Following the, let’s say, less than ideal conclusion to HBO’s massively successful Game of Thrones series, many fantasy fans found themselves disenfranchised with the genre, to say the least. Like a knight in shining armor, however, did Netflix come galloping into view with the promise of an all-new, eagerly anticipated adventure. And thus, so did The Witcher make its debut on the streaming service, eager to win back the hearts of those soured by what they’d seen unfold in Westeros.
That’s one take, at least. Truthfully, comparing the two series in such a manner does a disservice to both, especially the latter, which still has yet to truly spread its wings after only one season. Don’t take that the wrong way; showrunner Lauren Hissrich has provided a fantastic jumping off point in season 1 for Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri and Jaskier’s future escapades, and there’s still plenty more to come next year when Season 2 finally rolls around.
As with all adaptations of this ilk, though, viewers familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski’s original books have no doubt made note of several major personality changes in the main cast, not least Geralt’s happy-go-lucky bard.
In a recent interview, Hissrich describes how, following extensive talks with Joey Batey, the pair decided to tone down Jaskier’s womanizing traits. Speaking to Vulture, she said:
How do we take a character who loves women and not play him as a womanizer? We didn’t want to play him as someone who is just trolling around, taking advantage of helpless women. The solution was to not surround him with a bunch of helpless women who are standing around waiting to be taken advantage of.
The answer to that conundrum was simple, says Hissrich, who describes how the purposeful portrayal of strong female characters in the show naturally translated to a similar result for their male counterparts, a connection that’s often misunderstood, she tells the site.
So as soon as you up the strength of the female characters in the show, then you will immediately up the strength of the male characters as well. This is something that is so misunderstood. Many think that if you have strong female characters, then obviously the men are weak. No. It makes men stronger too. Jaskier loves people. He loves women, especially. But what he loves is women who love him as well.
Yet more fascinating insights into Hissrich’s writing process, no doubt, and we can’t wait to see how she and Batey advance the beloved character’s arc in future seasons of The Witcher.
