The Witcher series on Netflix: Will it end sooner than we thought?

A desire to move on from Netflix?

While the showrunner, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, envisaged in 2021 no less than 7 seasons for The Witcher, as there was so much material, the latter announces that there will in reality only be 5 seasons.

Although Netflix has claimed that the final seasons will satisfactorily adapt the events that take place in Andrzej Sapkowski's latest books, namely The Baptism of Fire, The Swallow's Tower and The Lady of the Lake, there is everything likewise many fears. Indeed, it seems quite risky to condense so many books into just 18 episodes.

Despite a desire to create a series that follows as faithfully as possible the very complex universe of The Witcher, the series is very far from being unanimously accepted and for different reasons : lack of linearity, taking of criticized liberties, poorly developed characters, oversimplified and confusing scenario even for spectators who have not read the books or played the video games. Reviews have been mixed, both from fans and professional critics. So how will they manage to faithfully condense the last three books into so few episodes?

Until now, we have been lucky to have Henry Cavill, appreciated actor and connoisseur of the universe of The Witcher, to take on the role of Gerald of Rivia, but his departure only amplifies the doubts about the quality of the next seasons. So if we add to the previous criticisms the arrival of a new casting, in particular the recasting of the main male protagonist, there is very little doubt that the confusion will be greater.

In summary, there is a good chance that the premature conclusion of The Witcher series is partly caused by different parameterssuch as insufficient commercial success, the departure of Henry Cavill, a concern in creative decisions, but also possibly unwelcome strategic choices.

Is the universe of The Witcher destined to end on Netflix?

Although the main series of The Witcher is ending, it is not the conclusion of Andrzej Sapkowski's entire universe. Even though seasons 4 and 5 will include all the latest novels, there is a chance that spin-offs or prequels could see the light of day, as evidenced by the success of the series The Witcher: Blood Origin.

But is it a good idea to go beyond the main story to try to satisfy the sudden end of the main series? We have no idea, but history clearly shows that at times you have to know how to stop at the right moment so as not to ruin a saga so appreciated by spectators.