As Season 2 draws to a close, it feels in some ways like we've finally reached the starting line. If Season 1 was our introduction to the characters via a series of short stories, then Season 2 was about getting them together so their story could truly begin in earnest. I've criticized The Witcher's characterization, pacing, and worldbuilding throughout this season, but I'll grant that the board is now set. To that end, the final episode of Season 2 is split into two parts: dispensing with the Deathless Mother, and previewing Season 3. The former is handled through a large battle at Kaer Morhen, juxtaposed against a dream sequence in which Ciri is forced to confront her painful relationship with Calanthe, her racist and genocidal grandmother, as well as her lingering survivor's guilt from Cintra. The latter broadly canvasses Nilfgaard, Redania, and the rest of the Witcher's world, all of whom now have their own designs for Ciri. 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. 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. Yes, there's some pretty heavy subtext about Ciri emotionally leaving her biological family behind to join her found family in Geralt and Yennefer. But also, a CG basilisk chews a Witcher's head off in Kaer Morhen. Cool, right? 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 Family
