The further into this season I go, the less decent it seems. I believe the beginning of the season was pretty decent, yet now, it's like it has become meandering, the spark fizzling out. I guess Rience's fire magic is a little too powerful.
I'm not interested in Fringilla's storyline with Francesca in Cintra, alongside the latter's pure-blooded elf baby's birth. I feel like there hasn't been enough focus on all of that for me to care about it. The structure of everything going on hasn't been as good as it should've been. It's been too long since the second episode with a lot of other stuff happening; too little of a continuous focus on that aspect of this season. I can't suddenly care, now. Despite it about to be more focused on due to the imminent arrival of Emhyr.
I think the episode became worthwhile once Yennefer showed up. Everything afterward was also more enjoyable, not just when Yennefer was on-screen. Other than that, there wasn't much excitement to be gleaned. I hope the last two episodes have more excitement and that the season ends on a good/high note.
I'm not interested in Fringilla's storyline with Francesca in Cintra, alongside the latter's pure-blooded elf baby's birth. I feel like there hasn't been enough focus on all of that for me to care about it. The structure of everything going on hasn't been as good as it should've been. It's been too long since the second episode with a lot of other stuff happening; too little of a continuous focus on that aspect of this season. I can't suddenly care, now. Despite it about to be more focused on due to the imminent arrival of Emhyr.
- It wasn't much, but the "fight sequence" against the Chernobog was cool. The first/final attack, I mean. The VFX of the blood as Geralt was slicing through it was a little shoddy-looking: but not super bad.
- cont.) And it would seem like a chernobog is something that wasn't in the novels, or the games, even. I'm still in the process of watching this season: so as not to spoil myself; because of that, I haven't looked more deeply into that to know for sure. All I did was google the name. And from the little preview sections under one or two articles, it mentions how it's entirely new.
- After watching the episode, I read the summary, and it genuinely took a few seconds to figure out who the close friend was. That's how much Roach's death went over my head into outer space, never to be seen again. I wonder if the writers meant for people to be emotionally impacted by her death because I wasn't.
- cont.) There will be a new Roach, like always, I'd imagine. Geralt's pretty up there age-wise. I bet he's had quite a few horses in his time. Ones that were killed by monsters, as this one was. And ones who died naturally. Just because this time it happened on-screen doesn't automatically make it impactful.
- Huh. So, what Cirilla recited that time in the first season is Ithlinne's Prophecy. Interesting. But how did Geralt know about that? Earlier in the episode, Cirilla did bring up the instance where that happened; because of that, I guess we're to assume that's how he knows. Yet she didn't tell him about what she recited. Not to mention, I think this is the first time that we know she remembers saying it later on in the episode, even though she was in that trance-like state.
- It's obvious how Geralt knows about her reciting something. It's just that I find it weird how the writers wrote Cirilla to bring up that very instance and then have her not mention the words she said during that instance. I guess it happened off-screen for some reason. Maybe I'm forgetting/missing something.
- I thought Yennefer and Geralt's reunion was wholesome, alongside Cirilla's involvement. A good ol' family. Already. How cute. I also liked Yennefer's personality in this episode. Specifically in the scene with all three of them; her attitude. It was completely different than how she's been in previous episodes, how she was in the first season, even. I wonder if it has anything to do with having hope now: hope to get her magic back.
- cont.) I feel like it's a mixture of that, reuniting with Geralt, and maybe a subtle hint of motherly-ness towards Cirilla that may already be blooming. Being a mother was an aspect of this episode with Francesca. I liked this new Yennefer, and I hope it's a Yennefer presented a lot of times in the novels: one that the writers will do the same in this show's future.
- Perhaps an unpopular opinion: the fight sequence with Geralt against Rience's gang was cool. The choreography wasn't bad, and it was nice seeing a fight sequence with hand-to-hand combat. Those who had the most responsibility, though, could've done a better job, I'll admit. Particularly the VFX. Besides that, I thought the way it was done filming-wise, along with its choreography, was decently done. It certainly beats that fight sequence in the "Rare Species" episode in the first season, the fight sequence in the cave.
I think the episode became worthwhile once Yennefer showed up. Everything afterward was also more enjoyable, not just when Yennefer was on-screen. Other than that, there wasn't much excitement to be gleaned. I hope the last two episodes have more excitement and that the season ends on a good/high note.