The Witcher is Netflix's answer to Game of Thrones

First, let’s get one thing out of the way. Netflix’s The Witcher is not an adaptation of CD Projekt Red’s famous videogame series, but the fantasy books they were based on and written by Andrzej Sapkowski. It’s important to sort that out before binging the show, because otherwise questions like, “Why doesn’t Geralt carry two swords on his back?” or, “Why does his medallion look weird?” are impossible to avoid. 

Now, I have seen five out of eight episodes of The Witcher's first season - and I loved it. It absolutely lives up to the hype, though it does have some issues. I’ll talk about those issues in more detail below, but this is still a pretty great first season for the fantasy series, and a very, very entertaining watch. 

Geralt of Rivia

The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter who takes jobs for coin. The Continent is a rough place for Witchers to operate, considering that humans are just as likely to hate them as much as the monsters do. The Continent is generally a tough place for people of all races, be they elves, dwarves, humans or other. Humans are not the good guys in this story - almost every one of them is cold and twisted, hating other races with a passion. Sounds familiar.

Geralt isn’t bothered by this much, though. He’s always the most level-headed person in the room by a country mile, and he’s just looking to trade monster corpses for money. Destiny quickly intervenes however, tying him to two women - Yennefer of Vengerberg and Princess Ciri. One is a powerful sorceress, and the other is a young princess who has been put through much tragedy. Darker forces at play threaten to topple The Continent into even more chaos, and this strange trio might be the only group capable of stopping them. 

One of The Witcher’s central themes is destiny. Geralt absolutely despises the mere concept of it, choosing instead to make his own luck as he grouchily navigates The Continent. In the words of a certain Mad Titan though, destiny arrives all the same. Geralt can fight tooth and nail if he likes, but the universe isn’t about to let him put all that power of his to waste. For some reason, Yennefer, Ciri and Geralt are all being drawn together… but for what? What is this threat on the horizon? And what on earth does it have to do with the young princess Ciri?

Evil is evil

The Witcher would be out of a job if there weren’t any monsters to kill. Fortunately, this series has them in spades. Visual effects supervisor Julian Parry recently stated that the show would lean more towards horror than fantasy, and it shows. This is more Game of Thrones than it is Lord of the Rings, in that it’s a very grounded fantasy series. The world is full of monsters, and it is often chilling how those monsters take form. 

Episode 3: Betrayer Moon is a fantastic example of how The Witcher deals with traditional monsters. The Witcher books are filled with some truly horrific monsters, and the show doesn’t skimp out on that. Betrayer Moon casts a spotlight on one of the most dangerous creatures in The Continent - a Striga, and how the show conveys that to the audience is just fantastic. Horror vibes are through the roof in this episode, making it a personal favourite of mine. 

A Striga is arguably not even the worst monster this series deals with, though. Aside from destiny, The Witcher spends a lot of time dealing in the thin grey line between good and evil. The most evil characters often have the best intentions, or more layers to their actions than one might expect. Likewise, the most innocent-seeming characters might have done some dark things in their past, or continue to do evil even now. 

Geralt is a seasoned Witcher by the time we get to know him, so he isn’t easily seduced by both sides - which makes him an incredibly interesting main character. Often in his journeys, he has to deal with people that don’t quite tell him the whole story - and he puts up with absolutely none of it. We get a glimpse of why he acts this way in the very first episode. To quote him: “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling… it’s all the same.” 

This show is fantastic

Let’s talk about performances. I adore Henry Cavill, so I was already fully onboard with him stepping into Geralt’s shoes - but he still blew me away. Cavill is Geralt of Rivia. He’s a little stone-faced sometimes, but that’s by necessity. Geralt is most interesting whenever he’s absolutely disgusted by someone, or uncharacteristically worried for another - and Cavill pulls off both pretty well. Beneath his gravelly voice, grouchy disposition and sheer size lies a heart of gold - as much as he tries to hide it. 

The Witcher isn’t a one man show, however. Often, Geralt doesn’t even have the most screen time in these episodes, and that would be disappointing - if the show’s other characters weren’t just as interesting. Anya Chalotra is a fantastic Yennefer, a woman who undergoes a number of harsh trials during her quest for power. Her storyline intersects with Geralt’s in one of the show’s best episodes. 

Newcomer Freya Allen also portrays Princess Ciri perfectly. Fans of the source material might already know that there’s more to her than meets the eye, but her journey is just as enthralling for those who don’t. Ciri was born in royalty with privilege, but soon finds herself navigating the darker underbelly of The Continent - on the run from evil that she can’t even name. It's a great way for the show to demonstrate just how brutal its world can be, though her story might take a while to get interesting. 

The Witcher is a really, really great show, but not without problems. Disjointed editing in various parts of the season is a little disappointing, and takes away from the emotional impact of some pretty important scenes. The writing can border on cheesy and cliché once in a while - but the strong cast often saves it from being bad. It’s clear that this isn’t a perfect season, but it’s certainly a great effort for the show’s first. The music is fantastic as well, and very reminiscent of The Witcher 3. 

Verdict

The Witcher is the fantasy series you’re looking for - especially for fans of the videogame series. Geralt’s sassy nature and hilarious F-bombs make him a lot more interesting than other similarly gruff protagonists, and the rest of the cast put on a really great show as well. The story takes its time to build up the stakes, instead largely focusing on the main characters and their individual backstories - which is to its benefit. 

You don’t even have to be a fan of fantasy to love this show. I firmly believe this has just as much mainstream appeal as Game of Thrones and Stranger Things - with strong characters to invest in, and a story worth seeing through. And of course, this wouldn’t be a proper Witcher review if I didn’t mention Jaskier (played by Joey Batey). He’s absolutely hilarious, and every scene with him and Geralt together is golden. Watch this show!

The Witcher will release on Netflix later today, on December 20, 2019. 

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