“The Witcher” is an action fantasy drama television show based off of the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. The show takes place in the medieval world known as the Continent, filled with humans, monsters, and many other fantasy races. The audience follows monster slayer Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), aka the “witcher,” sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and princess Cirilla (Freya Allan), whose kingdom has been destroyed. Other characters include Jaskier (Joey Batey), the travelling bard, and Tissaia (MyAnna Buring), Yennefer’s mentor.
Released on Netflix on Dec. 20, 2019, people have been anticipating this show’s release for some time, especially those who were fans of the books and video games.
The action in “The Witcher” deserves praise. The fight scenes were epic and entertaining to watch. The audience can find themselves on the edge of their seats at the climax of the battle, and their skin will crawl as the main characters slayed their opponents and everything that stands in their way.
The music was catchy and memorable to listen to. With the music together with the action scenes that took place, it gives viewers goosebumps every time, and making this show even more entertaining.
The acting is also great. In the process of watching this show, the audience received great performances from Cavill, who managed to portray the emotionless Geralt, and Chalotra, who performed Yennefer with a wide range of emotions.
One problem is the complicated timeline. Without any knowledge of the books, the season was hard to follow. There are four different timelines to keep track of, making it hard for viewers to understand unless they have an extensive knowledge of the books.
Another issue with the show was that there was not enough focus on Geralt. He’s the main protagonist and yet in some episodes there is more focus on other major characters rather than on him. It didn’t feel like “The Witcher.” It felt like “The Witcher, the Sorceress, and the Princess,” or something of that nature.
What “The Witcher” could’ve improved on was expanding more on the Continent, both its setting and races. The story of the show is mainly centered around the humans, but it would have been nice to see some more of the elves, the dryads of Brokolin forest, and even find out what that deer abomination that appeared in a couple of episodes.
Overall “The Witcher” is a worthwhile show to watch. While it is far from perfect, “The Witcher” is an entertaining show that captures the wonder and amazement of the audience.