The Witcher Season One (Spoiler-free) Review

After watching two episodes of Netflix’s new fantasy series The Witcher (an adaptation of the novel series and video game of the same name), I almost threw in the towel. As someone with zero knowledge of this fantasy world, I was confused by the characters, I didn’t understand the politics, and I was bored with Henry Cavill’s dull titular hero. But I pushed through, determined to see the season to its end (at only 8 episodes, it’s a wholly manageable binge). Having watched the first season, and found myself enjoying it in its latter half, I’m glad I kept going.

Here’s the thing about Witcher: Once you finish the first season, things that annoyed you in the early episodes make sense (the show definitely starts slow, but that’s the problem with fantasy world building). You end the season with a strong understanding of the show’s characters (in the end, there are only a handful to keep track of – far fewer than a series like Game of Thrones), and you actually grow to care about them (although Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia never really registers much – something that is explained by his Witcher condition, a nice twist). Even the story, which winds its way to an epic magical battle (seriously, it’s a cool season climax), makes a ton more sense after watching the whole season. I know, I know, in today’s overloaded television landscape, telling people to watch a series because it all makes sense in the end isn’t the best calling card. But this is a case where I think doing the homework (working through the exposition, in this case) will pay dividends moving forward (and Netflix has already greenlit the second season of the series).

And, while I’m going to generally avoid spoilers here, I feel like I need to lay this one element of the show’s structure out there: There are multiple timelines to follow, all of which come together by the end of the season. I didn’t know this, coming into the series completely cold, but it’s something I wish I was aware of from the jump. By episode four, you can figure it out yourself, but it also shades how you understood the previous episodes, and I wish I’d known. So, you’re welcome. I will also add this – The Witcher’s use of multiple timelines is far more successful than many other shows (looking at you, Westworld), and while knowing two of the three main arcs are happening at different points in the past (with the third in the “present” of the series) is helpful, not knowing doesn’t make the show incomprehensible. Also, this isn’t a puzzle box series. The timelines enhance the story and give a better understanding of the characters rather than serve to create additional confusion.

Now, with that out of the way, what makes The Witcher work? Well, for one, it’s not the next Game of Thrones, so ignore all those think pieces and hot takes. Nothing is ever going to be the next Thrones, and the sooner studios and networks stop trying or telling us that something is, the better. Once Witcher realizes it’s not Thrones (which happens about halfway through the season), and starts charting its own fantasy path, it finds its way. The series works because it learns that what makes it interesting isn’t the political machinations of a medieval world (which is important but shouldn’t be the main thrust of the story), but the integration of magic into that world. Where a certain HBO series opted to lean away from magic in its final seasons, Witcher is all-in on magic, spells, witchcraft, and magical creatures (I could do with a bit less on that latter, but I won’t complain).

There’s an entire social stratosphere built around those with magical powers (Mages), who are trained and sent out to the various kingdoms of the land to advise and use their powers as needed. It’s that aspect of the story that is the most interesting, offering the show’s most complex group of characters (Anya Chalotra’s Yennefer, who grows into the show’s coolest character over the course of the season through a combination of strong writing and a great performance from Chalotra; MyAnna Buring’s Tissaia, who goes from being a rather stereotypical uptight bitch to someone with a whole host of layers we’ve yet to discover; Mimi Ndiweni’s Fringilla, an average Mage who turns into something else as the result of a fateful choice by Yennefer), and providing the impetus for the story to move beyond the first season. Yes, there’s a magical child at the center (Freya Allan as Princess Cirilla), connected to the Witcher via fate (the concept of fate is a big element of the series, but it’s never used as a weak plot device – not an easy thing to pull off), but even this arc works. Allan is a find, and her work as Cirilla grounds what could be a stereotypical tale into something more interesting.

That isn’t to say that all the stories work – they don’t. Some are needlessly hokey, but it’s a fantasy series, so you have to accept that some of the mythical elements might not be the best. But the season arcs all land. The characters grow in really interesting ways (even Geralt). In fact, I’m likely going to re-watch the season just to gain a better understanding of the world moving forward. Hell, I’m tempted to read the novels. I didn’t expect this at all when I sat down to watch The Witcher, and that says a lot about how much I enjoyed the season. The Witcher won’t be for everyone (its violence is certainly on par with Thrones, and the nudity is more restrained/far less gratuitous than Thrones – it might not be a shock to hear that The Witcher’s showrunner is a woman, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich – who worked on The West Wing back in the day, so she knows her way around political stories), but if you’re a fantasy fan looking to fill the Thrones void, The Witcher is the best option I’ve seen so far. And I, for one, cannot wait for season two.