The Witcher (Spoilers)
CapnZapp
Legend
I've seen one episode so far.
The parts about Geralt were the best, by far. Even if the initial spider-thing fight wasn't spectacular, merely serviceable. The best sequences were the tavern and village fights. I'm not entirely sure what the young woman assassin story was about - I'm guessing she was just a random harassed girl who couldn't let go, even when she knew she was overmatched. I liked how people's hit points are on the outside in this universe; both she and Geralt took bloody wounds and still fought on. More of that, I say!
He comes across as too taciturn - there never is any good reason to turn off your actor's charm - but I'm willing to give it time. Lots of reviews compare the nudity to Game of Thrones, but a couple of completely inconsequential out-of-focus nude extras does not justify such high praise. Again, early days, though. I am to understand Geralt and the assassin girl hooked up, but honestly I'm not sure it wasn't just a dream. In any event, the AV Club used it as evidence of Netflix forcing nudity upon the showrunner - I'm completely confused because there wasn't any. (The reference to throatstabbing I did get).
The young princess' backstory was bad, real bad. Everything about the so-called war against Nilfgaard was hokey and artificial-looking. Stages were curiously empty. The battlefield scenes displayed no tactics. Fortifications and castle walls seemed to stop the attackers for like two seconds instead of the two months that would be realistic for such a huge city. The best I can say about it is that hopefully it will have no real impact on the story - it was basically just a low-budget placeholder. There must have been a more effective way to say "she runs from home and are chased by bad army". I do understand it will take quite a lot of episodes before her story amounts to much of anything.
The parts about Geralt were the best, by far. Even if the initial spider-thing fight wasn't spectacular, merely serviceable. The best sequences were the tavern and village fights. I'm not entirely sure what the young woman assassin story was about - I'm guessing she was just a random harassed girl who couldn't let go, even when she knew she was overmatched. I liked how people's hit points are on the outside in this universe; both she and Geralt took bloody wounds and still fought on. More of that, I say!
He comes across as too taciturn - there never is any good reason to turn off your actor's charm - but I'm willing to give it time. Lots of reviews compare the nudity to Game of Thrones, but a couple of completely inconsequential out-of-focus nude extras does not justify such high praise. Again, early days, though. I am to understand Geralt and the assassin girl hooked up, but honestly I'm not sure it wasn't just a dream. In any event, the AV Club used it as evidence of Netflix forcing nudity upon the showrunner - I'm completely confused because there wasn't any. (The reference to throatstabbing I did get).
The young princess' backstory was bad, real bad. Everything about the so-called war against Nilfgaard was hokey and artificial-looking. Stages were curiously empty. The battlefield scenes displayed no tactics. Fortifications and castle walls seemed to stop the attackers for like two seconds instead of the two months that would be realistic for such a huge city. The best I can say about it is that hopefully it will have no real impact on the story - it was basically just a low-budget placeholder. There must have been a more effective way to say "she runs from home and are chased by bad army". I do understand it will take quite a lot of episodes before her story amounts to much of anything.
CapnZapp
Legend
Ep 2: Still a bit hesitant storytelling. Watching a montage of sorcery training could have been fun, but this is slow and random. The Witcher's so-called adventure? Getting captured by elves, then released? The Princess kept doing nothing.
A filler episode. As the second episode! I'm getting a bit worried here. This wasn't supposed to be CW quality, this was supposed to be HBO quality!?
A filler episode. As the second episode! I'm getting a bit worried here. This wasn't supposed to be CW quality, this was supposed to be HBO quality!?
CapnZapp
Legend
Saw 3 and 4.
Episode 3 was really good. Impressive gothic monster mystery with a tragic backstory - earthy, fleshy, visceral; just like how I hoped the show would be.
It makes me wonder - if they can pull off a believable "spooky castle" like this, why shoot the Queen's castle scene on an obvious empty stage, with intensely fake-looking castle walls??
As an afterthought it really helped that there was not much time for Miss Going In A Circle. Yennefer's story was much more powerful and engaging this ep too.
Ep 4 was not bad exactly. Mushroom-y perhaps? The portal hopping reminded me of a strange movie a few years back - lots of impressive geography, thin story. Maybe it will pay off down the road. The Witcher was more of a spectator this time, and the post-scream directing was slow and ponderous. Up until that time, I did enjoy the "banquet". The actress playing the queen had much better material to work with than in the premiere.
Episode 3 was really good. Impressive gothic monster mystery with a tragic backstory - earthy, fleshy, visceral; just like how I hoped the show would be.
It makes me wonder - if they can pull off a believable "spooky castle" like this, why shoot the Queen's castle scene on an obvious empty stage, with intensely fake-looking castle walls??
As an afterthought it really helped that there was not much time for Miss Going In A Circle. Yennefer's story was much more powerful and engaging this ep too.
Ep 4 was not bad exactly. Mushroom-y perhaps? The portal hopping reminded me of a strange movie a few years back - lots of impressive geography, thin story. Maybe it will pay off down the road. The Witcher was more of a spectator this time, and the post-scream directing was slow and ponderous. Up until that time, I did enjoy the "banquet". The actress playing the queen had much better material to work with than in the premiere.
MarkB
Legend
Having finished the series, I thought it was pretty enjoyable. The way the series back-fills the story from the opening episode took a bit of getting used to, but it does a good job of showing the longevity of Witchers, and does gradually come together nicely.
I liked Geralt well enough as a character, but his plotlines desperately need more variety. "Man is the real monster" is a reasonable aphorism to convey, but after the second or third time around, it's safe to say that we get the message.
Yennifer's story was good, and reasonably well developed. Seeing it finally intertwine with Geralt's was good, but the two of them didn't really have enough on-screen chemistry to sell the romantic aspect.
The real disappointment was Ciri. She just seemed to spend every episode blundering through the latest peril and happening to get helped by some hapless throwaway characters or her own Mysterious Superpowers, without ever actually taking an active role in her destiny. It made it very difficult to keep caring what happened to her.
I liked Geralt well enough as a character, but his plotlines desperately need more variety. "Man is the real monster" is a reasonable aphorism to convey, but after the second or third time around, it's safe to say that we get the message.
Yennifer's story was good, and reasonably well developed. Seeing it finally intertwine with Geralt's was good, but the two of them didn't really have enough on-screen chemistry to sell the romantic aspect.
The real disappointment was Ciri. She just seemed to spend every episode blundering through the latest peril and happening to get helped by some hapless throwaway characters or her own Mysterious Superpowers, without ever actually taking an active role in her destiny. It made it very difficult to keep caring what happened to her.
CapnZapp
Legend
I've seen six episodes, and I've stopped caring.
The writing and especially pacing is just inept at places. Maybe, just maybe, it works if you're a diehard fan and know the stories already, but the showrunner is just incapable of providing the context needed for engaging the audience. (Those rabid fans might have a point some review sites come across as uninformed, but they miss the greater picture: that the review scores are more or less accurate. The quality simply isn't there and Netflix would have been wise to avoid the Game of Thrones comparisons)
Ms Chalotra fares the best - she's clearly giving it all, but even so, it's hard to care: so she's trying to find a way to get pregnant. So? There's no conflict here, no context to her powers or her place in the world.
The Witcher itself is simply too grumpy to be interesting. The show still works when the showrunner accepts it is about the monster of the week, and doesn't try to exceed her abilities. Cavill at least has his horse and his bard to talk to! Sadly, out of the six episodes watched, only one (#3) qualifies as a success: meaning the ambition doesn't outstrip the show's capabilities, budget and so on.
The Ciri subplot is simply weak-ass uninteresting. The actress got a thankless job and isn't nearly up to the task of carrying the Ciri segments alone, like Yennefer can (or at least comes close to). Initially I planned to discuss the shortcomings in plotting and pacing (introducing a whole forest of psychedelic space elves, and taking the time to set up a "should we take her in or throw her out" scene, only to completely ditch it in the very same episode?!
), but who cares - it's just painfully inept.
It doesn't look good for this show when someone like me who really identifies as the core audience for mature fantasy only gives one out of six episodes an unqualified pass. I'll probably watch the remaining two episodes when I have the time, but I don't see a future for this show unless some key people gets replaced.
tl;dr: I am disappoint.
The writing and especially pacing is just inept at places. Maybe, just maybe, it works if you're a diehard fan and know the stories already, but the showrunner is just incapable of providing the context needed for engaging the audience. (Those rabid fans might have a point some review sites come across as uninformed, but they miss the greater picture: that the review scores are more or less accurate. The quality simply isn't there and Netflix would have been wise to avoid the Game of Thrones comparisons)
Ms Chalotra fares the best - she's clearly giving it all, but even so, it's hard to care: so she's trying to find a way to get pregnant. So? There's no conflict here, no context to her powers or her place in the world.
The Witcher itself is simply too grumpy to be interesting. The show still works when the showrunner accepts it is about the monster of the week, and doesn't try to exceed her abilities. Cavill at least has his horse and his bard to talk to! Sadly, out of the six episodes watched, only one (#3) qualifies as a success: meaning the ambition doesn't outstrip the show's capabilities, budget and so on.
The Ciri subplot is simply weak-ass uninteresting. The actress got a thankless job and isn't nearly up to the task of carrying the Ciri segments alone, like Yennefer can (or at least comes close to). Initially I planned to discuss the shortcomings in plotting and pacing (introducing a whole forest of psychedelic space elves, and taking the time to set up a "should we take her in or throw her out" scene, only to completely ditch it in the very same episode?!
), but who cares - it's just painfully inept.It doesn't look good for this show when someone like me who really identifies as the core audience for mature fantasy only gives one out of six episodes an unqualified pass. I'll probably watch the remaining two episodes when I have the time, but I don't see a future for this show unless some key people gets replaced.
tl;dr: I am disappoint.
CapnZapp
Legend
Well, maybe I didn't have as high expectations.
I would have given the show a higher grade if it just accepted it was a show putting the Witcher short-stories on screen, and stopped trying to be something it clearly is incapable of.
Cf Justified. It's first season was very fun: self-contained small stories from Elmore's library. Then, when that well threatened to run dry (in seasons 2+), they switched to a more serialized format with a villain-of-the-season, and enacted a true masterpiece in the Margo Martindale season.
It would have been sooo much better if the Witcher showrunner started small, and only expanded the universe once she had managed to give us a reason to care for the characters.
I'm not entirely sure it's only the actors' fault. Their trysts are shot in a weird bloodless way - during the six episodes I've watched I don't think Geralt and Yennifer has touched each other's bodies even once.
It's hard selling a love story if the director/screenwriter has a weirdly chaste notion of their affair, almost like we're reading a chivalrous romance novel (with upper body nudity). And it makes no sense given how everything else in the Witcher universe is sold as fleshy, sexy and frank.
Similar Threads
