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Susie Allnutt/Netflix
Warning: Spoilers ahead for “The Witcher” Season 4
Henry Cavill’s departure from “The Witcher” marks a significant shift in the series, as Liam Hemsworth steps into the iconic role of Geralt of Rivia for Season 4. Fans eagerly speculated on how this transition would be handled, perhaps hoping for a clever nod from Jaskier, played by Joey Batey, or a playful announcement like those seen in soap operas. However, the show’s approach may have missed the mark, choosing a route that left some viewers puzzled.
The season opens with an elder recounting the tale of the Butcher of Blaviken to a group of children, a clear callback to the series’ first episode where Cavill’s Geralt battled the kikimora. Yet, this time, the story is altered when a young girl interrupts, claiming inaccuracies and embellishing Hemsworth’s portrayal with additional feats. This retelling attempts to blend the past with the present, but its effect is somewhat disjointed.
As the narrative unfolds, the girl provides a condensed history of the series, highlighting Geralt’s tumultuous romance with Yennefer of Vengerberg, portrayed by Anya Chalotra, and his bond with Ciri, played by Freya Allan. These flashbacks, now featuring Hemsworth as Geralt, feel like a revision of the series’ history, which may not sit well with all fans. The new interpretation might not bridge the gap between Cavill’s and Hemsworth’s performances, instead reigniting debates over their respective portrayals.
Liam Hemsworth was apprehensive about the recap
Netflix
There’s no doubt that Liam Hemsworth knew what he was walking into with “The Witcher.” He did the right thing by getting jacked to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt, but he was taking over from a fan-favorite actor as a beloved character, so backlash from sections of the fanbase was inevitable. What’s bizarre is how the people involved in the show thought the remixed recap to introduce his version of Geralt was a good idea. As it turns out, Hemsworth had his doubts about it, too.
“I didn’t want to directly try to redo anything that [Henry Cavill had] done,” Hemsworth told IGN. “I initially had a little bit of hesitation towards that. And then after some talks with [showrunner] Lauren [Schmidt Hissrich] and the writers, we felt like it was a way of throwing back to some earlier things that we’ve seen The Witcher do already, and saying, ‘Here’s my version of it, and we’re going to move forward with it.’”
This remixed version of the story doesn’t help the situation. All it does is rile up viewers loyal to Cavill and make it appear as though the showrunner and writers are trying to one-up his iteration of Geralt, especially through the kikimora scene. Walking that tightrope was always going to be a problem for the creators, who should have known better than to recreate some of Cavill’s scenes with his replacement. Yes, they needed to get behind Hemsworth’s version and showcase him as a legitimate Geralt, but was this recap the best way to do it? Probably not. Maybe “The Witcher” should have ended after Season 3, after all.
