There must be something wrong if a show is talked about more for the cast than the content itself. Well, that is the burden of an age where everything is news and then it is not. Season 3 of The Witcher, based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and the video games about a silver-haired mutant monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia, played with a phenomenal ferocity by Henry Cavill, has been in the news for being Cavill’s last outing. Geralt will be played by Liam Hemsworth from Season 4.
The Witcher Season 3 Vol 2
Actors becoming bigger than the characters they play is a bit of a double-edged sword. Only Harrison Ford can be Indy (he said so himself) and Tom Cruise, Ethan Hunt. Daniel Craig played dirty with our beloved suave secret agent James Bond by creating a version that was more Craig than Fleming. On the other hand, Alan Ritchson made for a fine Reacher after Cruise’s version of the nomadic retired military policeman was emphatically sent packing after two movies. Also, actors by definition, should be subsumed in the character not become bigger than them. If that is the difference between actors and stars, where would you draw the line between Bhiku Mhatre and Manoj Bajpayee?
And the discussion can go on and on. We, however, have a show to review and let us get on with it. If we were to clear the table of all the Cavill versus Hemsworth arguments, how does Volume II of Season 3 of The Witcher hold up? Pretty well I should say. There are gory battles, some beasties (not as many as I would like), soul searching, gorgeous costumes, splendid sets and jolly betrayals. The roiling events of the Thanedd Coup, which opens Episode 6 of Season 3, “Everybody Has a Plan ‘til They Get Punched in the Face” (no alliterative titles here) has drastic consequences.
Our happy family of Geralt, his sorceress lover Yennefer, (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan) have gone different ways. Yennefer chooses to stay back in Aretuza where the battle has cut great, bloody swathes within the ranks of the mages. Commanding Ciri to flee, Geralt confronts the traitorous Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu), who very nearly manages to cut Geralt down. Grievously wounded, Geralt is led to Brokilon forest where the dryads do their best to heal him. Some wounds, as Yennefer forlornly tells Geralt, are beyond the power of magic.
Ciri, while escaping from Vilgefortz, finds herself in a blazing desert, where she sees many visions (let us not go down the religious route here) and beasties including one with many teeth that cunningly lies flat on the sand with its sticky mouth gaping open waiting from unsuspecting prey and princesses to stumble in. There is also a unicorn without a rainbow-hued sparkly tail, that appears to show Ciri the right way at opportune moments.
The bard Jaskier, (Joey Batey) catches up with Geralt and helps him in his rehabilitation mainly by staying by his side and singing elven songs. With Ciri calling herself Falka after the mysterious woman she met during her mind wanderings in the desert (and throwing her lot with a bunch of thieves who call themselves Rats), Yennefer becoming the leader of the mages, Geralt heading for Nilfgaard with Jaskier, and Prince Radovid (Hugh Skinner) taking over the throne of Redania after his brother Vizimir (Ed Birch) is removed from the equation seemingly by spymaster Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and Philippa (Cassie Clare), everything is set up for a sparkly, eventful fourth season.
Spare a glance also at Making The Witcher for insights into fight choreography and how the cameraman has to be as nimble as the actors, practically dance with them for that perfect shot; it is not all growling, grunting and CGI.
All seasons of The Witcher currently streams on Netflix
