Part 8/10:
All signs point to a franchise teetering on the edge. The decision to proceed with Liam Hemsworth despite the fan criticism and lack of on-screen performance demonstrates a strategic, perhaps desperate effort from Netflix and the show's producers to hold onto the property before it collapses under its own controversy.
The Implications of the Strategy
By filming Seasons 4 and 5 consecutively or splitting what might have been one long season, the studios are likely trying to create a 'fireproof' bundle—something too big to cancel without losing significant investment. Yet, this approach might be too little, too late. Fan dissatisfaction, combined with poor reception of recent content, suggests that The Witcher's momentum has significantly waned.