As the final season of Henry Cavill to playing Geralt of Rivia, the very Witcher that is mentioned in the series’ title, one can expect something big and grand. After all, the first season and it’s 8 episodes took its time to really familiarize the audience with the world and laid down the backstory of its three central characters – Geralt, Yennefer of Vengerberg (played by Anya Chalotra), and Ciri of Cintra (played by Freya Allan) – right before making them meet by the finale of season one. Season two began to lay the foundations of the political world that surrounds the Continent, the fictional world where all of this is set. More importantly, it sets up Ciri as the goal for many kings and wizards. She is instrumental to the future of the Continent and she is under the protection of both Geralt and Yennefer.
With all the pieces at play, the world is set, it is very interesting that the first two episodes of the third season is set in playing out a fantasy of the three main characters – running away from all those who seek out Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer and Ciri play house as Yennefer teaches Ciri how to control her immense magical potential; for the first time, these three characters are operating in an almost normal, family-like setting – and it gives the three a taste of what they have been missing, a chance to reconcile from past hurts in the previous season, and something to hold on to in relation to what’s about to come in the rest of the season.
Already, we see distinct changes in Geralt (he’s smiling more, he’s letting down his guard), while Yennefer has found herself more emotionally open to two people, while Ciri is discovering her resolve. The first two episodes are necessary because while this may be what the characters want for themselves – a chance to just be a family and away from all the horrors of this fictional world – but we know that will not last.
One cannot outrun their destiny forever.
Now that the world has been set up, ‘The Witcher” season three puts all of this to motion. All the characters now are making their moves, secrets are uncovered, and everyone is getting closer and closer to Ciri. Geralt and Yennefer have discovered that the best defense may be a strategic offense but are also in a quandary as Ciri has grown up and has come to the conclusion that maybe running away and staying neutral isn’t the solution. Maybe, as a queen, she can make some truly lasting changes.
‘The Witcher’ season three is divided into two volumes and the first five episodes is one massive build up that seems to be pushing Ciri into making a choice about her future. Geralt and Yennefer are now coming to terms with the position they’ve chosen to be her de facto parents. Can they support their child now that she’s taken the whole world as her responsibility
As the story goes on high gear, there’s less opportunities for Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia to battle strange and frightening creatures like in the past seasons. There’s no time. There are too many characters and a lot of politics at play. In fact, it’s less of Geralt’s story now than it is Ciri’s, as Geralt and Yennefer are more left to be her support as she has to come to a decision (which will probably be explored in the last three episodes of the season to be released on July 27).
The show is not without its social commentary: the Continent is a divided land and all the political strife that is keeping it from thriving is from rampant greed, hunger for power, discrimination, and vengeance. The world is rife with narcissistic monarchs who would wge war for their own vanity and their own beliefs without regard to the damage they’ve done to the world around them. And interestingly enough, even Geralt’s stance of staying neutral and not taking a side is put into question.
But even the show is aware that in these massive games amongst kings and queens, there are no easy choices to be made. They are all evil and corrupt in their own way.
With only three episodes to go, Cavill is leaving the show (to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth) with a changed Geralt of Rivia. He has taken the character from the grim, emotionless Witcher from the first season to a softer, warmer father figure to Allan’s Ciri. He’s managed to bridge the character to this space, which will probably culminate to a major choice he will have to make in the finale but as Ciri’s father and not her mentor or guardian.
If it’s as I suspect, it would be a fitting way to leave the show and a wonderful gift he will leave for Hemsworth. In three seasons, he’s managed to evolve this character so that the person taking over has somewhere new to take it. He definitely will be missed but the show has propped up the rest of the characters and the world that Geralt is no longer at the center of it.
My Rating:
The Witcher Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. Watch it here.
