This article contains spoilers for The Witcher: Blood Origin.The Witcher: Blood Origin, Netflix's official prequel series to The Witcher, really couldn't have released at a worse time. Starring Henry Cavill and Freya Allan as Geralt of Rivia and his young ward Ciri, the first season of The Witcher was a hit for Netflix. Third-party analytics indicated it was in the top 0.2 per cent of TV series in terms of demand, and it was hardly a surprise when Netflix renewed the show - and went one step further, announcing their intention to turn the series into the foundation for a major franchise.

Netflix's approach has been a smart one, with tie-ins releasing between seasons of The Witcher - and serving as important setup. The animated special The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf revealed Geralt's backstory, giving viewers an idea of what to expect from the Witcher's Keep at Kaer Morhen ahead of its live-action debut in season 2. Prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin answers mysteries about the Conjunction of the Spheres that even Andrej Sapkowski's original novels have skipped, and gives backstory for elven characters who are set to have a major impact on Ciri's life because they have been scattered through time and space. Unfortunately, this time the fates have not been kind to The Witcher and its tie-ins, because the prequel show has released at just the wrong time.

Related: Blood Origin: Every Witcher Easter Eggs & Reference Explained

Henry Cavill's Departure Is A Massive Blow To The Witcher Franchise

The Witcher season 2 Henry Cavill Geralt

The Witcher franchise is in serious trouble. Henry Cavill is now leaving The Witcher after season 3, and all evidence indicates it's in objection to the show's increasing deviation from Sapkowski's original novels. The changes were surely made with the best of intentions, but they were already proving controversial among the fanbase even before Cavill's departure. Losing the lead actor, one who has been widely considered perfectly cast and who has become synonymus with the main character, is a massive blow. The Witcher really needed something to change the conversation - but, unfortunately, The Witcher: Blood Origin isn't going to fit the bill.

The Witcher: Blood Origin Simply Isn't Good Enough To Change The Narrative

The Witcher Blood Origin Brother Death and Zacaré

The sad truth is that the Netflix prequel series simply isn't good enough to secure the franchise's future. Reviews of The Witcher: Blood Origin have been uniformly terrible, criticizing a formulaic fantasy script and undeveloped characters. Netflix originally commissioned six episodes, but the show was cut down to four during editing, with showrunner Declan de Barra telling Digital Spy the production team wanted to make it more "concise." Doing so unfortunately seems to have underscored the formulaic script, while removing any opportunity to enjoy the character interactions. The love story between Fjal and Éile feels particularly hurried, suffering because of the compression.

The problem is made worse by the fact this is the first time Netflix has told a story set in The Witcher's universe that doesn't feature Geralt in some capacity. As such, The Witcher: Blood Origin makes Cavill's departure worse, reinforcing the sense this is a franchise that is losing momentum without its star attraction. Netflix may have already announced Cavill's replacement, Liam Hemsworth, but it really does feel as though interest in this fantasy world is diminishing by the day. Had The Witcher: Blood Origin released before Cavill's departure was announced, it's possible Netflix could have found a way to turn things around with a strong third season - but that will be extremely difficult now.

Next: Witcher: Blood Origin Ending Explained (In Detail)