This week has seen the release of the fourth season of Netflix’s epic fantasy series “The Witcher,” and the first of two seasons starring Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill.
The switch hasn’t proven beneficial. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has slipped to 53% as compared to the 68%, 95% and 79% of the three prior ones. On Metacritic, it stands at 60/100 compared to the 54/100, 69/100 and 71/100 of the previous three.
It was expected that the critical reviews would focus on the shift of lead actors, with some saying Hemsworth is fine and others wishing for Cavill back. However, many of the negatives brought up in the reviews have nothing to do with the actors (some returning cast members being the most praised elements), but the overall show itself – namely the writing, direction and overall quality.
Here’s a sampling of reviews thus far:
“In a much sharper and less convoluted season than the previous one, “The Witcher” Season 4 is action-packed and full of dazzling characters both old and new.” – Aramide Tinubu, Variety
“The Witcher is so close to achieving the magic that gave Season 1 so much potential, but it has to fully commit to its evolution to do so.” – Lyvie Scott, Inverse
“Hemsworth’s quietly ridiculous turn is nonetheless perfectly attuned to a show that harks back to the days before fantasy was cool and gets by (just about) on sheer silliness” – Ed Power, Daily Telegraph
“In truth, Season 4 of The Witcher belongs to Anya Chalotra… We get to watch Yen finally fully step into her own power — as a mage, as a leader, as a mother, as a hero — and it’s wildly satisfying on virtually every level” – Lacy Baugher, Paste Magazin
“The Witcher: Season 4 has more successes than missteps, but as a season, it feels incomplete and just part of a larger tapestry for the show’s endgame.” – Matt Fowler, IGN
“Hemsworth does a fine job of wearing the witcher’s medallion, and the obvious distinctions in this rendition aren’t necessarily detrimental to the story” – Debopriyaa Dutta, Slashfilm
“No amount of imaginative swordplay or inventive creature design can prevent the sense that The Witcher is now what all sword and sorcery epics fear becoming: pure bilge.” – Nick Hilton, The Independent
“The problem isn’t that the show has a new lead actor; it’s that it continues to be a bloated mess, and season 4 doesn’t do anything to fix that.” – Andrew Webster, The Verge
“Our hero does his best to compensate by mumbling incomprehensibly while making his nostrils flap like enraged windsocks. Alas, no amount of wounded grunting can detract from the fact that Hemsworth, bless his pleather britches, is no Henry Cavill.” – Sarah Dempster, The Guardian
“Where Cavill brought a real presence to the role – managing to be gruffly funny in one moment and believably brutal in the next – Hemsworth is just an anchor around the entire experience from which “The Witcher” can’t shake free.” – Chase Hutchinson, The Wrap
The fourth season of “The Witcher” is now available on Netflix with a fifth and final season due out next year.
