It was a strange experience going into The Witcher S4. The books and games have always been great and I enjoyed the first few seasons, even if I felt it was nowhere near hitting the potential it had. On top of this, leading star Henry Cavill left the series to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth and those on the internet certainly had their opinions. Blocking out the noise, I dived into The Witcher S4 and found myself pleasantly surprised…

The Witcher S4 starts off where the last season left off. There are three strands being followed: Geralt searching for Ciri as he believes her to be with the Emhyr who wishes to marry her and ensure a powerful bloodline, Yennefer is building an army to defeat the villainous Vilgefortz, and Ciri is living a separate life away with a band of misfits named The Rats. The writing and structure of the series has always been a bit messy – but I have to say I found this season more streamlined and easier to follow. The writing felt stronger although it still made me cringe in places with some dreadful lines somehow making it through the editing process (“School’s out!” – seriously?).

People are going to have their opinions on Cavill being replaced by Hemsworth and it did take me an episode or two to get used to the change but for me, Hemsworth does well and his story this season is a strength. Geralt feels more human in this season and it suits Hemsworth. He makes friendships along the way as he cuts through monsters and deals with monstrous men. He makes friends with dwarves, gnomes, and an absolutely brilliant vampire (my favourite character!) and the dialogue between him and Jaskier always made me smile. Episode 5 of The Witcher S4 is one of the best that the Netflix show has put together with the friends sharing tales of their past and bringing something unique to the series. It was an episode that definitely reminded me of playing the game and that is a huge positive.

Yennefer’s story is another strength of The Witcher S4. Like Geralt’s thread, its strength is in its simplicity. Yennefer wants Ciri back and revenge on Vilgefortz. United mages, she works to bring down Vilgefortz with the power of mages old and new and it leads up to a huge magic battle with some brutal deaths that fans of grimdark will certainly enjoy. The main negative for me this season (other than some weak writing) is Ciri’s story. I’ve never been a fan of a young character getting lost and finding a young band of misfits who harp on about being free (see Stranger Things and a weird plot with Seven in season 2). The Rats, for me, were just annoying and when they were in any sense of danger I found myself hoping they would lose and never return to my screen. Thankfully, Ciri herself is still awesome – she’s an ass-kicking heroine and her fight scenes are always quality. However, there is another character that takes the spotlight for fights later in the season. Leo Bonhart. Leo is a bounty hunter who thrives on hunting witchers. Played brilliantly by the always amazing Sharlto Copley (District 9, Elysium, Oldboy), the bounty hunter is a grimdark nightmare. He is sadistic to the extreme and a character that people will love to hate and he has some of the best scenes in the series.

Despite the online backlash to casting choices, The Witcher S4 is a surprisingly streamlined, action-packed adventure that left me wanting more. With simpler stories, well-rounded characters, and a love of brutality, this season might actually be my favourite. Some fans will still hate it and I get that, but with a more human titular character, a badass sorceress, a delightful vampire, and one of the best villains on TV this year, The Witcher S4 is a fun grimdark adventure.

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