Dude, Netflix needs to toss a lot more than a coin to The Witcher with the way things are going. The franchise is taking more hits than Geralt in the heat of battle. Aaand that’s about all the references I can make. But the show’s hurting. First Henry Cavill dipped and Liam Hemsworth was not well received. And Henry’s complaints about how the show was treating source material were shared with many of the show’s fans. Those same complaints may explain why the prequel, The Witcher: Blood Origin, has gone over like a lead balloon. Or maybe it’s just a truly crap show, because it’s hated by both critics and fans alike. The show has a measly 35% approval rating with critics and an almost non-existent 12% with audiences. And it’s got Michelle Yeoh in it!
The Witcher: Blood Origin is a limited series set within the same universe as Netflix’s main Witcher show, and both are based on the original series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. However, Blood Origin is set a thousand years before the events of the original television series, and “depicts the creation of the first Witcher, as well as the events leading to the Conjunction of the Spheres.” It also stars Michelle Yeoh, who definitely deserves better than this poorly reviewed, low-rated fantasy prequel.
Over on movie review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Blood Origin sports a 36 percent approval rating among critics and an even worse eight percent approval rating from fans (h/t Forbes). While the critic score is bad and places it among some of the worst-rated original shows on Netflix, it’s the historically low eight percent audience rating that’s really wild.
Of course, it should be noted that some fans are review-bombing the series for a few different reasons. Some are angry Henry Cavill supporters still fuming about his late October exit from the main show. Others are Witcher fans who continue to be frustrated with Netflix’s handling of the original source material in its Witcher projects
Yet, it’s hard to ignore that very low eight percent viewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even Netflix’s supposedly despised Resident Evil show has a 26 percent approval rating from fans. (Halo sits at a comparatively excellent 52 percent.) Blood Origin’s rating, at least from what I can tell, seems to be the lowest viewer score from any Netflix original show. It’s even lower than some other infamously review-bombed films and shows, like Disney and Marvel’s She-Hulk (33 percent) or Star Wars: The Last Jedi (42 percent).
With all that in mind, my read is that this isn’t just another case of a property getting review-bombed by chuds, but instead just a really bad show that even diehard Witcher fans don’t enjoy. Reading fan reviews, many complain about the shoddy CGI, boring pace, bland writing, and a general lack of direction. This echoes similar complaints from critics, too. For Netflix, this can’t be a good thing, and doesn’t bode well for the future of its monster-slaying franchise in a post-Henry Cavill Witcher-verse.
Not that anyone asked me, but I think it’s a little from Column A and a little form Column B. I haven’t read the source material so I can’t comment on how far these bozos are straying from it. But we’ve seen with Game of Thrones that fans will allow a lot if they like where the filmmakers are going. Or if the actors are hot enough – I don’t know, I never liked Game of Thrones, so I don’t know why people stuck with that. But I understand the dismal ratings if Netflix is completely messing up the source material. They’ve destroyed enough good material *coughTheSandmancough*. Review bombing is so prevalent, though and is probably a factor. Liam H needs to prepare himself now, he’ll be creamed by a large group of people who will bash his performance without watching it. While I understand the disappointment of losing an actor you love in a role, it’s not fair to trash a replacement, they’re just doing their job. If he deserves it, fine. But let him earn it. And, like the article points out, even with the review bombing, the other shows that have been hit have not sunk as low as Blood Origin.
Which takes us to Column B, the show must suffer. Lack of direction is one thing but bad CGI and boring pacing in a fantasy genre show? That’s criminal. You’ve lost the plot if you can’t get those right. But how did they attract Michelle Yeoh and Minnie Driver with a crap script? I swear, Netflix sells stuff on spec, throws money at actors and just then forgets about it when it comes to actual production. Meanwhile, Apple TV is turning out better and better content. Netflix better wake up and remember that Amazon and Apple have revenue sources that can sustain their endeavors. And for gawd’s sake, do better for Michelle Yeoh.
Witcher: Blood Origin photos credit: Susie Allnutt and Lilja Jonsdottir for Netflix and YouTube
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