better than expected.
- Yennefer gets a crucial role to play.
- The Witcher brings back the action the series is known for.
- Henry Cavill’s absence as Geralt is felt.
- Ciri’s storyline dragged down the show.
