Bewitched by Netflix’s latest offering, the Henry Cavill starrer fantasy fiction series is already renewed for a second season.
Fans of fantasy fiction and gamers across the globe were united in their anticipation of a newly created TV series, The Witcher, based on books by Andrzej Sapkowski that have also been turned into a successful video game for PC and consoles.
Starring ex-Superman Henry Cavill, the first season was released on Friday, December 20th and has deeply divided viewers and critics - so far. Stick with us for a spoiler free preview as we talk Cavill, colour grading and the Continent.
Set in a fantasy landscape called the Continent (which bears several parallels with Europe), The Witcher revolves around the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a human who was transformed into a witcher, a magically endowed being created to rid the monsters that plagued the aforementioned landmass. It’s bloody, gory and unabashed about language and sexuality.
It has its fair share of terrifying beasts, elves, mages, wizards and sorcerers while being set against a taut backdrop of war and characters that can’t be deemed good or evil, only grey. For fans of fantasy fiction, the rules of the genre are applicable which means that the universe created is easy to understand and follow. The narrative shifts between the past and the present can be a bit disorienting but towards the end of the season all the threads start coming together and rules that govern the universe begin to exhibit not only their importance but also potency.
One of the mistakes one can make while beginning The Witcher or approaching the fantasy series is to assume that it’ll replace Game of Thrones. While they both fall into the same genre, the two universes are as poles apart as Harry Potter and the Narnia series. In GoT there were no rules to play by whereas the universe of The Witcher hasn’t shown a predilection for unpredictability and senseless violence yet. Plus, unlike GoT that had a large cast in which each character had the ability to change the course of the plot, The Witcher is strictly based around Cavill and the story stems from him.
Coming now to the lead character, Cavill, can we just say that we’re thrilled knowing his gorgeous face and sculpted body will continue to grace our TV screens till 2021 at least when the next season is touted to come out. An undoubted heart-throb, Cavill exchanged his red cape for a far sexier black costume and piercing orange lenses. His silver white hair and brooding intensity bring to mind Aragon from LoTR, the original fantasy dreamboat who captured countless hearts in the 2000s when essayed by Viggo Mortensen.
Not all is praiseworthy though and the show isn’t without its flaws. Our greatest pet peeve perhaps is with the opening episodes and the dark colour grading that seems to be the norm de rigueur. It isn’t exactly fun squinting at your TV screen, trying to figure out what’s transpiring in the show. It does get better as the season progresses and the pace picks up. While the first episode is extremely fast paced and keeps the audience hooked, episode two and three are perhaps the weakest in the series.
Get past those and you’ll find yourself being drawn into the magical universe of The Witcher. Those who end up liking the series - and we have an idea that by the time the next season rolls around, it’ll include a lot of the current naysayers - will happily embed themselves in the universe. Those who perhaps don’t have a head for fantasy or a stomach for gore might not find the plot as appealing. Whichever category you fall into, you’ll have watched the show either way!
