After the curtain closed on the widely celebrated medieval spectacle that was Game of Thrones, fans were left with a dragon-sized hole in their hearts. Enter Netflix’s The Witcher, arriving just in the nick of time to fill that void. With its roots deeply entrenched in the pages of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and the virtual worlds of CD Projekt Red’s games, the franchise was already popular before it even arrived on the streaming service. However, despite its pre-established fame, the Henry Cavill starrer fell short of some audience expectations. 

It still somehow retains its status as one of the streaming giant’s highest-rated productions, despite falling out of favor with many viewers.

The difference in audience and critics’ scores for The Witcher franchise 

A recent study conducted by British gaming site Amazon Slots took a deep dive into the Metacritic reviews for Netflix Originals. The study was to pinpoint the most overrated shows by examining the disparity between verified critic scores and user ratings. On the list, some shows from The Witcher franchise made the cut, with The Witcher: Blood Origin landing in third place. This fantasy series, functioning as a prequel to The Witcher TV series, failed to impress critics, earning a modest score of 45 out of 100. 

User reception was even more dismal, with a rating of just 12 out of 100. This made the difference between scores a 33. The Witcher: Blood Origin simply boiled down to another tale of outcasts battling an evil empire to rescue the ordinary folk. With shallow character development, the storyline appeared devoid of meaning and seemed like a rehash. The study also hinted at the future trajectory of the franchise with the score of another show within The Witcher universe.

This also highlighted the significant impact Henry Cavill has had on the franchise’s popularity and acclaim. 

The Witcher’s score during Henry Cavill’s tenure

The first season of The Witcher, featuring Henry Cavill, which premiered in 2019, secured the seventeenth position on the list. Interestingly, there was no disparity between audience and critic scores, indicating that the show was not overrated, unlike The Witcher: Blood Origin. Cavill has always been central to the show’s appeal, playing a crucial role in attracting viewers to the franchise. However, his absence now casts doubt on the show’s future.

While the audience remains uncertain about the shift in Geralt’s portrayal, the cast is eagerly anticipating the fresh perspective Liam Hemsworth will offer. Chalotra expressed her excitement in an interview with Variety before the third season’s release, stating she is “very excited to see what his Geralt is“. With preparations underway for the fifth season, likely the series finale, the audience will soon be able to find out if Hemsworth did justice to Cavill’s Geralt. 

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