Review: The Witcher Season 3 Volume 1 – A Good Star to the End?

The third season of The Witcher series on Netflix is split up into two volumes, with the first five episodes airing first. Many are going into the new season of the show with the caveat of knowing this will be Henry Cavil’s last season as Geralt of Rivia, which may or may not impact how enjoyable the season will be for some. But is what season 3 of The Witcher doing a lot better than the previous season and more authentic to the books it is based on? Things start off on a better footing than last time with this first portion of the season, with a lot more Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer being together.

In the aftermath of the previous season, The Witcher has the trio traveling together to evade detection from many of the factions in conflict on The Continent. Ciri is sought after by different groups because of her elder blood and right to rule Cintra, which is of great value to those who would exploit her. Geralt and Yennefer move Ciri around to keep her safe, while also facing the heavy strains of their relationship after everything that happened between them. But trouble comes knocking on Geralt’s door and forces his hand to help Ciri prepare herself for the dangers that are incoming, which may affect everyone on the Continent as well.

What makes this season of the show much better than season 2 is how much we get to see Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer interact with each other. They’re together on screen more often and do more together as a trio, which is a very big change of pace for the show. The Witcher books have a big emphasis on the relationship each of them has with one another, both in the action-packed and quiet moments when they’re talking, so it’s nice to see the show start to focus on that more. There’s time we get to see Geralt spending time with Ciri hunting or fighting monsters, as well as Yennefer and Ciri practicing magic or going undercover. The show honestly is much better to watch when they are together.

The first few episodes of Volume 1 do feel like they rush a bit trying to get everyone to a better place with their relationship, especially Geralt and Yennefer. While things are tense at the start, their relationship quickly becomes sweeter and more layered between them. Seeing Geralt and Yennefer work together to discover more about threats to Ciri, or coming up with plans in a given situation is a lot more interesting and fun to watch. Later episodes get to display Geralt and Yennefer in different elements, letting Geralt show a more sophisticated side and Yennefer flex her political smarts. The two of them complement each other better and there’s more of a heartfelt love that grows as the season goes on.

The action of the show is still very well done, both with the fights between groups and when monsters show up. We get a little bit of everything that people love, from Geralt hunting monsters to big battles with everyone showing up to fight. Things are brutal and gritty, with a little extra finesse this time as we see Geralt use his signs more often mid-battle. Although quick, these moments really mix things up and keep things interesting. While there aren’t any giant battles as of yet, the first part of the season appears to build up to some major conflict that might happen by the end of the season. There’s still plenty of fighting to enjoy until then.

There are a few things that season 3 falls short on. Some characters feel disconnected from a lot of the major events going on, including Ciri’s father who makes an appearance. His presence looms over the Continent and is in the background for some major plot points, but it feels like his relevance and the overall impact will come into effect by the end of the season.

At the same time, Jaskier this season seems to have a bunch of stuff going on that feels irrelevant and unimportant to the greater conflict at hand. While still fun to watch whenever he appears, Jaskier feels more like a random wild card thrown into the mix.

Most of his time is spent with Ciri or getting involved with some of the antagonists who want Ciri, but none of it feels too important. The most impactful thing from his involvement this season is how he begins a relationship with Prince Radovid of Redania, which feels randomly added into the mix. This is a change from the Witcher books, as the character isn’t canonically gay, and appears to come out of nowhere.

Previous seasons of the show never addressed whether the character was bisexual when Jaskier was detailing his escapades, while in this season everything happens spontaneously. Whether this will have any significant impact on either Jaskier or Prince Radovid in relation to what is happening with Ciri is anyone’s guess. Hopefully, the last few episodes will find a way to make this more interesting rather than random.

If you were worried that season 3 of The Witcher would be worse than season 2, you can rest easy knowing things are off to a good start. The cliffhanger ending of volume 1 leaves everyone in a very tense moment, right after Geralt and Yennefer discover some major news that puts everyone in danger. With any luck, the show can give Henry Cavil’s time on the show a solid and enjoyable ending to watch. We’ll find out soon when volume 2 for The Witcher season 3 arrives on Netflix on July 27^th, 2023.

What do you think about The Witcher season 3 so far? Are you a big fan of The Witcher stories and the games? Tell us everything down below in the comment section!