Toss Your Coins, I Want More - The Witcher Season 2 Review by Conrad Gardner

Two years since debuting, The Witcher, based off the series of books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, has returned to Netflix for its second season, and it has provided some much-needed escapism over these past weeks. Continuing the adventures of the Witcher (think of a monster-hunter crossed with a detective) Geralt as he tries to protect Ciri, a princess he has found himself linked to, the second season takes most of its story beats from Blood of Elves, the first Witcher novel in the saga. It also takes some notes from the earlier short story collections that first introduced Geralt, and creates new events that lead to a muddled eight episodes which improve upon some of the first season’s faults, but create some new problems of their own. Let’s see why.

Story

The storyline for the second season benefits from taking place in a linear fashion; one of the biggest faults in the first season was the incorporation of a very muddled timeline that jumped all over the place. Keeping the events ordered and more coherent makes the second season more comprehensible.

The series is at its best when it follows Geralt and Ciri. While Ciri undergoes Witcher training and learns of the magical abilities she possesses, Geralt’s acquisition of a father-figure helps propel his character beyond the emotionally hollow type found in many fantasy stories.

The inclusion of creatures from the books brings a unique world to life, escaping the trappings of many quasi-medieval fantasy series, and the world-spanning events of warring kingdoms brings a wider scope to the series. However, the focus on various kingdoms also utilises many more characters and storylines, which can be overwhelming and convoluted. This also commits one of the biggest sins of any show: it’s boring.

Meanwhile, Voleth Meir, an original threat written for the show (inspired by the myth of the Baba Yaga), contributes to an overstuffed storyline. This character’s presence seems almost pointless, and I say this because of what occurs in the latter episodes, not that this does much to redeem a dramatically weak antagonist.

The weakest aspect of season two’s storyline is with the character Yennefer, a powerful mage who is also linked to Geralt. Following on from the first season, Yennefer’s magical powers seem to be lost, and she tries to regain them. Her behaviour is very out of character compared to the Yennefer in the books, but regardless of adaptational decisions, there is little surprise in her very predictable arc, and the storytelling momentum drags whenever the show focuses on her.

Cast

The biggest star of season two is Freya Allan, who shoulders Ciri’s journey with precision. Allan balances Ciri’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly, making her arc brilliant to watch.

As Geralt, Henry Cavil continues to exceed expectations. Ironically, the stoic mannerisms and wooden gazes that can be damaging to some of Cavill’s other performances (whether this is his fault or someone else’s is up for debate) are brilliantly utilised here.[MM1] Witchers are trained to not display emotion and the mutations they undergo to become Witchers can contribute to this suppression, but Cavill shows hints of warmth and care as his journey with Ciri softens him.

Several supporting characters are given memorable turns here, especially Kim Bodnia as Vesemir, Geralt’s father-figure and the oldest Witcher at Kaer Morhen, the Witcher training grounds for the School of the Wolf. Eamon Farren and Anna Shaffer are both great as Cahir, an intelligence officer, and Triss Merigold, another mage, also beloved characters from the books.

Again, the weakest link in season two comes in the form of Yennefer. Anya Chalotra’s performance suffers through a relentless amount of empty gazing and screaming, though I do not think this can entirely be attributed to her. However, her lack of an engaging presence does her no favours.

Action

The Witcher brings forth some stunning fight scenes which feel unique to one another and take advantage of the dynamic world around it. We see Geralt fight both humans and monsters, and other characters also get involved in the action. Incorporating the various abilities of Witchers, such as speed, strength, basic magic, and ingenuity, these sequences are equal to most blockbuster films. While they don’t make up for the too-busy story, it’s hard to get tired of watching Geralt in combat.

Closing

Geralt and Ciri’s bond has been the second season’s heart, and if the series continues to echo these characters’ development in a similar fashion to Sapkowski’s novels, The Witcher could become a modern classic of fantasy TV. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and the writing team seem up to the challenge.

As it stands, The Witcher’s second season is an improvement over its predecessor, though there are a few more kinks that need to be ironed out. This show could be great, and I hope that it reaches this standard, but a story that simultaneously has too much going on and drags for viewers is going to need some serious work.

The Witcher is available on Netflix now.

Edited by Marshall Moore