‘The Witcher’ Season 1 – Spoiler Free Review
Netflix’s The Witcher has swagger, humor, and plenty of violence. But is it good?
The lives of a monster hunter, a sorceress, and a princess on the run cross paths on a Continent infested with evil in the first season of The Witcher – based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s beloved novels.
This season does a lot of world and character building but has a confusing timeline that may turn some fantasy fans off. If you can get past it, there’s a lot of fun action, a witty sense of humor, and a core story that will have you wanting the next chapter.
The Witcher is a great weekend binge-watch.
The Witcher‘s Confusing Timeline
The series bounces all over the place without much explanation for viewers. On top of that, its main characters don’t age like humans, so you can’t use their appearance as a time marker. It gets a bit confusing for folks who haven’t read the books or played the games.
If the season was on a linear timeline, this is what it would look like:
- Yennefer’s origin (episodes 2-3)
- Geralt’s origin (episode 8)
- Geralt adventures, Yennefer leaves court (episodes 1-3)
- Geralt gets drawn into the Law of Surprise (episode 4)
- Yennefer and Geralt meet (episodes 5-6)
- The fall of Cintra (episodes 1, 7)
- Ciri’s wanderings (episodes 1-8)
- The Battle of Sodden Hill (episode 8)
- Geralt and Ciri meet (episode 8)
In the end, we hit the current timeline. I’m hoping this means season two will be jumping right into the main story.
via Netflix
The Production
The first season of a series is always a gamble, so the budget wasn’t large for this first season. It’s got wig problems, and the CG isn’t the best, but they don’t detract too much. There’s some questionable acting from side characters, and the script leans into some hokey places at times. As with every multi-season show, if we get a second season, it’ll likely get a bigger budget, and many of those problems will be fixed.
via Netflix
On the plus side, the cast that’s sticking for the rest of the story is great. Henry Cavill’s Geralt is an endearing jerk with a dry as saltine’s sense of humor. The cast is wonderful and eclectic, as is the costuming. The fight choreography is top-notch and not afraid to get bloody.
Should You Watch The Witcher?
While it’s imperfect, it’s worth watching. It’s an interesting fantasy world thanks to its Polish roots, and has characters you’ll care about. It’s not nearly as dark as Game of Thrones (not using rape as a plot device is a good thing, in my book), but it’s similar in flavor and style.
There’s a lot of room for The Witcher to be the next big live-action fantasy franchise. Season two is already confirmed.
The Witcher Season One is streaming on Netflix now.
