Witcher Season 1 Review
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Toss a coin to your Netflix as their fantasy epic has arrived with the first season of the Witcher and it demands your attention. The new series is loosely based off a series of books off the same name written by Andrzej Sapkowski. So how did this show fare? Has it lived up to the expectations that were set from other series out there such as Game of Thrones? Let’s find out.
First, I want to say that the comparison to Game of Thrones to me does not feel valid. The only reason that these two series end up in the same conversation so much of the time is due to release timing being that it’s the first major budget series since the wrap up of GoT, and that it also is fantasy. If you are looking for me to compare the two, you will need to look elsewhere.
Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), is a Witcher that hunts monsters for coin and to better people's lives. But as the show opens we discover that the political climate of the world is about to change when Nilfgaard takes over Cintra. With sub stories sprinkled throughout the 8 episode run, the main plot line seems to fight for attention with the plotline of Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra).
I have to say that the plot lines are both interesting and due require some attention and even a second watch time through the series. It’s not that the plot of the story is super deep, but the learning of the names of characters and locations due to take some time to pick up on. That being said. The initial watch through of the show was enough for me to both understand what all was happening as well as enjoy the ride.
The casting for this show is really well done across the board. I really do not have any bones to pick with any of the casting. The bard character Jaskier who clearly is representing the book character Dandelion is super well done and breaks moments in the show that cause it to be both entertaining whilst still moving the story forward. Not to mention his jingle that everyone has gotten stuck in their head that has watched the show so far at least once.
Henry Cavill playing Geralt in the beginning of the eight episode season felt a little odd with the voice that was being given to him. But after some reminders from the internet, it was clear that the producers were doing what they could to emulate the game version of Geralt's voice to the screen.
I personally loved the casting of Henry Cavill for this role and was pleased with the amount of seriousness and fandom he brought to the role. There is a clear passion that he has for this project. Even when there was the wig issues with the initial makeup design, it was clearly nothing to worry about as he plays this character off spectacularly.
Yennefer was also played really well. Personally, I feel that her performance in the earlier episodes were stronger than in the later episodes but it could be the story at the time that is really lending to that narrative. Anya was very well cast as well.
Ciri (Freya Allan) another character well done. Those familiar with the games will notice that she is significantly younger in this series just based on the time that it is supposed to be taking place in. Her story is compelling but at times slow. Towards the end of the season everything does come together and sets up some interesting dynamics for the next season.
It’s at this point that I have to fully disclose that I have not read the series and just played the 3rd installment to the Witcher video game series. I assume that is a pretty common narrative across anyone watching this show. That being said, I am really enjoying what the show is producing so far.
There are some areas where the budget or time constraints show through however, no show is without its flaws. The witcher suffers from some CGI nightmares. Some of the creatures are simply jarring. It will take some work to clear this up but I would have been fine in some instances with practical effects like they do in Star Wars.
One example where this is really back is with a scene with a dragon. The moment is supposed to mean something, but the only thing I can think of while watching it, is how much the dragon stands out in the scene as a computer animation pasted onto film.
The magic system in this series is handled well. It does not try to be something over the top in regards to CGI which wreaks a lot of television over the years. Some of the subtle magic effects in my opinion are easily the best effects of the show.
Nilfgaardian armor leaves something to be desired. I believe that it was mentioned by a fellow angry youtuber that the armor is “Scrotum armor.” Though through the show I do not notice it too much, it still looks cheap and I think that the design on this armor could have been better. No amount of hiding or effects will save that hideous armor.
I know that over the course of the last several months on this site we covered trailers and set leaks as well as information on the series. Well we can all say that the show turned out to be a pretty strong following. I would say that this show is exactly what Netflix needs it to be.
If you have not given this show a chance yet I ask you to please do so. I also ask that unlike some high profile critics, to actually watch the show all the way through. I went into this show with the mindset of, “I know this could be bad”. I came out after the last episode of the show wanting more.
The show has fantastic potential and a great cast and from what I hear fantastic source material from Andrzej Sapkowski. This show is worth you time, but does require your attention. This show will scratch that fantasy itch really well and stands on its own as a unique show. Please give the show a chance.
