In theory, this episode should've been to "The Witcher" what "The Red Wedding" was to "Game of Thrones"; the pivotal, defining installment we'd collectively describe as "the game changer" & the one, iconic chapter responsible for solidifying Netflix's fantasies' status in the history of TV / pop culture; 3 seasons of carefully constructed storytelling, finally paying off in a goliath culmination of multiple plot-lines (from numerous main character's perspectives - on opposite sides of a brutal conflict), in service of chronicling what is ultimately a tale of profound loss & destruction (re-contextualising our entire understanding of the lore - upending the status quo) - which not only shocks (without seeming as though the twists have been formulated for the sheer sake of provoking a reaction), but hits hard, emotionally... So when I acknowledge what was at stake "in theory", I'm not only recognising the stakes in the fictional world represented, but additionally, the risks posed to the programme itself. More than any other, this undertaking - demanding success - required the series' creators to perform at their best... And so it brings me no joy whatsoever to say they simply do not operate at the level warranted here. Furthermore, if this is truly what constitutes their "best", I can clearly see why Henry Cavill decided to leave - because despite the blatant potential, present on the screen, most of it is frustratingly wasted in the shoddy execution, when source material is adapted from the page.
