Fantasy Netflix's The Witcher - General Discussion Thread

[Loden Greatstorm]

Watched the first 2 episodes and I simply can't get into the show. Not sure if I will finish the rest of the season.

 

[BlackFox]

Dijkstra's entrance

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Really enjoyed the first episode

 

[DKDetective]

The first episode of the season was better then entire first season. It felt more like the Witcher then anything in the first season. Ciri, like Yen, benefits from being with Geralt. She was suddenly compelling, engaging, interesting. They also apparently got a camera that doesn't look like garbage, which was very nice. Ciri should be a little thing, but whatever.

This show has definitely improved.

Also, it's been a while since I played it, but I could swear Jaskier's place in episode 4 looked like a damn near exact replica from the the Witcher 3 game.

You guys got me all excited and then I got to episode 2...

Spoiler

what the **** did they do to poor Eskel? His character arc is complete character assassination... Turn the happy, nice guy Witcher, a fan favourite character, into a complete dick, then a monster, then kill him off...

 

[DarthSkywalker]

You guys got me all excited and then I got to episode 2...

Spoiler

what the **** did they do to poor Eskel? His character arc is complete character assassination... Turn the happy, nice guy Witcher, a fan favourite character, into a complete dick, then a monster, then kill him off...

In my defense, I've been busy. I've only watched the first episode.

 

[TheVileOne]

You guys got me all excited and then I got to episode 2...

Spoiler

what the **** did they do to poor Eskel? His character arc is complete character assassination... Turn the happy, nice guy Witcher, a fan favourite character, into a complete dick, then a monster, then kill him off...

I guess still waters don't run deep.

Spoiler

Yeah, Eskel got fridged and then fed to the wolves...literally.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Definitely a significant improvement over season 1, apart from the Eskel thing, but compared to what season 1 did to Brokilon that is nothing.

 

[TheVileOne]

Definitely a significant improvement over season 1, apart from the Eskel thing, but compared to what season 1 did to Brokilon that is nothing.

Season 2 pulled out like 20 Brokilon things if the Brokilon subplots bothered you.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Season 2 pulled out like 20 Brokilon things if the Brokilon subplots bothered you.

None of them compare to the magnitude of that f*** up, it's not just how much Brokilon was changed, it was how significant that story was to the very foundation of Geralt and Ciri's dynamic, they made it unrecognizable and did nothing to try and make up for it. Season 2 overall is even less accurate than season 1, but none of the changes annoy me remotely as much as what was done to Brokilon.

 

[TheVileOne]

None of them compare to the magnitude of that f*** up, it's not just how much Brokilon was changed, it was how significant that story was to the very foundation of Geralt and Ciri's dynamic, they made it unrecognizable and did nothing to try and make up for it. Season 2 overall is even less accurate than season 1, but none of the changes annoy me remotely as much as what was done to Brokilon.

To be frank, some of the changes in S2 annoyed me much more than Brokilon.

Cahir for example, being a true believing religious fanatic.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

To be frank, some of the changes in S2 annoyed me much more than Brokilon.

Cahir for example, being a true believing religious fanatic.

I get that, Cahir being as straight up villainous as he has been these two seasons makes it hard for me to imagine

Spoiler

how they'll approach his redemption.

 

[Reek]

*lights joint*

If there's no Gwent tournament in ep 1, I'm going to TP netflix.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I really enjoyed this season even though I know I'm pretty much a newbie to this stuff. The worldbuilding is still as fantastic as ever and it actually looked like they had a real budget this time around.

The creature effects in some of this season episodes were pretty great IMO, especially the first episode and the final one which really surprised me because visually it looked very cinematic.

Cavill was still his beastly self and I really liked the stuff we got with Ciri for the most part in particular the training scenes although I did want a bit more out of Yennefer this season.

My favorite stuff about this season was definitely all the scenes with Vesemir and the interactions with the other witchers at Kaer Morhen which was super interesting to me despite me not knowing much at all about the source material although I do plan on reading up on it someday.

Looking forward to Season 3 and The Witcher: Blood Origin.

 

[Iceman]

First episode was good but hard to compete with season 1’s Renfri. Never forget

 

[CadeSkywalker28]

This is shameful Netflix fancfiction, they basically used "name" to promote this thing and do something that have nothing to do with the books. It's pathetic and disrespectul to the Polish fans and culture, but who cares? Right?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I just finished episode 2... WTF?

 

[BlackFox]

Spoiler

Roach.............

 

[OutOfBoose]

Keep watching basically only because of Anya Chalotra. I just love seeing her acting. The rest of the Wallmart Witcher isn't doing anything for me. Cavill sucks as expected. Books are mostly ignored. I just don't recognize anything of value for me in this adaptation. It's probably more watchable for people who have no history with the franchise, but for me it's just too trashy. Writing is awful. By people who's literature training was browsing instagram.

I can compliment some stuff, but in grand scheme of things it's minor.

 

[flickchick85]

You guys got me all excited and then I got to episode 2...

Spoiler

what the **** did they do to poor Eskel? His character arc is complete character assassination... Turn the happy, nice guy Witcher, a fan favourite character, into a complete dick, then a monster, then kill him off...

I have no memory or attachment to this character, sorry.

But...

Spoiler

I'm mad as f*** about Roach and take back my nice words.

 

[OutOfBoose]

Cavill's BDSM armor cracks me up.

 

[TheVileOne]

Season 2 left me feeling rather cold. The only reason I will come back is for Geralt and Ciri, and possibly Yennefer. Season 1 left me feeling hopeful for the future of the show. Now I'm somewhat lukewarm to it.

But I wasn't a fan of Yennefer's arc this season. It was very forced to me. None of it made any sense.

I thought what was happening with Cintra, Francesca, and Fringilla would've been a good way to set up the Scoia'tel but they kind of bungled that too.

The ending to Season 2 was weird, badly done and made no sense.

 

[OutOfBoose]

I think Cavill found his match in the show. Triss actress is the next "best" thing.

The ending to Season 2 was weird, badly done and made no sense.

So, just like the ending of the first season?

 

[BlackFox]

Overall a step up from season 1 in pretty much every department, there's still a few things that need work and ironing out but at least feels like this season a lot more effort was put into the production side and things from a visual and cinematography position are far more consistent and epic in feel like the material deserves. My quick list of pro's and con's for the season:

Spoiler

Pro's

Better visuals all round, everything is grander and looks and feels like it should, Kaer Morhen was done justice and lighting seemed better all round.

CGI/Effects vastly improved, monsters were mostly much better overall than season 1.

Some really good additions to the supporting cast, Vizimir, Dijkstra, Rience and Nenneke were all well cast and added a lot to this season, season 1 relied on Yen and Geralt alone too much.

Fights continue to be fantastic and standouts of the show, the work done by Cavill and his team really shows off here again.

Freya Allan killed it, if Season 1 was Yen's this was Ciri's.

Better storytelling and pacing throughout, more consistent overall than the first, A Grain of Truth was really well done.

Much better world building and size and scope of the continent compared to season 1, town and City's felt much larger in scale and more in line with what you would imagine bustling places like Cintra/Oxenfurt would feel like, some could have been ripped right from the games.

Nilfgaard was better rounded out and got much better armor to boot, but they were a little less one dimensional "bad guys" compared to how they were show season 1 and the Northern territories were shown to be just as untrustworthy and unlikeable.

Jaskier always brings a much needed touch of levity to some otherwise dark and heavy content otherwise, he seemed to be in this season much less though and was sometimes missed.

Cons

The elf plotline just isnt all that interesting compared to the main players, the characters here just arent strong or compelling enough.

Not convinced by the Emhyr casting, perhaps just need to see more of him in the role next season but didnt seem to have the chops as the main Nilf leader that scares everyone just by his presence.

Some changes from the books are going to rub some the wrong way, always happens but I guess whenever you adapt something changes will always irk some the wrong way.

There's probably more good and bad if I thought on but I enjoyed it for the most part, it was a lot of setting up of season 3 towards the end but that tends to happens with these shows to keep you coming back but the main three of Ciri, Yen and Geralt along with a bit of Jaskier thrown in will keep most coming back you would imagine as that nuclease of the group will hopefully be compelling enough to the end.

 

[TheVileOne]

I think Cavill found his match in the show. Triss actress is the next "best" thing.So, just like the ending of the first season?

I mean, no. The ending to S1 had Ciri and Geralt finally uniting. I was more hopeful by the outcome.

Now, I'm just confused.

 

[BlackFox]

I dont know the

Spoiler

Wild Hunt

has me pretty pumped for future seasons.