What does The Witcher need to improve for the second season?

The second season of Netflix The Witcher is fast approaching. What should creators do better to create a work that surpasses its predecessor?

ATTENTION! The text contains spoilers from the first season of The Witcher by Netflix series. If you have not seen this production yet and you do not want to spoil the screening, please refrain from reading the article until you catch up with the show.

It cannot be denied that the Witcher universe has become a phenomenon on a global scale. The remarkable artistry of Andrzej Sapkowski resulted in an extremely atmospheric world, and the outstanding work of CD Projekt RED spread him around the globe, taking root in the hearts of millions of fans. So it’s no surprise that new projects are born every now and then, deeply rooted in the atmosphere of the monster hunters. The loud series of Netflix production tried to bite some of the inflated cake, which came out rather bland. Yes, most of the ratings on websites about movies are positive, but unfortunately you can’t talk about a hit here. It is quite a decent production that suffers from its problems that offend some more, others less. The second season of Geralt’s series history is approaching rapidly, and at a conference held as part of the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich revealed that it must turn out to be a real hit in order to count on a third season. Looking back, let’s consider what didn’t play out last time and what mistakes should be corrected so that this story doesn’t end with the end of this year.

You wave like a flail

Let’s start with an element that is so problematic that many consider it to be the best part of the series. The choreography of the fights was very warmly received by critics. It is significant that the ratings often included matches with the battles shown in Game of Throneswhich in the exploits of a monster hunter were equated to “a drunken fight at a bar” or simply described as “terrible”. Despite this, you can find statements that it is not so colorful at all. Ba! I even heard the opinion that the fight between the White Wolf and the Renfri companions was so artificial and hopeless that it is impossible to look at it at all. What, then, should be corrected so that these complaints do not repeat? Thread. Perhaps the swinging of the sword by Vesemir’s ward is indeed too dynamic and perfect for the actual human abilities, but for pity, he is a witcher! Mutant! It is obvious that such a gentleman clearly surpasses even the most eminent flatbread eaters in combat.

Love mocks reason. And that’s the charm and beauty of it

It is different with the visual side. Yes, it is also praised by many, but in this case we already find problems that clearly need to be improved. The issue of the selection of actors should definitely be omitted here, especially those who differ completely in appearance from the literary prototypes. The Netflix Witcherafter all, it is not an adaptation, but a work based on Sapkowski’s prose, so the differences are obvious. Regardless of the choices made, however, there are some things that can definitely be regarded as a terrible failure. The most famous problem, of course, is the infamous Nilfgaardian armor. Ugly, wrinkled, without any craftsmanship, they were something that already dazzled the announcements. Anyway, if people to the premiere delude themselves that this is a rehearsal or CGI outfit, and the real armor turns out to be at least acceptable, then something proves this idea. Fortunately, season two schedule photos show that the southern invaders have finally invested in irons and will look pretty decent.

Dragon… Well, to confuse a majestic golden reptile with a skinny, meager wyvern, especially in a universe that devotes a lot of attention to differentiating all kinds of monsters, is so reprehensible that there is not much to be said about it. Hopefully, the creators had better read the bestiaries and other items from the Witcher’s bookcase before shooting.

While Villentretenmerth was for everyone a mistake no less than the appearance of the Nilfgaardian frontal forces, another thing struck me straight to the heart. Among my friends, I am known for the fact that I really like dwarves, which is why I had expected their appearance in the series as much as they turned out to be a disappointment. Suffice it to say that the closest to my ideal are Gimli and King Dain from the adaptation of Tolkien’s works, although I would have enriched them anyway, so seeing actors with short stature dressed simply in human clothes was something monstrous for me. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate actors affected by dwarfism, after all, it’s hard to imagine the current cinematography without Peter Dinklage, and I have trouble finding a weak role in Warwick Davis’s filmography, however, to locate such actors without any characterization in the role of such a specific race is simply an exaggerated and brazen take the easy way. An example of Ginarrbrik from the screen adaptationThe Narnia Tales , portrayed by short-lived Kiran Shah, shows that it doesn’t take much to get quite a suggestive effect, let alone just how good it looks in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit . It is a pity, because Jeremy Crawford is phenomenally playing Yarpen Zigrin and I would love to see him in full dwarven gear, delivering his coarse and rude lyrics. Unfortunately, the bearded crew looks like they don’t have enough funds to pamper their characters and deadlines were lingering. One can only hope that the robust breed will not be neglected in the second season.

And now quickly, before we realize that it makes no sense

I must admit that twisting the chronology of events was quite a risky game. Personally, I was able to grasp this mishmash of scenes and I think I can understand what artistic decision was behind it, but I fully understand those who might get lost in it all. However, aside from this aspect, from the very first episode I had a big problem with the speed of the action. Cramming the plot of Renfri into one episode disturbs its reception, insufficiently presenting the heroine and the change in the attitude of the locals towards the white-haired man. I admit honestly – at this point I decided that if I had not learned about this victim of the Black Sun curse earlier from other sources, I might not understand this thread completely and bounce off the series at its beginning. The stories shown over more than one part of the production show the fact that scriptwriters are able to present them in an interesting and exhaustive way, the more striking is the persistent stuffing of some of them into single episodes. However, the topic of the White Wolf’s meeting with the owner of violet eyes is the most irritating in this respect, being one of the most forced plot twists I have dealt with. Why is the witcher suddenly looking for a panacea for insomnia, since this problem has not been mentioned or even even suggested once before? How do they know that such a valuable thing as a jug of gin lies just like that in any lake and no one is interested in it? Nothing before (or after, given the confused chronology) has completely led to this point, making the entire episode look like a carelessly created just for that. to pair a sorceress with a witcher. Balancing the pace and greater care for the clarity of events is definitely something I would like to see in the second season, even if it would differ from the original book.

The series about Geralt of Rivia clearly showed that it has enormous potential and has a great chance of becoming a phenomenal creation, although it also shows that there is something to work on to actually be called a hit. Will homework be done as the monster hunter continues? We’ll find out soon, in December.