Netflix's latest ratings report is grim for fans of The Witcher. In its initial week, the show failed to crack the top 10, with viewership numbers coming in at a paltry 7.4 million views. This is significantly lower than that of another popular Netflix show, Nobody Wants This season 2, which had 9.4 million views during its second week on the chart.
This drop-off is particularly concerning given The Witcher's previous seasons were highly successful, with Season 3 racking up 15.2 million viewers in its premiere week. While it's unlikely that Netflix would cancel the show entirely due to its already planned final season and back-to-back filming schedule for Seasons 4 and 5, this dismal showing may have effectively ended any hopes of spin-off projects.
One potential reason behind The Witcher's underwhelming performance is the gap between seasons, which has been a whopping two years. Additionally, the recasting of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia with Chris Hemsworth was a major blow to fans who grew accustomed to the veteran actor's portrayal. Furthermore, the show's declining quality over its last two seasons and poor review scores from critics and audiences may have contributed to this disappointing viewership.
Despite my own assessment that Season 4 is slightly better than its predecessors, with standout episodes in its double-blockbuster finale, these numbers are undeniable. This sets a worrying precedent for upcoming shows like Amazon's Rings of Power, which has lost half its viewers in just one season. Will the streamer commit to another two expensive seasons of this fantasy epic? Only time will tell.
In any case, fans can take comfort in knowing that The Witcher will still have a chance to wrap up its storylines and provide some closure for Geralt's adventures. While these numbers are undoubtedly a blow, it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for the show and its cast, especially Cavill, who was an integral part of what made The Witcher so compelling in the first place.
This drop-off is particularly concerning given The Witcher's previous seasons were highly successful, with Season 3 racking up 15.2 million viewers in its premiere week. While it's unlikely that Netflix would cancel the show entirely due to its already planned final season and back-to-back filming schedule for Seasons 4 and 5, this dismal showing may have effectively ended any hopes of spin-off projects.
One potential reason behind The Witcher's underwhelming performance is the gap between seasons, which has been a whopping two years. Additionally, the recasting of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia with Chris Hemsworth was a major blow to fans who grew accustomed to the veteran actor's portrayal. Furthermore, the show's declining quality over its last two seasons and poor review scores from critics and audiences may have contributed to this disappointing viewership.
Despite my own assessment that Season 4 is slightly better than its predecessors, with standout episodes in its double-blockbuster finale, these numbers are undeniable. This sets a worrying precedent for upcoming shows like Amazon's Rings of Power, which has lost half its viewers in just one season. Will the streamer commit to another two expensive seasons of this fantasy epic? Only time will tell.
In any case, fans can take comfort in knowing that The Witcher will still have a chance to wrap up its storylines and provide some closure for Geralt's adventures. While these numbers are undoubtedly a blow, it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for the show and its cast, especially Cavill, who was an integral part of what made The Witcher so compelling in the first place.
I'm telling you, this is all connected. First, they recast Henry Cavill as Geralt... that's already a red flag. Then, you gotta consider the gap between seasons - two whole years! That's a lot of time for people to lose interest or forget about the show. And let's not forget the declining quality over the last two seasons... it's like they were just phoning it in at this point. 
It's almost like Netflix is trying to mess with us, you know? Make us think the show is done, but then give us a few more episodes to cling to. And what about Chris Hemsworth? Was he really necessary? I mean, I love the guy, but come on... 
And now this number... 7.4 million views? That's low, even for Netflix. This is like they're trying to make an example out of The Witcher. We'll see what happens with Season 4, but I'm not holding my breath... 
... I mean, I'm not surprised or anything. I knew it was a ticking time bomb 
. Two years between seasons? That's like leaving a character dead on screen and then just moving on without resolving the plotline 
. It's like they're trying to sabotage the show on purpose 
. I'm not buying that "season 4 is slightly better" excuse either 
... it's just a bunch of spin 
. Netflix should've known better than to keep investing in a show with such poor viewership numbers 
. Now, where's the spin-off money going? 
. The show's been on for a while now, and some people might've gotten a little too used to the way things were 
.
. It can be tough to keep the momentum going like that. But still, 15.2 million viewers was pretty impressive for Season 3 
. And I gotta give credit where credit's due - Chris Hemsworth tried his best as Geralt, even if he didn't quite capture the magic 
.
. It'd be a shame to see it go out like that 
. And yeah, Rings of Power is looking pretty rough right now 
. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
.
season 3 racking up 15.2 million viewers in its premiere week? that was just a fluke, imo 
i think the real reason it tanked this time around is because people got bored with the whole fantasy genre 
. 7.4 million views are like, really low for a show that's supposed to be this epic fantasy series 
... I've been binge-watching shows like The Witcher every week, and a two-year hiatus just feels too long 
.
. But still, it's not all doom and gloom... The Witcher will wrap up Geralt's storylines, and that's gotta count for something 
. I'm just hoping they don't cut corners with the final season or anything 
... I hope Netflix can learn from this and come out stronger with their next shows 
!
for a platform with an entire billion+ subs. It's not like they're struggling to find an audience or anything... the problem is probably just that the gap between seasons is too long, yeah? I guess it's a good thing Cavill is still on board and getting paid the big bucks 
? Or maybe, just maybe, this is their way of testing the waters for a potential spin-off series... you know, one that would keep Cavill's face on our screens 
. Mark my words, there's more to this story than meets the eye 
.
. 7.4 million views are pretty low for a show that used to smash it out of the park 
. And yeah, recasting Henry Cavill was a huge blow 
, it's hard to keep up momentum after two years apart from each other 
. Maybe the streamer is looking to cut their losses and move on 
. It's a shame the show won't have as much room to grow without its original star 
i mean, i'm still likin season 4 tho 
hope they dont cancel it tho 
The streamer needs to up their game, or else they'll be stuck with the 'oh well, it was just okay' label 
. Still, I'm curious to see how Netflix will handle this and whether they'll give The Witcher another chance 
just saw Netflix's ratings report for The Witcher and I'm SHOOK 
7.4 million views in the first week? That's a major drop-off from Season 3 which got 15.2 million! 
I think it's because of that huge gap between seasons, fans were missing Geralt and Henry Cavill's acting was unbeatable 
then they recast him with Chris Hemsworth... not sure how to feel about that 
but at least they'll still get to see Geralt's storylines wrap up 
gotta keep some hope alive for fans 
