By Alex Maxwell, Editor in Chief
After many long waited months, Netflix’s The Witcher finally was released during the winter break. The announcement of a live-action rendition of the beloved game trilogy made almost every fan grab their silver swords and wolf medallions with excitement.
Needless to say, the agonizing wait was worth it.
Although most may recognize this title from The Witcher games, this series is mainly based on the book series of a similar name by Andrzej Sapkowski. It details the beginnings of Geralt’s relationship before the games with characters such as Jaskier Dandelion, Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold, and Ciri, the Child Surprise.
Perfectly cast, Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia and Joey Batey as the bard Dandelion, play off of each other very well and gave some of the most memorable moments on the show. Their relationship is not too similar to the books or the games but was enjoyable nonetheless to watch and experience.
Triss Merigold, played by Anna Shaffer, did not have her signature scarlet hair or green eyes, but considering she did not have a major role in this series aside from interaction with Geralt on a contract, there wasn’t anything lost.
Yennefer, acted by Anya Chaltora, gave a convincing performance as the sorceress who is bound to Geralt by destiny and is forever trying to get back one thing she gave away in order to be the woman she is now.
Last, but certainly not least, Ciri, played by Freya Allen, is only shown as a child in this show as of right now. The only thing she knows is to keep running, trust no one, and find the man who is bound to her by destiny, Geralt of Rivia. Due to the Law of Surprise, an act that Geralt had flippantly used to leave a party early, he is the only one left to take care of her.
The only thing that could have made the show better would be a more linear form of storytelling. They did combine the collection of short stories in The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny and were mostly successful, but occasion I would lose track of when and where the plot was.
Even with the diversions from the original source material and time skips, The Witcher was immensely fun to watch and actually made me want to buy the games and read the books to see why everyone was so excited to watch this show. The more I dive deeper into the lore, the more excited I am to guess what they will put in the next season.
The Witcher was renewed for a second season due to air in 2021, which gives viewers plenty of time to read the books and maybe finish The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
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