A key Witcher characteristic - one that's established quite early in the show - is that they can't feel emotions. Or at least, that's what people believe. It's quite obvious that Geralt has some deep emotions, even if he keeps them buried most of the time. Watching with me last season, a friend of mine suggested that this is a metaphor for toxic masculinity, and that part of Geralt's growth may be in surfacing the feelings he's repressed for so long. So when Ciri tries to become a Witcher herself to try and escape what I can only assume is her survivor's guilt over the events in Cintra, it makes sense that Geralt would be the one to finally get through to her after Triss and Vesemir fail. It leads to one of the most affecting exchanges in the series so far. Geralt's connection with Ciri has been one of The Witcher's biggest strengths in its second season, and their familial chemistry is once again on display in this episode. It's yet another example of Geralt's outsized influence outstripping his actual screentime. It's a credit to Henry Cavill that he consistently nails the handful of opportunities that Geralt has to show real emotional range, lending texture to a character who might otherwise be a two-dimensional Medieval Batman. This eight-part season is effectively a prologue for the show's main story, which has only just begun in the finale's last scene. And while that does mean that these hours do feel somewhat inconsequential and exposition-heavy, they do establish a fascinating world worth exploring. Indeed, as the credits roll you'll almost certainly reach for a copy of The Last Wish or boot up the games to continue that adventure. But if you do, you'll likely discover that Netflix's The Witcher has a bit of work to put in before it hits the high quality bar set by the story's other mediums.
Review of Turn Your Back
