The final three episodes of “The Witcher” season three were released on July 27 and left audiences both confused and wanting more. Episode six continued right where episode five left off and quickly picked up the pace.
“The Witcher” is a fantasy show following the story of Geralt, a monster-fighting mutant known as a Witcher. In the first five episodes of season 3, Geralt called upon his few allies to help him protect his adopted and incredibly powerful daughter, Ciri, from different and unknown enemies. The final episodes begin as the true enemies are being revealed.
While the show was mainly filled with action, there were certainly some parts that were far slower and more emotional. Episode seven follows Ciri as she tries to get out of a seemingly endless desert.
The episode felt slow but served a purpose as the audience was able to really get a feel for her developing personality, with a hint at where she would end up.
In general, the final three episodes were, for the most part, very fast-paced, and I felt like there weren’t really “filler scenes,” or scenes that don’t advance the main plot, instead “filling” whatever time is left in an episode once main plot points are already covered. Even Ciri’s trip through the desert didn’t really feel like filler, as every minute was used for the development of her character.
Overall, I felt that the characterization throughout the final three episodes was realistic. Each character has had many revelations and defining moments since the first season, and these final episodes especially proved that.
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Season three was filled with character development in a way that was incredibly satisfying in comparison with the previous seasons, with lots of moments that reflect on the changes for each of the characters, especially in their relationships with each other— such as the mages fighting with Yennfer despite their previous disdain of her.
I especially loved Jaskier in this season, as he has become so accepting of the fact that Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are his found family. He repeats that sentiment throughout the season, especially going to visit an injured Geralt in episode seven, and when he reconnects with Yennefer after the battle.
With Ciri, I really liked seeing her both angry and sort of regretful or merciful, and how she was coping with this situation she was thrown into. There were definitely moments when she let her anger out but didn’t want to hurt people; she just wanted to do the right thing. The internal conflict she displayed was definitely an accurate portrayal given her age and inexperience, but also of how fast she’s had to grow up.
Yennefer’s character arc felt incredibly important, especially as she was a character who so easily could have turned out differently. She definitely spent a lot of time making up for her actions in the previous seasons.
Yennefer is a character who is burdened but begins to accept her role in life, where she is and who she is, which is just a thrilling and wonderful thing to watch. Additionally, Yennefer stepping into a role as a mother and calling Ciri her daughter was a great moment.
In addition to Yennefer, I felt that the events at Aretuza, the magical school that Yennefer attended, and all of the sorcerers were very important. It was kind of the first time we saw all the women from Aretuza working together and for each other, making it very powerful.
It was great to see how they could come together, despite hating or fighting each other at moments, and realizing how they needed each other.
I appreciated the inclusion of Geralt being out of commission and injured for the final episodes. The show has never really portrayed him as weak as he is usually such a tough and strong presence, so it was a really fun touch. It really showed his human side and really allowed us to see how he handles injury and weakness, especially in moments when he needed his strength more than ever.
The plot of the show itself moved quickly and was interesting the whole time, though I felt the final episodes focused far less on the plot and more on developing these characters and their relationships with each other.
I think that these character developments will definitely influence how the show continues, and how they react and handle the problems in the show.
The season ending left on a thrilling cliff-hanger, with many questions and problems yet to be solved. I’ll definitely be tuning in to future seasons to see which of the many possible directions the show will go in.