So, if you haven’t binge-watched the entire second season of The Witcher, then you’re in for some spoilers and might want to look away for the time being. Otherwise, if you’re like me and spent a good chunk of the day watching the new season and now can’t wait for the third, then pay attention. Does anyone remember that black stone that Ciri knocked over with her unearthly scream in the first season? How about the fact that her scream also appeared to split the very earth apart? Well, no one’s going to blame you for not remembering, the first season did come out a bit ago, but it’s easy enough to recap on Netflix, and then catch up with everyone else that might still be watching the series. But the point is, Ciri is insanely powerful, more so than some might have thought, and yet her one downfall, so far, is that she’s too young to know what to do with the power that’s inside of her, or how to even access it when she might need it. But now that she’s with Geralt, things are at least looking up a bit.
That’s not the case for Yennefer and Fringilla, at least not to start with, since while being Fringilla’s captive to start with, Yennefer is then taken prisoner as is Fringilla, by none other than the elves, who are in no mood to bandy words with humans, who they happen to detest no matter that they’re friendly some of them. Francesca, one of the head elves leading the group that captures the women, is absolutely savage, and yet despite this she, Fringilla, and Yennefer share a dream that is delivered to them by the same being, posing as those that each one of them admires and seeks to follow. The downside is that the character calling to them and promising what they want is a demon that was contained in her hut by the first Witchers, which means that they’re bad news without question.
In the meantime, after surviving a Beauty and the Beast-style encounter with an old friend of Geralt’s that had been cursed for raping a priestess of a certain god, Ciri begins to learn a little bit more about what Geralt does, and why. The necessary death of a bruxa, a batlike creature that took on the form of a young woman and was in love with Geralt’s friend, Nivellen, but was also a part of his curse. Upon her death, Nivellen reverted back to human, as the curse was lifted, but his heart was broken since he had come to love the creature. Moving on, Geralt and Ciri eventually reach Kaer Morhen, where the Witchers come to rest, recuperate, and train. This was the place where Geralt was turned into what he is, a killer and a hunter of monsters. It’s also here that Ciri, and her own insistence, begins her brutal training, and meets Triss Merigold, who begins to train her in other ways as well. Unfortunately, it is also Triss who figures out the power that Ciri holds, and her bloodline, are revealed to be far more terrifying than anyone realized, as a trip through Ciri’s thoughts reveals something that terrifies Triss and has her running back to the mages she learned from to warn of Ciri and the danger she might represent.
There’s quite a bit that this season goes on to cover, as the hatred between the humans and the elves has escalated after Francesca, who gave birth to the first elven baby in a very long time, grows vengeful after her baby is killed, and kills just about every child within the city that took her people in. Geralt comes to realize that Ciri is far more powerful and capable than he realized. But when she’s possessed by the same spirit that spoke to Yennefer, Fringilla, and Francesca, and goes about Kaer Morhen killing the Witcher’s, it’s evident that she has much to learn, and a past to move forward from. Plus, it’s seen that Ciri’s power is not only coveted but is bound to be insanely dangerous in the wrong hands, as the spirit shows by opening a gate between the spheres, allowing monstrosities to come forth. The Conjunction of the Spheres is a driving force behind this season, and it makes it clear that things are going to keep changing, as monsters will continue to spring forth, and Witchers will continue to die, as the death of Eskel, a friend of Geralt’s and a fellow Witcher, proves when he’s infected by a monster that he reportedly slew.
Everything about season 2 is worthwhile, from the exposition to the battle scenes to the vast, sweeping landscapes that are shown throughout the season. There’s no wonder why the author of The Witcher series has expressed his approval with the season, since from start to finish it sucks a person in and doesn’t let go until the final credits of episode eight begin to roll, leaving us wanting the next season to come straightaway.
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