Witcher series for Netflix confirmed!

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I finished watching the show a week ago. I was impressed by it thanks in part to my low expectations, but it didn't blow my socks off either :shrug:

Its production quality ended up being better than I thought it was going to be but what caught me offguard the most were some of the changes compared to the books, for better or worse. There were some things I think they did fairly alright for the show's purpose, like linking the short stories to the Child of Destiny plot, and the expanded focus on Yennefer's backstory; but some other I didn't really enjoy at all, like some of the costume design, the plot pacing, turning the Brokilon segment into basically filler, and turning Nilfgaard into a not intimidating and not menacing enough kingdom run by zealots :facepalm:

The show also couldn't fully capture the characteristic slavic "charm" of the books like the games did big time. In an odd way, it felt more like a standard fantasy setting. Maybe the games spoiled me a lot in this regard, the art direction and writing in The Witcher 2 and 3 were truly wonderful :ok:

Despite all that, the show did have some commendable things. For instance, they managed to translate some of the books' darkness and comedy to the screen, some CGI and practical effects were really good, music was great (notably certain catchy song), and some of the actors were the absolute highlight of the show (mostly Geralt's, Yennefer's and Jaskier's, just to mention some) to the point of making their characters' interactions the main reason I keep rewatching some of the episodes.

Plus, generally speaking, despite some questionable artistic license, I felt like the showrunners did put a little of love into the show. They did care about some of the lore and the characters and I could tell that at least the people at Platige had a blast with this project, even if the CGI on the whole wasn't on par with the best we've seen in the industry.

Overall, it ended up being better than I expected but, at the same time, it didn't win my heart the way the books and the games did. I'm very glad that at least it managed to make more people aware of the books and the games :cool:

Hopefully the following seasons improve on some of the failures of the first one but, honestly, my expectations are still on a healthy low level. For the time being, nothing for me will beat the games.

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I'm only up to episode 5. I'm enjoying it so far. Could it be better? Probably, but I'll give them a pass for it being the first season. GoT, for example, in season 1 in terms of visuals and such was awful compared to the later seasons (of course the writing was leaps and bounds better than the later seasons). Throwing a big battle in Season 1 was probably not the smartest thing to do. I think it will take a bit of time to really hit their stride, but if they do it well, the Witcher can really blow up.

I do think it's a shame that CDPR's adaptations of post-book Witcher will never seen the screen as canon. I'd love if all three games would be included as a big mega story to close things out. TW1 would be tough because of the Alvin/Grand Master stuff, but it'd sure be lots of fun.
 
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Watching Vilgefortz lose to Cahir by melee was hilarious...

hilariously painful.

This TV show needs to improve a lot. There are a lot of big mistakes, many of them being technical, [...] , but the worst are those from the bad writing. Ehem, ehem showrunner. Yes I'm pointing you.

4 out of 10 for now.

Edited. -Drac
 
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I really enjoyed the Netflix series. My family also enjoyed it which is good because although they like fantasy media, they are not at all familiar with the Witcher universe (excluding my mum who read a couple of the books).

The people they cast have all smashed my expectations. I wasn't expecting Geralt's actor to be so good.

Cahir's actor is also reeeeeeally hot.
I felt like the TV show made him appear more evil than he is in the books though? He's kinda a sweet boi in the books, especially by the time he's travelling around with Geralt's band of merry men and Milva squad. I hope they haven't changed his character into a genuine bad guy but it's not looking good for him.

On thing I wasn't entirely happy with was in Episode 2. Those two elves. Yikes. Very cringey and long monologues that felt very out of place and irrelevant. Not sure what was going on there. The actress for the lady elf was really bad. I hope the elves are a bit cooler than that in the next season. Needs some Iorveth edge :D
 
Yeah, I don't agree with her. The parts she's defending could have been done better; the triple timeline thing wasn't a great idea, and she doesn't talk about character changes. Triss is nothing like the books. Same with Vilgefortz and Cahir.
 
Ciri isn't introduced several books later. Neither is Yennefer. Nice try, LSH. Are you saying that you needed more than 8 episodes to reach first meeting between Geralt and Ciri? Or Yennefer? Considering how much time you wasted on various useless subplots that don't really play into anything in the first season, you just needed to follow the books....

It reminds me of the excuse that LSH invented when she tried to defend the awful Nilf armor.
 
Spoilers, so be aware.

So, I still haven't watched the show. I have however heard from friends and family that they love it. Love it. As it happens these people haven't read the books or played the games.Hmm. :think:

What irks me most is how the show seems to be handling Triss. I mean don't. Don't...go there.
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White hair for Geralt and some form of cool abnormal eye colour? Check(though in the books he can change his pupils to slits at any time).
Dark hair and purple eyes for Yennefer? Check.

Triss? Oh. No...let's do our own little interpretation. #### the books. :rolleyes::(

Anyways...that aside...I have a question. My best friend insisted on reading Blood of Elves before watching the series. Mainly because he heard the series was to be based on Blood of Elves.
I advised him to at least read The Last Wish first before Blood of Elves.
I always wondered why they never based the show on The Last Wish. It is hands down the best gateway to the Witcher world.
Well-known folk tales cast in a darker light and grittier world by Sapkowski? Oh that's gold! (y)

Today, however I've heard from a dear family member(now a witcher fan) that couldn't help herself telling everything and anything, spoiling several things. After she apologised I said it's okay and asked her to tell it all, spoiling the major plot points of the series.
What I heard were major plot events not only from Blood of Elves but from The Last Wish AND Times of Contempt.

Hell, I picked something up about a
Golden dragon
so they even squeezed events from a Sword of Destiny in there as well? In one season!? What!?! :eek:

How can they do this? How is it possible?
Am I to be in awe for the sheer undertaking of it all, or is it a shit move made by the creators of the show?

Where does the show end then? How far into the books?
I'm asking so I can tell my best friend how much he is supposed to read, if he's still bent on reading before watching the show.
 
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Is that so? :think: Can I be that wrong? Actress playing Triss in the show just wasn't how I pictured Triss when I read the books.
I guess I have to re-read them again. :)
 
I can't call it great but I did enjoy the show. I think it would have benefited from a short prologue showing the process by which Witchers are created and their training with powers & swordplay...mainly for the benefit of audience members who have no knowledge of the books/games. I did enjoy it enough that I hope they are able to move forward with additional seasons...ideally without the variable timeline storytelling approach (which I found confusing initially).
 
Anyone watching the Witcher TV series on Netflix? Other than being an incredible show I was geeking out a lot during it because so much of what they mentioned I would reflect back on Gwent and how I knew what they were talking about from the card game. I never read the books, just played the games extensively. When they would introduce or talk about someone I would immediately think of the card from Gwent for that person. Was amazing how much this card game helped me to understand the lore of the TC show without having read the books (which the show is based on). Was some pretty cool moments and some key people from Gwent introduced.

Plus it is a kick *** show!
 
Anyone watching the Witcher TV series on Netflix? Other than being an incredible show I was geeking out a lot during it because so much of what they mentioned I would reflect back on Gwent and how I knew what they were talking about from the card game. I never read the books, just played the games extensively. When they would introduce or talk about someone I would immediately think of the card from Gwent for that person. Was amazing how much this card game helped me to understand the lore of the TC show without having read the books (which the show is based on). Was some pretty cool moments and some key people from Gwent introduced.

Plus it is a kick *** show!

You should read the books. The show is objectively mediocre, sometimes even bad as an adaptation. It only keeps the most superficial and basic stuff from the books ignoring many other important things. It's funny because all the games (being technically sequels) are far better adaptations than Netflix's series. If you also compare the show with the first two books on which it is based, then you can say that the show is objectively bad. It's entertaining? yeah sure, but that's precisely the problem, because with that source material from the books the show should be much more than only "entertainment"...
 

Hahaha, this made me laugh so much :)

It also sums up pretty well my feelings about the show - it might have technical or screenplay issues, but it has the characters, the heart and the soul that it won me with. I enjoyed it immensely, happy to see everyone benefitted from it too.
 
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