The Witcher

I'm not a gamer (though I’ll have to fix that after watching this) and have only read the first short story collection of "The Last Wish" so far. Honestly, when I saw the trailer about six months ago, my initial thoughts were that this project would be a massive failure, likely to alienate all "Witcher" fans. However, most viewers ended up accepting the series positively, and I’m one of them. Let’s face it, casting Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia is a masterstroke; as someone familiar with the "Witcher" world, he has embodied the role so well that in many scenes, he felt like he had stepped right out of Sapkowski's books. As for Yennefer, I'm still unsure; I’d give the actress more time. I see potential, but we’ll see what the second season brings. The rest of the cast is mostly fine, and I quite liked Marigold. Story-wise, I’m a bit on the fence. The way the main plotline of Ciri searching for Geralt is interwoven with the book's short stories might have looked better on paper; the time jumps can be a bit confusing... hopefully, this will stabilize in future seasons. The best episode, without a doubt, is the one with the Striga; I couldn’t find any cosmetic flaws there. The visuals can be stunning at times but also disappoint with their cheapness; hopefully, future seasons will get a bigger budget. However, the fight choreography is top-notch; Cavill performed all the sword fights himself, which is impressive. Overall, I’m satisfied, but the mentioned flaws prevent me from giving the first season a full score. I give it 82%. (2019-12-30)

In the end, it managed to scrape by with four stars, but compared to the first season, it represents a noticeable drop in quality. Don’t get me wrong, the characters still shine, and the storyline revolving around Geralt and Ciri is rock-solid, with everyone else in this aspect holding up well. I was just disappointed with the script this time. We were promised a feast of all kinds of monsters. My expectations shot through the roof because of that, but unfortunately, they didn’t deliver. The bruxa Vereena from the first season was unmatched; everything else felt incredibly rushed (leshen, blackthorn, basilisk), and the creators didn’t give them much screen time, with Geralt dealing with them far too easily. Visually, I have a few complaints too. Some things looked really good (Nivellen and Vereena), while others I’d rather not mention (the basilisk at the end was quite laughable, with terrible CGI). It’s still above-average fantasy with my favorite characters from the book and game series, but I hope Lauren Schmidt, the series’ showrunner, reflects on it. She has some work to do. For me, it’s 7/10. P.S. The soundtrack from the original series had a much greater emotional impact on the viewer. At least Joey Bates composed songs with a bit of flair :D (2021-12-23)

The first episode picks up exactly where the previous season left off. Choosing as the central story in the pilot episode one of the most famous tales from the Witcher universe, A Grain of Truth, was a perfect move by the creators. The costumes were excellent, the atmosphere started to build nicely towards the end, culminating in a well-shot final battle with the bruxa. I didn't mind the altered ending of the story; in fact, I welcomed it. However, I'm a bit unsure about the direction they’re taking with Yennefer’s storyline—it doesn’t sit well with me. We'll see. Episode 01 did a great job of setting up anticipation for more from this unforgiving world. 8.5/10 (2021-12-18)

I somewhat understand why the second episode is the only one to have fallen into the lower end of user ratings. Kaer Morhen was a pleasure, as was Vesemir, and Kim Bodnia’s casting seems to be working so far (the chemistry between him and Geralt works perfectly). However, I was really annoyed by what they did with Eskel. Turning the quiet and reserved Witcher into such an idiot who indulges in loose women and booze is simply unforgivable. The leshen, as a familiar monster from the games, was enjoyable, but Eskel—oh well. Additionally, the subplot involving Yennefer is heading in a direction I’m not too fond of. I hope for a slight improvement. 6.5/10 (2021-12-18)

Finally, we get a hint of Ciri’s training. The scenes in Kaer Morhen are among the best. Honestly, even the subplot involving Yennefer is starting to get nicely tangled. It could still be more polished in terms of the script, but it has quality. For me, it's a 7.5/10. (2021-12-20)

Triss finally made her appearance. The actress still doesn’t quite fit the role for me; while her hair is correctly dyed, that alone isn’t enough to make me happy. The fourth episode highlights Marigold significantly. His song, which appears towards the end, is quite catchy—in the right way. I’m starting to feel a rise in quality. Let’s hope I’m not wrong :D For me, it’s 8/10. (2021-12-20)

The second episode is the weakest so far. I'm a bit disappointed that the series isn’t focusing more on monster involvement. The creators promised a lot, but so far, it’s only been hints (the leshen vanished as quickly as it appeared... only the bruxa had a significant role in the pilot). I liked the whole Ciri subplot, ending with the Wild Hunt. Let’s see what comes next. It’s time for some juicy, bloody action. For me, it’s 6.5/10. (2021-12-20)

The meeting between Geralt and Yennefer was welcome with open arms, as they have great chemistry. There was also a brief monster fight (blackthorn) and a nice skirmish with human opponents at the end. Still, I can't shake the feeling that the episode didn't offer much else to viewers. For me, it's 6.5/10. (2021-12-22)

Finally, the buddy duo (Geralt and Marigold) is on screen, and Joey Bates was truly born for the role of the bard. The storyline with the Elves also got nicely tangled. The final episode promises to be quite a spectacle. I hope the series wraps up on a good note. For me, episode seven gets a 7.5/10. (2021-12-22)

The ending was a bit disappointing. Sure, the plot moved back to Kaer Morhen, so viewers got to enjoy this Witcher stronghold for a while, but the script didn’t convince me much. Apart from Geralt, everyone else is portrayed as a bunch of inept people. Witchers die like it’s a conveyor belt (?), and there are quite a few illogical decisions. The storyline with Ciri did a lot to redeem it, and the ending with the Wild Hunt was very promising for the third season. If they build the main storyline around that, we might have something to look forward to. And the Elves were fantastic :) For me, it’s 7/10. (2021-12-22)

It's really sad when I think back to how The Witcher series started its journey with such quality four years ago. But the team around Lauren Schmidt gradually revealed their true colors, and unfortunately, they turned out to be a complete slap in the face to the original book series. The only positive I can highlight across all three seasons is Henry Cavill. He was the only one who understood the monumental series he was dealing with and portrayed Geralt in a way that was a perfect match for the book’s portrayal. Otherwise, I don’t find any other significant positives. Sure, the main characters are still among the best (the relationship with Yennefer keeps it afloat), but everything else is a colossal mess! The subplots are tragic, sometimes making no sense at all. And the so-called action? I really don’t know, but none of the battles could compare to the skirmishes from the first season (especially the marketplace fight with Renfri still stands out). And the digital blood and terrible CGI? It’s baffling given the generous budget. With Cavill gone, it’s going downhill. And now, ladies and gentlemen, imagine that he won’t be in the next season. That’s a recipe for disaster. For me, the third season gets a mediocre 5/10. (2023-08-08)