The Witcher – Season 2
Review: The Witcher – Season 2
DEC 20, 2021by MARCOS VIEIRAin CRITICA
The Witcher – Season 2, UK/Poland, 2021
Netflix · Trailer · Filmow · IMDB · RottenTomatoes
★★★★☆
If the first season of The Witcher was a great introduction to this fantasy world, the second goes deeper and makes more revelations about the many characters involved in the plot. This time, a more linear narrative should make life easier for the viewer who had headaches with the time jumps that occurred in previous episodes. Fortunately, the mystery climate is maintained, in addition to the horror, comedy, action and political intrigue elements.
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The plot once again splits between the characters' journeys, with Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Ciri (Freya Allan) sharing the road. Separately, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) sees her fate tied to that of the elf Francesca (Mecia Simson) and that of the mage Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), who has even more importance this season. Her paths also cross those of Cahir (Eamon Farren), Istredd (Royce Pierreson) and Jaskier (Joey Batey), setting up a network of connections that must have unpredictable consequences.
But the highlight here is Geralt and Ciri's arrival at the refuge of Kaer Morhen, the home of the witchers of the School of the Wolf. Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) had already been introduced in the animation The Witcher: Legend of the Wolf (review here) and needs no further presentations in these new episodes. The novelty here is to see his relationship with Geralt, in addition to the interactions between the protagonist and the other witchers present in the place, who are still fighting for survival and for maintaining this lifestyle.
It is in this testosterone-filled environment that Ciri begins her training and the truths about her family lineage begin to be discovered. By the end of this season, the girl's true nature is not only revealed but also made known to representatives of the many interests existing on the Continent where the story takes place. Its mere existence represents a sign of hope for some and many possibilities of power for others.
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This season of The Witcher continues to explore the harsh reality faced by elves, who are victims of ethnic cleansing and fight for their own survival. As they find fragile refuge in a certain realm, their hopes are also renewed by the possibility of the birth of a new pure elf. The birth rate among them is very low, because, despite living for long periods of time, they can only have children during their youth and their reproductive cycles are long. Female elves only ovulate once a decade or when copulating with humans, which makes hybrids far more common than pure elves.
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This shouldn't be a good season for Yennefer fans, as she spends most of her time without her powers. The character could have gone 100% into Sypha mode (Alejandra Reynoso), Castlevania's superpowerful mage (criticism here), but that's not quite what happens. Her quest to regain her Chaos makes her an unwelcome ally, with a tendency to betray anyone in hopes of regaining the power she has lost. As much as she is generally trustworthy, it is not possible to trust the circumstances in which the universe places her.
Geralt, on the other hand, remains at his best in the action scenes. The production of The Witcher continues to perfect the fight scenes, although not all the special effects are perfect. These imperfections are made up for by Henry Cavill's characterization and dedication, with his Geralt of Rivia always making the impression of being the most dangerous creature in whatever environment he finds himself in. The end result is eye-popping, both for fans who already know this universe and for anyone who has ever played an RPG, whether tabletop or video games. At the end of the day, one of The Witcher's focuses is action, and it doesn't disappoint.
The other focus is a story that puts several sides, enemies or not, in the dispute for a unique “prize”: Ciri's destiny. Now that the various forces that dominate the Continent know the importance of the girl, Geralt and Yennefer's work will become even more challenging. The Witcher continues to deliver what we were promised: high fantasy permeated by themes and a lot of violence. Due to the scenario established in this new wave of episodes, the next seasons have everything to be even more action-packed.