Director: Stephen Surjik
First aired: 2021
Contains spoilers
If you look at my review of the vampire episode of Season 1 of the Witcher, you’ll see that I really enjoyed that season – indeed I, unusually, scored for the whole season despite only the one vampire episode. One of the reasons for that was the convoluted structure of the series, with various timelines, let alone storylines, making the episode difficult to stand alone. The makers clearly knew that the structure was confusing to some – referencing it openly later in this season.
That said, whilst their reference was a rebuff to anyone who might be negative of the structure, this season was linear in timeline and whilst there are several storylines, they were more obviously related and this episode could (the parts influenced by the aftermath of season 1 and the budding plotlines notwithstanding) work as a standalone (and so will be scored in that way).
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| ill-fated arrival |
The story is also (bar the presence of Ciri (Freya Allan), travelling with Geralt (Henry Cavill, Blood Creek & Justice League)) very accurate to the story, of the same name, that appears in the Last Wish. As this review was written, that story is due for publication as a graphic novel later in 2022. The episode starts with a family arriving at a village, the hour late and the snow falling, but the gate to the community is open. The family are attacked and killed by something that is clearly airborne and fast, but otherwise unseen.
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| Nivellen |
Later Geralt and Ciri reach the village at night but Geralt does not enter – he notices the lack of guards and dogs barking, for a settlement that never sleeps it is suspicious, and so continues on to an old friend’s home that is nearby. That old friend is Nivellen (Kristofer Hivju) – but something is wrong at the house, it seems possessed of a will of its own until a monster leaps out at Geralt. During the fight the monster, an anthropomorphised boar, realises it is Geralt he attacks, and Geralt in turn realises the attacker is Nivellen who has been cursed.
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| Ciri and the bruxa |
They accept Nivellen’s hospitality – though they do notice some scurrying sounds upstairs – his cat, the cursed friend says. However we see later a woman, Vereena (Agnes Born), emerge from a hole in the ceiling, crawling along the walls. Despite this, she seems friendly enough, having left Ciri a dress earlier and speaking to her (both physically and telepathically) but not harming her (she does, however, fear Geralt). Geralt, for his part, is suspicious (both due to seeing footprints in the snow and due to the actively evasive behaviour of Nivellen. Having checked the village, found the bodies and realising the attacker can fly, he wakes Ciri and tells her to get out of the house – there is a bruxa (one of the Witcher vampire types). What happens? I’m sure you can guess the outcome but there is an immediate consequence too.
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| scream |
The bruxa herself is an attractive woman but she can scream and that shriek will propel her target through the air (Geralt can counter the scream by using the Aard Witcher sign), during the scream her double row of sharp teeth are revealed. She can also take on a bat creature form. She has a voracious appetite – Nivellen allows her to feed from him and it does not kill him (due to his supernatural/cursed form). However she has also attacked the village and killed the inhabitants to feed her hunger. Her playing nice with Ciri seems to be much to do with Ciri’s hidden nature. A spear through the chest will not despatch her – beheading is needed and the body self-consumes in flames.
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| bat creature form |
This was a solid season opener, the use of one of Sapkowski's stories serves well as meat for the episode, where other scenes deal with the aftermath of season 1 (specifically the battle of Sodden) and setting the initial plotlines for the forthcoming season. If watching as a standalone, it is that meat that is important and this had some nice effects, a decent sense of creepy and uncanny built through it. There is some fighting, of course. 7 out of 10 as a standalone (the season itself is up to par with season 1). I also must say thanks to those (and there were a few of you) who alerted me to the vampire in the episode. Though I had seen it in this case, it is always worth pointing these things out to me and I always appreciate it.
The imdb page is here.
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