'The Witcher' finally sharpens itself in Season 3

It's a crying shame that Henry Cavill has opted to leave 'The Witcher' behind him and move on.

Far and away, this third season of the series is its best and what's more, Henry Cavill seems to have finally settled into the grey hair and tunic in a way that he never quite seemed to until now. Is it merely that he's given up on the character and the series itself? In a way, that's kind of fitting for Geralt of Rivia. For anyone who's played the games or read the books, Geralt has always been a character that is burdened with cynicism and the knowledge that his actions very often have unintended consequences. In fact, much of the character was built up by author Andrzej Sapkowski's own ambivalence with the world around him.

Critics have previously compared Geralt of Rivia with Phillip Marlowe, an equally put-upon hero who struggles with maintaining his own personal code in a world that has long since forsaken the idea of ethics or morality. It's why older actors, or actors who have a built-in cynicism, have succeeded in playing Marlowe on screen. Robert Mitchum and Elliot Gould were the only kind of actors who could do it well. In a cruel twist of fate, Cavill was probably worn out trying to make 'The Witcher' and the writers of the show adhere to what he felt it should be, and so, in the end, his resignation plays into the role.

Given how there's been a lot of TV shows and a lot of 'Witcher' shows (well, two) between this season and the last, you'd be forgiven for not remembering precisely what's going on with Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri and Jaskier. The recap video, such as it is, doesn't really help either. Yet, there's a sharpness to this season that means you can pick up on things pretty quickly and find your way back in. The first episode sees the trio traversing the Continent, on the run from dark forces, and the romantic entanglement between Geralt and Yennefer continues apace through a series of letters they pass between each other when they arrive in a new village or hut. In a show that frequently has heads being hacked off and bloodthirsty monsters screaming down the lens of the camera, it's a touch of warmth and charm.

As with previous seasons, 'The Witcher' starts slow and takes its damn time getting up to a pace where it should be. The difference this time around, however, is that there's less clunky exposition and there feels like a richer sense of character development and a willingness to push the limits of a conventional fantasy series.

Indeed, one of the most intriguing and enjoyable aspects of 'The Witcher' as a whole has been how it's completely comfortable with making things with an uncomfortable mixture of horny and disturbing imagery. Never mind the whole bath scene with Henry Cavill in previous episodes, this one sees him battle a giant crab-like monster that's made out of women's abdomens and arms. There's also the weird interplay between Dijkstra and Phillipa, played with a kind of relish by Graham McTavish and Cassie Clare respectively.

'The Witcher' has never been a perfect show, and considering how poorly received the first season was, it's unfortunate that Henry Cavill has opted to leave just as the whole enterprise seemed to be finally hitting the groove. Time was you'd have at least three full seasons of twenty-plus episodes to hit the spot. Yet, since we live in a world that has an unwillingness to allow things to grow and naturally develop, we're left with a show and its star that's just about to mature into itself.