The Witcher Season 3 part 1 review: A slow start leads to breathtaking cliff hanger

A still from ‘The Witcher’
| Photo Credit: Netflix

Season 3 of The Witcher based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and the very successful videogames has been in the news mainly for it being Henry Cavill’s swansong. Liam Hemsworth is taking over monster-hunting duties as Geralt of Rivia from Cavill. The reasons for Cavill’s exit from the role whether due to creative differences over fidelity to the books or to make time for Superman (a role that has since gone to David Corenswet) are shrouded in as much mystery as the wily machinations of the mages on the Continent.

Nevertheless, here we are in the third season of the popular fantasy show with Geralt, his child surprise Ciri (Freya Allan) and his lover, the powerful sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) doing what they are best at — looking awesome dispatching the bad guys or smoothly moving through sinister corridors as despicable rulers and their agents plot murder and worse.

Following the events of the Season 2 finale which found Yennefer getting her powers back and a possessed Ciri killing witchers at their training ground, Kaer Morhen, Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri are on the run. Season 3 opens with the three still on the lookout for a safe haven. Yennefer tries to train Ciri to contain her power, though Ciri is willful and with a heightened sense of justice, unwilling to look the other way at the sign of any wrongdoing.

Ciri, the crown princess of Cintra and prophesied to be the one to save/destroy the world is being hunted by many including the Nilfgaardians led by Cahir (Eamon Farren), the elves led by the elven sorcerer queen, Francesca (Mecia Simson), the spymaster of King Vizimir of Redania, Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and his favourite spy, the sorceress Philippa (Cassie Clare), and Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) and his evil enforcer, Rience (Chris Fulton in season 2 and Sam Woolf in season 3).

Returning to her alma mater in Aretuza is a bitter-sweet experience for Yennefer as she meets friends, enemies and frenemies.  She convinces the brotherhood of sorcerers to hold a conclave to present a united front. At the ball before the actual conclave, is when Geralt and Yennefer looking good enough to eat, find out earth-shattering truths about the conspiracy and themselves.

With Cavill exiting the series, there are rumours of Yennefer and Geralt becoming supporting characters and Ciri taking centre stage. Geralt does get into a tub with Yennefer though. Jaskier (Joey Batey), the travelling bard who sings of Geralt’s deeds finds love much like Geralt. There are a few monsters including one made of the bodies of kidnapped novices while the heads talk in sibilant whispers and shrieks which scores a perfect 10 for awfulness. The costumes, music and production design are expectedly good — some of Yennefer’s outfits are to die for including what she wears to the party. The first part of season 3 ends on a cliffhanger which will be resolved in part 2, dropping on July 27 when we will bid goodbye to Cavill’s broad-shouldered silver-haired world-weary monster hunter. Sigh.

Season 3 of The Witcher is currently streams on Netflix