Netflix’s The Witcher series continues the story of the witcher Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Princess Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon (Freya Allan). The trio is like a family: father, mother, and daughter. However, powerful forces, kingdoms, and factions hunt the trio because of Cirilla’s status as the child of the ancient Elder bloodline, which holds the power to shape the world’s fate and travel to other worlds across The Witcher multiverse. The episode begins with Emhyr (Bart Edwards) tasking Cahir (Eamon Farren) with a mission to assassinate Francesca (Mecia Simson). Cahir notes that the assignment is ambitious and initially hesitates to complete the mission.
In Aretuza, Yennefer tells the Aretuzan mages in a conclave of her plan to open a traditional ball to gather Northern leaders to Aretuza to discuss a strategy to create a Northern alliance against the Empire of Nilfgaard. Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen) rebuts that a coalition led by Yennefer, a traitor, will create division amongst the Northern kingdoms and factions. Many other mages agree with Stregobor. Despite this, Yennefer wants to push forth her plans, and her main goal is to include Redania in their alliance due to the kingdom’s large and powerful military. The mages kept disagreeing with Yennefer until she gave a passionate speech about how she wanted to unite the brotherhood to serve a common interest. The speech touched all the mages except Stregobor, and they accepted Yennefer’s request to have a traditional ball to create an alliance between the Northern kingdoms.
Later, the mages began preparing for the traditional ball and writing invitations to the leaders and monarchs of the Northern kingdoms. While that is happening, Triss (Anna Shaffer) meets with Istredd (Royce Pierreson) to investigate the missing half-elven female novices and search for the Book of Monoliths, the book holding the key to travel between spheres or universes. The two began to believe the person who kidnapped the half-elven female novices and the person who took the Book of Monoliths were the same.
In a forest, Geralt and Cirilla talk about the Wild Hunt. Cirilla became suspicious about the Wild Hunt being specters because of how one touched her. Geralt theorized the Wild Hunt is another species from a different universe. The Wild Hunt is probably hunting Cirilla due to her ability to connect and activate the monoliths across the Continent, which could allow her to travel to any universe she desires. The topic changes to Cirilla not liking the mages of Aretuza. Geralt counters with his belief that finding sanctuary in Aretuza is the best option for him, Yennefer, and Cirilla so the latter could find a safe place to live and train her powers. The two later meet with Jaskier at a port. The three board a ship to Aretuza but fights an Aeschna, a sea monster that constantly attacks their ship during its past voyages.
In Redania, Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and Philippa (Cassie Clare) discuss the mysterious nature of Rience and how the assassination of Queen Hedwig garnered sympathy for Redania and many Northern kingdoms would fight Nilfgaard on Redania’s behalf. During Queen Hedwig’s funeral, Yennefer meets with King Vizimir to win his support to join the Northern alliance against Nilfgaard. Vizimir responds by sending Djikstra, Philippa, and Radovid (Hugh Skinner) to the traditional ball in Aretuza. After the funeral, Yennefer accidentally opens a corrupted portal where an illusion of Geralt attacks her. She escapes and meets with Triss and Sabrina (Therica Wilson-Read) in Aretuza.
After arriving on land, Geralt discloses information about Teryn to Cirilla and the women Rience’s master used as test subjects to study and later capture Cirilla for her Elder Blood. The two and Jaskier would reunite with Yennefer, with Cirilla and Yennefer apologizing to each other for the arguments they had in the past. Soon after the reunion, Geralt and Yennefer attend the traditional ball intending to use the event to find out who Rience’s master is while Jaskier watches over Cirilla but meets Radovid in the area they are hiding.
At the Scoia’tael camp, Cahir and Nilfgaardian soldiers meet with Francesca and offer a deal that Emhyr and the elves can use Cirilla to achieve their agendas if they work together. Francesca initially distrusts Cahir but obliges when he points out how the elves need the Empire’s support to find a haven for the elves. With the possibility of changing Emhyr’s mind, Cahir tells Francesca of their first Nilfgaardian-Scoia’tael mission together, the destruction of Aretuza with the aid of Rience’s master.
Francesca meets with Cahir
The Witcher Season 3 Episode 4 focuses on the invitation Yennefer gives to the leaders of the Northern kingdoms to create an alliance to fight against Nilgaard. However, the coalition will likely fracture because of Rience’s master. Rience’s master works with Nilfgaard, and there is a scheme to take Cirilla for three cooperating parties: Rience’s master, the elves, and Nilfgaard. Therefore, the future attack on Aretuza with all three parties will be interesting, considering how essential the mages are to the Northern kingdoms as advisors, enforcers, spies, and protection. Overall, the episode is very intriguing due to various faction schemes and plans for Cirilla for good and bad reasons.
Rating: 6/10