We\u2019ve only had two seasons of The Witcher<\/em> on Netflix, but the show has already had somewhat of an identity crisis. It started off with a bang<\/a>, with a big, bloody debut that showed exactly why the books and games<\/a> before it were so beloved. It was dark yet funny, full of action, sexual tension, and all kinds of cool monsters \u2014 plus an excellent Henry Cavill as the gruff and lovable Geralt of Rivia. Season 2<\/a>, meanwhile, lost some of that personality as it attempted to tell a more grand \u2014 and typical \u2014 fantasy story while also deviating significantly from the books. Things got even more off-track with the prequel Blood Origin<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Now we have season 3, which is being split into two volumes<\/a> and which will mark the end of Cavill\u2019s run as Geralt (the show will continue with Liam Hemsworth in the lead role<\/a>). The first volume doesn\u2019t exactly get away from the epic story the show is trying to tell \u2014 there are still warring factions and magical forces and questions about the nature of the world itself \u2014 but it returns most of the focus where it belongs: on the main cast of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer. More importantly, the show is fun again, where the big narrative beats don\u2019t get in the way of all the blood and jokes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the outset of season 3, things haven\u2019t changed all that much: everyone on the entire Continent still seems intent on finding Ciri (Freya Allan), a young princess with mysterious powers that could be the key to uniting a vast, violent world. Kings, mages, elves \u2014 everyone wants to find her for their own nefarious reasons. Despite this, she finds herself in a somewhat cozy situation living with Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n They\u2019re on the run, constantly moving at the slightest sign of trouble, but they\u2019ve also settled into a comfortable kind of familial routine. They sit around sharing meals and washing dishes, while Yenn \u2014 who finally has her magic back after being tragically defanged last season \u2014 tries to teach Ciri how to control her powers. After two seasons of nothing but death and betrayal, it\u2019s nice to see the three living a calm, happy life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Of course, that doesn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Outside forces compel the little family unit to split up. Yenn takes Ciri to the magic academy Aretuza in hops of both helping her learn and keeping her safe, while Geralt goes after Rience (Chris Fulton), a fire-wielding mage who is after Ciri at the behest of a mystery benefactor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s still a good amount of political maneuvering and treachery to keep track of. The remaining elves are divided over who to align themselves and the best way to get revenge on humanity; the kingdom of Redania \u2014 thanks to cunning spymaster Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and his partner Phillipa (Cassie Clare), who spent most of season 2 as an owl \u2014 finds itself in the thick of everything; the Brotherhood\u00a0of Sorcerers\u00a0is struggling with infighting; and the White Flame (Bart Edwards) continues his quest to unite the entire Continent under his rule. That\u2019s not even counting characters who find themselves in completely new situations, like the exiled mage Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), who is now an always-drunk poison tester.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But thankfully, unlike more recent forays into the Witcher<\/em> universe, all of that background is told concisely and entertainingly and sits largely in the, well, background. This lets the show bring its focus back to the main cast \u2014 and this time, it does right by those characters. Geralt remains a sullen yet surprisingly lovable centrist as always, but Yenn has returned to being a powerful, defiantly independent mage, and Ciri is coming into her own and is finally more than just a damsel in distress whose power is activated by screams.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This shift is perhaps best exemplified by Jaskier (Joey Batey), who devolved into a sullen rock star in season 2 but is back to being a free spirit who makes far too many jokes, usually at the wrong time. This time around, he has a rivalry with another bard and a delightfully intense crush on a prince. He feels like Jaskier again \u2014 despite the hair and eyeliner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And while there is a lot going on, volume one of the new season is essentially about one thing: revealing who the new, big bad villain is. Getting there involves all kinds of typical witcher-y things: lots of fights with terrifying monsters (including one particularly grotesque creature that wouldn\u2019t be out of place in Akira<\/em> or Inside<\/em><\/a>), fancy parties full of sexual tension, some truly messed up betrayals, and Geralt being a smartass much to the frustration of the elite. But a lot of the fun comes from sussing out just who is the secret villain pulling a lot of the strings behind the scenes. The first batch of episodes ends with a party, which you see from various perspectives, forcing you \u2014 along with Geralt and Yenn \u2014 to sift through the lies, misdirections, and illusions while a band sings, \u201cAll is not as it seems.\u201d I was genuinely surprised with the big reveal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n