The Witcher season three volume one
The world of The Witcher is enormous. Not just in terms of its scale, but also in its scope, at the centre of which lies the tale of the titular monster hunter (Henry Cavill) and his ongoing quest to protect his surrogate daughter Ciri (Freya Allan) from those hunting her. There’s already a lot going on in the show, and the first episode of the latest season wastes no time in diving straight back into it.
Opening with a strong re-introduction to Cavill’s Geralt, in what’s set to be his last stint on the series, season three picks up with Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) on the run from malicious sorcerer Rience (this time played by Sam Woolf) while the youngster continues to hone her magical abilities. Meanwhile, bard Jaskier (Joey Batey) becomes embroiled in some espionage, and the elven rebels devise their own schemes. There’s a lot of groundwork to cover here as the script jumps between characters and plotlines in what results in a chaotic episode. What it lacks in focus, though, it makes up for in action, with the series deploying some of its most stylish set-pieces yet to maintain the momentum.
It’s only when the busywork of setting the key players on their paths is complete that the saga gets back on track in the second episode to deliver a more cohesive narrative, with Ciri acting as the anchoring point connecting each plotline. As the danger of the mysterious powers at play become clearer, the latest season looks to be on its way to big things – especially going by how closely it seems to be following the source material.
Boasting a grand musical score and impressive turns from its returning cast, The Witcher has the feel of a fantasy epic. It’s somewhat disappointing that the highly polished production is tarnished slightly by a handful of questionable effects and a selection of underwhelming performances from supporting characters. Even with these noticeable blemishes, Geralt and Ciri’s latest outing is a spectacular odyssey of family and destiny set within a world as brimming with history as it is in political schemes.
With the conclusion of this series still to come next month, Cavill’s tenure as Geralt is set to be a memorable farewell before he passes his silver sword to Liam Hemsworth for the fourth season.
Andrew Murray
The Witcher season three volume one is released on Netflix on 29th June 2023.
Watch the trailer for The Witcher season three volume one here:
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