The Witcher is a 2019 Netflix original series based on the very popular videogames and novels. It follows Geralt of Rivia, a fictional character and the protagonist of The Witcher series of short stories and novels by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It has had many adaptations, which include film, TV series, comic books and video games. Geralt, one of the few remaining witchers on the Continent, is a traveling monster slayer for hire, mutated and trained from an early age to slay deadly beasts.
In December 2017, it was announced that Lauren Schmidt Hissrich will be the series' showrunner and on January 20, 2018, Lauren tweeted that the script for the pilot episode is finished. The series was filmed in Hungary, Poland, and the Canary Islands. Filming began in October 2018 and concluded in May 2019. It was then confirmed from casting news and promotional material that the first season will adapt most of the collection of short stories from The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. In November 2019, before the first season even premiered, it was announced the show was already renewed for a second season and would begin production in London in early 2020, with a planned debut in 2021.
Geralt is portrayed in the Netflix series by Superman himself, Henry Cavil. Season 1 debuted binge style stream at Netflix on December 20, 2019 and has already attained an IMDB score of 8.7, but of course Lore Nazis have already taken to social media about some changes from books and comics. However, most of The Nerd World is enjoying seeing it. We are now going to breakdown Season 1 of The Witcher, and we warn you….ahead their be spoilers…
Chapter 1: The End's Beginning
Source Story: The Lesser Evil
Geralt of Rivia battles a kikimora before arriving in the nearby town of Blaviken. In a tavern, he meets Renfri, a princess-turned-bandit believed to be cursed. Renfri is after the wizard Stregobor whom she has tracked to the town. Stregobor lures Geralt to his hideout and asks him to kill Renfri, but Geralt refuses. Later, Renfri approaches Geralt in the woods and offers a counter-proposal. Geralt gives her an ultimatum: leave Blaviken or die. She agrees to leave, but, instead, returns that night to seduce him. Geralt wakes up and realizes Renfri would not give up killing Stregobor.
He rushes to the marketplace to stop her. After killing her men, he fights Renfri, fatally wounding her. Before dying, Renfri tells him of a girl who will be his destiny. Stregobor arrives to take Renfri's body for autopsy which Geralt opposes. Years later, the kingdom of Cintra is attacked and defeated by its southern neighbor Nilfgaard. Princess Cirilla is sent away by her grandmother, Queen Calanthe, to escape and find Geralt of Rivia. While running, Cirilla is captured by Cahir, a Nilfgaardian officer. However, the sight of the burning city and castle trigger her powers, allowing her to escape.
Intro was grabbing with a monster fight right off. We also get to see a glimpse of his mutant side.
Enjoyed the running joke about his new clothes.
Definitely rated R
Somewhat of a Game of Thrones meets Lord of the Rings meets Robin Hood essence.
I like the music.
A big bloody battle in the first episode…that is bold.
Very dark and powerful end to the episode. The deaths, the planned suicides, the desperation and defeat. The fight with Geralt and Renfri's men, the fight with Renfri, the Princess showing off her power. It was intense.
Great opening episode. Great fighting scenes, great character building already, story started strong, and had some good elements from the game.
Chapter 2: Four Marks
Source Story: Edge of the World
Yennefer, a hunchbacked girl from the kingdom of Aedirn, is sold to Tissaia de Vries. She is taken to Aretuza to be trained as a sorceress and soon finds herself not as talented as the other students. She strikes up a friendship with Istredd and reveals to him she is part-elf, a cause of her deformity. Later, it is revealed Tissaia and Stregobor were using Yennefer and Istredd to spy on each other. Yennefer witnesses Tissaia turning three students into eels who act as conduits, powering Aretuza with magic. Geralt is hired to investigate thefts of grain in Posada. A traveling bard, Jaskier, joins him hoping for adventure.
They encounter a Sylvan, an intelligent goat-like being, who knocks them unconscious. They wake up in a mountain cave where Geralt meets the elven king, Filavandrel, and urges him to lead his people to better lands after being banished by the humans. Instead of killing them, Filavendrel releases them. Cirilla encounters a boy in the woods, Dara, but loses him before finding a refugee camp. Dara comes back to save her as the camp is being attacked by Cahir's forces. Cirilla realizes Dara is an elf.
So are these meetings between Yennefer and Istredd in like a middle world or like a pergatory?
I love Yennifer's purple eyes.
I hate the racism aspect for The Elves. I get so uncomfortable when hate is so prominent.
The bard is a bit annoying, but I like the character.
I don't get the dynamic between Yennefer and Tissaia. She's like teaching her by very tough love.
I liked the "devil" creature. He was funny.
Toss a coin to your Witcher is my new favorite song.
Chapter 3: Betrayer Moon
Source Story: The Last Wish
Yennefer and Istredd become lovers while finishing their training. While Yennefer has the chance to transform her body into her ideal image during graduation, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers discuss the allocation of their newly initiated to their respective kingdoms. But through Stregobor's scheme, Yennefer is assigned to Nilfgaard instead of her preferred Aedirn due to her elven blood. Realizing what happened, Yennefer angrily breaks up with Istredd knowing only he could have told Stregobor about her blood. Having missed graduation, Yennefer undergoes the painful transformation to be beautiful at cost of her fertility.
Yennefer charms Aedirn's King Virfuril into taking her as advisor, sending Fringilla to Nilfgaard instead. Geralt enters the kingdom of Temeria investigating a monster, and is assisted by Triss Merigold, King Foltest's sorceress advisor. He identifies the monster as a Shtriga, a creature born from a curse he later discovered was placed by the courtier Ostrit who learned about the affair between Foltest and his sister, Princess Adda. Using Ostrit as bait, Geralt battles to contain the shtriga until dawn which lifts the curse. Cirilla enters a dense forest in a trance as Dara follows to help.
We open with a very cool hunt by another Witcher, and he doesn’t make it long.
Definitely rated R!
Awh Gary from Joker.
How long has Yennefer been training now?
This artist looks like Sirius Black at first.
I can't put my finger on Tissaia. Is she good, bad, neutral, lawful….what is her reason and what is she wanting?
There is always a sloppy king. How cliché can you get?
I found an editing problem. When Yennifer finds out she is being replaced to a different kingdom, Tissaia stands behind the desk to say she didn't turn her in. However, the next camera cut shows her standing a good two feet in front of her desk.
I got a little confused at the timeline of some things. Is the Yennifer story before Geralt's timeline?
What a creature!
The Force is strong with The Witcher. I liked this fight sequence. It got to show off more of his abilities.
I felt terrible for Yennifer. That was tough to watch.
She is beautiful absolutely beautiful.
Chapter 4: Of Bangquets, Bastards, and Burials
Source Story: Based on "A Question of Price" from The Last Wish, and "Sword of Destiny" from Sword of Destiny.
Having served Aedirn for three decades, Yennefer escorts Queen Kalis of Lyria when they are ambushed by an assassin. The assassin follows them through multiple portals, killing Kalis. Although Yennefer escapes with Kalis's newborn daughter, the baby dies from a thrown dagger. Geralt accompanies Jaskier to the betrothal feast of Princess Pavetta, Queen Calanthe's daughter. Urcheon of Erlenwald (also named Duny) interrupts to demand Pavetta's hand through the Law of Surprise, having saved her father years earlier. Urcheon suffers from a curse that transformed him into hedgehog/man creature. Despite Pavetta's acceptance, Calanthe refuses and a brawl ensues.
When Calanthe tries killing Urcheon, Pavetta activates her power, unleashing a maelstrom until Geralt and Mousesack intervene. Wanting her daughter happy, Calanthe marries Duny and Pavetta, which lifts Duny's curse. Duny, thankful for Geralt's aid, insists he take a reward, so Geralt jokingly invokes the Law of Surprise for something Duny has but doesn't yet know. The crowd then immediately learns Pavetta is pregnant with Duny's child. In the present, Niflgaard's forces resume their pursuit of Cirilla with Mousesack as their prisoner. Meanwhile, Cirilla and Dara encounter Queen Eithne and her Dryads in Brokilon Forest, while Cahir and Fringilla track Ciri's location.
I'm a bit confused by the timeline definitely.
The Assassin and his creature are very creepy. The creature is like something out of Skyrim
Wow they killed a baby. Something that I never thought I would see.
Geralt and Mousesack were old friends which is crazy, but the timeline is definitely all over the place. I don't know how I didn't notice that till now.
Porcupine man was a cool story. Twoo loves kiss broke another spell.
This is where it really starting taking a pretty wild turn for me.
Chapter 5: Bottled Appetites
Source Story: "The Last Wish"
Several years after Pavetta's betrothal, Geralt and Jaskier discover a Djinn and accidentally release it. Initially it seems that Jaskier is the Djinn's 'master' but then he falls seriously ill. Geralt seeks help from the nearest healer, the elf Chireadan, but as they need a mage to heal Jaskier, Chireadan reluctantly refers them to Yennefer. Although Yennefer cures Jaskier, her plan is to use him to capture the Djinn to grant her wish of regaining her fertility. As Jaskier uses his last wish, nothing happens and it's revealed that it is Geralt, not Jaskier, who actually has the wishes.
Geralt realises the Djinn will kill Yennefer, so he uses his third and final wish to save her (but the wish itself is not revealed). The Djinn leaves. Now free and safe, Geralt and Yennefer act on their attraction and have sex. Yennefer asks what his third wish was, but Geralt does not answer as he has finally fallen asleep. Cahir hires a doppler to assume the identity of Mousesack by copying his form and memories, then kills him. Later, Eithne allows Ciri to stay in Brokilon, but "Mousesack" arrives requesting Ciri and Dara leave with him.
Does the bard not age?
Man Genie's sucks
I love Garalt's demeanor
Ok so I guess the stories from the different timelines we have seen are starting to meet up.
Sometimes I can't understand him because he's so quiet and old English.
The Bard is starting to grow on me.
There is a lot of mature content in this show.
Well The Doppler was a cool take
I like how the songs at the end are like ballads of that episode.
Chapter 6: Rare Species
Source Story: Based on "The Bounds of Reason" from Sword of Destiny
Geralt, Jaskier, and Yennefer are invited to join a dragon hunt by adventurer Borch and his two bodyguards Téa and Véa. Yennefer's knight joins the party along with a band of dwarves and Reavers, professional monster hunters. After camping overnight, the party finds the knight dead and the Reavers have departed. The dwarves take their party to a mountain shortcut, but the bridge gives way. Borch's group sacrifices themselves rather than endanger the party. Geralt and Yennefer reconcile before reaching the dragon's den, but find it dead with Téa and Véa alive guarding the dragon's egg.
Borch reveals himself as Vilentretenmerth, a golden dragon. The five of them defend the egg from the Reavers. Borch later pays off the dwarves with dragon teeth, and Geralt reveals to Yennefer his third wish bound their fates together. Dara grows suspicious over "Mousesack", so Ciri questions him and the doppler reveals himself. In the scuffle, Dara is knocked out as Ciri escapes, but is captured by Cahir. "Ciri" reveals itself as the Doppler and fights Cahir before escaping. Dara frees the real Ciri, but leaves her. Cahir and Fringilla plan their next move.
You enjoyed this episode
I liked the take on dragons
So did the Doppler become a good guy all of a sudden?
I liked the dwarves. Very funny
Chapter 7: Before a Fall
Source Story: Based on "Something More" from Sword of Destiny
With Nilfgaard poised to invade Cintra, Geralt decides to invoke his Law of Surprise. Calanthe offers up an imposter for Ciri, but Geralt is not fooled and is imprisoned by King Tuirseach. After visiting Istredd, Yennefer returns to Aretuza with the sorcerer Vilgefortz. When he announces his intention to rally mages to oppose Nilfgaard, she declines.
The Brotherhood votes to remain neutral, but Tissaia, Vilgefortz, and other mages resolve to fight. Tissaia convinces Yennefer to join. Nilfgaard invades, sacking the city and breaching the castle. Calanthe wants to send Ciri away with Geralt, but he has escaped his cell and is nowhere to be found. Ciri fends for herself after escaping Cintra. Later, she is discovered by her old friends who suddenly turn on her, and her powers activate.
More timeline back and forth.
This school is like a backwards Hogwarts apparently lol
Wow, Geralt was at Cintra the whole time!
Chapter 8: "Much More"
Source Story: Based on "Something More" from Sword of Destiny
Yennefer and the mages reinforce the strategic keep of Sodden Hill, aiming to prevent Nilfgaardian forces from invading the rest of the Northern Kingdoms. Having escaped from Cintra, Geralt encounters a merchant burying the bodies of dead refugees. He defends the man from undead monsters, but is wounded and loses consciousness. Ciri is awakened by the woman she met earlier and discovers the dead bodies of her harassers around her, killed in gruesome ways. The woman takes her to her farm. The Nilfgaardians launch their attack, with both sides utilizing magic and inflicting heavy casualties on each other. Tissaia attempts to talk down Fringilla, but Fringilla disables her. Vilgefortz fights Cahir, but loses and is thrown down a hill.
Geralt wakes to find himself on the merchant's cart en route to the man's farm. When Vilgefortz wakes up, he kills a Northern sorcerer, revealing himself to be a turncoat. When Nilfgaardian soldiers begin to overrun the fort, Yennefer channels a massive stream of fire, then seemingly disappears. In his delirious state, Geralt dreams about his mother Visenna. He later arrives at the same farm, and upon hearing the woman talk to the man about Ciri, heads into the forest. Seeing a vision of Geralt searching for Yennefer, Ciri wakes up and wanders into the forest, where she finds Geralt, asking him "Who is Yennefer?"
Great opening to the stories being intertwined.
I liked the video game like fight with the ghouls.
There is definitely some GoT feeling with the terms of the kingdoms and The North
A glimpse of his childhood!
Holy crap the Gold Dragon was his as a kid!
Cool battle at the keep
Chair is a great bad guy, but he’s apparently working for someone worse.
I can’t wait to see Vessimir
Man Yen is not having a good season finale.
Renfri
His mother!!!!!
Ummm where did Yen go?!
Geralt did not do much in this episode, and I don’t hate that. I like when stories can be told without overstated main characters.
So now that I’ve started playing the game and know most of these characters, I’m Interested with how they’ll use these characters moving forward.