REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ Season 3 Volume 1 Brings Violence, Love, And Resilience

Having narrowly escaped their brush with the Wild Hunt, Geralt, Yennefer of Venerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Ciri of Cintra, now search for a place of safety so Ciri can be trained in the use of her powers. But while the trio prepares for the future, The Continent continues to stir, as the Elves continue to lash out at the North for the injustices done to them, and Nilfgaard prepares to make its next move in The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 from showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. The series stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Robbie Amell, Lars Mikkelsen, Simon Callow, Graham McTavish, and Hugh Skinner. This third season of The Witcher Saga also marks Cavill’s last as Geralt before he hands the character to Liam Hemsworth, but before this hand off Geralt has a new mission and the series brings forward new characters.

This season is, to put it bluntly, fantastic. The story, the action, the dark magic, the treachery, and the characters all come together to deliver an amazing story that manages to finish as strong as it begins. While past seasons of The Witcher were always good, this season elevates the show to new heights, thanks in no small part to the power of its lead, Henry Cavill.

The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 opens with Geralt reminding the audience of just how incredible he is with a sword, and he never stops impressing till the final credits roll. While Geralt cuts an imposing presence conceptually as a character, it is Cavill’s comfort and familiarity with the character that makes him truly shine as the show’s lead. Geralt never feels one once less imposing than we all know he is intended to be, thanks to Cavill’s ability to project the character’s aura throughout this release’s five episodes. But while Cavill’s mastery of Geralt the Witcher gives the character power and presence, it is how well the actor delivers Geralt the Father that makes the performance true perfection in his newly-reunited family.

Geralt has always been a stoic character. Allowing such a character to project emotion into a scene while not visually showing it in the obvious ways one usually does is a challenging trick for an actor. But every tender, fatherly moment Geralt shares with Ciri (Freya Allan) manages to scream Geralt’s feelings, without ever breaking character. These moments are made all the easier by the smooth on-screen chemistry Cavill and Allan share throughout the series. The concern, kindness, and occasional fights all feel real and heartfelt thanks to how masterfully the two actors play off each other. When the duo overcomes a particularly nasty monster together, it feels like an incredible achievement for them. The feeling of a father and daughter going through a rite of passage together is sold by the two’s wonderful back-and-forth familiarity with each other.

While the characters take center stage in The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1, there is plenty more to love about the show. Not the least of which is the action. Some truly terrifying monsters await our favorite Witcher in this season, and happily, Geralt’s swordsmanship is more than up for the task. The violence is brutal and engaging as long, panning shots work through fights, allowing the viewer to take in every torturous blow and stab. Along with the intense impact of the series’ numerous battles, the show also never fails to highlight the skill of its combatants. While Geralt has been a monster with a sword since we first met him, seeing how far Ciri has come during some of her more intense moments provides some wonderfully choreographed treats.

The final element that will keep fans thinking about this entry in the franchise until Volume 2 arrives next month is the perfectly executed final episode. Occurring at a mage ball, the episode follows Yennefer and Geralt as they navigate the political threats and conniving dealings of the other attendants. But rather than just play through the evening once in order, the episode hits several high notes the first time through then, as Geralt and Yen discuss the night’s events later, it repeatedly returns to the night to play it out again, but from different points of view and added context. This constant expansion of moments makes the episode feel striking and unique. Coupled with a phenomenal cliffhanger ending, The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 goes out, leaving the best impression it possibly could.

The only place where this story struggled for me at times is how complex the story gets. There are so many fantasy places, names, beasts of the continent, monarchs, and events getting bandied around that there were times when I just had to let it wash over me and hope whatever the characters were talking about would eventually make sense when events brought about conclusions to their concerns. While the most crucial names are present enough to keep straight consistently, the show dives back into its lore enough that there are times when I know I should know a name, but season one was a long time ago at this point.

Despite those minor misgivings though, The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 is a work of excellent dark-fantasy storytelling. If you have enjoyed your previous journeys with Geralt of Rivia, I cannot fathom a reason why you would not enjoy this one.

The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix with Volume 2 releasing later this July.