Didn't Have Time to Rewatch The Witcher? No worries. We got you.
The last time we saw Geralt of Rivia on screen was perhaps the most memorable moment from the Witcher series. After years of fighting monsters, tolerating the friendly neighborhood bard, and trying to grapple with his feelings for a certain beautiful mage, Geralt found what he was looking for — his “child of surprise,” Cirilla, who risked her life to find him. You may remember that moment, for me it was absolutely unforgettable, but perhaps you need a brief refresher in how we got there and the larger context of the Witcher world. We also provide a recap in this week’s episode of the podcast, available in your podcast feeds this Thursday.
Warning: Spoilers for the Witcher Season 1 below
The true stakes of The Witcher are not about the end of the world. Instead the stakes center on the relationships between Geralt, Cirilla, and Yennefer. Below is a primer that will remind you what happened to our faves in Season 1.
The Butcher of Blaviken
We’re first introduced to Geralt when he meets the mysterious Renfri, a cursed princess turned local bandit. His encounter with her in the village of Blaviken foreshadows his future as protector of another magical princess. Geralt’s primary responsibility, what he was trained and “made” for, is monster hunting but over the years, Renfri’s dying words stay with him: “The girl in the woods will be with you always. She is your destiny.” At the time of Renfri’s statement, “the girl” has not yet been born.
The events that lead Geralt to Cirilla, the Lion Cub of Cintra, are decades away. He spends most of the series traveling the Continent, doing exactly what Witchers do - killing local monsters for coin. Along the way he meets many interesting characters — the bard Jaskier (who will surely bless us with another top single like Toss a Coin to Your Witcher in Season 2), the tormented King Foltest, the King of the Elves Filavandrel, and a beautiful sorceress Triss Merigold. But perhaps most importantly, in a truly hilarious and convoluted series of events, Geralt saves the life of the the a cursed man named Duny, who is the secret fianće of Princess Pavetta of Cintra. Duny offers repayment for Geralt’s efforts and the reluctant Witcher chooses the Law of Surprise, a sacred tradition that requires the giver to gift the recipient with whatever blessing has been bestowed on them before they know they possess it. Most who choose this reward receive a good harvest or a small inheritance, but it can also be a Child of Surprise. Not only is Geralt opposed to accepting such a gift, he’s absolutely mortified and spends the next 14 years or so doing everything in his power to avoid accepting this gift, the orphaned daughter of Duny and Pavetta, Cirilla.
While avoiding his destiny, Geralt meets Yennefer, a rebellious mage who answers to no one. Yennefer and Geralt are bound together during their initial meeting by a wish. But their relationship is not always harmonious. They’re basically the two most emotionally unavailable people on The Continent. They split at the end of Episode 6 and the season ends without a reunion. It is Yen’s name Ciri can hear Geralt calling when he eventually finds her in the woods.
The Lion Cub of Cintra
Princess Cirilla makes her way to a refugee camp after the fall of Cintra in Season 1 of The Witcher. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Cirilla may be a princess but her short life has been quite difficult. With both of her parents lost at sea when she was a child, Cirilla was raised by her grandmother. Queen Calanthe protected Ciri but did not shelter her from the harsh realities of ruling. Known as a warrior queen, Calanthe won her first battle at 14 years old. She did, however, shield her granddaughter from the most important truth, that like her mother Pavetta, Cirilla is magically gifted. We see evidence of Cirilla’s power in the very first episode when she is escaping the invading Nilfigardian army, a southern kingdom that has been advancing north and has a special interest in Ciri. The show has not revealed all of Ciri’s nature yet, however, we expect that to be a major focus of season 2. Our best hints come from the lyrics of the song The Last Rose of Cintra which plays during the end credits of episode 5: “A forgotten tale of Elder Blood/ And all futures past reborn/ Swirling spheres of otherness/ Of hope and doom forlorn/ Her path could lead to happiness/ Or the end of times for all.”
After fleeing Cintra in episode 1, Cirilla spends much of the season with an elvian boy named Dara. Elves, who predate humans on the Continent, were the original keepers of magic and in a conflict that began long before this story, have lost most of their lands to human kingdoms. Cirilla’s own grandmother oversaw that systematic slaughter of the elves in Cintra. Despite this, Dara and Ciri become companions and their travels take them to Brokilon Forest where the dryads (women warriors similar to Amazons) offer them sanctuary. Cirilla decides to leave when her Mage Mousesack appears and says he will take her to Geralt. It turns out this isn’t Mousesack, it's a doppler (a shapeshifter that can take on the likeness and personality of anyone they encounter) who has been sent by Nilfgaard to capture her. After they escape, Dara and Cirilla part ways and she tries to make her way to Skellige, the homeland of her grandfather. This journey takes her closer to Geralt and leads to their meeting in the woods.
Yennefer of Vengerberg
Yennefer struggles at the Battle of Sodden in Season 1 of The Witcher. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Our introduction to Yennefer is as chaotic as her character. Yennefer was born with a curved spine and was treated terribly by her stepfather. To get away from taunting teenagers, she unintentionally portals to Aretuza (the magical school we affectionately named Boring Hogwarts on the pod). She meets a young sorcerer-in-training Istredd. He helps her return home but shortly after the Aretuza Rectoress Tissaia de Vries comes to her parents’ farm to collect her. To say Yen is unhappy at Aretuza is an understatement. Despite Tissaia’s initial unkindness, it’s clear that she sees Yen’s potential and continues to train her. The most important takeaway is that there are two types of mages - those who control their emotions and those who allow their emotions to control them. Yen is the latter.
Istredd and Yen become lovers but they want different things. Yen wants power, while Istredd wants to continue his magical research. Istredd’s mentor Stregobor (an extremely unlikable sorcerer) exploits this rift and uses it to get valuable information out of his protege -- Yennefer’s biological father was half-elf. Stregobor uses this information to derail Tissaia’s plans for Yen’s post-Aretuza assignment. When Yen learns that she will be sent to Nilfgaard rather than back to her home kingdom of Aedirn, she is so upset she misses the initiation and instead confronts Istredd for his betrayal. In a truly harrowing scene, Yennefer defies all of Aretuza’s rules and meets with the enchanter who remakes her, taking her womb as sacrifice, to transform her into a conventional ageless beauty. Yen then arrives at the initiation celebration and charms her way into the court of the King of Aedirn so she can return to Vengerberg.
Once at court, Yen finds the work boring and the king tiresome. When as assassin attempts to murder the queen after she’s given birth to yet another girl (heaven forbid), Yen tries to save the baby unsuccessfully and she heads off on her own. After years of freelancing as witch and toying with local lords, Yen meets Geralt. It becomes clear immediately that her desire is to restore her fertility, a sacrifice she believes was too great. She eventually learns it will not be possible. Despite making her own path, Yen ends up back at Aretuza where Tissaia enlists her support to stand with some other mages to stop Nilifgaard’s invasion of northern kingdoms.
Yen plays a significant role in the Battle of Sodden Hill and manages to channel all of her pain and anger into a truly terrifying display of magic that wins the battle for the mages and stops Nilfgaard from advancing. But after the battle, Yen is nowhere to be seen.
Where we left off
By the end of the Season 1 finale, Ciri and Geralt have finally found each other and Nilfgaard’s advance north is stopped in its tracks by Yen’s magic and the arrival of the northern kings. There’s lots of loose threads to pull at. Here are some of that we’re looking at for Season 2:
What’s the deal with Cirilla’s magic? Cirilla’s powers are uncontrolled and dangerous. She killed several men and (sadly) a horse when she was attacked in the forest. She also created a crater and toppled a giant monolith by merely screaming. We’re hoping the show will shed some light on her abilities and their source by the end of Season 2.
Will Geralt find Yen? Geralt and Yennefer are both messy, flawed individuals but after decades of drifting through the world, they are drawn to each other. After all, who else would understand your life as a frustrated magical being, aside from another frustrated magical being? Geralt clearly wants to find Yennefer at the end of Season 1. He’s ready to head towards the battlefield to seek her out, but this plan is derailed when finds Cirilla instead. It’s likely he’ll have to choose early in the season whether to get Ciri to safety or attempt to find the love of his life.
What’s next for Nilfgaard? The Emperor’s vision of invading the remaining northern kingdoms was stopped when his mage, Fringilla, lost the battle to Yennefer and the other rogue mages at Sodden Hill. We have to assume they’ll regroup and come back with a vengeance. And what’s the deal with their off-screen emperor? Will we see the White Flame in Season 2? Also, what’s Nilfgaard’s interest in Cirilla?
Most importantly, will Jaskier have another chart topping hit? Seriously. In the books he’s a well known poet and bard. But Toss A Coin to Your Witcher is a hard act to follow. We’re looking forward to hearing his next catchy tune.
Join us as we try to answer all these questions in our Season 2 coverage on your favorite podcast app.
Written and posted by Andrea.