The Witcher Season 4 sets the record for the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the series

The Witcher Season 4 | Image via: Platige Image
The Witcher Season 4 | Image via: Platige Image

The Witcher world has experienced monsters, blood, and politics, but this time around, it is experiencing something even worse: bad reviews. The Witcher Season 4 was not only the first season to feature a different Geralt (Henry Cavill was replaced by Liam Hemsworth) but was also the lowest-rated season in the history of the show on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Witcher Season 4 now has a 40 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a sharp decline in comparison to the previous seasons. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 had scores of approximately 68, 95, and 79, respectively. It is evident that this new season is lagging behind.

One can find reviews everywhere. It is not surprising that some critics praised the better pacing and action scenes, but most of them felt disappointed by the uneven tone, poor writing, and inescapable Hemsworth versus Cavill comparisons. The fans appear to be split, and this time, it will be hard to redeem it with the magic of The Witcher world.


What the Rotten Tomatoes’ score means for The Witcher Season 4

A 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a relatively low score, although one must understand what that rating really entails. Rotten Tomatoes does not quantify the number of people who enjoyed a show; it just records people who rated it as a good one. Therefore, the 40 percent score implies that less than 50 percent of critics enjoyed The Witcher Season 4, not that everyone disliked it.

Nevertheless, that is a huge decline from the Season 2 ratings of 95%. It demonstrates that the opinions of critics have changed; they no longer consider the show a must-watch, but they perceive the new season as something inconsistent or unequal. Such a decline can damage the popularity of a show, lower award opportunities, and lessen the interest of non-core viewers in watching.

Some critics have acclaimed The Witcher Season 4 as being better-paced and having exciting action scenes. Some others, however, believed that the tone did not fit, the characters were not well developed, and the season was not able to decide how to remain loyal to the original books while also attracting a broader streaming audience.


Where critics and fans agree and where they don't

There are two primary topics that continue to emerge in the reviews. To start with, the change of the lead actor in The Witcher Season 4 is something everybody is talking about. The role of Geralt, played by Liam Hemsworth, is compared by many critics with that of Henry Cavill.

Some believe that Hemsworth adds a new idea and a new energy to it, and some believe that the character lacked some of the coarse appeal that Cavill possessed. It is an easy comparison to make and to avoid when a new actor replaces such a large role; even good acting is compared to the old one.

The second large subject is how The Witcher Season 4 is written. Some reviewers believe that The Witcher Season 4 removed filler scenes and concentrated more on action. Some think the narrative is too disjointed, that the tones are unnaturally changed, and that there are fewer convincing links to the books. That is why a couple of emotionally important scenes are not as striking as they were intended to be.

Fans are just as divided. Strong opinions abound in the Rotten Tomatoes comment section; some people are furious that they are missing Cavill, others are simply wondering how the show will change with Hemsworth in charge.


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Edited by Sroban Ghosh