Netflix’s The Witcher returns for its most discussed season—of course, for a reason. Season 4 marks the highly televised transition from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia. With all the hype surrounding this casting change, expectation were exceedingly high. Luckily, this new episode, one that's not a repeat of The Continent, is a solid addition and enjoyable fantasy adventure tale, with built-in emotional resonance and less complexity than the previous series. This Season 4 installment is an improvement over Season 3, even though it doesn't reach greatness.

Storyline

The Witcher Season 4 is a loose adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's Baptism of Fire, and is based on the structure of the book in that there are three simultaneous storylines. Geralt, now played by Liam Hemsworth, is badly injured and wandering a war-torn world looking for Ciri. Ciri is among “the Rats,” a group of insurgents that becomes her surrogate family, while she figures out who she is and how to survive. Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) also follows her own crusade—she is gathering magical women to deal with the sly and dangerous Vilgefortz. All three arcs operate largely in isolation of one another which gives the season a tidier and more linear approach than Season 1, where time travel was the order of the day.

Positive Points

The biggest win of Season 4 is its focus. Focusing on character-specific narrative arcs will enhance the series' overall emotional coherence.  Hemsworth steps easily into Geralt's shoes — he may not execute in quite the same way as Cavill, but he has enough grit and sincerity to stand strong against it. Production value remains high with the fighting staged well, cinematography creating a certain atmosphere, and costumes looking sharp. The pacing is more streamlined with less diversion on the way to fulfilling the series’ finale.

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Weaknesses

Though, the simplicity of the season becomes a detriment. With three stories that hardly come together, this season lacks the depth of being interconnected, which has always defined the show. The finale in particular feels sudden and incomplete. Instead of an ending you might expect from a series finale, episode 8 feels more like a “Part 1” than a finale. However, the season’s simplicity also works in its detriment. The three separate arcs rarely intersect and lack the depth of the interrelated stories of earlier seasons.

Overall: The Witcher Season 4 is a solid filler episode that paves the way for the series' conclusion.  It's still good fantasy television, though not necessarily unique, but plenty of content making at least a partial experience for Geralt's last engagement.