It's been quite a ride, but at last we've reached the season finale of The Witcher season 4. "Baptism of Fire" is an action-packed episode with a few major twists and turns, some absolutely heartwrenching deaths, and events that will leave our beloved trio of Geralt (Liam Hemsworth), Ciri (Freya Allan), and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) irrevocably changed.
The previous episode, "What I love I do not carry," left off with Geralt in search of a druid circle in Nilfgaard, Yennefer returning to Montecalvo to plan her next moves, and Ciri racing to save her friends the Rats from the treacherous mercenary Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley).
The finale is a banger of an episode, with one scene in particular that is arguably the most devastating thing The Witcher has ever filmed. We've got a lot to discuss, so let's get right into it.
FULL SPOILERS beyond this point for The Witcher season 4 Episode 8, "Baptism of Fire."
Floating on the Yaruga
The season finale kicks off with the hansa is trying to get across the Yaruga River and into Nilfgaard, where they're hoping to track down a circle of druids at Caed Dhu to help locate Ciri. Milva (Meng'er Zhang) parted ways with them between this episode and the last, which feels a little abrupt. Regardless, it isn't long before they find a ferry — and the cowering ferrymen who were hiding in the bushes. They manage to bully them into taking the hansa across the river, despite one's insistence that there are "baboon attacks" happening on the other side.
We see one of those attacks as the ferry nears the short: not baboons, but guerrillas, and northern geurrillas trapped behind enemy lines at that. This is a little bit silly of a vocabulary twist, but it's small and best not dwelt on.
The northerners try to take the boat, but one of the ferrymen panics and cuts the rope. The northerners believe them to be Nilfgaardian spies and open fire with crossbows, as the hansa rows away.
What's in a story?
After the opening scene with the ferry, we're treated to a surprise: a return to the future, where the storyteller Stribog (Clive Russell) is once more telling the tale of Geralt of Rivia. Except now, Nimue is all grown up. She chimes into Stribog's story to say that Geralt's traveling party came to be known as "the hanza" (also spelled "hansa"), which she says was coined by Angoulême. That's another member of the group we won't meet until season 5, and I really like that the finale confirmed she'll be appearing in the show.
The older actor for Nimue is great casting; I wonder if it will be this same actor who appears in season 5, or if there will be another recast as she ages. A question for another time.
For now, Stribog continues his story, as the hansa makes their way downstream.
The Battle of the Bridge
The hansa may have slipped away from the northerners who were trying to escape Nilfgaard, but they soon come under fire from a contingent of Nilfgaardians who have set up camp on the northern shore. This gives a fun opportunity for comedic relief from Jaskier (Joey Batey), who can't make sense of the shifting tides of the war.
As the ferry is targeted by an advanced bomb scorpion, Milva (Meng'er Zhang) returns and saves the day, leaping off a cliff to rejoin the hansa. It feels a little silly that the show had her leave only to return seven minutes into the next episode, but it was quite an entrance, as Regis (Laurence Fishburne) puts it. Sometimes you just have to toss out the sense in the name of a cool scene.
We get another one immediately after, when Regis is shot with an arrow and Milva shoots down four Nilfgaardians in a matter of seconds. Obviously, Regis is fine; stakes through the heart are another vampirism myth.
The next landing they try to make on the southern shore leads to another encounter with the northern guerrillas, who turn out to be soldiers of Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia (Rebecca Hanssen). They want the ferry, but accuse the hansa of being Nilfgaardian spies, so obviously they don't land there.
The next crossing they see is the bridge, which is currently held by northerners who open fire with crossbows at the sight of the ferry. The hansa quickly lands and takes cover at the base of the bridge. Suddenly, Milva bends over with cramps, and notices blood on her thighs. She is miscarrying the baby, something drawn directly from the source material.
As the hansa's predicament grows more complicate, Nilfgaard attacks the bridge above. Cahir (Eamon Farren) insists that they join the fight, because if the Nilfgaardians win they will sweep the area and discover Milva, who won't be able to move for some time. Regis stays with her, while Geralt, Cahir, and Zoltan (Danny Woodburn) head up to help with the fight.
We then enter the Battle of the Bridge, an important even which closes out the novel Baptism of Fire. Cahir's officer training comes in handy as he takes command of the northern forces. Together with Geralt, they fight back the Nilfgaardians.
The Battle of the Bridge is a solid sequence, and probably the most coherent largescale battle scene yet for The Witcher. The ebb and flow is easy to follow and often tense, as the northerns and Nilfgaardians push each others' forces across the bridge. There's great choreography, good music, and plenty of moments for Geralt and Cahir to shine as they finally fight side-by-side.
Late in the fight an ogre of some kind joins the free, complicating things right before Queen Meve's arrival. Fortunately, the northerns have a witcher in Geralt, and he makes quick work of the ogre. With the ogre dead, Geralt uses a sign to make the fire extinguish enough for Queen Meve to ride through on horseback. They won the day, and earned that slow motion shot of Geralt and Cahir walking side-by-side. They held the bridge.
After the battle and the slaughter of the Rats, we circle back around to Geralt getting knighted at the bridge. The field medic saw to Milva, who will recover. But Geralt's life is about to get much more complicated. Queen Meve formally knights the witcher. This makes Geralt officially Sir Geralt of Rivia. But it also means he's sworn allegiance to Queen Meve, and only Queen Meve. His bitter "fuck" is a good way to leave off the season as he realizes the full implications of his knighthood.
The Lodge of Sorceresses
Back at Montecalvo, Yennefer returns to find the novices and sorceresses cleaning up. They lament their dead. Yen and Philippa (Cassie Clare) catch up, with Yen telling her that Ciri is not in Nilfgaard. It's a little weird to see Yen acting like almost a mentor figure to Philippa, who is absolutely her equal.
Yen has the idea that instead of treating sorceresses like soldiers, they need to embrace their sisterhood. This is the beginning of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Yennefer gathers the others to her, and proposes they build a Lodge of Sorceresses and rebuild Montecalvo as their home, to safeguard the future of magic.
Later, Yen enlists Triss to track down Vilgefortz using the blood on Vesemir's dagger. Triss tries to talk her down, but she's insistent. Yen goes through the portal Triss createst, and ends up in the middle of a stormy ocean, treading water in front of a massive whirlpool. That's the last we see of her this season.
Inside Stygga, the only three survivors from the Battle of Montecalo come to Vilgefortz. He deduces they were cowards, and murders them. He then takes body pars from each of them, but stops short of revealing why he's collecting those body parts. Whatever his aim, it's sure to be pretty ruthless and cunning.
The saga continues
After Vilgefortz, the scene shifts back to Stribog. The storyteller says Vilgefortz knew Yennefer would come for him, but that that is a story for another day. Here's where Nimue says she's going to study at Aretuza, walk the same stones as Lady Yennefer. She still feels connected to Ciri. Linked by destiny.
Stribog gives her Jaskier's book. He believes how the saga ends may well depend on Nimue. He's getting old. Then, Nimue continues the story, telling the most brutal part for Ciri and the Rats.
"Something begins...but something also ends."
When the Rats roll into Jealousy, it isn't long before their fatal encounter with Bonhart begins. At first, I was a little confused about why the Rats would want to confront Bonhart on such even ground, but much of the backstory for why they're so eager to kill him is explained in The Rats: A Witcher Tale, a prequel special that's available to watch on Netflix after you finish season 4. This special also digs into the relationship between the Rats and the witcher Brehen, who Bonhart references in this fight.
Bonhart is disappointed Falka is not with the Rats, but he doesn't let that stop him from having fun. The fight that follows is insanely brutal, and easily among the bloodiest that The Witcher has ever done. Bonhart slaughters the Rats one by one, each in a more gruesome fashion than the last. The death of the Rats is one of the most horrific parts of the entire book series, and the show did it a lot of justice. From the choreography to Bonhart's flippant lines and the Rats' fatalistic determination not to sell out Falka, everything about this scene was incredibly well done.
Ciri arrives just as Mistle, the last living Rat, is bleeding out in Bonhart's arms. Ciri freaks out and attacks Bonhart, but even her skills aren't enough. After Bonhart beats Ciri, she lies facing Mistle. Mistle calls her Crillia for the first time. Then Ciri loses consciousness.
When she wakes up, she's tied to a pillar, being forced to watch as Bonhart decapitates the Rats and tosses their heads in a barrle for transportation so he can claim his bounty. It's a bleak way to leave Ciri hanging.
"Find Geralt of Rivia"
The final scene of the season finale is the only scene to feature Emperor Emhyr and Xarthisius. They visit a creature Xarthisius has locked in a cave. Emhyr gives the beast a sample of Geralt's smell, and we cut at last to the credits.
Verdict
"Baptism of Fire" ends the fourth season of The Witcher on a high note. From the Battle of the Bridge, to the horrific showdown with Leo Bonhart, to the flash-foward reminding us of Nimue's framing story, there was just so much to love in this episode. The Witcher outdid itself with "Baptism of Fire"
All eight episodes of The Witcher season 4 are streaming now on Netflix.