For those that didn’t know much of anything about The Witcher going into the first season (hand raised) this show was undoubtedly appealing to look at but kind of confusing to really get into since it kept going back and forth along its own timeline to show just what had happened to Cintra and how various characters had come to be who they were. Yennefer obviously took up a good deal of time and it’s thankful since we got to see how she went from being a deformed and very angry young woman to a powerful and extremely vengeful witch that has the kind of power that is best feared and respected given what she did in the last episode of the first season. Ciri is no less dangerous but has far less control over her power since as a Source it’s been stated just how unaware the individual is of their power and how little control they really have over it. Then of course there is Geralt, the man that everyone was looking to see when the show kicked off, and who hasn’t really been a disappointment yet since he’s been nothing but great since the first episode. To think that anyone had an issue with Henry Cavill’s portrayal is kind of hard to imagine since thus far he’s been as dour and as complicated as the man he’s playing. David Crow from Den of Geek! has more to say on this matter.
One thing that can be said about this story thus far is that it does feature several very strong-willed women. While some men might want to state that this is feminism going at it again, the feeling is different this time since if you enjoyed the strong women of Game of Thrones then you’ll likely understand why the women in The Witcher are just as strong and just as vicious at times. Daniel Lobato of The Gamer has more to say on this. Ciri is perhaps the least likely of the bunch to cause harm on purpose since she’s on the run, has no other skills besides the one that has protected her a couple of times, and relies on others for her safety when she is in full control of her senses. Yennefer on the other hand is every bit the vengeful sorceress as she has massive trust issues, which is understandable, and a dire need for power on the kind of level that could possibly destroy her and all those around her. Watching her go from a rebellious young woman to a confident but rather arrogant spellcaster has been interesting since she is strong of will and in her craft, yet she is still weak when it comes to relying on others.
There’s no doubt that the women in this story carry a great deal of clout, but it’s also obvious that the stronger and more resilient they become, the more arrogant some of them become as well such as Queen Calanthe of Citra. This is a woman that openly mocked people and expected them to fall in line with what she wanted because she was their ruler and because she was keeping them safe. In the end however her arrogance cost her dearly, as her king was killed and her kingdom was overrun by Nilfgaard, a kingdom she had openly defied and even spurned. Even in the realm of magic however women have shown to be quite powerful and influential since Tissaia, the woman who trained Yennefer, is quite commanding, but her student, Fringilla, turned out to be even stronger and more devious than anyone counted on as she led her assigned lord, the ruler of Nilfgaard, against her fellow mages and to victory at Sodden near the end of the season. It will be interesting to see Fringilla and Yennefer square off, if such a thing is allowed to happen in the coming season. As far as Geralt goes it does feel likely that he’ll have to adjust to having Ciri as his charge, and it might be that we’ll see them make for Kaer Morhen in season 2, the keep where the Witcher’s stay. And on that note it would be great to see if Mark Hamill will actually take up the role of Vesemir, the elder Witcher that trained Geralt and so many others.
So for those that are still watching, have binge-watched, or are looking forward to watching season 1, this is definitely a show that’s worth the time and the effort since not only does it really fill that GoT-shaped hole for a lot of people, but it tells a very convincing and empowering story that’s not all about feminism thankfully, but does show a world where women have to be tough in order to survive. The story itself is highly impressive thus far, and the next season should hopefully be even better.
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