The Witcher Netflix Series Review

Geralt of Rivia has been given a new form with the introduction of the Witcher Netflix series. Already there exist a number of books, short stories, comic books, a Tabletop RPG (two, one based on the books and one based on the video games), a movie (“The Hexer”), and the 3 games (and a spin-off or two) as well as the short-lived TV series, “The Hexer.” This can be a massive series to dive into if you want to see, read and play it all. That is a lot of stuff that you can watch, read or play, but nothing is needed to start enjoying this series. The world is shown very well as well as having the characters introduced.

There are 3 main storylines to be followed here: Geralt (Henry Cavill), Yennifer (Anya Chalotra), and Cirilla (Freya Allan). With Geralt, we see the world as one of the long-lived, and hated, Witchers. These unique monster hunters are created by magic and trials. While Geralt's origins are only hinted at late in the series, we see what the long years have done with the man. There are a number of fun moments with Geralt along with his bard “companion” Jaskier. Jaskier can be seen trying to work with the Witcher, making him more famous, granting him a bit more leniency with people who would otherwise simply chase him out of town. Yennifer's storyline starts with her discovery of her latent magical powers. She gets sold to a traveling person for 4 marks and is taken to Aretuza where she begins her study of magic. Cirilla, “Ciri” begins the series as her Grandmother's kingdom comes under attack from Nilfgaard. She is told to seek Geralt of Rivia by her Grandmother who is dying from wounds earned by defending her kingdom on the front lines. And much of this is revealed in only the first episode. More and more is revealed as the stories progress, letting us see more of each of the characters as they live.

One thing this show does very well is give its audience plenty of time to figure out what is going on. The character's various stages of development help the audience figure a loose chronology as they progress through the series. Time moves ever forward. This can take a moment to understand when key events happen or are alluded to in the different story lines. This felt natural in a way, that the different people would progress through their story at their own pace. This allows for the smooth pace that the story moves at, leaving plenty of mystery.

It does merit talking about, that this is a mature show. Here are some warnings about the show, in case you have particular aversions to things. A fair bit of nudity is normal as well as blood and violence. There is at least 1 instance of disembowelment (for scrying). Additionally, there is 1 instance of an internal organ being removed. It is telegraphed in the dialogue so you know it is coming. Lots of strong language, but it does fit with the character and not there simply for the shock value. There are a number of scenes with sex, but they do work to advance the understanding of the character's development or have at least some plot implication.

If that paragraph earlier did not scare you away and you made it to this one, welcome to the summary. This is a series to recommend, even to people new to the Witcher series, like me. This is a fun series to watch. Even with no knowledge of the massive series that this came from, much of the context is given in the show itself. It requires no knowledge of the series prior to really enjoy and start getting into the series itself. The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings can be found for good prices on numerous platforms. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is the newest game and seen as the best in the series. It is still suggested to start with the first game so all the references to the the prior games throughout the series make more sense. With the book series, it is recommended to start with “The Last Wish.” There are numerous guides to help you find the best reading order for it. The shows are simple with starting at Episode 1. This is a show I would recommend to people who are curious about the Witcher series or enjoyed shows like “Game of Thrones.” The show was renewed for a second season, like releasing in 2021.