Sliding Fast. S1 = 8.5/10, S2 = 6/10, S3 = 5.5/10 Just having finished watching Season 3, The Witcher is on a trajectory that is going one way only - that's down the drain.
Season 1 was great. It had a the compelling story of Geralt as the Witcher which predominate with his nemesis, soon to be something more, in Yennefer, the ugly duckling turned in to a powerful sorceress. Add to the mix Jaskier, the humorous, bawdy bard. In the background of all this was Cirilla, Princes of Cintra, who has magical powers that everyone is interested in. Yet, this backstory did not overwhelm, with the season dominated by Geralt and Yennefer.
Season 2 is where it started to all go south. Still compelling, yet just too much of the focus on Ciri and not enough on the Witcher. And Yen was just floundering around looking to get her mojo back.
Season 3 glimmers of some of the Season 1, yet just getting totally bogged down in Ciri all the time. Geralt is almost a second thought to the whole season. And then the whole storyline is like GoT in just being way too much exposition and intermittent action/fx.
While I love Cavill in Season 1, contrary to what so many others are writing, even his Geralt is hitting the skids. So, I totally can not blame him for getting out.
Like the curse of so many of these series, if you don't have a clear beginning, middle and end, Hollywood will just keep milking it for all its worth. I'm not likely to watch Season 4.
8/4/23 Update. I have not read the books. Reading online, I understand that the story is somewhat true to the books. Yet, just like GoT and Peter Jackson's butchering of The Hobbit, if The Witcher is going to turn in to a medieval soap opera spanning 7 seasons, count me out. Like the old mini-series of yore, this should have all been wrapped up in 3, maybe 4, seasons.