I have a bit of an obsessive personality. This proves particularly true when it comes to shows, books, or movies that grab my interest. When I was younger, this trait brought about a somewhat-embarrassing foray into the world of fanfiction. Now, having recovered from that phase, I have this blog instead, where I can wax eloquent to my heart’s content about things my friends and family are undoubtedly sick and tired of listening to me talk about. With that in mind, I think I probably drove my family insane regardless over the holidays with my enthusiasm over Netflix’s recent release: The Witcher.
Years before Netflix earned the green light to bring The Witcher to the small screen, I read a couple of the Andrzej Sapkowski books on which the show is based. I never made it through all of them, and it must also be mentioned that I remain completely unfamiliar with the Witcher videogames. Nevertheless, my vague familiarity proved enough for this show to catch my attention the moment it made headlines in early 2019. When Netflix finally released The Witcher‘s first season, I wasn’t disappointed. At all. If you ask me, this show could very well represent that Game of Thrones replacement for which media and fantasy fans been drooling in anticipation. (Maybe, although that’s admittedly a pretty tall order). So let’s rehash what I liked and what I disliked about Netflix’s The Witcher. Don’t want spoilers? Don’t read on.
What I Liked:
Creative Adaptation of the Literary Timeline
I loved what I read of Sapkowski’s books. The characters had depth and plenty of real-world interest value, the stories were action-packed and fast-paced, and the underlying themes of xenophobia and prejudice hit just the right moral balance. The one aspect that lost me, however, was Sapkowski’s narrative timeline. You see, the way the books are structured provides little to no insight into the order of events. Each chapter represents a different short story, and where each story sits in the greater narrative remains confusingly unclear throughout the books.
Surprisingly, I thought the show did a much better job of interweaving Yennefer, Geralt, and Ciri’s varied timelines with minimal confusion. The show’s dedication to small details, such as the inclusion of a young King Foltest in Yennefer’s scenes of the Striga episode, played a vital role in keeping the audience on track. This creative maneuvering between past and present also allowed The Witcher to maintain a sense that something greater was at play while avoiding the monster-of-the-week pitfall common to productions of this type.
The Complexity of Yennefer’s Character
Now, as I mentioned, I’m no expert on Sapkowski’s books. Nevertheless, to me, the show’s Yennefer seemed rooted in a more complete and compelling backstory than her literary counterpart. Netflix’s depiction of the sorceress tracked her development from an abused hunchback, ignorant of her abilities, to perhaps the most powerful woman on the Continent. As far as I know, the book series includes no such history. Netflix’s expansion upon Yennefer’s story lent audiences empathetic insight into her desire not only for a child, but also for greater autonomy in the shaping of her own legacy. In my opinion, the world can always use more strong female characters. Strong female characters established as more than a love interest prove even rarer, and Yennefer epitomizes all of the above.
JASKIER (and his MUSIC)
If you watched this show and didn’t spend the next week whistling “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” under your breath, you’re lying to yourself. Whoever monitors the YouTube suggestion algorithms probably thinks I’m insane for the number of times I’ve listened to this show’s score over the past few weeks. As something of a soundtrack connoisseur, I would like to proclaim The Witcher‘s as one of the best TV examples I have encountered. Thanks primarily to Joey Batey’s Jaskier, The Witcher ranks similarly to Game of Thrones in terms of music. (That’s high praise.)
To be fair, the composers and songwriters deserve their own share of commendation. The way in which the musical themes changed with the characters and evolved with the developing title sequences for each episode over the course of the season was pure genius. But for me, Batey’s performance really brought this show to life. Jaskier’s chatty charisma, effervescent sense of humor, and general likeability as a character rendered him the ideal foil to Geralt’s stoic cynicism. Moreover, their interactions ultimately drove the progression of Geralt’s storyline. The bard’s determination to singlehandedly redeem Geralt’s unsavory reputation through song provides the foundation for episodes 2-8. Geralt’s relationship with Jaskier leads indirectly to his invocation of the Law of Surprise and resultant connection to Ciri. And finally, (and perhaps most importantly), Jaskier brings out the best in our favorite emotionally-constipated witcher.
What I did not appreciate was Jaskier’s disappearance from the final episodes of the season. This proves particularly true in light of the unhappy note on which Jaskier and Geralt ended things. I can only hope that the plucky bard makes a return in The Witcher’s second season and that he and the White Wolf can repair their unlikely friendship.
The Dialogue
Okay, I won’t lie. It took most of the first episode to convince me that Netflix wasn’t going to portray Geralt as a bitter loner who spends all his screen time spouting curt, cringe-inducing one-liners. I mean, it happens more than occasionally. However true to the books this trend might be, did anyone else notice how often Geralt utters some variation of “hmmm”? It serves more or less as his default response.
What I quickly came to appreciate, however, was the Butcher of Blaviken’s wry sense of humor and relatability. While we as an audience may not face down dragons, or battle scheming brigands, each of us has at some point confronted a mountain of deadlines, an overflowing inbox, or another similarly day-destroying obstacle with a hushed F-bomb. Put mildly, Geralt’s blunt summation of his circumstances provided a refreshing reminder of the witcher’s human-ness, mutations or not. As mentioned previously, Geralt’s understated wit provided the perfect counterpart to Jaskier’s antics.
Beyond that, the show artfully adapted of some of Sapkowski’s most iconic and impactful dialogue. For a prime example, see Geralt’s line, “Evil is Evil, Stregobor. Lesser, greater, middling. It’s all the same.” Not only did these inclusions pay homage to the show’s source material, but they also provided a powerfully concrete tie back to The Witcher’s overarching themes. Well done.
Action Sequences Galore
Can we talk about Geralt’s fight with the Striga? The butchering of Blaviken? How about the razing of Cintra, or the battle of Sodden, or even Geralt’s opening scene with the kikimora? Let’s put it this way: if I thought The Rise of Skywalker had some of the best fight choreography that I have ever seen, then the hand-to-hand combat in this show belongs in another league entirely. And that’s not even to mention the special effects that brought to life some of the series’ large-scale combat sequences.
Like Game of Thrones, The Witcher doesn’t hold back on the blood and gore. It doesn’t glorify warfare and most definitely doesn’t gloss over the consequences felt by the common people when marauding armies overrun their lands. Yet the battle scenes remain visually stunning in spite of the much-appreciated realism. So even if you choose not to sit through the show in its entirety, at least watch some of the fight sequences. You’re in for a treat.
What I disliked:
Underdeveloped Secondary Characters
The one issue I have with this show relates to the lack of detail given to many of the series’ secondary characters. The Witcher’s writers did a decent job of cramming a whole lot of material into 8 hour-long episodes. I firmly understand and have formed concrete emotional attachments to the show’s three central figures, (plus Jaskier, of course). Yet this doesn’t change the fact that I had no idea who the majority of the mages participating in the Battle of Sodden even were. Despite having watched the entire first season, there remain characters whose motivations and psyches remain completely ambiguous and unexplored.
Even the backstories of the The Witcher’s villains lacked oomph. By the finale, we have only a vague grasp on Fringilla’s role in Nilfgaard’s violent rise to power, for example. And I can’t even tell you the name of the sinister dude who spends the entire season hunting down Ciri. Perhaps these details will be revealed later on. However, while my shaky conception of the machinery behind Nilfgaard’s pseudo-religious crusade seems to mirror the ignorance shared by the rest of The Witcher’s Continent, the underdevelopment of background characters poses a serious concern. Game of Thrones’ found success in its rich tapestry of well-rounded, identifiably human characters. The Witcher must emulate this trend in future seasons if it is to follow in the HBO sensation’s footsteps.
The Verdict:
It takes a lot to inspire me to rate anything at a 9 out of 10 or higher, and I really, really wanted to here. The Witcher’s first installment proved to be a fast-paced, well-constructed iteration of Sapkowski’s books, complete with compelling central characters and plot-lines, breathtaking fight sequences, and a hopelessly addictive soundtrack. However, although they did little to dim my overall enjoyment of the show and my burning need for another season, the shortcomings associated with The Witcher’s supporting cast proved just glaring enough that I didn’t feel the season quite deserved a place in that upper echelon. So overall, I would give the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher an 8.5/10.