The first season of The Witcher was spread across multiple timelines, with the adventures of Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri set in different decades. Fans of the books and games know that this trio’s relationship is at the core of the story, with them going on to form an unlikely but enduring family unit. The first batch of episodes effectively explained how they came together, with the final moments showing Geralt and Ciri meeting one another and her asking who Yennefer is.
Most assume the upcoming second season will see them growing closer and learning from each other and everything we’ve heard indicates that Geralt will head to School of the Wolf HQ Kaer Morhen, where he (and fellow witcher Vesimir) will begin training Ciri in combat while Yennefer helps her control her innate magical abilities. But in the books, there’s an important character and organization that’s crucial to their relationships, and they appear set to make a full debut in season 2.
This is the Temple of Melitele (which was briefly mentioned in the third episode of the first run) and their priestess Nenneke. She’s a maternal figure to Geralt and has been responsible for healing him when he’s suffered particularly serious wounds. Witcher fansite Redanian Intelligence is reporting that Broadchurch actress Julie Barclay has joined the cast in an unspecified role and I agree with their theory that she fits the description of Nenneke. They also say that the show will feature Melitelian priestess Iola and a young boy Jarre, who’s aiming to become a scribe.
After substantial delays due to COVID-19 and star Henry Cavill picking up a leg injury, The Witcher‘s second season now seems to be coming together nicely. We’ve had a long wait for new episodes, but I’m confident they’ll be here before the end of 2021 and we can finally get back to Andrzej Sapkowski’s enigmatic world of swords, sorcery and unexpectedly catchy songs.
