I honestly think no one working on the TV series read any of the books, lol, I feel like they did a quick wiki-summary of the books and decided they can do better? Some part feels like student director, writer and show runner making a show for the first time. We don't need to be beaten over the head with the theme of destiny over and over and geralt lack of emotion over and over...
Just finished episode 2. The best highlight of the episode is the final song:
The writing seems very rushed. I expect that things make little sense (for those who didn't read the books) because so much stuff was omitted. What happened to Lille and Dana Méadbh who play important role in that story? Really feels half baked, since it was cut to give Ciri and Yennefer screen time. I get the reason, but the result is far from satisfying... It feels like seriously missing on short stories which are the best material in the books. I'm not sure if the director realizes this.
Heh. The third episode is actually pretty good, I suppose because it focuses on the fight with the striga. I laughed when Geralt took out silver knuckles with wolves' heads
That combination with Yennefer's screaming was also well done.
The writing seems very rushed. I expect that things make little sense (for those who didn't read the books) because so much stuff was omitted. What happened to Lille and Dana Méadbh who play important role in that story? Really feels half baked, since it was cut to give Ciri and Yennefer screen time. I get the reason, but the result is far from satisfying... It feels like seriously missing on short stories which are the best material in the books. I'm not sure if the director realizes this.
Post automatically merged:
Heh. The third episode is actually pretty good, I suppose because it focuses on the fight with the striga. I laughed when Geralt took out silver knuckles with wolves' heads
That combination with Yennefer's screaming was also well done.
Last edited:
Man, this Striga battle was like something out of Guyver: Dark Hero, but not as nearly as good. Even her costume was lacking. And this is one thing I have big issue with the show - the costumes in general are absolutely not convincing and insequential, if that makes sense (an I am trying very hard not to say cheap). Especially the Geralt costume needed to be more dilapidated, and not with brand new shiny straps and everything. Ciri after running from fires, through desert and snow, and her cloak is as bright and clean as new. But the Striga battle - how could you have such amazingly directed sequence in E1 and this one here just bland and generic. Laughable at moments.
Also as someone above mentioned - why was Foltest replaced with Henselt? Where was the charismatic, smart and thoughtful Temerian king we all know and love?
Maybe I am spoiled from GoT gritty and realistic quality (also Deadwood, if you've happened to watch the series), but oh my. Were they rushing? Did they not had enough budget? I see they had for some really great CGI scenes and then I see the costumes and we transit to a questionable CGI scene and am like - WTF?
I hate to nitpick on this show like that, but last two weeks I was watching some quality stuff for a change (Quarry, Mr. Mercedes, Ford VS Ferrari), but man, this show is so infuriatingly confusing. WTF were those writers thinking too? The director too - the editing is all over the place, confusing and taking you out of the story at crucial moments.
I wanted to like it more, but this show is just mediocre. Reminds me of this Salem series from few years back - it had most of the same issues.
Also as someone above mentioned - why was Foltest replaced with Henselt? Where was the charismatic, smart and thoughtful Temerian king we all know and love?
Maybe I am spoiled from GoT gritty and realistic quality (also Deadwood, if you've happened to watch the series), but oh my. Were they rushing? Did they not had enough budget? I see they had for some really great CGI scenes and then I see the costumes and we transit to a questionable CGI scene and am like - WTF?
I hate to nitpick on this show like that, but last two weeks I was watching some quality stuff for a change (Quarry, Mr. Mercedes, Ford VS Ferrari), but man, this show is so infuriatingly confusing. WTF were those writers thinking too? The director too - the editing is all over the place, confusing and taking you out of the story at crucial moments.
I wanted to like it more, but this show is just mediocre. Reminds me of this Salem series from few years back - it had most of the same issues.
I give the series 7/10 after season 1 and greatly anticipate season 2. The weaknesses first:
- Supporting cast: Some downright lack-luster performances in the lesser roles.
- CGI: Some of the monsters and most of the big epic scenes leave a lot to be desired. The gold dragon in particular was cringe-worthy.
- The final scene of episode 8. The books and in particular the game captured this waaaay better.
Strengths:
- Cavill as the Witcher. He is bang on in my eyes. Captures his gloom and sullen ways perfectly and still manages to convey that there is more beneath the gruff exterior. Even more impressive is his physical presence and the combat-scenes. Cavill really comes to life as Geralt when swords are out.
- Main characters are well acted and fit the descriptions from the books.
- Supporting cast: Some downright lack-luster performances in the lesser roles.
- CGI: Some of the monsters and most of the big epic scenes leave a lot to be desired. The gold dragon in particular was cringe-worthy.
- The final scene of episode 8. The books and in particular the game captured this waaaay better.
Strengths:
- Cavill as the Witcher. He is bang on in my eyes. Captures his gloom and sullen ways perfectly and still manages to convey that there is more beneath the gruff exterior. Even more impressive is his physical presence and the combat-scenes. Cavill really comes to life as Geralt when swords are out.
- Main characters are well acted and fit the descriptions from the books.
I have two episodes left.
Overall I am really enjoying the show and I think for the most part, they got the casting spot on.
Was surprised by Foltest but by no means does it ruin the show. The biggest issue I have is with how much they have diverged from the books. I don't mind things being different to a degree but some of the stories felt like a total re-write. Broadly speaking the outcome is the same but how we get there is often totally different, and not as good as the books. I don't mind how the timelines jump around but, I don't think many who did not read the book, would spot that.
I was hoping the first episode would be 'The Witcher' and be very similar to the books. It wasn't..It was still good, and everyone I know who has not read the books is absolutely loving it. Book fans often have expectations that are never going to be met.
I don't think the show is bad, I would give it 8/10 at a minimum. It is more a case of me re-adjusting from a book mindset, to s TV show mindset. But I hope that they try to stay closer to source material in future. I think the short stories are the best things about the Witcher books and really don't need much improvement.
Overall I am really enjoying the show and I think for the most part, they got the casting spot on.
Was surprised by Foltest but by no means does it ruin the show. The biggest issue I have is with how much they have diverged from the books. I don't mind things being different to a degree but some of the stories felt like a total re-write. Broadly speaking the outcome is the same but how we get there is often totally different, and not as good as the books. I don't mind how the timelines jump around but, I don't think many who did not read the book, would spot that.
I was hoping the first episode would be 'The Witcher' and be very similar to the books. It wasn't..It was still good, and everyone I know who has not read the books is absolutely loving it. Book fans often have expectations that are never going to be met.
I don't think the show is bad, I would give it 8/10 at a minimum. It is more a case of me re-adjusting from a book mindset, to s TV show mindset. But I hope that they try to stay closer to source material in future. I think the short stories are the best things about the Witcher books and really don't need much improvement.
I have only played the games and in part 3 you can lift the curse between Geralt and Yennefer. I know the story is explained in The Last Wish (book). However, now that I have seen the episode where Geralt makes his last wish, I have to ask: what was his wish and why is Yennefer also bound by it? Did Geralt wish for Yennefer to fall in love with him and, if so, why?
I think episode 3 may have been my favorite. The monster design isn't as good as the games but I liked their depiction of the castle and the horror vibes. Also when Geralt gets it in the neck, Henry's acting is spot on.
@4RM3D
The last wish isn't explicitly worded in the book but it's suggested that Geralt wished for Yennefer's fate to be bound to his to protect her from the Djinn's wrath. The Djinn would've otherwise killed her for her attempt to trap him.
True. But in the Netflix series, she doesn't find out what the wish is until later, and given the way she reacts, I don't think that's the interpretation that the series is putting on it. Sadly.
Surprising so far so little was contributed to the Gamepedia Witcher wiki about the series.
Hey guys. Remember me? I came back from the dead just to comment on the show.
I honestly was ready to hate it and expected so little... that I was actually surprised. It's not that bad, I'd say it is in fact very watchable but I can see how it might be very confusing to people who 1) are not already familiar with the stories and 2) only played the games and expected high intensity action all the time.
I don't love the character modifications but I honestly don't care much, it's a reinterpretation of a fantasy universe with magic so as long as it is coherent, anything goes. I really don't see the point in recreating the short stories and novels line by line, for that matter could just read the novels. I do think it feels a bit too light and a bit rushed, and many important details are left out so the episodes (so far) don't have the impact or effect they should (but they remind me of the original stories which are excellent).
Also yeah the special effects kinda suck and the monsters look tacky but I have honestly seen much worse. The whole point of the saga is not even fighting monsters.
Anyway, nobody asked for my opinion but here it is. Hope you're all doing OK.
I honestly was ready to hate it and expected so little... that I was actually surprised. It's not that bad, I'd say it is in fact very watchable but I can see how it might be very confusing to people who 1) are not already familiar with the stories and 2) only played the games and expected high intensity action all the time.
I don't love the character modifications but I honestly don't care much, it's a reinterpretation of a fantasy universe with magic so as long as it is coherent, anything goes. I really don't see the point in recreating the short stories and novels line by line, for that matter could just read the novels. I do think it feels a bit too light and a bit rushed, and many important details are left out so the episodes (so far) don't have the impact or effect they should (but they remind me of the original stories which are excellent).
Also yeah the special effects kinda suck and the monsters look tacky but I have honestly seen much worse. The whole point of the saga is not even fighting monsters.
Anyway, nobody asked for my opinion but here it is. Hope you're all doing OK.
Last edited:
After mulling it over since finishing it I'd give it a 6.5-7/10.
I stand by earlier statements on acting. The major characters heavily involved in the show from start to finish did well. Most of the secondary characters did not, however. I'm not sure if this was due to the writing or the acting ability. It felt more like the latter of the two. Again, I wasn't too concerned with the look of the characters. But if someone can't act then... they can't act. This was on full display with numerous secondary characters.
Both CGI and costume design was sub-par. In fairness, I can't think of many shows without bloated budgets where outer-worldly creatures looked good. This is a real problem for a show with a "monster hunter" as a central figure. Costume design, on the other hand, isn't very excusable. Perhaps this boils down to taste. I cannot help but think it was more lack of effort or quality to blame here.
Overall, the story and narrative left a lot to be desired. The biggest offender here was trying to cram too much stuff into 8 episodes worth of show. It's not the first show with this problem. It won't be the last. I understand trying to explore different areas, timelines, characters, etc. but it did end up feeling rushed. The execution would have been better if they had focused more on various areas and left others for later seasons.
A good example of this would be the shifts in timelines. They were not terribly difficult to follow but without knowing about the characters beforehand it could easily have caught people off guard. More importantly, it felt like an inefficient use of time. Early on these time shifts were setup and continued through the show. Later they even devoted time to come around full circle and nail the point home. Execution was poor here. They could have done a better job of making those shifts obvious. Say, slapping year dates up or something. This could have freed up more time to explore other areas, instead of dedicating a chunk of time to clearing it up later in the show.
Getting back to the point, a lot of the independent areas had much more to offer. They could have been explored better. Making cuts to fit so many events into one package was a mistake. The overall information should have been presented with a slower pace. Cover a few areas here or there but invest heavily in them. Expand the "vision" for the show out for multiple seasons. In the end it felt like it lacked cohesion and came off as a mishmash of events thrown together, without enough built-up direction.
The smaller fight scenes were well done. Aside from a few which felt forced. The larger scale battles, not so much. Again, a common problem in TV series/movies. Apparently, large scale battles means army A bull-rushes army B to the bean counters. Very little respectable strategy or tactics involved. It ends up as a pool of carnage in a big ball instead of anything remotely believable. I expect better.
Overall I thought it was worth the watch. Provided expectations are set appropriately at the outset. It's not like Netflix is a gold-mine of TV/movie awesomeness. Going forward, the show runners need to step up their game. Otherwise I'd expect it to last another season or two tops before getting the axe.
I stand by earlier statements on acting. The major characters heavily involved in the show from start to finish did well. Most of the secondary characters did not, however. I'm not sure if this was due to the writing or the acting ability. It felt more like the latter of the two. Again, I wasn't too concerned with the look of the characters. But if someone can't act then... they can't act. This was on full display with numerous secondary characters.
Both CGI and costume design was sub-par. In fairness, I can't think of many shows without bloated budgets where outer-worldly creatures looked good. This is a real problem for a show with a "monster hunter" as a central figure. Costume design, on the other hand, isn't very excusable. Perhaps this boils down to taste. I cannot help but think it was more lack of effort or quality to blame here.
Overall, the story and narrative left a lot to be desired. The biggest offender here was trying to cram too much stuff into 8 episodes worth of show. It's not the first show with this problem. It won't be the last. I understand trying to explore different areas, timelines, characters, etc. but it did end up feeling rushed. The execution would have been better if they had focused more on various areas and left others for later seasons.
A good example of this would be the shifts in timelines. They were not terribly difficult to follow but without knowing about the characters beforehand it could easily have caught people off guard. More importantly, it felt like an inefficient use of time. Early on these time shifts were setup and continued through the show. Later they even devoted time to come around full circle and nail the point home. Execution was poor here. They could have done a better job of making those shifts obvious. Say, slapping year dates up or something. This could have freed up more time to explore other areas, instead of dedicating a chunk of time to clearing it up later in the show.
Getting back to the point, a lot of the independent areas had much more to offer. They could have been explored better. Making cuts to fit so many events into one package was a mistake. The overall information should have been presented with a slower pace. Cover a few areas here or there but invest heavily in them. Expand the "vision" for the show out for multiple seasons. In the end it felt like it lacked cohesion and came off as a mishmash of events thrown together, without enough built-up direction.
The smaller fight scenes were well done. Aside from a few which felt forced. The larger scale battles, not so much. Again, a common problem in TV series/movies. Apparently, large scale battles means army A bull-rushes army B to the bean counters. Very little respectable strategy or tactics involved. It ends up as a pool of carnage in a big ball instead of anything remotely believable. I expect better.
Overall I thought it was worth the watch. Provided expectations are set appropriately at the outset. It's not like Netflix is a gold-mine of TV/movie awesomeness. Going forward, the show runners need to step up their game. Otherwise I'd expect it to last another season or two tops before getting the axe.
I have a feeling it's not Lauren Schmidt Hissrich's fault, but Netflix's. She probably couldn't go wider with more seasons even though it indeed would make sense here.
Post automatically merged:
Watching ep 5.
Hilarious sequence
Last edited: