Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has defended Netflix's The Witcher omitting certain elements from the source material. The Witcher Saga first came to prominence as a set of short stories and novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. First published in 1993, they have since been adapted a film, a series of graphic novels, and most notably a hugely popular franchise of video games. The world of The Continent was most recently seen in Netflix's ambitious adaptation. Taking the bulk of its inspiration from the books while also nodding at the video games, The Witcher proved extremely popular despite mixed reviews.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Witchers like Geralt are mutated to be gifted extraordinary abilities and trained from a young age. As a result, Geralt is a force to be reckoned with. He lives a solitary life, wandering between villages as a monster-slayer for hire. Equally, the series also stars Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, a wildly mistreated yet powerful sorceress in training. The third point of view character comes courtesy of Freya Allan as Ciri, a young Princess who finds herself braving the wilds of The Continent when her Kingdom is overthrown. Ever the fantasy drama, The Witcher season 1 tells a sprawling story that covers multiple decades as fate conspires to ultimately bring them together to forge an unlikely family unit. The Witcher season 1 finale saw this destiny come somewhat to fruition - with Geralt and Ciri finally meeting.
Not every fan was appreciative of the way The Witcher had adapted the events, however. One fan, in particular, lamented the fact that the show's writers had left out a prior meeting between Geralt and Ciri in Brokilon Forest. They believed that without that encounter, the final scene lacked the emotional and meaningful impact that it could have had. Hissrich herself opted to reply via her own Twitter account - posting a thread documenting why the omission had been a tough yet unavoidable decision. Especially since they didn't want to leave fans waiting until The Witcher season 2 or beyond for Ciri to appear. Check out the full thread below:
In the second set of compilated short stories, "Sword of Destiny", the pair initially met in Brokilon Forest when Geralt saved Ciri from a giant centipede. Though they learned of each other's identity and realized their predestined connection that stemmed from The Law of Surprise, Geralt opted to leave without her. Despite her protests, Ciri ultimately went on her own way also. Following the fall of Cintra, however, Ciri and Geralt both eventually crossed paths under fateful circumstances once again, as seen on the show. The Witcher season 1 covered much from "Sword of Destiny" - including the Nilfgaardian invasion and Ciri venturing into Brokilon Forest. However, once there, Ciri experienced a very different monstrous threat. And it was not Geralt who ultimately kept her safe.
Given the usual passion that fans have for the Witcher source material, it was unavoidable that such complaints would ultimately emerge. And this particular fan does have a point. Having Geralt encounter his destiny and actively turn away from it would have afforded more weight to the moment when he finally bowed to it. That being said, everything Hissrich laid out makes an equal kind of sense. Though it didn't occur in a literal sense, Geralt's avoidance of his responsibilities was explored thematically and even addressed more than once. Equally, it made for more narrative tension and a more resonant culture shock when Ciri is finally thrust alone into the various realms of The Continent. While it may be disappointing to some fans to lose specific moments, it clearly wasn't an easy decision and was made out of love. Besides, with Hissrich said to have seven seasons worth of The Witcher plans - which will include coming back around to some omitted short story elements - fans may still at least get that giant centipede.
The Witcher season 2 is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2021.
Source: Lauren S. Hissrich/Twitter
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