The Witcher
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The Witcherhas always been two shows: a deeply serious fantasy drama and a deeply silly fantasy drama.
The key to the shows success is that its figured out how to be both at the same time.
Hes already lived through three world-ending events, and his life is the same as it ever was.
Im not sure how much longerThe Witcherwill maintain this balancing act.
By the end of season one, you could feel the weight of politics imposing itself on the story.
With such urgent concerns, how much longer will the show have time for its weirder, rangier side?
Now that season two is finally here, the answer is at least one more episode.
But now that theyre together, they face a trickier question: What next?
Geralt settles on taking Ciri to Kaer Morhen, his childhood home and where he trained as a witcher.
Instead of a singing candelabra, Nivellen has sconces that become ablaze with a wave of his hand.
Geralt, being Geralt, is immediately suspicious and incredibly right to be.
Vereena has huge pupils and an unusual manner of moving and speaking but otherwise resembles a young woman.
Depending on whom you ask, shes either Nivellens secret lover or a predatorybruxawho must be extinguished.
Nivellen looks like a monster but acts like a gracious host.
Geralt kills monsters but is frequently deemed a monster by the people who loathe him but require his services.
And is being a human so great anyway?
Monsters do bad things to people, says Ciri.
Humans do bad things to everybody, counters Vereena.
But Geralt doesnt have any patience for these kinds of philosophical debates.
But Nivellen responds to being saved not with gratitude but with despair.
The curse, he confesses, was cast by a priestess whom he raped.
Sometimes I feel like I could burn the whole world, she frets to Geralt.
I wouldnt mean to.
It just makes me so afraid all the time.
Well find out next time (but come on, its gotta be elves).
At the same time, Yennefers allies all presume shes dead.
Who would have guessed that someone would take a bath in theWitcherpremiere and itwouldntbe Geralt?
(Personally, Im waiting for Geralt to break out his Gwent deck.)
Horses, whores, and mages.
All useful til were not.
