The Witcher

:

Season 2
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 20, 2019
Season #: 4, 3.5, 3, 2, 1
User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 803 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 231 out of 803
  2. Mixed: 106 out of 803
  3. Negative: 466 out of 803

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User Reviews

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  1. Angar
    Aug 3, 2023
    1
    I was too dumb to understand plot, please dumb it down more. +1 point because of Henry Cavill still beeing Geralt.
  2. Digital_Kitchen
    Jul 30, 2023
    2
    The willful ommision of nudity, especially in scenes where the source material clearly staded nudity, is a shame among the franchise.

    Stop watering down The Witcher!!

    What a waste of a great IP
  3. portobellojim
    Jul 30, 2023
    3
    This show isn't good. No one could possibly argue that it was anything other than poor. Cavill carries it to some degree, but the amateurish story telling and action is just too much.
    Having said that, giving it 0 or 1 is just ridiculous; these are rage scores. I'm giving it 3 because Cavill is good and because bad as it was, I still sat through it all. This is a below average tv    This show isn't good. No one could possibly argue that it was anything other than poor. Cavill carries it to some degree, but the amateurish story telling and action is just too much.
    Having said that, giving it 0 or 1 is just ridiculous; these are rage scores. I'm giving it 3 because Cavill is good and because bad as it was, I still sat through it all. This is a below average tv show and it could have been much much better with the right writing.    … Expand
  4. busiek
    Jul 3, 2023
    2
    I watched second season - it was bad, but Henry Cavill still was good as Gerald.
  5. imthenoob
    Jul 2, 2023
    0
    Insufferably long and uneventful. This season butchered the character development of so many and did nothing with a lot of them. This could have easily been cut down into 4-5 episodes. Dragging it on as long as they did with such a mediocre story did far more harm than good.
  6. Kunray
    Mar 30, 2023
    1
    I’m really hoping they keep the good quality going and explain more of the lore eventually. I loved the characters and how human they are despite their fantastic powers. Here’s to season 2!!
  7. nicoSF
    Jan 1, 2023
    0
    More of the same anti-white bs agenda. And it continues to ignore the actual Witcher story. I could maybe forgive the casting of black and brown people in roles of white characters, if in fact the cast had good actors in it. Frangila, for example, is so vulgar as a person, it keep taking me out of the show. Vesemir looks like a used car salesmen which I think they found somewhere in CarsonMore of the same anti-white bs agenda. And it continues to ignore the actual Witcher story. I could maybe forgive the casting of black and brown people in roles of white characters, if in fact the cast had good actors in it. Frangila, for example, is so vulgar as a person, it keep taking me out of the show. Vesemir looks like a used car salesmen which I think they found somewhere in Carson City, NV. This show is a mess and the creators are pathetic spineless marxist chumps.… Expand
  8. toxicbits
    Dec 27, 2022
    0
    Woke garbage by a writer whose priority is to indoctrinate the viewership with her demented agenda.
  9. bustermuster
    Dec 25, 2022
    0
    What happened to this, it's now nothing like the original source material, Netflix again destroys another classic series.
  10. Qlauud
    Dec 21, 2022
    0
    i have no idea what happened here but it's not the witcher it's just netflix crap, the level of this series is below the floor.
  11. honeymay789
    Dec 9, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The only scenes I like are the ones with Henry, but he can't carry this show on his own. He's maybe in 30% of the scenes. I don't know why the writers thought it was a good idea to rewrite this story. The original books and video games were all well received by fans, this season 2 not so much. What does that tell you? The writers need to be replaced. Without Henry I don't think this show will last. Also, the positive critic review are suspicious.… Expand
  12. Brilz152
    Dec 5, 2022
    1
    Lauren ruined the show! Its not only about "read the Book". Its random Situation in random place with random people in this movie.
  13. szopenik
    Nov 2, 2022
    2
    Everything went wrong. Only the role of Geralt is close to the original novel.
  14. wojtekbe
    Oct 2, 2022
    0
    So bad, that I haven't even finished watching season 2... I just can't watch it...
  15. MixenFix
    Jul 9, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The director and screenwriters decided to imagine that they are better writers than Sapkowski, so they decided to radically change an excellent story and make THEIR CREATION. Geralt all season does nothing but talking to much (according to his statements, one might think that he is a philosopher), it seems that in the Netflix series, his main vocation is not to kill monsters, but to talk. There is practically no fight, they look inorganic, the stories are fictional (the arc with Ciri is just a laughing stock, they invented some kind of ancient old witch who was nowhere else, told us a meanless story about Fringilla, which does not affect the on the plot in any way, invented monoliths with monsters, oh gods you are just "great" writers, you've created what we never seen at Witcher's books and games.
    Key characters (Eskel, Myszowór) have already been killed in two seasons. How Eskel was killed - oh, what an absurdity it is, supposedly he got infected from Leshy and became Leshy. Do you even know why witchers are tested with herbs? They are immune, and can never be infected from monsters and become monsters. (vampires, brooks, Leshys, and so on) They came up with an uninteresting story with Yennefer, made all the sorceresses unattractive (which fundamentally contradicts the book, where they made beauties out of themselves with magic, specially).
    And God, why did you put a 20-year-old guy in the role of Emhyr? Do you even understand that he must be 40 years old as least? By adding stubble, you haven't made it look older, because in the scene before, he was a 20 year old boy!
    Liberal elves - a separate chapter in this absurdity invented by the director and screenwriters. Why would the elves changed their skin color? Why do the inhabitants of the Arabian East and Africa play elves?

    Just 0 out of 10, absolutely deserved, as the authors think they are better writers than the author of the original story. Everything was rewritten, everything was changed from original The Witcher.    … Expand
  16. Waco1994
    Jul 2, 2022
    1
    My expectation wasn't high, but as something that was about to adapt the witcher lore and story t is a profanation. That is weak even as a separate series for those who dont know the witcher books. I'm sorry for Henry Cavill because he tryes his best, he can't rescue that.
  17. Jurfy
    Apr 3, 2022
    0
    вот что бывает, когда ставят бесталанного шоуранера который думает только про повесточку.
  18. Bruterake
    Mar 3, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Até que diverte um pouco, o momento no bar com o Jaskier com o truque da Yeneffer cuspindo fogo foi muito legal e nossa o cg melhorou 10x no mínimo. Agora que já foram os positivos, a série ta muito mal escrita nossa, tudo muito muito previsível e chato os personagens são muito caricatos e unidimensionais. Eu não li os livros mas o que fizerem com o menino Vesemir to vendo as reviews e todo mundo concorda é uma afronta aos personagens ninguém tem profundidade todo mundo é preto no branco. E nossa dessa vez ta incomodando as lentes são muito feias vei se tirassem elas dava pra ter uma cena séria sem olhar como ta esquisito a cara do Geralt.… Expand
  19. Jishnu
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Trash show butchered my fav characters yennefer, eskel and fringilla . Vesemir acting like idiot, yennefer simply swear words for no reason . Eskel turn in to leshen i dont know how a witcher turn into leshen . Yennefer betrayed ciri in the show that she will never do in the books . Cahir is innocent person in books . In the show he is evil . Fringilla doest look like yennefer . Fringilla only appeared in 2 books why show giving more important to her in the show when the character doesn't look like from books . Why stregobor is stronger than vilgefortz. I don't understand what relationship is going between main 3 character… Expand
  20. playahater
    Feb 16, 2022
    3
    I really hope Netflix is paying attention to these reviews! Stop adding character arcs that don’t exist! Stop pissing on the source material! You have a fantastic cast. Let them play the parts as written at least close to the books. Half the season never happened in the books!
  21. Popacr77hdhdei
    Feb 14, 2022
    0
    I read all the books,I've played all the games, I'm a huge fan of the witcher lore ,to me sezon 2 was such a big disappointment, 90 percent of the show has nothing to do with the books and that is such a shame.
  22. plukas
    Feb 12, 2022
    0
    This work is an insult to the book's series and it simply becomes a very poor adaptation. Don't waste your time.
  23. AngryShark92
    Feb 10, 2022
    0
    Amazing how my critical reviews of woke political nonsense movies and shows get deleted, but thousands of 10/10 bots supporting this trash do not.

    Season 2 improves over season 1 in one singular aspect, CGI got a decent upgrade. Everything else is a downgrade. Episode 1, which was based on a short story within Spakowski's novel called "Grain of Truth" was the only episode in this    Amazing how my critical reviews of woke political nonsense movies and shows get deleted, but thousands of 10/10 bots supporting this trash do not.

    Season 2 improves over season 1 in one singular aspect, CGI got a decent upgrade. Everything else is a downgrade. Episode 1, which was based on a short story within Spakowski's novel called "Grain of Truth" was the only episode in this throwaway of a season that has any relevance or faithfulness to the source material. The love story between Nivellen & Vereena is one of those parts of a book that become memorable years after reading it, and while the show does a good job of depicting it, there are even a few errors and missing elements (albeit forgivable ones) that take away from the darkness of it all.

    After that, the creator takes the show in a completely different direction, a story she feels she needs to tell. Problem is, your audience isn't a bunch of progressive sissies without an ounce of comprehension or understanding for narrative storytelling... your audience are loyal fans of Sapkowski's work, whether by his books or CDPR's adaptation of the games, you did not earn this fanbase or following, what you did is get thrown into a position you have no business being in because you are a progressive female "producer" and coast on the coattails of a writer that actually possesses talent.

    You are the female version of DB Weiss & David Benioff, except you are starting at Season 8 of GoT and pulling the IP down with you. Henry Cavill is the only saving grace from this disaster you call an "adaptation", and when he has to step in and remind you that Geralt is the main character and should probably show up on the screen more often, perhaps it is time to acknowledge that you lied when you said you were going to "remain faithful to the source material”. The diversity casting, altered characters, awful pacing, terrible storytelling, political injections, and even this user score and universal condemnation from the community, tell me you are not a “Witcher fan”.

    Step down, delete this abomination, keep Cavill, hand the keys to HBO or someone with some sense of awareness, and go make your own IP with your own ideas and let us know how that works out. The only reason this show has not been canned is because of the gigantic fan base and its loyalty, again, something you did not earn. Oh, and this upcoming spinoff? Cancel it. Nobody cares about your diversity hire fan fiction.

    + CGI improvement
    + Henry Cavill is an excellent Geralt and actually cares

    - Terrible writing
    - Terrible casting (outside of Geralt & Dijkstra)
    - Character portrayals are inaccurate
    - Source material abandoned
    - Contrived plot that is a jumbled mess
    - Story is riddled with plot holes and none of the plots make sense
    - Diversity casting makes no sense for the relations in the narrative
    - Creator's political views are pushing important characters to the side
    - Pacing is all over the pace, show gets really boring
    - Another beloved IP torched by Netflix

    Overall, it is what you have come to expect from Netflix shows & showrunners, talentless hacks that have no business being in the position they are in and decimating beloved IPs in the name of political positions and money. Originally a 2/10, but Metacritic deletes my reviews because they have progressive bot moderators who delete well-deserved criticism, here’s a zero.    … Expand
  24. Tradewind
    Feb 2, 2022
    0
    It's just incredibly average. The monsters are neat and interesting but the quality of the dialogue especially just doesn't come close to something like Game of Thrones' seasons 1-5, even 6 and 7 had better writing. The dialogue is either stilted or too contemporary and the result is that you cannot immerse yourself in the show like you could with GoT. In GoT the dialogue was soIt's just incredibly average. The monsters are neat and interesting but the quality of the dialogue especially just doesn't come close to something like Game of Thrones' seasons 1-5, even 6 and 7 had better writing. The dialogue is either stilted or too contemporary and the result is that you cannot immerse yourself in the show like you could with GoT. In GoT the dialogue was so excellently written and delivered that you almost forgot you were watching actors play characters, the scenes took on a life of their own and became more than the sum of their parts, here you're keenly aware that it's just actors, ESPECIALLY because Henry Cavill insists on doing that voice. It takes you completely out of it when you know for a fact that it's not what he sounds like, it doesn't immerse me because it's silly.… Expand
  25. Sigmaboy
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    This is **** joke of a series that dont match an inch to the book's original story
  26. Nemos
    Jan 29, 2022
    3
    Way to ruin something. Fantastic game, decent season 1... and now just poor writing and extremely boring.
  27. Darksolunicorn
    Jan 29, 2022
    1
    Disappointing.
    Same locations.
    Jumpy plot.
    It's barely about Gerald, more about everyone else but him actually.
    CGI is still bad, but not as bad as in S1.
    In general everything looks cheap, it could have worked for a show with a good plot but unfortunately there isn't.
    If S1 was confusing for you, buckle up
  28. ZynAndrij
    Jan 25, 2022
    3
    Andzej Sapkowski was a racist. Netflix said there would be a canon of books, so why black characters in The Witcher? Seriously?
    !!! I am tolerant of blacks, but that is not the canon !!!
  29. Vandel0001
    Jan 24, 2022
    0
    completely out of the story. The stupid show, All thanks to imbecile showrunner. People read a book it is much better if you don't know this story yet. Calvin, you and this blond hair girl are the only reason why this movie shouldn't be burned. But as a beautiful story how actor tries to save the original story.
    If you respect book or at least game - press 0
  30. moonknight93
    Jan 21, 2022
    0
    Blood of Elves, the third book in the saga of Geralt of Rivia, witcher by trade, is not the easiest books to adapt. It contains a lot of worldbuilding and it doesn't have a clear main antagonist to create drama. Despite this, But an adaptation can expand on elements that are only mentioned in the book. It can create additional action, or transforming monologues and thoughts in dialogueBlood of Elves, the third book in the saga of Geralt of Rivia, witcher by trade, is not the easiest books to adapt. It contains a lot of worldbuilding and it doesn't have a clear main antagonist to create drama. Despite this, But an adaptation can expand on elements that are only mentioned in the book. It can create additional action, or transforming monologues and thoughts in dialogue between the characters.

    But this season is not an adaptation. It contains a lot of fan fiction od dubious quality, which create plot contrivances and changes characters compared to Season 1 or the anime spin-off. It feels rushes, the worldbuilding is almost non existent. All different cities in different kingdoms feel culturally the same. Dialogues are more a generic declaration of intents by the characters, rather than confrontations on issues or feelings. Travelling feels like teleportation, and the whole pacing is off. Rushed, almost like the showrunner is afraid of boring the viewer. They are treating this show as a generic teen fantasy made for CW, rather than the mature dark fantasy it's supposed to be. The Sapkowski's saga is one where the characters take center stage and drive the plot forwards. But this show doesn't take its time to establish the characterizations of its characters and their relationships with each other. In some way, it's reaping the fruits of what they did in Season 1. Skipping important character moments to rush the story forward.

    Season 3 cannot save this, because the entire show is build on rotten foundations. A terrible show, and a terrible disappointment.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Polygon
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rivera
    Jan 6, 2022
    80
    The show has earned a sizable amount of goodwill in an impressively short time, and even if we can no longer see the destination, The Witcher still feels like a hell of an adventure.
    Read full review
  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Dec 19, 2021
    67
    Watching the foundation get laid isn’t always exciting, but it does feel like showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is building toward rousing sequences and cares about each of the characters equally. Whether you feel the same doesn’t really matter. “The Witcher” is in it for the long haul, and even if Season 2 feels longer than it should, you won’t regret the ride.
    Read full review
  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Dec 17, 2021
    50
    “The Witcher” constantly struggles to balance its dialogue-driven scenes with pushing the plot forward. It can be an exhausting show in terms of pace—every single episode feels longer than it actually is.
    Read full review
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