The Witcher season 4's Rotten Tomatoes debut has set a new series record. The fourth season marks the first starring Liam Hemsworth, taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill, who left Netflix's fantasy series due to creative differences with the show's producers over its faithfulness to the source material, as well as a desire to pursue other projects.
Now streaming on Netflix, The Witcher season 4 has debuted with a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes, marking the lowest critical score for the mainline show. Season 4 only has six reviews at the time of writing, and though it could fluctuate as more are published, it will remain the lowest as long as it stays below 68%.
Season 4 has also debuted to a 25% audience score with fewer than 50 ratings at the time of writing. See how season 4's scores compare to the rest of the show, as well as the several spinoffs:
|
RT Critics Score |
RT Audience Score |
|
|
Season 1 |
68% |
88% |
|
Season 2 |
95% |
54% |
|
Season 3 |
79% |
20% |
|
Season 4 |
50% |
25% |
|
Nightmare of the Wolf |
100% |
83% |
|
Blood Origin season 1 |
28% |
13% |
|
Sirens of the Deep |
58% |
38% |
The Witcher season 4 finds Geralt separated from Yennefer and Ciri, following their separate and perilous journeys across a war-torn Continent as they encounter new allies – Geralt forms a hanza, a group of misfits, including characters like Jaskier and Milva. Ciri hides under the alias Falka and joins the outlaw group, the Rats, while Yennefer works to rebuild the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
With Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt, The Witcher season 4 cast brings back Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Freya Allan as Ciri, Joey Batey as Jaskier, Meng'er Zhang as Milva, and many more. Laurence Fishburne joins season 4 as Regis, a centuries-old barber-surgeon who also happens to be a vampire, and accompanies Geralt on his journey.
With a 50% score, critics are split right down the middle on The Witcher season 4. For instance, Jorge Rivera Rubio of QiiBO calls it both "slow, heavy, and disorganized," yet also praises its second half for its "tremendous action sequences" and "truly wicked villain." Some, like Collider's Carly Lane, find value beyond Geralt himself, saying there's "far more than just Geralt of Rivia now," even if the storytelling only finds its footing late in the season.
Many critics think it's the worst season yet, blaming its uneven writing, tonal confusion, and the loss of Henry Cavill's charisma. The Wrap's Chase Hutchinson notes that Hemsworth "is just an anchor around the entire experience," while Nicola Austin of Radio Times laments that the show has "lost its magic." Despite some solid moments, many agree that The Witcher season 4 feels like a fallen hero trying, and failing, to find its way.
