The Witcher Season-Premiere Recap: The Witcher Has Two Faces

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The fourth season of The Witcher begins with a storyteller, Stribog, saying, “And just when it seemed all was lost, Geralt rose again.” This line fits the story, but also serves as a message to viewers that the show will continue despite the departure of Henry Cavill, who played Geralt, and that Geralt’s story isn’t over yet.

The recent change in actors for The Witcher, with Henry Cavill leaving and Liam Hemsworth taking over, caused a lot of concern among fans. Now that Hemsworth has had his first appearance in the role, I can share my initial thoughts: he’s perfectly adequate – and that’s okay.

This isn’t to suggest that Hemsworth is better than, or even as good as, Cavill’s highly-regarded portrayal of the character. It’s difficult to compare Cavill’s entire run of 24 episodes to Hemsworth’s single episode, but overall, I found Cavill’s serious and intense performance more compelling than Hemsworth’s more relaxed and subtly humorous approach to the role.

Henry Cavill may be gone, but Liam Hemsworth can handle the basics of playing Geralt: looking the part with the white hair, delivering tough dialogue, and fighting monsters and people with a sword. He also performs a strong monologue about a disturbing dream involving Ciri. With Netflix having invested a substantial $720 million (and counting) in The Witcher and its related shows, this version of Geralt seems capable enough to allow the series to continue filming.

Despite introducing a new lead actor, the latest season of The Witcher emphasizes that the show has become larger than any single character, even Geralt himself. Season four continues the story immediately after the last, with Geralt, Jaskier, and their new companion Milva traveling towards Nilfgaard, determined to rescue Ciri from the emperor Emhyr var Emreis.

As you might expect, the real Ciri isn’t with the emperor. In the season three finale, an impostor named Teryn is pretending to be her. Meanwhile, the actual Ciri is traveling the countryside in disguise, calling herself Falka—a name that hints at a potentially dark future. At the end of the season, Ciri also joins forces with a new group of friends: the Rats. They’re a band of quirky thieves, a little like the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, but with the skill and planning of the team in Ocean’s Eleven.

The show quickly reintroduces Ciri to the Rats, but it feels rushed. Originally, Netflix planned a separate miniseries to explore the Rats’ story beforehand, which would have given viewers a better understanding of them. Unfortunately, that series was cancelled, and it likely contributes to this part of the story feeling underdeveloped – a significant issue considering the show is also tackling difficult themes. We barely know the characters of Kayleigh or Mistle before Kayleigh tries to attack Ciri, and Mistle then makes unwanted advances. While the encounter isn’t violent, it still feels like Ciri, who has already experienced trauma, is being pressured.

Whether you agree with Ciri’s decision to stay with her new companions, especially after everything that happened the night before, it’s clear her original group seems more dependable. Even though Yennefer has lost her connection to Ciri, she’s determined to find her, traveling through portals in a relentless search.

I have to say, Vilgefortz really established himself as the major threat last season, and he’s not messing around. The way he messed with Yennefer, using these creepy illusions, was just the beginning. He let her delve into the mind of one of his followers, and then… well, he just popped the woman’s eyes out right in front of her! It was horrifying. Seeing that, Yennefer finally realized she’d have to gather her own forces to stand a chance against him and, most importantly, to save Ciri. Honestly, it felt like the only logical next step after such a brutal display of power.

This brings us back to Geralt, who, despite wanting to complete his mission alone, is slowly gathering a group of companions – a band known as his ‘hanza’ by fans of The Witcher. He meets the optimistic dwarf Zoltan Chivay (Danny Woodburn) on the road, and Zoltan joins forces with him. Surprisingly, even former enemies are becoming allies: the episode shows Geralt both rescuing and later being aided by Cahir in a fierce battle. While Geralt prefers to work solo, it appears destiny – and his wounds – may force him to accept help.

Stray Arrows

The storytelling technique used to switch actors playing the main character also subtly prepares viewers for the series’ conclusion. Season five, expected next year, will be the final season of The Witcher. Those familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels will recognize Nimue, a character from The Lady of the Lake, which is the last book in the series’ timeline.

Regarding the switch from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth, it’s fortunate that Hemsworth hasn’t filmed many scenes yet with Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan. It will be interesting to see if he can convincingly portray the close relationships with Yennefer and Ciri that Cavill established.

One of the Rats mentions using fisstech for fun, and Ciri, it’s probably best if you distance yourself from this group.

Returning characters from season three include King Radovid, who is still heartbroken over his lost connection with Jaskier, and Dijkstra, the cunning spymaster secretly plotting to control the new Redanian king.

James Purefoy, known for his role in HBO’s Rome and often mentioned as a potential James Bond, plays Skellen, a prominent advisor from Nilfgaard.

However, the funniest new addition is definitely Zoltan’s parrot, which he’s taught to swear constantly with phrases like ‘asshole’ and ‘fuckin’ hell.’

The world of The Witcher can be confusing, and the show doesn’t always explain things well. If you’re trying to understand the different kingdoms and how they relate to each other, this map can help. It shows how much land Nilfgaard has conquered and highlights the threat they pose as they expand into regions like Lyria.

At the beginning of the episode, the storyteller Stribog explains that rumors followed Geralt, hinting at his past confrontation with Death as depicted in Andrzej Sapkowski’s book, Sword of Destiny.

You can find more information about Jaskier’s book, Half a Century of Poetry – the one Nimue is so fascinated by – in The World of the Witcher, a companion book that expands on the universe.

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2025-10-30 10:55