Netflix may have found its Game of Thrones. Today marks the release of The Witcher, which stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, and it appears to be doing quite well with audiences: it’s already racked up a 9.3 on IMDb and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics can’t seem to make up their mind about it, however, with lack of consistency, wokeness, and general boredom being recurring complaints.
This is a show with moments of drama and of gruesome violence cut through with a glancing humor that too often feels tossed-off and out-of-place in the world the show has created. The show’s dramatic sensibility is intense and indulgent, crafting action sequences whose length bulks out episodes past hourlong running times. Its comic sensibility is puerile and a bit sarcastic.