The Witcher: Season Two
Henry Cavil straps on his silver sword to return as grumbling monster hunter Geralt in season two of Netflix’s The Witcher. Picking up where the last series ended, with Geralt finally uniting with Ciri (Freya Allan), the next chapter in the pair’s adventure is set to further explore the world of magic and monsters in meaningful ways, all while building on the blossoming father-daughter relationship between the two characters. Meanwhile, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) has been separated from the pack and is reeling from the aftermath of Sodden Hill. Season two of The Witcher is off to a very promising, but flawed, start.
Now that all the characters are where they need to be for the story to progress, the time-hopping plot structure of the first season has been dropped. While the linear storytelling will assuredly make for more accessible viewing, the latest season still stumbles with uneven pacing at times. There’s some difficulty in blending Geralt and Yen’s arcs together without sacrificing some dramatic tension or momentum along the way, meaning that viewers can expect to be snapped out of the monster-slaying action for Yen’s currently less interesting subplot.
Just as inconsistent at this stage are the special effects, which are either incredible or monstrously sloppy; there’s no middle ground. At its best, the cinematic artistry in The Witcher creates a world that feels true to the book series and sucks audiences into its mysterious and frightening realm. And at their worst, the effects are cheap and silly. Thankfully, the latter occurs rarely (so far), but viewers should nevertheless prepare themselves for some baffling design and editing choices as terrifying as any Leshen or Bruxa.
The opening episodes take their time getting back into the swing of things. It will be a while yet before the show sinks its fangs into the meat of the book series. However, the seeds have already been planted – especially the bond between Geralt and Ciri. Those familiar with the source material (or video games) will know the importance of this relationship and will be more than satisfied with Cavil and Allan’s performances.
The next saga in the Witcher series is just getting started. While far from perfect, there’s a lot to love in the way the show brings the monster-infested world to life.
Andrew Murray
The Witcher is released on Netflix on 17th December 2021.
Watch the trailer for The Witcher here:
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