“The show’s derivativeness falls somewhere between depressing and embarrassing.” Ouch.
They can’t all be winners. While Netflix has a bit of a habit of cancelling shows after one season, it seems unlikely that this new “worst reviewed” show will be cancelled any time soon, considering where it is coming from.
The four-episode mini-series of The Witcher: Blood Origin was released on Netflix on Christmas Day, and despite some big names involved – including Michelle Yeoh, Lenny Henry, Minnie Driver and Dylan Moran – the series landed with a big thud from both critics and viewers.
The spin-off series, which takes place over a thousand years before the events of the recently recast Geralt, has reportedly received the worst audience scores for an original show in Netflix history:
As first reported by Forbes, it beat out the previous record holder: 2022’s Resident Evil, which scored 26% with audiences, and was cancelled after its first season.
It is unlikely that the mainline series of The Witcher will be cancelled any time soon, considering it is still one of the biggest shows on the platform, but don’t count on any other spin-off shows following up this one, especially considering the critical reviews:
Empire – “You’ll be less likely to toss a coin to this Witcher than throw rotten fruit. Its few graces aren’t enough to save it. Skip and cross fingers this doesn’t bode ill for The Witcher Season 3.”
Roger Ebert – “Despite its undeniable production values, everything about Blood Origin feels minor. There’s a romance that’s bland despite the charisma of its stars, and Driver and Yeoh aren’t given nearly enough to do. … It’s for hardcore fans only, and even they will be bored.”
The Daily Beast – “The show’s derivativeness falls somewhere between depressing and embarrassing.”
Ouch.
Should you want to, The Witcher: Blood Origin is available to watch on Netflix right now:
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