It’s been a long time coming, but on Friday, The Witcher finally returns for its second season. Advance reviews indicate it’s worth the wait: it’s sitting at 95% on the Tomatometer with the consensus that the show is more confident, is packed with action, and that it’s a grand and serious adventure with room for fun.
I’ll be setting aside time over the holidays to catch up with Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer. Stoking the hype fires is this awesome new gallery of stills Netflix has just dropped. This gives us great looks at our leads, the returning season one characters, and series newcomers Vesemir, Francesca, Lambert, Coën, and Eskel. Check them all out here:
Many of these images appear to show Geralt’s arrival at the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen. While Witchers generally roam the land picking up monster-hunting contracts, it’s traditional for them to spend the winter months at their castles. Here we’ll see them comparing notes on creatures, training new recruits, fixing their equipment, and getting very, very drunk.
There are also a couple of images showcasing Geralt and Ciri’s burgeoning paternal relationship. The books and games show their stories becoming intertwined as they come to care deeply for one another – and the same appears to be true here.
This season will also differ from the first in that it tells a linear story rather than jumping through the decades. Critics seem to agree that this streamlining benefits the narrative, so fingers crossed the positive buzz pans out, and it lives up to the high expectations.
So roll on Friday 17 December, when the full second season of The Witcher lands on Netflix.