Television Review: The Witcher, Season 1

Show: The Witcher, Season 1

Company: Netflix

Date: 2019

It’s not like me to just jump on the bandwagon, but after hearing such good reports on The Witcher from every direction (including my sister, who I didn’t expect to enjoy it), there was no way I could resist.

I have to admit, to start with I couldn’t work out what all the fuss was about. The episodes were good, but I was getting confused over the timeline, how the plots fitted together and exactly what was supposed to be going on.

Once it dawned on me how the timeline was working… it was a completely different story. The characters developed, their relationships evolved and I loved it.

Henry Cavill as Geralt was the perfect casting choice – well, so I think having never played or read any of the source material. He does dark and broody far too well, but makes his deadpan one-liners all the more entertaining due to his serious nature. A character that becomes loveable despite apparently having no real human emotion and makes you root for him despite scaring off most of his friends is some good acting indeed.

Yennefer grew on me. In the first few episodes, I didn’t particularly like her character, but when you start to see her softer side, it makes her both more powerful and more relatable. By the time she truly becomes a hero in the final episode, you want her to be able to have everything she’s ever wanted – and more.

When Geralt and Yennefer’s arcs collide for the first time in Bottled Appetites, it makes for an explosive meeting that, quite literally, brings the house down (sorry, I couldn’t resist). This episode is my favourite not only because it starts to bring what felt like independent plots into a story-arc/timeline you can follow, but because Geralt’s attempt to be caring towards his part-time friend Jaskier is hilarious. He can do dark and broody: not so sure he can do friend-in-need.

Ciri was another character that I found annoying to start with because she never loses her self-entitlement until the final couple of episodes. But when the timelines start to make sense and you realise she is only 12/13, it suddenly explains it all. Thinking she was older meant her behaviour felt childish; realising how young she is and you understand why she is the way she is: she’s been through a lot, has no idea what is going on and is only a child.

I’m really looking forward to the second series. There felt a lot of navigation to get everyone in the right places to both provide their backstories, start to overlap the stories and position the characters to where they need to be to move the story on. By the end, you’ve got firm favourites, they’re emotionally invested in each other – and you in them – and you know what they are facing. It feels like the next series will be even better.

Until then, if you’re still missing Game of Thrones, give The Witcher a go!

Have you seen The Witcher? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!