Late last month, the second half of The Witcher's third season was released on Netflix. With that, Henry Cavill's time as Geralt of Rivia came to a close before Liam Hemsworth takes over the role in season 4.
Most fans seem to agree the former Superman didn't exactly go out on a high, but the show's latest Audience Score suggests the vast majority outright hated season 3. As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, The Witcher's latest batch of episodes holds a dismal 22% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's a comparison of how the Critics and Audience scores compare for each season:
The Witcher season 1: 68%/89%
The Witcher season 2: 95%/56%
The Witcher season 3: 77%/22%
It's worth pointing out that there's a chance we're seeing an element of review-bombing here, particularly as so many fans are unhappy about Cavill's perceived ousting from the Netflix series. However, the decline from season to season does reflect much of what we usually see online and something needs to be done.
The streamer will likely be hoping Hemsworth's debut as Geralt will serve as a fresh start for The Witcher, and it may end up being exactly that. Between the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the show is unlike to return any sooner than 2025, and that breathing room is likely to be hugely beneficial.
Behind the scenes, however, Netflix should probably consider some major creative team changes.
While Cavill has now departed the series, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey are all going to reprise their respective roles alongside Hemsworth's new Geralt. As for the show's next big bad, you can learn more about them right here.
"As monarchs, mages and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her," the season 3 synopsis begins, "Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it."
"Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line – or risk losing each other forever."
The first three seasons of The Witcher are now streaming on Netflix.