One of the strengths of this episode is seeing the trio acting kinda like a makeshift family and trying to just live for a while. The 'together' scenes are a little fakey with Yennefer always laughing in response to some pre-cut joke but the effect still works, although it raises a big question for the season going forward: what does Ciri actually want?
Throughout this season, Ciri's conflict begins to take more center stage: what does she actually want? Does she want to be queen, sorceress, witcher... or normie? The last option is the one that's never meaningfully offered to her, mostly because it seems so out of reach and she has all this baggage about destiny, but honestly the scenes and dialogue where acts like she just wants a life that is rooted in some form of 'normalcy' and stability are the most convincing. The later scenes this season where she ponders how important it is she change the world to be more peaceful honestly seem just less convincing compared to how she seems to want to act this episode. And of course, being a high-budget fantasy series Ciri has to end up being 'more' even if that's clearly not what the character really wants.
I think the season is playing out Ciri's internal conflict decently well, but I do feel like this episode raises particular questions on where that arc should actually end and how satisfying it will be when we get there.
Throughout this season, Ciri's conflict begins to take more center stage: what does she actually want? Does she want to be queen, sorceress, witcher... or normie? The last option is the one that's never meaningfully offered to her, mostly because it seems so out of reach and she has all this baggage about destiny, but honestly the scenes and dialogue where acts like she just wants a life that is rooted in some form of 'normalcy' and stability are the most convincing. The later scenes this season where she ponders how important it is she change the world to be more peaceful honestly seem just less convincing compared to how she seems to want to act this episode. And of course, being a high-budget fantasy series Ciri has to end up being 'more' even if that's clearly not what the character really wants.
I think the season is playing out Ciri's internal conflict decently well, but I do feel like this episode raises particular questions on where that arc should actually end and how satisfying it will be when we get there.