With so much controversy surrounding Henry Cavill's decision to leave The Witcher (and the fact that Liam Hemsworth will replace him as the new Geralt of Rivia), The Witcher: Blood Origin feels like a bit of an afterthought heading into the holidays. Not helping matters in that respect is the recent lifting of the review embargo, and the verdict on the show...well, it's not great.
Serving as a prequel to the main The Witcher series, the spin-off will explore a number of important moments in The Continent's history, including the creation of the first Witcher and even the eventual Conjunction of the Spheres. While it's a compelling premise, those who have already watched the show don't appear overly interested or impressed.
As of right now, the spin-off has a lowly 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it another critical flop for Netflix.
"A shallow excavation of ancient lore from Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy series," reads the Critics Consensus (via SFFGazette.com), "Blood Origin shares ancestral DNA with The Witcher but little of what makes the mothership series memorable."
Despite boasting an impressive cast, fans have already wondered why this story needs to be told, so poor reviews are unlikely to do anything to increase interest. In contrast to The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Witcher season 1 has a 68% score, while the second season has 95% (a surprise considering how poorly received it was by fans).
Netflix never discloses viewership figures, and there's always a chance the reviews won't have any impact on how many people choose to return to The Continent on Christmas Day.
There are already some concerns about the franchise's future following Cavill's decision to depart the series, though season 4 is officially moving ahead with Hemsworth as Geralt.
"Set in an elven world 1200 years before the time of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, The Witcher: Blood Origin will tell a tale lost to history," reads The Witcher: Blood Origin's synopsis, "the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that led to the pivotal Conjunction of the Spheres, when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one."
This four-episode prequel series is set to premiere on Netflix on December 25.