The Witcher season 3 part 2 sees the end of Henry Cavill‘s stint as Geralt of Rivia. And let me tell you, it was boring. Part 1 of season 2 worked on giving us the dynamics that we’ve been waiting for. And our lovely reviewer Lizzie talked about all of that and the fanfiction feels she was getting from episode 1 of season 3. But personally, everything, after they separated from the core group, felt like it was going downhill. And the walking away without looking back like some ‘cool guy moment’ didn’t work for me when it came to Geralt’s final moments.
Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri being separated didn’t work at all in general. And the beginning of season 3 left me feeling like we were done with keeping them apart and working on making them a tighter family unit. Some might say that they now have the strength within them that they gained from their family unit to survive against anything. But did we really see that development or time besides one key episode at the beginning of the season? Because from where I’m standing, it felt like they were using Cavill’s exit to go for something edgy, or different, that could lead to his eventual departure with no turning back and a more clear shift to Ciri.
This princess turned into a sword-wielding badass is also apparently the main character of The Witcher. This comes from executive producer Tomek Baginski who told Entertainment Weekly, “One of the more important things about Ciri is that we will slowly discover that she is the main character of the Witcher saga. Not Geralt, not Yennefer. It’s Ciri’s story.” Admittedly I was mad at this comment. The Witcher had always presented Geralt as the front-runner in promotional material, a clear sign that he was the lead. And this just felt like a pivot by Netflix to cover their asses as to the real reason why Cavill left the show.
That’s when the book purists came in. Comment after comment under the EW post basically said, “Well, duh. That’s what happens in the books. It’s told through Geralt’s eyes but it’s Ciri’s story. She’s the witcher this show is talking about.” I calmed my ass at this moment. Because honestly, that sounds badass. She’s the witcher? She’s who I should’ve been paying attention to from day one?! That’s when I got mad again. Because personally, I think the show should’ve been clearer that Ciri was the lead. Then I would’ve been hurt less when Geralt left because his legacy was and will always be there. And I would’ve paid more attention/hyped up Ciri in the first place!
And let’s just be clear, for some who have never read the books and watched the show, the fact that Ciri was the lead was obvious. But there are enough people going, “WTF?!” online to lead me to believe that I’m not alone in feeling thrown that Ciri was always the lead. From the bottom of my soul, I also hate how this is making me question what I know about this show in general, even what Yennefer and Geralt’s relationship was really about. Maybe I looked too deep into it? Because she wouldn’t just leave him like that. She wouldn’t even really leave Jaskier at a point last season. The math isn’t adding up for anything in part 2 of season 3 and I’m just left mourning what could’ve been and how things are going to change when season 4 comes around.
At the end of the day, The Witcher was worth it because of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri separately. But it was also worth it to watch the father and daughter bond that blossomed between Geralt and Ciri. There’s also the mother and daughter bond between Yennefer and Ciri. The bond between Geralt and Yennefer was just as fantastic, even though it was filled with angst, and felt like they were just getting on the right page with each other. And I loved the family unit that they made in a world that wanted to use Ciri.
It also felt like a pivotal show for women in general. Yes, Ciri was super powerful and everyone wanted to control that strength in her even when she was being an annoying teen. But she persevered and grew into a take-charge young woman who was there for her friends, family, and even strangers. And Yennefer, who was focused on herself for so long, found a vulnerability within herself that never let that strength falter. If anything, the bond strengthened them. Together they joined a multitude of women who defined this show more than Geralt ever would. I said, what I said.
Even then…even after all of this…that ending was not it and The Witcher as a show deserved better than a ‘see you later’ except when they see each other later, he’ll be wearing a new face. It’s an ehhh for me.
The Witcher season 3 part 2 is now available on Netflix.
What did you think of The Witcher season 3 part 2? Let us know in the comments below!
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, The Witcher being covered here wouldn’t exist.
I can’t picture Geralt played by anyone else … but I guess should give Liam? a fair shot at it.