The Witcher Season 3 Review Volume 1: Surprisingly Begins in the Best Possible Way
Cast: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan
Created By: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
The wait for The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 is great, perhaps probably too much in light of the first 5 episodes. The flagship fantasy TV series in the Netflix catalog reaches its third season with a truly remarkable load of expectations and nostalgia on its shoulders: on the one hand, the first two seasons have attracted more and more fans to the franchise; on the other hand, we know well that this will be the last season starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Maybe the real reason Cavill left the project was that the series was slowly letting him down. The first 5 episodes of The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 are not up to the previous ones, neither for the story nor for the development of the characters who remain stuck as we left them. Among all the new seasons of The Witcher, she is the most comical, and not in a good way. The characters clarify their differences only off camera and miss the moments long awaited by fans of the second season.
The ending has not been studied to divide the season in two, there is a cliffhanger, but it is not the one predicted. With so much bitterness, and the writer is a fan of the literary and serial saga, we hope that the show in the last three episodes will be able to recover and give us an epic ending for Henry Cavill. Despite these premises, within the new chapters, not everything is to be thrown away. Here’s our review of The Witcher 3. However, the approach to this third season, especially by inveterate fans of the books born from the pen of the Polish author, is a little harsher and less exciting. Although The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 draws from the volume The Time of War, a large portion of viewers began to complain in the previous season of infidelity to the novels – almost – unacceptable on the part of showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, who – from what we learn – has decided to take a path that is very different from the reality also known in the video game. Also fueling the discontent is the abandonment of Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt of Rivia, who hangs up his sword and white wig.
The Witcher Season 3 Review Volume 1: The Story Plot
Winds of war are blowing on the Continent: the shadow of the emperor of Nilfgaard, the White Flame Emhyr var Emreis, hangs over the weak kingdoms of the North, while the militias of the Scoia’tael continue to conduct their relentless raids after the death of the son of the elf Francesca Findabair. Meanwhile, at the court of Redania, the master of spies Dijkstra and the sorceress Philippa plot to get their hands on the young Ciri, heir to the throne of Cintra, and marry her to the inept king Demawend. The two cunning conspirators, however, are not the only ones on the trail of the young protégé of the witcher Geralt of Rivia: hordes of assassins and mercenaries hired by the mad fire wizard Rience hunt her across the continent, and also the elves of Francesca hope to capture her and bring her to their side to fulfill the arcane prophecies related to the Old Blood.
A mystical legacy which, as if that weren’t enough, has also attracted the attention of the supernatural Wild Hunt, always ready to pounce on the girl. To protect her from all these enemies, Geralt and Yennefer find themselves forced to put aside the quarrels and wander relentlessly, to the ruins of the ancient city of Shaerrawedd: here the three will ambush Rience, in an attempt to thwart his threat once and for all. But who is the mysterious instigator who hired the sinister fire wizard? To discover his identity, our heroes will have to head to the island of Thanedd, where the magical academy of Aretuza di Tissaia de Vries is located. Once they arrive at the Torre delle Swallows, Yennefer hopes to make Ciri take the path of magical arts to keep her safe, but the young woman does not have at all the same opinions. Meanwhile, retracing the footsteps of Rience, Geralt will come across an increasingly dense network of conspiracies…
The Witcher Season 3 Review Volume 1 and Analysis
After a second season mainly focused on Ciri and her training in Kaer Morhen, The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 becomes more choral, with attention well distributed to all the main characters. Geralt, who has been granted insight into his past, is getting used to the role of father that he had to accept at the end of the first season. Ciri becomes increasingly aware of herself and whom she wants to become of her, while Yenner makes sure to impart all the magic lessons necessary for her to take flight and enhance her powers. Embracing that role of mother that she has longed for. In previous episodes, we had been used to seeing these characters, although linked by fate, often separated. Each storyline followed its parallel path and a few times, in the course of history, it had happened to see them united. Now, however, their narrative lines are inextricably intertwined, leaving room for a few moments when they don’t play together.
The intention of showing the Witcher, the princess, and the sorceress as a cohesive family is clear, who despite their differences love and respect each other, and who create a protective shield to protect each other. An inevitable and necessary evolution, which builds their personalities even more, shaping on the other hand a trio that takes on an increasingly strong and decisive identity. A wise choice, this one, which above all fills the void of the second season, in which we saw a Yennefer on the sidelines and a Ciri who tried a little too much to hold the whole world-building on her shoulders. The new season, on the other hand, completes a discussion that had begun previously: Geralt’s hard and indestructible armor has given way, as we had already begun to see, to a softer and more caring soul. The loving side of him is in full bloom, thanks to being able to be together with the two women.
Yennefer’s maternal side, which she managed to conquer with difficulty, now makes her more benevolent, but at the same time vulnerable, and shows all the facets of a complex character but with an incredible story. Ciri, on the other hand, is going through a beautiful process of growing up, as she tries to become the Witcher she was meant to be. Having them together and compact not only ensures that the writing of the characters is enriched and solidified to develop, but allows for an increasingly linear plot, in which to get lost less (as happened especially in the first season). The meat put on the fire is small but interesting and fertile, and a thousand sub-plots are not opened which one cannot logically keep up with, except by jotting down notes. However, managing to branch out to incorporate all the protagonists presented so far, the political aspect becomes increasingly central and devoted to the plot twist.
In addition to the narrative construct that continues to work and mesh, The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 is keen to confirm a maturity in staging and aesthetics to be appreciated, which is becoming more and more important. Despite being a fictitious universe, the Continent, thanks to the care of the sets and costumes – which are very close to those of the video game – seem real, coherent, and above all credible, thanks to meticulous work that does not want to leave room for imperfections. Already in this first part, contaminated by an increasingly dark tone and horror nuances, the operation carried out on the visual effects can be seen. The CGI is accurate and precise, the monsters that trigger the action scenes – always well-choreographed and never excessive to avoid indigestion – are reliable and show greater attention to the visual aspect. Never as in high fantasy is it important to avoid falling into the ugliness of the story.
What changes is photography, this time at the service of events. There is a very varied use of shades, which goes from warm to cold in the sequence shot. The prevalence, compared to the second season, is of warm nuances, primarily because in this first part of The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 many scenes are shot indoors and in Aretuza, and secondly because there is a rich slice of emotional or romantic moments, especially between Yennefer and Geralt, who can finally forgive and love each other. In conclusion, the first part of the third season leaves nothing to chance, it alternates between syncopated and relaxed rhythms to breathe and lets the audience absorb all the information necessary for a finale that will almost certainly be full of surprises, other intrigues, and twists.
Beyond any fuss raised by the fan base, many of the narrative solutions that should fill some gaps in a plot that is perhaps too centered do not prove to be up to the intensity and depth of the original story. Nevertheless, not even the creative liberties taken by the authors should prevent the show from recovering at least some of the lost ground. Volume 1 of the third season of The Witcher has all it takes to do well, boding well-given volume 2 and the final episodes. The commitment made by all the professionals involved, with a visibly concentrated Cavill eager to bid the right farewell to a character he loves, makes any drifts less bitter and allows you to appreciate even more dynamics and details that the novels had only been able to hint at. Only time will tell if good intentions emerge or if mistrust and doubts (which do not hesitate to present themselves) will take over. What is certain is that the adventure of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer has finally reached its main track. If Netflix keeps its desire to emerge at bay and let the story, do it, The Witcher could continue to live even without the Geralt that everyone loves.
The first clear and immediate difference that these episodes show compared to the past is their infinitely more concrete approach: it is no coincidence that they start in the middle of the action, with Steven Surjik’s hyperkinetic direction enhancing the return of the fights of Wolfgang Stegemann, the stunt coordinator of the very first episode of the series. The third season takes the entire first episode to leave behind any unpleasant connections with the past, taking advantage of the long-awaited co-presence of all three protagonists to keep the viewer glued to the screen. While the dynamic between Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri dominates the scene, the show takes the opportunity to create the perfect divide through the Shaerawedd shown in Blood of Elves (the first novel that was supposed to be adapted in the second season). Hissrich and associates say almost nothing about that specific episode, but the occasion is perfect both to introduce novelties and to make room for characters that have so far been only hinted at.
With the focus moving rapidly from one scene to another, keeping up the pace between appreciable citations to Sapkowski’s works and ever-changing situations, the path of this season takes a favorable turn that almost slavishly follows the narrative path presented inIl Tempo della Guerra (second novel of the saga and fundamental pivot of the adaptation of the new episodes). With a context that music, sets, and style improve the good shown in past years, the work makes the right changes to find its center – succeeding, at least in large part.
After the initial adaptation, the episodes are all extremely dense and proceed at a brisk pace, constantly mixing references and gimmicks but without clashing too much concerning past seasons. All in all, the greatest value of the production is that of having managed to functionally manage the order and hierarchies, both in the relationships between the characters and in the storylines. Where these elements allow Freya Allan’s Ciri to shine like never before, finally giving weight and character to the character, on the other hand, they highlight the vast difference between the material adapted from the source and the entire original elements – with one of these which will likely infuriate longtime fans.
The Witcher Season 3 Review Volume 1: The Last Words
The third season, in addition to taking up the discussion left open in the previous one, goes to deepen all its aspects, enriching the story and the main characters. The plot continues to be increasingly linear and is more compelling than the second season in preparation for this. The focus, this time, is the family formed by Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, who earn their well-deserved space together. The first 5 episodes of The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 disappoint with story and character development, but there are still interesting elements in the new chapters. The characters only clarify their differences off-camera, and the ending doesn’t seem to have been designed to divide the season in two. The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 starts uphill and pays for the mistakes of last season, offering us an all too dense and convoluted narrative. But when the series finally manages to get going, things get better and better. We have no doubts: in July it will be really fun!
