Netflix's The Witcher

[Wandering_Wand]

EDIT: For now, we've decided to discuss spoilers in this thread. PLEASE USE THE SPOIL TAG "[ SPOIL ] ABCD [ /SPOIL ]" (remove spaces in the brackets for your post) WHEN DISCUSSING CRUCIAL ELEMENTS OR QUESTIONS, ETC.


Hey everyone, I want to start a thread (didn't see anything recent) about Netflix's latest show The Witcher that premiered on December 20th, 2019.
I've provided very basic information immediately below, but the point of the thread is to be a place of discussion focusing on the show itself and the books it's being adapted from. NOTE: The show is NOT adapting the video games. This has been a point of discussion across the Internet regarding this show as most people are originally familiar with the games. I've posted some general information on those points as well.

Anyway, happy discussions!

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Quick Summary
The first season is adapting Andrezj Sapkowski's collection of short stories introducing The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia from The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. Official first season summary below:

Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.

It's important to note that the video games take place after the novels/stories, of which there are seven total when including the collection of short stories and main saga ending with The Lady of the Lake. The books are more or less based on Polish folklore, ancient culture, etc.


The first season's eight episode titles and chapters they're loosely adapting are below, for reference. The average run-time of the episodes throughout the entire season is about one hour:

1. "The End's Beginning" (The Lesser Evil)
2. "Four Marks" (Edge of the World)
3. Betrayer Moon (The Witcher)
4. Of Bastards, Banquets, and Burials (Question of Price)
5. Bottled Appetites (The Last Wish)
6. Rare Species (Bounds of Reason)
7. Before a Fall (Sword of Destiny)
8. Much More (Something More, the Battle of Sodden)

Timeline FYI
The show experiences some "time skips" and flashbacks in the first season as the show decided to set up the backstories of the other two main characters, Yennefer and Ciri. This has led to slight confusion among some viewers (both new and those familiar with the stories). The main purpose of this was to offer a proper introduction of the main trio outside of just Geralt. Thus, the first season showcases some intertwining threads from episode to episode. This does clear up by the end of the season, so stick with it and see how it all comes together!

Misc.
-Season two has already been ordered by Netflix and will air in late 2021.
-The Witcher medallion in the show is much closer to what's described in the books opposed to the commonly known wolf's head from the games.
-The showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich, has writing and producing credentials for shows such as The West Wing, Justice, Parenthood, Do No Harm, Private Practice, Daredevil, The Defenders, The Umbrella Academy
-For the English/American readers and audiobook listeners, Jaskier = Dandelion.

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