As an absolute fan of Sapkowski’s work, I found the first season of The Witcher somewhat bittersweet. Despite the enormous work in which to search for actors and shape the universe, the constant time jumps made it extremely difficult to follow the plot. And if it was difficult for someone who had read the books, I do not want to imagine how it was for those who did not know anything about the saga. This second season he has learned from his mistakes, like Geralt of Rivia.
The first season ended with the inevitable encounter between Geralt and Ciri, and this second season marks from the beginning what will be the central axis of these two characters: their relationship, like that of a father with his daughter. It is not the only plot, and it is that we once again have a distribution of the plot weight between different characters, Yennefer being again one of the most important points of the series. I will not delve much further into the plot, but it should be noted that the series has managed to remove the huge mistake he did in season one: finally, you don’t need to mentally juggle to understand exactly where your characters are in time.
If the first part of the series can be accused of something, it is not being clear at all with the moments in which the events occur, forcing the viewer to make an effort to understand where each character is on the timeline.
What you are going to read next is a small SPOILER (gut), so if you haven’t seen the series yet, I invite you to continue to the next paragraph. I imagine that, knowing that they were going to have a third season, they wanted to leave the viewer with honey on their lips at the end of this second season. Perhaps because of this ending (which seems planned from the very approach of the season) we see how the last two episodes increase their rhythm significantly, going from telling each plot with care and tranquility to an authentic roller coaster of action and consequences in the universe of the Serie.
This isn’t a bad thing per se, but it does leave a small feeling that perhaps some of the arcs from the last few episodes could have been explained better or, at the very least, have given them a little more time to mature. In any case, it is not something that tarnishes the season at all, but rather a small detail that makes the intentions of the creators of the series clear: they have plots for The Witcher for a while.
Ciri’s search for purpose is one of the axes of this season.
And this, in part, means that in this second season they have made a lot of effort to capture the different kingdoms of the continent and their motivations. The dialogues between characters on many occasions tell us key details in this regard, and little by little we get to know the motivations of the different kingdoms and their agents, in a kind of presentation of what is to come in future seasons of the series. The episodes, of one hour long, they keep you hooked on the screen until the end credits appear. Netflix has been clear that they were not going to let go of the accelerator when it comes to production. The settings, the characters, the CGI and all the technical aspects of this second season have been taken care of with the same care compared to the first. In that sense, it is quite noticeable that the streaming platform has made a great bet on Geralt de Rivia’s universe, and the end result is being fantastic. It must be made clear that the series is a adaptation that tries to have its own style, without being restricted in the universe of books and video games. The most purists will see this as a negative point, although in my humble opinion it is a wise decision to adapt the facts so that they are more attractive on screen. It is impossible for me to reproach the series for not knowing how to tell a story, because it is capable of telling us many at the same time and that none of them lose steam.
Dijkstra will be one of the new characters of the season.
The new signings They have been an absolute success, and it is that Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) or Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) are proof that the castings have worked like a charm. No one feels out of place, no role squeaks, and most importantly, those who have read the books will be delighted with the actors ‘work in bringing some of the series’ most iconic characters to life.
Little more can be asked of a second season that has come to correct errors (who had them) from the first season. No more temporary confusion. No more not knowing at what moment each person is. The second season of The Witcher has come to tell us a story. And he does it damn well. If the first season left a bittersweet taste due to its development, the second also leaves it, although for different reasons. Because it leaves you wanting more, and that, in almost any situation, is good news.