Geralt and Yennefer's steamy relationship was part of the appeal of The Witcher, but now that season 2 basically put it to the torch, season 3 needs to repair the damage. Their emotional resistance to love, their chemistry, and how destiny always seemed to pull them together all contributed to the two characters' perfect central romance. However, The Witcher season 2 separated Yennefer and Geralt and added more contention than ever before—resulting in a couple that is no longer interesting. The following season may be able to fix this, but other factors will make this all the more challenging.
Fans of the Witcher books series and video games knew that Geralt and Yennefer would end up together, making their relationship a necessity for the Netflix adaptation. To add a less predictable element to their story, the series included a backstory for Yennefer. This had not been part of the original books, but the change was done well and ultimately contributed further to her connection with Geralt and audiences' investment in their relationship. Unfortunately, season 2 continued to change Yennefer's story, and this time it wasn't for the better—it tore the couple apart, which sets up a complicated plot for The Witcher season 3.
Geralt & Yennifer’s Relationship Arc Died In The Witcher Season 2
The Witcher season 1 saw Yennefer mad at Geralt for the wish he had made, which she believed bound them together in an artificial kind of love. This was a defense mechanism, and once they were reunited in The Witcher season 2, enough time had gone by (and a big death misunderstanding) that it had become water under the bridge. Unfortunately, the changes in Yennefer's character led her to make a series of destructive and extremely frustrating decisions, leaving Geralt now mad at her instead.
Like Yennefer's backstory, the idea of her losing her powers is unique to the Netflix series—but this time, it didn't go over very well. It meant that she was, yet again, kept far away from Geralt for far too long, and her desperation to harness chaos again led her to double-cross him and kidnap Ciri. A little contention in a relationship, like seen in The Witcher season 1, is okay, but the fact that this is about all there is to Geralt and Yennefer's romance has essentially killed interest in their development.
The Witcher Season 3 Must Define Geralt & Yennifer’s Romance (& Its Problems)
To make matters worse, The Witcher season 2 didn't resolve the issues between the couple, with Geralt expressing that he would never forgive Yennefer, leaving the characters on unstable ground going into The Witcher season 3. This isn't entirely out of left field, since the original Witcher books by Andrzej Sapkowski often saw the couple falling out. The problem is audiences are already aware of this—and they know that the two will ultimately end up together—so it would take a fascinating conflict to keep them interested. Geralt will obviously forgive Yennefer, so the plot feels somewhat contrived.
The solution to Geralt and Yennefer's relationship issues would be for The Witcher season 3 to stick as closely to canon as possible. Season 2 lost a lot of the flavor that audiences have loved about this world for decades, damaging the chemistry between the central character. However, it's not too late for Netflix to make a change. Changing the timeline or providing background for characters is okay (within reason), but adding new conflicts when the books came ready with plenty for Geralt and Yennefer wasn't necessary.
Cavill’s The Witcher Departure Is Bad News For Geralt & Yennefer’s Future
Regrettably, even if Netflix's The Witcher fixes its canon problems, there will be more obstacles in Geralt and Yennefer's way. Actor Henry Cavill will be exiting the series after The Witcher season 3, which means that whatever happens between his character and Yennefer, the audience will have to start over with a new dynamic in The Witcher season 4. A significant part of the relationship's appeal was the chemistry between Cavill and actress Anya Chalotra. So, even if the series draws interest back to Geralt and Yennefer's romance, it won't be easy to continue into season 4.
After Cavill exits the show, his place is supposed to be taken by actor Liam Hemsworth. While the replacement actor will likely perform adequately, recasting major roles is often a disaster in movies and TV—especially when a love story is involved. The chemistry between Hemsworth and Chalotra would need to be stellar to make audiences forget that the man Yennefer fell in love with suddenly looks entirely different, and that's a tall order for any actor. Unfortunately, it's starting to look like the show has dug itself into too deep a hole, but perhaps The Witcher season 3 and potential future seasons will prove concerns wrong.