by Daniel Andrade
Courtesy of Netflix
First off, I want to say I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy and safe. I know for some of you, this is a scary and uncertain time, and I hope you all are finding ways to stay positive. As you all know, for me that means watching shows and movies. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to give you all my review on the first season of The Witcher. Since I’ve had more time on my hands lately, I’ve been able to catch up on shows that have been on my list for a while. Even though I’m sure many of you have seen the show already, I’ll still keep this review, like all my other reviews, spoiler-free, just in case there are some of you still out there who haven’t yet watched this series.
I will start off by saying I’m not familiar with the games or books this series was based on, so I came into this show with a wide-open mind. I had heard that there were a lot of similarities to Game of Thrones, and that was enough to get me interested. And right off the bat, the show starts with an awesome action scene that left me wanting more, certainly much more quickly than GoT did (thankfully I was warned by my friends before viewing that GoT was a slow burn at first, and once I got past the first few episodes, I’d be hooked). As the show progressed, I could definitely understand why it would be compared to GoT: fantastical creatures, mind-bending magic, compelling characters with plenty of drama, and a witty sense of humor.
However, I will say The Witcher can be a little too silly at times, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing (I both rolled my eyes but also laughed out loud multiple times throughout the series). Additionally, for a show centered around a mercenary/assassin-type figure, we don’t get too many exciting monster battles (which was a bit disappointing after what I just admitted was an exciting opening fight). The ones that we do get are fun and tense, but they are few and far between, in my opinion. To balance that out, however, we do get some fascinating magic scenes involving a spellbinding sorceress, which kept me entertained throughout the series. Finally, there is a compelling mysterious third character that we follow throughout this first season, with clues leading us to her true nature that leads to an explosive climax... right at the end of the season. It was certainly a well-placed cliffhanger that left me anxiously awaiting more answers from Season 2.
The cast is certainly one of the reasons why this show is so fun to watch. Henry Cavill (Superman in the latest DC movies, Mission: Impossible - Fallout) has truly found a role that fits him like a glove and looks better than ever as Geralt of Rivia. He has a dry sense of humor, looks formidable in all his action scenes, and finds a way to emote even though his character notoriously lacks emotions. Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust, Sherwood) makes her big debut as the captivating sorceress Yennefer. Watching her character development was honestly more entertaining than the main storyline of The Witcher at times, with a more intense Harry Potter-like story of personal discovery. Freya Allan (Into the Badlands) also makes her big debut as the third character we follow throughout the series, the young princess Ciri. She is precocious and takes after her mother in her aversion to societal norms and expectations, which makes her a fun character to watch. As I mentioned earlier, she is the most mysterious of the three main characters and has a secret that is slowly (though not completely) unveiled throughout the season, leaving with you with many questions by the shows’ end!
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the most memeable and memorable character of the series, the bard Jaskier. Joey Batey (Knightfall, Mount Pleasant) brings a delightful charm to the character, who is both lovable and annoying, in the funniest way possible. It’s safe to say the show would not be nearly as enjoyable without him, especially when he is paired with the grim and serious Geralt. He adds a much-needed sense of levity to a show that can otherwise be pretty dark and bleak. He is also, of course, responsible for the incredibly catchy song that, even if you’re never seen the show, you’ve heard of: “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher.” It’s a song that once you hear, you will have stuck in your head for weeks, humming it throughout the day for no reason, which I suppose proves that Jaskier really is great at his job! It adds flair and mystique to this already epic show.
CONCLUSION: If you’re a fan of fantasy shows like Game of Thrones, The Witcher will certainly entertain you. Even if you’ve never seen a fantasy show in your life, I think there’s plenty here to satisfy you: fascinating characters, compelling mystery and drama, exciting battles, and stunning cinematography. It was a runaway hit on Netflix for a reason, and I certainly can’t wait to see where the story goes from here!
FINAL SCORE: 4/5
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