The opening part does a few things. First, just the pressure to escape and evade on Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan). Second, the power that Ciri has as well as just how little control she's got at present. Right now, her power can be triggered very easily and worse, she's an impulsive teenage. The power of prophecy, or to see possible futures, and the training of a Witcher. Over the course of the episode, Ciri gets them into more trouble freeing a young dwarf (Annette Hannah) who'd been sold. This put her into conflict with the person who'd taken the child captive. Unfortunately, Yennefer quickly kills him. A few scenes later, Yennefer explains to Ciri what the consequences of her actions will be. To just help drive the point of this lesson home, she shares some of her own failures, as well as her past.

With the time that Geralt and Jaskier are together with Codringher (Simon Callow) and Fenn (Liz Carr), we learn a bit. We get a bit of lore about the Secret Apprentice, and that Riece is on the leash of this mage. We do see Geralt handle things fairly, making a wager so they'll offer him the information he needs on credit. They seem to know he's (generally) good for it. While they are skilled detectives and information brokers, there's only so much they can do against someone like Riece. Geralt and Jaskier part ways after this, both chasing the information in their own way.

Jaskier (Joey Batey) and Radovid (Hugh Skinner) a bit of flirting going on. Mostly Radovid toward Jaskier. Jaskier does seem to acknowledge this or notice this. For once, I'm disappointed in the “Party Bard” for missing something like this.We also see that Radovid chasing after Jaskier's favor in this scene and it's a bit sweet, but very forward as well. Jaskier is being serious and Radovid is obscuring what he's after. Jaskier does note that he's playing the drunkard a ways into the conversation (after he's been conjoling into playing his choices). He sees something there that Radovid is trying to hide from being seen outright. Where this potential attraction goes, right now, is unknown.

For the short while we're in Aretuza with Tiss, we learn a few things. The first is the kingdoms' are losing faith in the brotherhood because of their lack of action (or persuasive powers) to deal with the Scoia'tael. Tiss is helping girls learn to control their magic (or chaos). But the curious part is she's goes to investigate what's holding a few students and finds a blood splatter on a wall covered hastily by a chair.

The twist at the end with Geralt facing a doppleganger of Ciri was a great surprise. This gives him that one person he needed (but didn't want to use) to give cover to Ciri. This girl is actually Teryn (Frances Pooley). She, along with a number of other girls had been brought here to join into the body of the monster that Geralt had to slay. Having the disembodied heads of the girls and women whose bodies had been taken by the monster was torment in its own right. They can't be returned to being human, and all they can do is plead for their lives. Any would be adventurer would need to contend with their screams while fighting the monster. Teryn being a stand-in for Ciri at this time is something unexpected.

Philippa and Dijkstra get a bit more time together. Will say, seeing Philippa whipping Dijkstra did initially throw me. We're coming in right in the middle, so it's very much supposed to. But then it goes to show it can be part of Dijkstra's thought process. He gets ideas and finds clarity going through it. On top of that, we see that he doesn't want to waste any life that can be avoided. Philippa gets to explore his mind and practice skills she doesn't get to otherwise. She does ask a favor for this. It does help explain what I was getting from the last episode for sure. They're close. Very good friends for sure. In the world of the Witcher it's hard to tell who's boning who at times. I'd put it on the table, but it does seem they generally save that for when they're gathering information. Not so much for recreational or passion.

We also got a few answers that help. Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni) is shown chained up in a king's castle as a poison taster. She and other prisoners are made to drink themselves to death. But when she gets the chance to hide herself in place of a corpse, she takes it and escapes. No one is going to care to double check a prisoner's dead body. Things from The Count of Monte Cristo (and likely other works) remain around because it's a good idea. This puts her back in play, just when it was looking very unlikely that she was going to last too much longer in there.

Cahir (Eamon Farren) also gets to show up for a little while in this episode. He and Gallatin (Robbie Amell) talk. Mostly after Gallatin saves Cahir, and burying bodies. Cahir is honest about things and explains his position. This is a short scene, with just a hint of action, but it does give Gallatin more motivation to break away from the faction of Scoia'tael he's been working with.

Radovid also shows that he's got more going on than Philippa and Dijkstra thought. He explains about secrets that Dijkstra didn't know about. And Dijkstra takes great pride in knowing plenty. This scene does go to show that both Philippa and Dijkstra have grown complacent and were taking more at face value than they should have. Or at least that's the lesson Radovid was offering to Dijkstra. It is a good little reveal here. We've seen there's more going on than he's showing.

Predictions for what's coming: Well, shit, I did like that detective couple. I'm grateful the cat's alive but that they've been roasted is terrible. This is a show where I generally need to see the body to believe it, but a raging inferno also works. Adding in the screams just cements it further. The girl could be helpful to draw people to Geralt and ignore Yennefer and Ciri as they travel toward Aretuza. There's plenty of a changes with the schemes of Philippa and Dijkstra. They let the King get away from them without meaning to. Now, they've got something they need to redo. Yennefer is taking a more aggressive role in teaching Ciri about the fallout of her actions. Ciri still has a lot to learn there, and some of it is just to understand there's a time and place, even to do the right thing. Should she have let the child be taken away, no. She did the right thing, but potentially damned an entire town to save one soul. She'll like learn, but it could take a few more lessons. We also have whatever the Brotherhood is planning for Ciri. There is a lot of risk in being the “Elder Blood Princess.” The season is definitely going to prove what the risks of that are.