The Witcher

Our Review

Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter for hire, roams a grimy medieval world where the real monsters are usually the people. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s books (not the games, though the games made it famous), the series follows three timelines that braid into one: the Witcher, the runaway princess Ciri, and the powerful sorceress Yennefer.

Henry Cavill’s first two seasons are the high point: he clearly loved the character, and the fight choreography (the pilot’s ballroom brawl is an all timer) earned the show its audience. Season 3’s recast and the lighter tone divided fans, and the show never fully recovered the goodwill. Still, the world building is rich, the monsters are genuinely creepy, and when it hits, few fantasy shows on television look or feel this alive.