The much-anticipated part two of The Witcher season three has landed on Netflix finally. This is Henry Cavill’s swan song as the gruff but endearing Geralt of Rivia. In his final moments, he packs in just enough that viewers are left wanting more. But there is a lot more going on in this world full of mages, monarchs, and monsters.
Without further ado, let us delve into the ending of this season. Where do the fates of Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and the Continent stand?
The season begins with Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri adjusting to their new family dynamic. There is temporary peace for our lead trio. But we all know a storm’s coming.
As the plot unfolds in volume two of season three, the revelation of Vilgefortz’s sinister plans sends Geralt on a near-fatal collision course with him. It was not Stregobor but Vilgefortz who made an alliance with Emperor Emhyr and was responsible for bringing the Scoia’tael and Nilfgaard to the coupe of Thanedd.
After Geralt is left incapacitated by Vilgefortz, Triss takes Geralt to Brokilon, where the dryad queen Eithné tries to heal him with Milva’s help.
In the sixth episode, titled ‘Everybody Has A Plan ‘til They Get Punched In the Face’, Geralt is captured by Dijkstra, leading to the realisation that Vilgefortz is after Ciri. His confrontation with Vilgefortz triggers a chain of events that scatters the Witcher family across the Continent once again.
Ciri, acting on Geralt’s orders, leaves the fight. But she accidentally opens a portal after blowing up the fortified peak, Tor Lara, and lands in the desolate Korath desert. On her journey, she experiences haunting visions of her grandmother, Calanthe, her mother, Pavetta, and a hooded figure who calls herself Falka. Falka also pushes Ciri to harness fire magic, which is banned in many parts of the Continent. It unsettles Ciri quickly, and she ends up relinquishing her newfound power.
Ciri also encounters a mysterious unicorn, which she names Little Horse, who helps her navigate the directionless horizons of Korath. But as soon as she escapes the treacherous sands of Korath, she is kidnapped by a gang of criminals looking to hand her over to Emhyr in exchange for a reward.
The teen band of unconventional outlaws, The Rats, led by Mistle, come to Ciri’s rescue. The group urges Ciri to take the life of her captor, marking a pivotal moment in Ciri’s path. This becomes her first kill in cold blood. This marks the beginning of a transformed Ciri, who rejects her identity as a magical Witcher and proclaims herself as Falka. Like her adopted father Geralt, Ciri also emerges out of Korath with her moral compass gone astray.
Meanwhile, Yennefer, having escaped the initial coup in Aretuza, endeavours to protect all mages by establishing the Lodge of Sorceresses. This rise of a new order is overshadowed by Aretuza’s downfall and Tissaia’s tragic suicide.
The battle at Aretuza reveals complex alliances and betrayals, with various factions vying for power. Phillipa and Dijkstra lead the initial coup, while Tissaia, influenced by Vilgefortz, frees the trapped mages, leading to devastating consequences. Geralt’s involvement in the battle ends when he attacks Dijkstra, believing he has Ciri, but ultimately realises she is still out and about.
However, this season, it is clear that Geralt is no longer the neutralist he has always claimed to be. His purpose is to protect his family, which includes Ciri and Yennefer.
As Yennefer takes charge of the mages, promising to build a safer world for Ciri to return to, Geralt rides out with Jaskier and Milva in search of the princess, who is now about to go on her own adventure with the Rats.
As the season progresses, Jaskier’s romantic escapades with Redanian prince Radovid add a new layer of intrigue. Complicating their love story further, Radovid gets crowned King of Redania after the assassination of his brother, the pompous Vizimir. Dijkstra and Phillipa decide to get rid of Vizimir when they realise he cannot be controlled any more.
Amidst political turmoil in Nilfgaard, a disguised Teryn arrives, posing as Princess Ciri of Cintra. This further fuels the rumour that Ciri is aligning herself with Nilfgaard. Teryn’s true identity remains unknown as she is married off to Emhyr. As per Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, even Emhyr is in the dark about Teryn’s identity at this point in the story.
With our main characters scattered once again, season four is poised to plunge our beloved Witcher family into even darker and more monster-filled adventures.
