Hmmm. Geralt of Rivia is fine as ever in his third and final outing in the third season of The Witcher. Henry Cavill has dug deep into the character of the monster-hunter and it is a shame that he will be hanging up his medallion and sword after this season.

Volume 1 of Season 3 of The Witcher, which comprises five episodes, finds the trio of Geralt (Cavill), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) on the run across the Continent looking for a safe space. But no matter how many remote Airbnbs (lol!) they find, the various factions looking for Ciri seem to find them.

The trio forms the backbone of the season

Many of the characters and plotlines set up through Season 1 and 2, that sometimes made the show unwieldy, start coalescing in the first five episodes of the third season that dropped on Netflix on June 29. But it is the trio of monster-hunter Geralt, the half-elven princess Ciri and the witch Yennefer that is the backbone of the season.

Where Season 2 focused on the growing bond between Geralt and Ciri, the third season focuses on them becoming a family unit of sorts. The focus this time is on the developing maternal bond between Ciri and Yennefer as Ciri pursues her magical training with one of the most powerful witches of the Continent. Ciri also acts as the bridge between Geralt and Yennefer after Yennefer’s betrayal in Season 2, adding to the dynamics between the three. Every time a side plot becomes dreary, the show returns to the three and things look up.

Everyone wants a piece of Ciri

War is brewing across the Continent and everyone wants to get to Ciri. There is the fire mage Rience (Sam Woolf) who is working for a mysterious all-powerful mage. This hidden mage who has been experimenting with half-elven girls from Aretuza is perhaps the biggest threat to Ciri. Then there is the Nilfgaardian king Emhyr (Bart Edwards) or the mysterious White Flame, revealed to be Ciri’s real father in Season 2.

Elven leader Francesca’s (Mecia Simson) obsession with finding Ciri leads to in-fighting within the Elves. Then there is Vizimir of Redania (Ed Birch), guided in his quest for Ciri by spymaster Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and Philippa (Cassie Clare). Back in the fray is the Black Knight Cahir (Eamon Farren) and he is scary as ever.

Jaskier gets a meatier role

One of the important components of the found family of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer is the bard Jaskier (Joey Batey) and he gets to do more than sing a few catchy tunes and be the comic relief. He does both, but this time around he is in the thick of things, conspiring, conniving and co-parenting. He is playing multiple sides to keep Ciri safe. His interactions with Radovid (Hugh Skinner), a prince of Redania, are really great, but one of the best scenes of the season is between Jaskier and Ciri. The two have a whale of a time fabricating a conversation that is taking place between Geralt and Yennefer at a distance and it is hilarious.

There is still enough blood to keep the bloodthirsty happy

The first episode opens with two slit throats and a beheading. There are assassinations and brutal burnings. Season 3 might be overly political but it is still as bloody as ever with hideous monsters (the one in a cave is perhaps the most disturbing monster so far) and horrible men getting their comeuppance at the hand of Geralt. The action sequences are slick and Cavill might still be the best when swinging a sword but Allan has really grown into the role of an action hero.

There is too much fast-travel

It was annoying in the last season of Game of Thrones and is annoying here. What took entire episodes to traverse are crossed in the manner of minutes and that takes away from not only the scale of the events happening across the continent but also the gravity of the events. When Ciri rides out of Aretuza to get to Geralt, who is somewhere else, you wonder what might befall her, travelling all by herself, but suddenly Geralt is there taking away from the feeling of threat. And this is just one of the many examples.

The last episode is a bit of a drag

It tried to be innovative by going back to portions of the mages ball to catch up on all that was unfolding but it became a bit of a drag instead. We keep going back to whole scenes instead of lead-in dialogues and it feels forced. It just brings the narrative, which has been unfolding at a breakneck pace at times, to a grinding halt. And the big reveal doesn’t feel surprising at all.

Cavill is the beating, albeit gruff, heart of the season

Cavill has been able to showcase the White Wolf in the past two seasons, but Season 3 is perhaps the best showcase for Cavill as Geralt. We see Geralt the father figure, Geralt the avenging angel, Geralt the lover, Geralt the reluctant politician and he is magnificent. Cavill is definitely at his best when he is in the midst of bloody action but he gives the Witcher a far more nuanced presence this time around. There are our favourite ‘hmmms’ aplenty, dry humour and for the first time an inkling of a smile.

We can’t wait to see what Volume 2 of Season 3 of The Witcher, which lands on July 27, holds for Cavill’s swansong as the sword-toting anti-hero but one thing is for sure — Liam Hemsworth will have some giant shoes to fill when he takes over in Season 4.