TV Show Review - The Witcher (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Fantasy/ Drama/
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2021
Starring: Henry Cavill, Freye Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni, Joey Batey

Description: Geralt of Rivia (Herny Cavill), a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.

Review: The creators of “The Witcher” took the criticism of the first season seriously and hit back with a second season. More coherent, less confusing and more interesting.
The first season was full of humor, scary monsters and exciting action scenes, but also received a lot of criticism. The storyline, with three different time periods intermingled, was very messy and the plot twists where not all credible. The creators have listened to the criticism and made a much better season 2 on every level.
The story starts right where season 1 ended. Monster slayer Geralt of Rivia and Prinvess Ciri have finally found each other and he makes it his mission to protect her, turning the grunt into a father figure to her. Meanwhile, Yennefer has been captured by the enemy of the powerful mage looking for a way to escape and return to her sisters.
The plot of the second season is a lot more manageable than the first, in which the three main characters had random adventures in different time periods. It’s a minor adjustment but immediately lifts the series to a higher level. The characters this time have clear motives, which come to the fore in the many exciting adventures they experience. These experiences also teach you more about he rich fantasy world of The Witcher. There is room here and there for a history lesson and a better explanation of the magic that is used.
The elves also play a larger role this time around, and their addition add new shades of gray to the in-depth story. In the first season, Nilfgaard was portrayed as the great enemy, but in the second season it becomes clear that this rogue nation also has its good sides. The country treats the elves with respect and the same cannot be said of the other kingdoms, who actually treat the magical people like dirt. This makes you wonder how bad Nilfgaard really is and how good “the heroes” are.
The darks season of being a Wither is also highlighter. In the first season, the profession of a monster slayer was highly romanticized, but in the new episodes it becomes clear that Geralt went through hell as a young boy. He is therefore also not happy when Ciri expresses interest in become a Witcher herself.
In conclusion, ”The Witcher” has improved on every aspect. I wasn’t a fan of season 1. I’m still not a major fan of the series, but I was more invested this time around and found everything more interesting. I especially liked the growing bond between Geralt and Ciri. If they continue improving like this, season 3 might make me a fan.

TV Show Review - The Witcher (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Fantasy/ Drama/ Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Henry Cavill, Freye Allan, Anya Chalotra, Mimi Ndiweni, Eamon Farren, MyAnna Buring, Lars Mikkelsen, Adam Levy, Anna Shaffer, Johdi May

Description: Geralt of Rivia (Herny Cavill), a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.

Review: The abundance of superhero films in recent years easily makes one forget how fantasy has broken through to the general public this century. That triumphal march began in 2001 with Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, followed by the epic TV show "Game of Thrones" in 2011.
Large-scale fantasy, with its monsters and battles, is one of the areas in which online video services fight each other. Amazon is making an extremely expensive series of "Lord of the Rings" that must be completed in 2021; HBO is working on "Game of Thrones" spin-offs. And since of December 2019 Netflix has "The Witcher", based on the work of the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
The story takes place on the Continent, a place of doom modelled after medieval Europe. Through a cataclysmic event, the Conjunction of the Spheres, people are stranded in the same world together with elves, monsters and other creatures from different dimensions. Those who are not naturally at the top of the food chain must try to survive with brute force.
British actor Henry Cavill plays Rivia's 'witcher' Geralt. He belongs to a caste of monster hunters who have undergone magical mutations to better cope with the creatures they hunt in return for payment. Most people distrust witchers and at best see them as a necessary evil for when their children are eaten. Geralt lives in the margins, and prefers to growl or communicate with his sword.
With a jawline on which swords can be forged, Cavill seems to have been born for all the physical aspects of his role. The choreography of sword fights is beautiful and the imposing Cavill convinces as a warrior who can fight life and death with monsters. But Cavill's limited range of expressions makes Geralt as a character highly dependent on more expressive opponents.
That comes partly from sorceress Yennefer, played with intensity by Anya Chalotra who compensates for the lukewarm performance of some other actors. As a deformed adopted child, she leads a meagre existence until a sorcerer's guild buys her. They offer beauty and power, but like everything else in this universe, at a price.
The fate of Geralt and Yennefer becomes intertwined with Ciri, a young princess fleeing an army that hunts down her hidden powers. In the harsh Continent full of monsters and villains, she is a beacon of goodness.
Thanks to the books and the games, the series can create a deep world. But unfortunately "The Witcher" doesn't give itself enough time and the viewer experiences what it's like when multiple worlds storm into your dimension.
Within two episodes, an encyclopedia of characters, places and events has already have been introduced and it feels messy. "The Witcher" is now actually less than the sum of his parts. Storylines displace each other while actors - still visibly uncomfortable in the skin of their character - struggle with sometimes cringe-worthy dialogues. The third episode shows what the series is capable of. But overall "The Witcher" all too often resembles a B-series on too big a budget.