I started the 3rd season, and thought...bahhhh. This first episode is...meh.
Towards the end of it I realized I needed to rewatch the 2nd season again; I'd forgotten a lot. It'd been almost 2 years since it came out, after all. I'm SO glad I did. Also, it's such a bad ass season to see again.
Rewatched S3 ep1 when finished (I may have skipped through the slow bits) and it made for much better viewing since the history of the 2nd season was fresh. Especially it's last scene; made more sense since I had completely forgotten who that dude was. (Hint: Ciri's recovering hedgehog of an average looking guy father)
Are there melodramatic dialoguing moments? Yesh. (I mean, is it possible to portray elves as anything other than moping, thwarted, and too serious for their own good? I'm just saying, it's old hat.)
Fantasy screen writers continue to lean their illogical, overly heroic, exposition dialog (eye roll...cue Jaskier) but that aside, it's worth tolerating for those smoldering Witcher stares.
Cavill, your replacement will never match your particular brand of Geralt broodiness. Wish things could've worked out.
Let's hope the rest of S3 does.