The Witcher Season 4 TV Review: Liam Hemsworth leads the action-packed penultimate chapter of the fantasy saga

Plot: After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out season three, the new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire and finding one another again.

Review: The Witcher has been a very lucrative franchise for Netflix, with a spin-off (Blood Origin) and two animated films complementing the flagship fantasy series. With Henry Cavill bidding farewell to the role of Geralt of Rivia two years ago, the wait for the fourth season has been a mix of curiosity surrounding the next chapter in the tale, as much as it has been anticipation in seeing Liam Hemsworth take over the title role. Returning to the single release format of the first two seasons, the fourth volume of The Witcher replicates the separate narrative arcs for Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri that structured the debut season. By dividing the protagonists, The Witcher delivers a substantial amount of storytelling in this eight-episode run, setting the stage for the fifth and final season, which is already in production. Season four of The Witcher is the most cohesive run to date, with enough blood and monsters to let you forget about Henry Cavill’s absence. Well, almost.

At the end of the third season, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Geralt (Liam Hemsworth) sought Ciri (Freya Allan), who they believed was being sent to Nilfgaard by the mage Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu). Little did they know, but Vilgefortz instead delivered Teryn (Frances Pooley) as Ciri’s double while the princess was instead saved from bounty hunters by a group known as The Rats, to whom she introduced herself as Falka. As this season begins, Yennefer and Geralt are on their own journey to try to rescue Ciri. Yennefer must contend with Vilgefortz, who has destroyed the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, leaving magic on the verge of annihilation at the dark wizard’s hand. Yennefer starts this season trying to gather mages who will align with her to destroy Vilgefortz. Ciri tries to start a new life as a thief alongside The Rats while distancing herself from her true identity. While Yennefer and Geralt are seeking Ciri, she is more focused on leaving her past behind and aligning with her new companions, including new friend Mistle (Christelle Elwin).

Geralt’s journey, alongside Jaskier(Joey Batey) and the archer Milva (Meng’er Zhang), aligns them with a band of travelers led by Zoltan (Danny Woodburn). The group includes multiple characters familiar to players of the video game and the source novels, including Regis (Laurence Fishburne), an apothecary with a mysterious past. Where the early seasons of The Witcher had Geralt facing a slew of monsters as side quests on his primary journey, the second and third seasons drifted away from that towards a unified narrative. This season returns to seeing Geralt face off with some unique creatures, but they are in service of the primary goal of reuniting the white-haired hero with Yennefer and Ciri. Of the three main characters, Geralt’s story is the most entertaining as it mimics a Fellowship of the Ring-style team. Laurence Fishburne’s presence adds a fun dynamic to the plot. Fishburne is one of several recognizable additions to the cast, which also includes guest stars James Purefoy and Sharlto Copley. Copley’s character is one of my favorites in this new season, and he represents the most intriguing foil for the main characters from any season. Between Fishburne and Copley, this season has the best cast additions the series has ever had.

While both Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan have mastered their portrayals of Yennefer and Ciri, both get to do a lot more physical work this season. Both actresses hold their own in some of the season’s best action moments, with Allan especially showcasing Ciri’s training from Geralt. The biggest question many have about this season will undoubtedly be whether Liam Hemsworth can succeed Henry Cavill. Cavill’s gravelly performance as Geralt was based as much on his physical presence as a substitute for his limited dialogue. Hemsworth certainly tries to echo Cavill’s gruff demeanor, but it feels like Geralt is much more verbose in these episodes than ever before. Hemsworth cuts an imposing physical presence as Geralt, which is not quite as massive as Cavill’s but suits the character. There is a lot of action in this season, and Hemsworth is right in the mix for the majority of it. While I am sure experts performed the more dangerous stunts, Hemsworth did his fair share of the fighting. The change in actors is handled well, with the focus remaining on the story and world-building, which feels much more balanced this season than in any prior run.

Series creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich wrote the premiere episode, with returning scribes Tania Lotia, Rae Benjamin, Troy Dangerfield, Matthew D’Ambrosio, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Clare Higgins, and Mike Ostrowski contributing to the other seven episodes. The only director returning from prior seasons is Alex Garcia Lopez, who directs two episodes. The other helmers include Sergio Mimica Green, Tricia Brock, and Jeremy Webb, who each directed a pair of episodes. The Witcher novels that serve as the source for this season include Baptism of Fire and The Tower of the Swallow, along with elements from The Lady of the Lake. The plot elements remain consistent with the fates of characters and the introduction of new plot threads as the series approaches its fifth and final season, which will likely bring together the final books in the series. Due to the complex connections to European mythology, some readers who have not read the books may be a bit confused by some of the story’s directions, but going in blind will still deliver a satisfying and well-rounded fantasy adventure.

The fourth season of The Witcher may be the best the series has delivered thus far. The story is the most cohesive and engaging with the finale setting up a shocking and epic final season to come. Liam Hemsworth holds his own as Geralt of Rivia and shares great chemistry with the entire ensemble. Even after two years away, The Witcher remains a fun and exhilarating adventure. I had a blast watching these eight episodes and appreciate the story more than I did the first twenty-four. While it is bittersweet that this marks the beginning of the end, I am impressed that Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and the rest of the writing and directing team have crafted such a solid run of storytelling. There is action, sex, violence, bloodshed, twists, turns, and lots of monsters, but none of it feels repetitive or rote. The Witcher continues to live up to expectations and, for the first time, has exceeded mine.

The Witcher premieres its fourth season on October 30th on Netflix.