Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski has provided plenty of source material for The Witcher series as season two picks up moments after Yennefer of Vanderberg (Anya Chalotra) has helped defeat the warring Nilfgaardians that ended season one. But as a result, Yennefer has lost all her powers – and will do anything to retrieve them.
Season two of The Witcher struggles somewhat with its focus, a season which finds, for some reason, Gerait of Rivia (Henry Cavill) less central. Instead, along with Yennefer of Vanderberg and her quest, season two follows Cirilla (Freya Allen) and her self-awareness of potentially the most powerful of them all. But this awareness takes time – and whilst Gerait is there to help and protect, the magic it not quite there.
Politics is at full throttle as Nilfgaardia, through sourcerer Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), host the Dwarfs and support their rise to power – but not all in the State approve and mutterings are certainly undermining Fringilla’s authority in the absence of the King. His arrival in the last seconds of the season send shock waves through what has been, until then, a predictable narrative.
Inevitably, there is a full menu of adventure, murder, lust and earthy profanity as per season one (if it works, why fix it?) but the second season is not as engaging as its predecessor.
Rating: 62%
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