Early reactions to Netflix’s fourth season of The Witcher have been bleak.
Rotten Tomatoes has published the first batch of reviews for The Witcher’s fourth season, and they landed at record-low levels. At the time of writing, the critics’ score stands at 55% — the poorest showing across the main series — while the audience rating is even lower, at 25% based on a few dozen votes.
By comparison, season one earned 68% from critics and 88% from viewers; season two recorded 95% and 54%; and season three posted 79% and 20%, respectively.
Among the spin-offs, the animated feature The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf remains the high point with 100% from critics and 83% from audiences, whereas The Witcher: Origins sits at the bottom with 28% and 13%.
The fourth season is the first to feature Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia — he stepped into the role after Henry Cavill’s departure, which was attributed to creative differences with the showrunners and commitments to other projects.
It’s possible the scores will shift over time — the season initially opened at an even lower 50% — but the prevailing consensus among reviewers is that this installment is the series’ weakest. Critics point to a patchy narrative, inconsistent tone, and the absence of the charisma Cavill brought to the role.
Jorge Rivera Rubio of QiiBO describes the season as “slow, heavy, and disorganized,” while praising the back half for “breathtaking combat sequences” and “a genuinely sinister antagonist.” Chase Hutchinson of The Wrap says Hemsworth comes across “as an anchor that holds things together,” and Nicola Austin of Radio Times laments that the show has “lost its magic.”
Despite occasional highlights, many reviewers conclude that season four plays like the story of a fallen hero trying to rediscover himself — and failing to do so.
Source: iXBT.games