With the release of the prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin on Netflix, the world of The Witcher has been expanded, however the programme initially had some trouble taking off. Blood Origin, a four-episode limited series that is set more than a thousand years before The Witcher’s events, made its debut on Christmas Day. It looked at how the first Witcher was made as well as what happened before the Conjunction of the Spheres.
With its first two seasons, The Witcher received favourable reviews from critics and viewers, but the prequel did not receive the same praise. The majority of critics have given the new series Blood Origin terrible reviews, giving it a terrible 38% Tomatometer score at Rotten Tomatoes. Even worse, Blood Origin only received a pitiful 8% rating from the audience. According to Forbes, this is a big Netflix Original’s lowest audience rating.
The reviews from the audience are far less sympathetic, but some are too bad to even display. They all share a general discontent with the series and are critical of everything from the narrative to the VFX. After the first episode, some viewers claimed they lost interest. One review reads, “In a year filled with great fantasy, House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power among them – this ultimately ranks near the bottom.” Another says, “Blood Origin does not stand very well on its own or as part of the expanding franchise, managing to focus on some of the least interesting aspects of one of The Witcher’s most fascinating pieces of lore.”
The Witcher Season 4 Future
The release of The Witcher: Blood Origin brings with it a victory, despite the unfavourable reviews. The series has been successful in attracting a large audience, launching as Netflix’s top show. However, considering the positive reviews, it might be for the best that Blood Origin is a limited series and there are no plans to extend the plot in a subsequent season.
What will happen with season 4 of The Witcher must undoubtedly be a concern for some fans. In 2023, Liam Hemsworth will take up the role when Henry Cavill returns for a third season. While some fans have stated that they will not watch the new season if Henry Cavill is not playing Geralt, others have stated that they will give the new actor a try. It’s still too early to predict how viewers will feel when the main series resumes without its star.