The Witcher

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 20, 2019
Season #: 4, 3.5, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2682 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,028 out of 2682
  2. Mixed: 201 out of 2682
  3. Negative: 453 out of 2682

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User Reviews

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  1. Andystovall26
    Sep 1, 2023
    10
    The User score is what matters here. These are the people watching the show, paying money to get Netflix going. It was nice to see a character (Witcher) so accurate to the game! Ya know, the people spending $ 60 to play the game and another $20 for netflix. WE were happy with this. Y'all wonder why you're loosing money and bo one think of you as journalists lol.
  2. Dechard27
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Awesome show and great acting, season 2 was almost as good and season 3 has now killed the show… I couldn’t even finish season 3, it was that bad.
  3. Dimocracy
    Jul 6, 2023
    9
    Thanks to this series, I got acquainted with the wonderful world of Andrzej Sapkowski - I started reading books and playing games. Thank you, Netflix, for such a pleasant acquaintance. The series itself is a good one. However, the only good casting is in Geralt and Dandellion.
  4. Ahoythere
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    I enjoy watching Geralt navigate tricky moral situations like that one time he
  5. buhu
    Dec 29, 2022
    10
    A great beginning. Very strony start to the series, bringing us into this amazing world
  6. Drakonien
    Oct 13, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really enjoyed watching this first season, as it was a season which is really staying close to the books. Every episode I watched, i relatively quickly knew which chapter its source was, and that is good. I also liked the new storyline telling a bit about the background story of Yennefer. The only thing I did not like was the ending: It was my favourite chapter in the book and I don't feel like it has been done justice here.

    I don't get why the second season had to be so bad...
    I'd still highly recommend giving the first one a watch!    … Expand
  7. RazorNivek
    Jun 9, 2022
    10
    The Witcher Netflix ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
  8. cylun
    Jan 7, 2022
    10
    This season just blew me away. They tried something new with the time jumps and it worked for me. You can try new things without deviating too much from the source material.
  9. Onlyclassicvg1
    Jan 4, 2022
    7
    Geralt acude a un bardo para obtener un consejo mientras Yennefer descubre lo importante que es Ciri. La visita del emperador Emhyr a Cintra aumenta las tensiones.
  10. bluewitch84
    Dec 21, 2021
    9
    Witcher 1 is awesome. I just tried to watch season 2 and was disappointed 4 eps. in. There is no edge or allure like season 1 has. They did away with the sex and nude scenes (even a bath scene with 4 girls including yennifer was shot on purpose so we could no see nudity) - lame! Come on, the formula works well in the 1st season so why change it. I recommend season 1 for a great actionWitcher 1 is awesome. I just tried to watch season 2 and was disappointed 4 eps. in. There is no edge or allure like season 1 has. They did away with the sex and nude scenes (even a bath scene with 4 girls including yennifer was shot on purpose so we could no see nudity) - lame! Come on, the formula works well in the 1st season so why change it. I recommend season 1 for a great action show with cool fights and sexy scenes with nudity.… Expand
  11. Jerminator
    Dec 12, 2021
    9
    Henry cavill and the rest of the cast are amazing but the episodes keep going back and forth through time which kinda makes it hard to follow otherwise it's a great show
  12. truerock
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    The Witcher is a series loosely based on the action/adventure/fantasy video games of the same name. The video game is based on novels of the same name written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Sapkowski's work is often used for source material on various entertainment projects.

    I'll say I was almost shocked at the high quality of this video series. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was the    The Witcher is a series loosely based on the action/adventure/fantasy video games of the same name. The video game is based on novels of the same name written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Sapkowski's work is often used for source material on various entertainment projects.

    I'll say I was almost shocked at the high quality of this video series. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich was the creator and showrunner for the series - which I did not know until after I watched the first episode. She has a very respectable filmography and I assume she has a very large role in the high quality of the series.

    Obviously, not everyone is going to like an action/adventure/fantasy video series - but, if this is the type of subject material you favor, I would highly recommend that you watch this series.

    It probably needs to be pointed out that Lauren Schmidt Hissrich first noteworthy writing effort was for the liberal/leftest American TV series "The West Wing". Hissrich has a strong liberal/leftest ideology that she imparts to this series. Some viewers may not be able to accept this because they are so strongly opposed to her political and social beliefs and/or because it is not within the original spirit of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski works. Regardless, the series itself is of high quality within the context of writing, casting, acting, directing, editing, costume, set design, etc, etc.

    I just now took a look at the Metacritic user-ratings .This show is obviously not a "10" and it is obviously not a "0" - but, somewhere betwixt. There is an obvious highly emotional reaction to how Hissrich has deviated from the source material and re-imagined the Witcher into a woke/social-justice platform. I'm ignoring that issue for the most part in my review as I prefer to ignore political/religious/social issues in regard to fictional entertainment.    … Expand
  13. pur__0_0__
    Aug 18, 2021
    10
    The Witcher was the most legendary looking I ever watched at the time. This is something which might actually become a big franchise in the future if used properly. I have never played the game, though I have The Witcher Enhanced Edition on my GOG account. Because of this at first I was hesitant to watch this show, since I thought I won't understand anything. But later I got to know thisThe Witcher was the most legendary looking I ever watched at the time. This is something which might actually become a big franchise in the future if used properly. I have never played the game, though I have The Witcher Enhanced Edition on my GOG account. Because of this at first I was hesitant to watch this show, since I thought I won't understand anything. But later I got to know this is based on the book and not the game, so I was able to enjoy this.
    Geralt of Rivia is my favourite mythological character now. His entry in the first scene was very badass, where he rips out a monster and exits. Initially I had only begun watching this for the memes, but slowly I started liking all the characters. In the first episode itself there is the scene where Geralt kills all the villagers and walks out of there. This precedes a meme template which I'm not allowed to write in this review since it's a cuss word.
    There is a lot of world building here. We have all the landscapes, the creatures, the people, the lifestyle. It really feels like an RPG. The kids who used to ask everyone to watch Game of Thrones must be rolling in their graves after watching this. It clearly did more world building in just 2 episodes than Game of Thrones did in one whole season. There are many concepts that are explained throughout the series and all the background and context that is required to understand what is happening. The character development is also intense, especially for Yennefer when she transforms into a crooked outcast to a beautiful woman.
    My favourite character in the show is the bard. His song, "Toss a coin to your Witcher, oh valley of plenty!" is now stuck in my head and is playing in a loop as I'm writing this review. My favourite episode was the one where all the different characters go out in the mountains to hunt for the golden dragon, and in the end the golden dragon reveals himself before Geralt. It is also the first thing I remember when I think of The Witcher.
    It's good to see video game adaptations are finally getting better, and stories from lesser developed countries like Poland are being heard all over the world. I hope this series never gets ruined by the campiness that eventually haunted DCEU or Game of Thrones. This show needs to stay longer. It has inspired me to play the games once I get a gaming PC. It's a cultural phenomenon for us gamers and we must support it if we want to make ourselves and our hobby more recognised.    … Expand
  14. Lucas565
    Mar 3, 2021
    10
    Uma das melhores séries que existem eu recomendo ela é maravilhosa mesmo.
  15. abm0
    Dec 24, 2020
    9
    As a first-contact with this franchise, I loved it and want to see more. Best part was the CGI and how much it was used to do mages justice, with large-scale/epic spells (like in Warcraft), not micro-magic BS like in Harry Potter or other kids' Fantasy shows. Then Cavill was impressive for being able to play a very different character, more sombre and brooding than what he's been famousAs a first-contact with this franchise, I loved it and want to see more. Best part was the CGI and how much it was used to do mages justice, with large-scale/epic spells (like in Warcraft), not micro-magic BS like in Harry Potter or other kids' Fantasy shows. Then Cavill was impressive for being able to play a very different character, more sombre and brooding than what he's been famous for. Good and very good acting all around, some weaknesses in the dialogues here and there, some strange choices in the storytelling (mainly the timeline treatment, though I did also enjoy having the challenge to piece it all together - might be something that makes me rewatch it before S2 comes out). Greatest disappointment would be how high my expectations went after seeing the first part of Yen's evolution and finding out online that she's supposedly a very powerful sorceress, only to see her presented as... slightly above-average on confidence, knowledge and power for the rest of the season. Maybe they're reserving the more impressive Yen for later, when we start to get bored of seeing Geralt using the same strengths over and over. Oh, and one of the strongest points of this first season is a certain 1-on-1 swordfight scene that was better than any swordfight I'd seen in the last ~20 years.… Expand
  16. movingpictures
    May 3, 2020
    9
    Kevin Sorbo's Hercules by way of Game of Thrones aesthetic

    It starts out as episodic tales of the wandering hero who values solitude and few words and it builds to a larger connected more epic adventure story. It grew on me. I'm not gonna lie; I didn't like the first few episodes. But I stuck with it. I got used to the humor and the comic character and just surrendered to the show    Kevin Sorbo's Hercules by way of Game of Thrones aesthetic

    It starts out as episodic tales of the wandering hero who values solitude and few words and it builds to a larger connected more epic adventure story.

    It grew on me. I'm not gonna lie; I didn't like the first few episodes. But I stuck with it. I got used to the humor and the comic character and just surrendered to the show and had fun with it.. and I'm happy I did! The last half of the season is particularly impressive. I can't wait to see what happens next :)

    One request: please stop breaking the 4th wall. That is all.    … Expand
  17. Diptanshu
    Apr 25, 2020
    8
    Entertaining!Henry cavill was perfect as geralt!Amazing music whole season!Great acting by henry,freya,the queen and anya they were amazing!story was way too complex it was hard to keep track at start it was too fast paced!episode 1 was amazing but i felt the origin simply was good but whatever it was it was amazing the fight and action in this episode and last 2 episodes were damnEntertaining!Henry cavill was perfect as geralt!Amazing music whole season!Great acting by henry,freya,the queen and anya they were amazing!story was way too complex it was hard to keep track at start it was too fast paced!episode 1 was amazing but i felt the origin simply was good but whatever it was it was amazing the fight and action in this episode and last 2 episodes were damn awesome!episode 3 was shockingly awesome the timeline aspect was great until then i felt it was all same timeline!some episodes felt little off the tracks as there theme changed but the destiny thing was bind at last and episode 7 was amazing as hell the end was satisfying the meeting and the music it was amazing waiting for season 2 hope they give little time to settle the fast paced story and theme!overall amazing entertaining action adventurous season!… Expand
  18. LucaCritics
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    The Witcher Season 1 Review: 7.5/10
    This show has so much potential. It has a very talented cast and an amazing story. Hope they'll manage the time differences better in the next season but besides that the first season of The Witcher was very enjoyable and entertaining.
  19. Rtmitchell
    Feb 1, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Odd casting choices here and there but otherwise stays pretty true to the feel of the source materials and other adaptations. I felt the timeline skipping about was a bit chaotic and hard to follow without prior knowledge of the lore.… Expand
  20. Smarvinho
    Jan 30, 2020
    10
    Eu achei a 1 temporada maravilhosa, eu amei e achei muito bom o desenvolvimento dos personagens, o enredo e achei bem interessante a forma que a linha do tempo se forma, nota 10.
  21. czg
    Jan 28, 2020
    7
    To get things quickly outta the way: this series is not a replacement for Game of Thrones, but it was not ever intended as such.
    The season has some pacing issues and takes some time to get going. However, when it does, it is undeniably enjoyable, especially for all its differencies from the other series mentioned before. The main characters, Cavil's Geralt, and Anya Chalotra's Yennefer    To get things quickly outta the way: this series is not a replacement for Game of Thrones, but it was not ever intended as such.
    The season has some pacing issues and takes some time to get going. However, when it does, it is undeniably enjoyable, especially for all its differencies from the other series mentioned before. The main characters, Cavil's Geralt, and Anya Chalotra's Yennefer are very well played, a joy to watch, and have really good chemistry. With Yennefer, it's great to see a badass female character in the truest sense.
    The dark fantasy world with Eastern European tinges takes a bit of an acquired taste. For me, the way magic works here makes a bit more sense than in other series.
    All in all, it's a good choice if you are looking for something a bit different. I very much hope that the creators will resolve the pacing issues. I would give it a 6 with an heavy emphasis on that I would definitely like to see a second season - which can be translated to a 7.    … Expand
  22. zNeverSleeping
    Jan 25, 2020
    7
    A escolha de narrativa nessa serie foi deveras perigosa. Escolheram um rumo que, por conta de um universo rico, poderia se passaria por confusa ou mal entendida. Felizmente isso não acontece o tempo todo, e se você prestar atenção, da pra entender como as coisas chegam onde elas estão. Porém, acho que tudo ficou muito... corrido. Como ponto positivo, ficamos presos a serie, querendo saberA escolha de narrativa nessa serie foi deveras perigosa. Escolheram um rumo que, por conta de um universo rico, poderia se passaria por confusa ou mal entendida. Felizmente isso não acontece o tempo todo, e se você prestar atenção, da pra entender como as coisas chegam onde elas estão. Porém, acho que tudo ficou muito... corrido. Como ponto positivo, ficamos presos a serie, querendo saber o que acontecerá e tudo mais, como ponto negativo, isso limita muito a evolução de personagens, como a Yennefer, que em pouco mais de 1 episodio, muda radicalmente sua personalidade. Acredito sim que isso tenha embasamento nos livros, mas a serie apenas diz que o tempo passou, mal passa uma duzia de acontecimentos mascantes e já nos apresenta a personagem completamente mudada. Eu acredito que eles poderiam focar mais em caçadas, diálogos, contextualização do universo, e dai partirem para o foco principal que até então era "secundário". Até porque, quem não jogou os jogos ou leu os livros, se sentirá perdido aqui. O que não agrada o publico geral, e nem o especifico pois eu sei que há mudanças aqui que não foram bem aceitas entre os fans.

    O primeiro episodio foi um desastre, mas conseguem tomar rumo após o segundo. Devo admitir que eu tinha um pouco de preconceito inconsciente com o Henry Cavill, pois não achava que ele daria conta de um personagem como esse, visto os filmes no qual ele é mais "marketado", porém, tive uma surpresa grande aqui. O ator demonstra conhecimento sobre o personagem, mesmo nos mínimos detalhes, e apresenta um trabalho de voz incrível. Quanto as outras interpretações, nada chama muita atenção.    … Expand
  23. Unraed87
    Jan 21, 2020
    9
    Amazing. Henry Cavil nails it as Gerald. great character development in this first season, can't wait for the second one, where things should get more wild.
  24. OldSilentHill
    Jan 19, 2020
    9
    I'm surprised, it's pretty good.

    1. It demands a lot of atenttion from the viewer, but it pays, a lot.

    2. I was worried about the product design after the trailer, but man was I wrong, it has great quality valies.

    3. I was worried about Henry Cavil performance. He is almost a perfect copy of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher 3. He really nailed it.

    Looking forward for season 2!
  25. Genji1
    Jan 13, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. as i write this the critic reviews sit at 53, which proves there stupidity, this is a great show. Witcher is pretty enjoyable, Henry Cavill is phenomanal as Geralt. The only real problems with this show is the timeline issue that scene to scene you are switching timelines. If you can figure that out tho the show is fantastic.… Expand
  26. markcd1234
    Jan 11, 2020
    10
    This show is amazing, it did what shows are supposed to do, it took a person that had never heard of this story franchise, and made it to where I can't wait for more. Well done Netflix, now don't screw it up like they did with GOT.
  27. Penellope
    Jan 10, 2020
    10
    It's amazing, stan Yennefer of Vengerberg...................................
  28. isomarcus
    Jan 10, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yes the casting of Triss is wrong... but still.. everything else is 100% true to the witcher saga

    Cavill is a treasure, he portraits Geralt perfectly

    The music is spot on

    And in many aspects the show is truer to the books than the games

    All in all, a must see for every witcher fan    … Expand
  29. Sagitbiatch
    Jan 10, 2020
    10
    A beautiful ode to the books and game, amazing acting and direction. An intelligent show that believes in its audience. Brilliant!
  30. Val0409
    Jan 10, 2020
    10
    Série maravilhosa. Para quem gosta desse universo de fantasia, pode assistir sem medo.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019
77
#77 Most Shared TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Nick Hilton
    Jan 3, 2020
    40
    The Witcher is a messy tangle of plotlines in a world underdeveloped to the point of obscurity.
    Read full review
  2. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Jan 3, 2020
    60
    As a mindless fantasy rollercoaster, Geralt’s journey is five stars all the way to tea-time. Sadly, for those who like brains with their brawn, it may be more of a slog.
    Read full review
  3. Time
    Reviewed by: Judy Berman
    Dec 20, 2019
    30
    It takes a while for viewers to learn how these characters are connected, via an exasperating Westworld-esque narrative knot that takes much of the season to unfurl. ... The Witcher heightens our confusion by fumbling details that would have helped it set a cohesive tone. Dialogue vacillates, from line to line, between theatrical fantasy-speak and modern colloquialisms (“Dragons are, in fact, a thing!”).
    Read full review
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