Fringilla and Cahir make a feeble attempt to claim that they were responsible for Francesca’s child’s death, but Emhyr laughs them off and tells them that he was the one who did the dastardly deed. The episode’s final scene finally gives us a glimpse of Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr, the White Flame, who has been teased and hinted at for the bulk of the show’s run. Either way, the elves are out for revenge now, which is yet one more thread for Season 3 to pick up. The short version is that I think it’s kind of tacky for The Witcher to tackle subject matter like this when it doesn’t seem equipped to handle it, even if it’s (mostly) adapting the original books. I have more thoughts on this, which I articulated back in my review of Episode 4. That would make the elves a catch-all for basically every single persecuted minority throughout history. We see all of the kingdoms scheming to make use of Ciri for their own ends we see Rience and Lydia, the latter who now resembles Two-Face after her accident with the Witcher serum, and we get a glimpse of the true form of Philippa Eilhart, the owl who has been hanging out with Djikstra and Dara for much of the season.įrancesca, who has fully given up on trusting humanity, is out murdering babies in Redania, in a scene that seems intended to be evocative of a dark fantasy version of Passover. Speaking of next season, the last quarter or so of the finale is basically one long trailer for next year. We also get a glimpse of the Wild Hunt, an apocalyptic group of villains who will undoubtedly play a greater role in the season to come. Voleth Meir turns out to be a literal embodiment of pain and trauma, which also connects back to the Conjunction of the Spheres, and to Ciri blowing up the Monolith way back in Season 1 – still a sideshow, but I appreciate The Witcher’s attempts to tie her meaningfully into Ciri’s story. One of the reasons I think The Witcher has proven so popular is that it goes down easy – that Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer are likable characters who show just enough complexity to avoid being one-dimensional, but otherwise don’t have to be considered too deeply.Īnyway, suffice it to say that Voleth Meir is eventually defeated, Yennefer is somewhat redeemed (Geralt says he still doesn’t forgive her I hope he doesn’t), and the fragile bonds of family are formed. When you pay too much attention, the seams in the storytelling start to become apparent. I’ve reflected more than once that I would probably have been kinder to this season if I had just been watching it casually, probably while playing Animal Crossing or something. But also, a CG basilisk chews a Witcher’s head off in Kaer Morhen. Yes, there’s some pretty heavy subtext about Ciri emotionally leaving her biological family behind to join her found family in Geralt and Yennefer. It’s reflected again in this episode, which sees a possessed Ciri unleash a clutch of basilisks within Kaer Morhen, forcing the Witcher into a bloody battle while she wanders through her dream world. It makes me wonder if I might be thinking too hard about The Witcher, a show that makes broad gestures toward intrigue and emotional complexity, but is more content being a pulp fantasy series with magic and monster fights.
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