Henry Cavill’s The Witcher Beaten By A Comedy Special
Forbes reports that Season 3 of The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill, has lost its number one spot on Netflix’s top 10. In case you’re wondering if there’s another up-and-coming fantasy drama that dethroned the highly-successful series from its spot at the top of the streaming mountain, we’re here to report Tom Segura’s new hour-long comedy special, Sledgehammer, is currently sitting at the number one spot in The Witcher‘s place.
The Witcher has been kicked out of Netflix‘s #1 series spot by the Tom Segura comedy special Sledgehammer.
Though we can attribute this changing of the tides to Tom Segura’s meteoric rise in popularity since his last special (Ball Hog) three years ago, this ranking is also indicative of a decline in popularity for the visually stunning Netflix original fantasy series.
There’s still hope for The Witcher when you consider the fact that season 3 is split into two volumes. Volume One saw its conclusion on June 29, and Volume Two will resume on July 27, which means that the season can still go out with a bang if the remaining three out of eight episodes are well-received by fans.
But overall, season 3 of the Henry Cavill starring series has not fared well on Rotten Tomatoes, and currently has a 33 percent audience score against the 86 percent critical score.
The Witcher’s Fall In Popularity
When you look at past seasons, it’s clear that the series is in trouble when you consider the downward trend in audience reception. Season 1 of The Witcher has an impressive 89 percent audience score, but Season 2 falls off with 57 percent.
Though many have praised Henry Cavill for his portrayal of Geralt of Rivia, there has also been a healthy amount of criticism of the series for its deviation from the source material during its second season, allegedly a crucial factor in Cavill’s decision to depart from the series upon season 3’s conclusion.
Conversely, The Witcher is still performing quite well on the critical front with a season 3 rating of 86 percent. Though we have no doubt that Liam Hemsworth will deliver the goods when he replaces Henry Cavill in season 4, fans aren’t so sure that he’ll have the same kind of gruff charm that Cavill has been known to deliver in this context.
Just like Cavill, The Witcher’s audience isn’t exactly thrilled with the direction the series is taking as it gets further from Andrzej Sapkowski’s vision, and pushes into new territory that wasn’t originally set forth in the novels and short stories that inspired the series.
This decline in The Witcher’s popularity just goes to show you that audience ratings carry a tremendous amount of weight, and should be considered by showrunners. Though critical scores are important, it’s worth noting that critics may not have the same emotional attachment to the source material that die-hard fans have.
Upon the conclusion of season 3, and with that Henry Cavill’s departure from the series, there’s no knowing whether The Witcher will reclaim its throne, or continue to lose fans as it continues to lose the plot.
When you look at past seasons, it’s clear that the series is in trouble when you consider the downward trend in audience reception.
The Witcher‘s third season will conclude with three episodes on July 27, and Liam Hemsworth will take on the role of Geralt of Rivia when season 4 kicks off. But for the time being, Tom Segura is certainly enjoying his newfound number one spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list.
