It’s pretty obvious that The Witcher wants to be Netflix’s flagship show. The 1st season was advertise

d and treated as a very big deal when it first exploded onto the scene. Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the titular monster killer was lauded by critics and fans alike, but the rest of it… wasn’t as well-received, let’s just say that. People were very much underwhelmed by cheap-looking CGI, subpar set design, and overly convoluted narrative.

The second season learned from some of the mistakes of its predecessor. To counterbalance the negativity, let’s focus on the most important things that they got right with the latest season of The Witcher.

#1. Ciri and Yennefer.

Geralt has had his fair share of love interests over the years (with varying degrees of success), but it was his relationship with Ciri that always seemed like the most important thing in the story. It’s the emotional core of The Witcher’s journey, if you will. Ciri actress Freya Allan turned in a career-making performance this season, she really is amazing at every turn. The same (to a lesser degree, though) can be said about Anya Chalotra’s performance as Yennefer of Vengerberg.

#2. It’s closer to the source material.

From the very moment the trailer for the second season dropped, you knew that it’s going to be a sleeker and brighter production. The thing that worried people was the fact that the series seems to steer away more and more from Andrzej Sapkowski’s original vision. Those doubts were quickly dispelled within the first few minutes of the second season’s first episode (“A Grain of Truth”).

#3. The direction.

Finally, we got to see acclaimed directors such as Stephen Surjik and Edward Bazalgette take the helm. The direction of the second season is PURE pleasure from start to finish. There was a real sense of style brought to season two. The first season did look like the world’s most generic, low-budget fantasy at times and that’s not a good look for a show that’s trying its best to become a ~flagship~ show.

#4. Sexy moments from Triss.

We won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say that it becomes increasingly obvious that Anna Shaffer is a very appealing lady. The women being sexualized with no shame at all is a part of the game’s enduring charm. Usually, Ciri and Triss go toe-to-toe with each other in terms of “sexy” moments, this show decided to focus on Triss and it’s all the better for it.

#4. The pacing.

Well, The Witcher has always had its bleak and/or emotional moments, but season two actually has time for them – it’s not hurried. The dialogue scenes are engaging enough without getting bogged down in the wordplay – one particularly clever scene sees Ciri and Geralt discuss something very mundane during a seemingly harrowing situation to provide much-needed comic relief. The pace is never frantic or too slow. It’s always exactly as it should be.

#5. The characterization.

Yes, we’ve only seen a handful of the show’s characters, but all of them do seem to get the most accurate and interesting characterization. It’s done in a far more pleasing way than what they were given in season one. Everything about Ciri, the crown princess with special powers, from the way she carries herself to the way she speaks is more on-point than it was in the past. All the new characters are also introduced with all the fanfare that they deserve.

If you enjoyed what the second season of The Witcher had to offer… Well, you’re in the minority. Also, you will be happy to learn that our website boasts quite an assortment of Witcher-related goodies. Most of the stuff we have here focuses on Geralt from the games, but there’s also at least one genuinely great STL file for 3D printing that celebrates Henry Cavill’s portrayal as well.

If 3D printing is not really your thing, but you still want to enjoy the best that this franchise has to offer, we advise you to check out a few comic books that we have available for free download. The Fox Children arc is quite possibly the best option for those that look for a simple tale that feels very much like a memorable sidequest from the games.