The Witcher

Though Episode 5, “The Joy of Cooking,” acts as a filler chapter rather than an actual narrative, the rest of the season is well-paced, tonally on point and offers ample screen time to the leading trio, interweaving the immense fable in a way that is accessible and interesting instead of overstuffed and exhausting.

He [Liam Hemsworth] manages to make Geralt his own over the course of the season's eight episodes. That said, Season 4 is further proof that The Witcher has increasingly become about more than just one character. Chalotra's Yennefer has more than earned a spot on the list of all-time fantasy heroines, and Allan has a commanding grasp on Ciri.

It seems safe to admit that this little experiment [recasting Geralt] is more successful than any of us probably expected. .... The character of Yennefer is largely absent from events at this part of the story in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, so her arc this season is pretty much made up out of whole cloth. And, spoiler alert: it’s fantastic.

Liam Hemsworth takes on an unenviable task here, but the results are good (enough). .... Yennefer has the best story this season, so you don't have to look to Geralt for that. Ciri's parts of Season 4 are the weakest, but they're not enough to spoil what does work.

There’s still plenty for “Witcher” fans to enjoy, whether it’s the occasional Whedonesque barb from Jaskier or the monster fights that are still peppered in once in a while to remind us what so appealed about the first couple of seasons. But it’s clear the show is running out of steam, as its new star struggles to step out of the hulking shadow of his predecessor and the story spins an overwhelming number of plates.

It all builds to a boiling point, with Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer's storylines coming together in an effective reunion that results in an action-packed finale. The show is at its best when the trio is together, which continues to be true with Hemsworth's Geralt.

"Witcher" does not fall apart without Cavill. It does not necessarily rise from the ashes of his departure into a new and better series, either. It remains the kind of high fantasy that will please fans and confuse newcomers, with enough violence per episode to engage the senses.

At no point is there even a mild possibility of Hemsworth overshadowing the departed Cavill – who remains the definitive Witcher. But his replacement’s quietly ridiculous turn is nonetheless perfectly attuned to a show that harks back to the days before fantasy was cool and gets by (just about) on sheer silliness.

It’s so same-y that even recasting its main character barely registers after a couple of episodes, and its moments of true interest are few and far between. If you’ve made it this far, you could do worse than keep watching, but you may get the feeling you’ve seen it all before.

"The Witcher" sets up some major book moments in the end, but the impact of these familiar stakes feels dull, like a weapon that hasn't been sharpened in ages. The potential inherent in Sapkowski's world is immense, but the Netflix adaptation squanders it with season 4, which is the weakest entry in the franchise so far.

The tone remains wildly uneven, lurching as it does between steeple-fingered Game of Thrones-y glumness and those early-90s Saturday afternoon series in which an uncommunicative hunk wanders between small communities, rescuing imperilled innocents from baddies while learning about the true meaning of friendship.

The Witcher still feels cheap – and, without Cavill, the limitations of the acting are exposed more than ever.

As Cavill’s absence looms large over a story weighed down by uneven writing and tone – plus questionable performances and production design – it’s clear that Netflix’s flagship fantasy series has lost its magic.