The Witcher

Genres : Sci-fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Action 

Writer : Surya Turaga 

Date : 3rd September, 2022 

Note : This review is outdated. Wrote it before all the drama with Henry Cavill. I'm very sceptical of the show now. 

Don’t bother finishing reading this review if you haven’t watched it. Go watch it. Now. This is an absolute favorite for me. I could talk for hours about The Witcher, it’s literally perfect. I’ll do my best to keep it short though. 

This show is a fantasy drama, set in a world not quite Game of Thrones, not quite Lord of the Rings. Adapted from the Polish book series, this is one adaptation I can honestly say has surpassed the books. The story and all the elements in it are SO original, it’s unreal. 

It’s set in a cruel world of magic, monsters and money. Kingdoms are constantly at war, and magical associations silently pull the strings to influence politics. Elves are oppressed by men, and men are mutated by magic to become Witchers, monsters who kill monsters for money. None of the characters here are black or white. They’re ALL complex and gray. 

Our protagonist, Geralt (Henry Calvill), is one such witcher who gets tangled in politics and a war of Destiny, as he tries to make his way through the world. Everything about this show is amazing. They created a fantasy world, but also added so many elements of society, especially the crime and underworld. 

The casting is spot on. I loved Henry Cavill in this. The themes and cultures explored in this show are original and genuinely true to the books. The plot deviates from the books and the games, often with many new elements, but that only made it better. They really created a complex and intricate world with many aspects interplaying with each other. 

This is especially true of the second season. Season one was amazing, but stumbled occasionally. Season two REALLY picked things up. And the music, oof. Love the music. And, of course, the action. Our protagonist is a powerful monster hunter for hire. Loved the visuals and controlled gore of the fights, from the very first scene of the show. 

I also appreciate the series avoiding the use of magic as ‘plot armor’. In stories with sorcerers, magic is seen as an all powerful tool that can be used to solve anything, and get out of any situation. Here, magic is a give and take. Sorcerers have strengths and limitations, same as others. It’s now a skill set. 

A fair bit of warning though. It’s not for everyone. It’s definitely kinda graphic, but even in terms of the story. Each season leads up to a final thing. So there are a lot of tiny details to pay attention to. I had to watch it twice to catch all of them. It’s all very neat. 

I could keep going to talk about the visuals, themes, culture, story, characters, and more, but honestly that would just be spoiling. DM me if you wanna know more but it would be best if you just went and watched it. It’s a masterpiece with a great plot and great character arcs. 

Surya-o-meter : 96%