The Witcher Season 2 Review: The Netflix Fantasy Levels Up in All the Best Ways

There were many reasons to love the first season of Netflix’s epic, vaguely medieval fantasy series The Witcher, whether you were primarily interested in Henry Cavill’s hunky monster-slaying swordsman, the show’s variety of fascinating female characters, or the surprising array of banging folk ballads. (Toss a coin, folks.)

There are even more reasons to love its second, which deftly expands the series’ universe, increases the story’s stakes, and ups the emotional ante by finally giving us a warm found family bond between the Witcher Geralt of Rivia (Cavill) and his Child of Surprise, Princess Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allan). 

Season 2 is an all-around richer, more confident, and more satisfying experience than its predecessor, likely because it doesn’t have to do nearly as much work to establish its universe and characters and can, instead, simply let the story speak for itself.

And does it — from richer characters to more complicated politics, almost everything about this season of The Witcher feels more mature and more purposeful, with a greater sense of both who it is and what it wants to become. If you were worried about a sophomore slump — don’t be. Season 2 is (almost) everything you could want from this show. 

Yes, there are heaps of new lore to digest and many new characters to keep straight and those who simply want to watch Geralt stab things for eight hours are going to be disappointed, in as much as there is decidedly less of that this season. But the fights that do take place are more than simple face-offs and often carry much more emotional heft and heartbreak along with them.

The Witcher Season 2 abandons the occasionally convoluted three-timeline story structure that frustrated many viewers during its first outing, now content to tell a story that has just as many — if not more — moving parts, but which are all pulling together in the same direction at last. 

Yet, despite its more linear narrative, the world of The Witcher feels more wide open than ever before. The story thrusts us further than ever into the politics of the Continent, exploring elven culture more fully, introducing Redania and its…colorful leadership, showing us the various factions developing within the mages of Aretuza. 

Supporting characters from Season 1 reappear and are more fully fleshed out, such as mage leader Tissaia (MyAnna Burning),  Nilfgardian commander Cahir (Eamon Ferron), historian Istredd (Royce Pierreson), and Fringella, whose decision to change sides was such a key betrayal prior to the battle of Sodden Hill. Even Triss Merigold (Anna Shaffer) is back and, thankfully, is given ample time to shine (and build a sweet relationship of her own with Ciri). 

You’ve probably gathered the basics from the series’ trailers: Famed Witcher Geralt is now an anxious dad to a traumatized princess who lost her home (and family) in an especially violent fashion. Ciri, for her part, is equal parts furious and afraid, unsure about the powerful magic she appears to possess that no one can explain and she herself isn’t sure how to wield. 

The two journey to the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Mohren, where Geralt hopes Ciri will be able to find peace enough to learn to trust him — and in his care of her. While there, we meet Geralt’s mentor Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) as well as a half-dozen other monster hunters, who all share a strangely touching familial tenderness. 

As Ciri attempts to find her footing — in her strange new daughter-like relationship with Geralt as well as in her interactions with the other Witchers like Lambert whose respect she would clearly like to earn — we see our titular Witcher in a new light, as something like a son himself, as well as a brother and a friend. 

Cavill’s performance is, of course, the linchpin around this entire world turns, and he’s fantastic here, endowing Geralt with a sort of gruff thoughtfulness that is utterly charming and also contains multitudes. Fully dedicated to protecting his new young charge — both physically and mentally — Geralt’s growing emotional attachment to Ciri allows him to open up as a character in ways we haven’t seen before. 

It also turns out that Henry Cavill excels at Dad Humor and I love this journey for him (and us). 

But the true star of this season is, without question, Freya Allan, who gives Ciri all the grit and heart and fury we were not always able to see from her in Season 1.

Last season, Ciri was very much a victim of circumstances, repeatedly forced to flee for her life and unsure of who — if anyone — she could trust. Now, with Geralt at her back, she blossoms, harnessing her inner grit and determination to become something (someone) much more determined and deliberate.

This is a girl who is not just done running, but who has determined to push back, and it’s a delight to watch both Ciri as a character and Allan as an actress come into her own.

Allan has spoken in multiple pre-premiere interviews about her dedication to sword training and other physical preparation for The Witcher’s second season, and her work pays off in spade throughout this run of episodes, as Ciri visibly gains strength, confidence, and purpose as she struggles to prove herself to a dozen hulking men three times her age by fighting through some truly epic training set-pieces.

Season 2 is not without a few hiccups here and there, however, and unfortunately, Yennefer of Vengerberg’s (Anya Chalotra) storyline is one of its weakest. Though she is (thankfully) still alive after channeling fire magic to save the day at the Battle of Sodden Hill, Yen’s brave decision did not come without significant cost, and she finds herself in greatly reduced circumstances afterward.

Yet, despite everything she went through in The Witcher’s first season and the tremendous growth she displayed along the way, many of her choices in Season 2 feel like significant steps backward. The Yennefer of Season 2 is still obsessed with power in uncomfortable ways, and willing to do anything to get and keep it, even if it requires hurting those she purports to care about. 

Also, Yen is sadly stuck on the outskirts of Season 2’s story for the bulk of its run, still very much in the midst of things, narratively speaking, but often both physically and emotionally removed from the central family busily forming at the show’s center. 

The Witcher had a lot to prove in returning for its second season. Could it recreate the magic — and viewership numbers — of Season 1? And I’m here to tell you that it does, and then some.

This is thanks in no small part to creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s utterly clear vision of both what this show is and what kind of story it’s telling, but it’s also because of its incredible cast, who throw themselves into a bigger, weirder, more complicated world with unmitigated gusto. Yet, at its heart, this is Geralt and Ciri’s story, and the dynamic between Cavill and Allan is what will draw viewers back — in Season 2 and likely well beyond. 

Stray Thoughts and Observations:

• If you haven’t watched the Netflix anime film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, it does provide a lot of interesting backstory about WItcher history, specifically Vesemir’s. 
• Jaskier’s Season 2 banger “Burn, Butcher, Burn” is no “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,” but it is also perfect. (And I can’t wait to see the take on it from the fanfic writers.
• This season contains a really upsetting animal death that I was not prepared for, so if that’s a trigger for you please spoil yourself for it and avoid if you can.
• The Season 2 costumes are such an upgrade from Season 1! 

What did you think of The Witcher Season 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Witcher Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix. 

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