The Witcher S3: The Quest For Gwent Continues (Despite Ciri & Jaskier's Game)

After substantial criticisms of "The Witcher" Seasons 1 and 2, Henry Cavill's farewell tour has not been disappointing. After announcing that Season 3 would be his last, the actor ensured that Geralt was going out with a bang and not a whimper. Though only the first half of the season is available on Netflix so far, Twitter isn't holding back about the results. If you believe the fans, this is seemingly the show we have all been waiting for, adding depth to Geralt and even Jaskier (Joey Batey), who has been tasked with carrying the show.

But if there is one weakness of the season for fans, it is a glaring omission from Episode 4. In an example of an extreme missed opportunity, the episode features Jaskier and Ciri (Freya Allan) playing a card game — but not the one fans will be familiar with. Players of "Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt" will be well acquainted with the in-universe fictional card game of Gwent. As you play as Geralt, taking on contracts and trying to solve the mystery of your missing surrogate daughter, you can also challenge store owners and other NPCs to play. But judging by how Ciri wins the game during the episode, this is not the card game in question.

Like the "Star Wars" universe's game of Sabacc, the card game in "The Witcher" is based on point value. Players must accumulate a certain number of points over three rows of cards that beat their opponents' points. The game in Episode 4 instead shows Ciri showing her collection of cards as a winning hand. This may disappoint game players who love catching Easter eggs, but unfortunately, it is unlikely that Gwent as fans are familiar with it will make an appearance in the Netflix series. The card game is a component in CD Projekt Red's video games, but less so in the novels.

Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has made her stance on the video games clear from the beginning. Though many fans' exposure to Geralt and the universe of "The Witcher" probably comes from the video game series, Netflix's "The Witcher" has always been an adaptation of the books. Season 3 has made such an impression, most likely because it is based so much on a specific book. The events of the season are largely adapted from the second book in the saga, "Time of Contempt." The book features Ciri traveling to Aretuza to master her magic, much like the first episodes of the season. Creatives have doubled down so much on the source material that the words "time of contempt" are even used when Geralt visits Codringher (Simon Callow) and Fenn (Liz Carr). So while Gwent may be a cultural touchstone for fans of the universe, Season 3 seems to be holding fast to Andrzej Sapkowski's original work rather than the video games.