The magical world of The Witcher is facing a powerful curse, as the show's fourth season on Netflix is bombarded with negative reviews and suffers from a dramatic collapse in viewership following the departure of its original star.
A Daunting Debut for a New Geralt
Released on October 30, 2025, the new season was always facing an uphill battle. The central challenge was the recasting of the lead role, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the iconic part of Geralt of Rivia from Henry Cavill, who left the series back in 2022. Fans had expressed deep concern and even threatened boycotts, with Hemsworth himself acknowledging the 'daunting' task ahead.
This scepticism has now been reflected in the show's critical reception. On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, Season 4 debuted with a disappointing 56% critic score, but the real blow came from the audience. The user score sits at a staggeringly low 20%, indicating a fierce rejection from the fanbase.
Critics and Fans Deliver Their Verdict
The critical response has been unflinching. IGN noted that the season "feels incomplete and just part of a larger tapestry for the show's endgame." The Guardian delivered a particularly biting remark about the lead actor switch, describing the move from Cavill's "gruff likeability" to Hemsworth's Geralt as resembling "more bollard in a wig."
Meanwhile, The Warp compared Hemsworth's performance to "an anchor" holding the entire experience hostage. This sentiment is echoed loudly on social media, where one fan declared, "The portrayal of Geralt by Liam Hemsworth is not even close to the character and ruined it for any remaining seasons for me." Another lamented the decision to re-do key scenes, stating it was a "terrible move" that failed to make them forget the "depth Cavill brought to the character."
The Stark Numbers Behind the Backlash
The negative word-of-mouth has had a direct and severe impact on the show's performance. Data from What's On Netflix reveals that the launch week was the worst in the show's history. The new season attracted just 7.4 million viewers in its first four days.
This figure paints a worrying picture when compared to previous seasons. Season 2 pulled in 18.5 million viewers in a similar timeframe, while the debut season managed 15.2 million. This represents a catastrophic decline in audience engagement that raises serious questions about the future of the franchise on the streaming platform.
Despite the poor reception, Netflix is pressing ahead with another season. The question remains whether Season 5 can pull off a miracle to salvage a quest that, for now, even a Witcher might struggle to complete.
