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One of Netflix’s most anticipated releases of 2025 is just around the corner, leaving TV fans just a few short days to catch up.
The Witcher returns for its fourth season on October 30, with all eight new episodes being made available to stream in one go.
Based on the fantasy book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, nicknamed the ‘Polish Tolkien’, The Witcher follows the tale of monster hunter Geralt of Rivia.
Season four will be the first season that main character Geralt is played by Liam Hemsworth, after Henry Cavill left the series at the end of its third season.
Despite the change in cast, most fans are looking forward to the fourth season, which will be released all at once as opposed to two separate parts like season three.
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The series also stars Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, a quarter-elf sorceress, and Freya Allan as Ciri, a crown princess – Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are initially separated across different timelines.
As the series progresses, their timelines unite, leading Geralt to become Ciri’s protector in a bid to prevent her magical blood from being used for malevolent reasons.
The first season is based on two of Sapkowski’s novels The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, while season two is based on The Last Wish, Blood of Elves, and Time of Contempt.
Season three adapts from The Last Wish and Blood of Elves, while also introducing story content from Baptism of Fire – Baptism of Fire will also form the basis for the upcoming season four.
The series received a mixed reception from critics upon arrival in the world, with its first season earning a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score of 68%.
Things improved, however, with season two, as critic approval shot up considerably to 95% – though its Metacritic score did only move from 54 to 69.
Critics have referred to its ‘epic’ sense of scale and story, as well as its ‘gorgeous’ scenery and photography, with some also describing the series as ‘expansive’.
While its Metacritic score stayed steady for season three – dropping only to an average of 68 – its Rotten Tomatoes rating dropped from 95% to 79% upon the conclusion of the episodes dropped in 2023.
It’s also true that the show’s fans have had mixed reactions as the show has gone on, although the first season was warmly received on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 88%.
Season two was when The Witcher’s audience approval took a hit, with the audience score dropping to 54%, and then again to 20% for the third season.
It all means that fans are hesitant going into this next season, with many hoping Hemsworth can bring the magic. Crackle_TV said on X: ‘Pretty excited for this! I bet Liam is going to crush it!’
Other fans are more reluctant to back Australian actor Hemsworth at the moment, with many still attached to Cavill’s performance.
A combination of creative differences with the show’s writers and scheduling conflicts during filming were given as the reasons for Cavill’s departure.
The books have also been turned into a successful video game series, with more than a dozen official and spin-off titles released between 2007 and 2025.
Watch The Witcher on Netflix.
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