8 Best and Worst 'The Witcher' Episodes, Ranked

The Netflix adaptation of The Witcher had a promising start. Based on the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski and starring Henry Cavill, it was poised to become the next hit. However, despite all this, as well as its massive budget, the show managed to stray so far from its source material that it became almost unrecognizable.

Today we're taking a look back at the show's most questionable episodes and the ones that actually are not that bad.

Season 3 Episode 7: “Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan”

• IMDb Rating: 4.3/10.

“Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan” is the lowest-rated episode of the entire series.

The episode attempts to follow Ciri through a survival test, but instead we get lost in a maze of weird dialogue and pacing that makes no sense at all. Almost the entire episode takes place in the desert, which becomes tiring around the halfway point. If you fast-forwarded through or skipped the episode altogether, you didn’t miss much.

Season 3 Episode 8: “The Cost of Chaos”

• IMDb Rating: 5.3/10.

“The Cost of Chaos” is the final episode of Season 3, marking Henry Cavill's departure from Netflix.

This episode attempts to navigate multiple plotlines, but ultimately fails to develop most of them. The result is a messy ending that frustrates viewers and leaves them more concerned about the show's future than excited for it.

“After those 3 final episodes, I think we can safely say the Netflix series had come to its unofficial end. Such a shame this brilliant cast was held back by poor writing and decisions. I’m not surprised Cavill wanted out. It’s now easy to see why,” Redditor AmbitiousConfection4 wrote.

Season 3 Episode 4: “The Invitation”

• IMDb Rating: 5.4/10.

At this point, the show has gone completely off the rails. The action sequences are entertaining, especially the Aeschna fight scene. However, the episode suffers from trying to squeeze too many plot lines into its runtime.

The addition of a Jaskier-Radovid romance feels like it belongs in a different universe entirely. The only redeemable character-driven moment was when Jaskier and Ciri were imitating Yen and Geralt during their conversation.

Season 3 Episode 3: “Reunion”

• IMDb Rating: 5.7/10.

This episode has a slightly higher rating and shows some potential, yet it still falls short. The family drama between Ciri and Yennefer was promising, but it lacked the much-needed impact. The Wild Hunt also made an appearance, though the CGI was both distracting and disappointing.

“Reunion” still struggles with pacing issues and demonstrates how far the show had strayed from its source material.

Season 1 Episode 4: “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials”

• IMDb Rating: 8.4/10.

Now we're getting into the territory of better The Witcher episodes. “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials” is a bitter reminder of the show's original potential. The episode features the fateful banquet that would shape Geralt's destiny. The Jaskier and Geralt sequences were particularly fun.

“This was the episode where it all clicked for me. The multiple timelines, the out of sync storytelling and how they are playing into one another. Once I realized that ....the show vastly improved for me!” gshunw24 on IMDb said.

Season 1 Episode 3: “Betrayer Moon”

• IMDb Rating: 8.5/10.

“Betrayer Moon” includes Yennefer's transformation and Geralt's completing a classic Witcher contract. This episode once again shows that the show can create engaging television when it focuses on character development while respecting its source material.

Season 2 Episode 1: “A Grain of Truth”

• IMDb Rating: 8.5/10.

“A Grain of Truth” is a great Season 2 opener. We've already talked about how this episode can actually be The Witcher's solution for creating better episodes in the future. It stays somewhat true to its source material (if we forget about Yen's part). The episode follows Geralt and Ciri's encounter with the cursed man Nivellen. “A Grain of Truth” excels at creating a dark fairy-tale-like atmosphere.

Season 1 Episode 8: “Much More”

• IMDb Rating: 8.8/10.

“Much More” is the highest-rated episode of The Witcher so far. And given the direction they chose, it might very well be the highest rated episode overall.

Sure, they made some questionable changes (Yennefer being the Fourteenth of the Hill instead of Triss) but the episode maintains enough of the series' essence to remind us why we fell in love with these characters in the first place.

“I ended up really liking this series. The main characters are intriguing and interesting. I look forward to season 2! I hope they don't do the different timelines thing again though,” ErReads on IMDb wrote.