SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched all eight episodes of Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Witcher.”
Ciri (Freya Allan) becomes the No. 1 target in the Continent owing to her enigmatic, reality-jumping abilities, and the finale of "The Witcher" Season 2 brings a legion of new opponents who are all pursuing her down. Fortunately, she'll be safeguarded by Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), who have rejoined and appear to have buried the hatchet, as well as their smoldering romance, following Yennefer's treachery - at least for the time being.
The emperor of Nilfgaard, also known as the White Flame, Emhyr var Emreis (Bart Edwards), who turns out to be Ciri's own father, previously known as Duny, was revealed in the final image. In Season 3, he'll be up against Redanian spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and shape-shifting sorceress Philippa Eilhart in his search for his daughter (Cassie Clare). The Wild Hunt, a mythological band of apocalyptic horsemen, and the ancient witch Voleth Meir, a.k.a. the Deathless Mother, who possessed Ciri and twisted the minds of Yennefer and Fringilla, were also encountered by Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer (Mimi Ndiweni).
Season 3 will hopefully not be as long a wait as the COVID-delayed Season 2, and in the meanwhile, the prequel series "The Witcher: Blood Origin" and a planned kid-friendly spinoff should keep fans entertained.
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, showrunner of "The Witcher," discusses the new antagonists, spinoffs, and the future of Geralt and Yennefer's romance.
Who, out of all the new antagonists, poses the greatest threat in the future?
Emhyr is without a doubt my choice. He has to be the greatest constant threat to all of our characters at all times. At the end of this season, we took a major decision to reveal that Emhyr is Ciri's father, which isn't revealed in the novels until much later. He is the main, overarching menace in the entire book series, and his identity is kept hidden in the novels for a long time since you don't have to see him. We debated delaying it any longer, but we realized that if we didn't start establishing him as a genuine person, the threat he posed would fade. "This man isn't going away," we said to the crowd when we made that decision. As time goes on, he'll grow in size and become more deadly."
Throughout the season, further key characters from Andrzej Sapkowski's book series are presented. How did you pick who to bring in earlier and who to reserve for the end?
We didn't want Episode 8 to become a giant melting pot of all-new characters, so we made sure we weren't repeating the same surprise. Philippa Eilhart is unique in that we debated whether or not to portray her in her human form this season. When we hired Cassie Clare, we felt it would be a great opportunity to illustrate that this owl that's been flying around is going to grow into a much greater figure, especially for viewers who aren't as familiar with the novels and history. Codringher [Simon Callow] and Fenn [Liz Carr], two investigators who are solving mystery cases throughout the Continent, are other intriguing characters this season. I'm completely smitten with these characters. They give the program a whole new tone. They remind me of [Statler and Waldorf] in "The Muppets" balcony. They're snippy with each other and everyone else that comes in, and they're also a touch devious. I think it was fantastic to introduce them this season in a lesser tale with Istredd [Royce Pierreson] so that by the time we see them with Geralt in Season 3, we realize how vital they are.
Is Jaskier the bard mentioned by Dijkstra in his closing scene? Is his friendship with Geralt so strained that Jaskier would betray him?
Jaskier [Joey Batey] is, without a doubt, the bard that Dijkstra is referring to. We learn early on in Jaskier's narrative that he is assisting elves and has a mystery benefactor, but he has no idea who is pulling the strings that allow him to do so. Dijkstra is going to owe Jaskier a favor now. We wanted Geralt to take something away from this season. At the hands of Yennefer, he suffers the ultimate betrayal. In Season 3, his head will be a little more on a swivel, ensuring that the family surrounding him is made up of the individuals he wants.
What can we anticipate from Yennefer and Geralt's new romance in the future?
I've always maintained that the show's basis is based on family. What I like about this season is that Geralt and Yennefer agree in the end that they are the right balance for Ciri. They both have to be a part of her life in the future. Yennefer is in charge of the magical side, while Geralt is in charge of the physical training. Only by working together will they be able to protect her, keep her secure, and teach her how to defend herself. People will be enthralled by the fact that they must confront each other with the truth. There's been a massive breach of trust, but we'll be there to see Yen and Geralt's journey to trust one other, much as we witnessed Geralt and Ciri bond at the start of Season 2 and come to trust each other.
Witches, on the whole, prefer to keep out of the world's politics. Will Geralt be pushed even further into it in Season 3?
Absolutely. Geralt is a witcher who doesn't want to be engaged in anything else, which is one of the key themes of the novels that we adore and are starting to see emerge in the series. He doesn't want to get associated with other people since it exposes him to vulnerability and varied emotional levels with which he is uncomfortable. In Season 2, we start to see that the outer shell cracks a little. This is something that will continue to happen. Geralt will begin to struggle with the concept of neutrality in Season 3. What happens when the people he loves are put in jeopardy, and how does he react?
How did you come up with the idea for Voleth Meir to be a strong, Baba Yaga-like figure?
Sapkowski draws on mythology and fairytales from all across the world in his writings. We thought it would be fascinating to identify a mythical creature that appears in practically every culture, and Baba Yaga is one of them. It was never our intention for her to be the season's overarching monster. She was first presented in Episode 2, and she was supposed to be the monster that Yennefer had to battle with. We began to question whether we could use this persona for more than only interacting with Yennefer, but also as a component of Ciri's abilities and the mystery that Geralt is unraveling. We suddenly understood she may be the conduit through which all of these people begin to collide.
Will Violet Meir appear in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" because the prequel is set thousands of years in the past?
We considered continuing Voleth Meir's story, but not in that manner. One of the things we felt would be fascinating in the end was to link her to the concept of the Wild Hunt, which is made up of elves stranded between spheres. In some respects, the lore from "Blood Origin" will begin to link with this, allowing us to comprehend how individuals were stuck between spheres and how Eredin and the Wild Hunt came to be. We've discussed bringing her back in the future, as the Wild Hunt grows in importance over the series. As a result, I believe we'll see her again.
How much of "Blood Origin" will be required viewing in order to fully comprehend the main "Witcher" series?
We strive to make our spinoffs such that you don't need to watch them figure out what's going on. But we also wanted to thank those who did watch. For example, there are a lot of things in Season 2 that start to build up "Blood Origin," but you won't realize it since you won't know how those things will play out when you see it. You'll see small Easter eggs in "Blood Origin" - not just in conversation, but also in visual Easter eggs.
What can fans anticipate from the impending "Witcher" spinoff aimed at children? Is there going to be any bloodshed or violence?
It won't be a program with no blood or violence because it would be untrue to the "Witcher" universe. I understand that "The Witcher" is not intended for children, and the mothership of "The Witcher" will never be appropriate for children. We have no intention of changing it into something more family-friendly; it will remain as is. When I was talking to my kids about the program and why they couldn't watch it, I kept wishing for something that would open up the same morality stories that "The Witcher" did. Sapkowski is a fairytale author. In his stories, there are several references — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" is the first episode of Season 1, and "Beauty and the Beast" is the first episode of Season 2.
2. My children like fairytales; how could we adapt the universe of "The Witcher" and these morality tales for children? Kids are highly smarter — perhaps more than we want them to be — and they're ready to look at some of the more difficult decisions that characters in the "Witcher" universe must make. There will undoubtedly be some tense moments, but I believe we will continue to do what Sapkowski did and attempt to lean in the direction of positivity. It's something I'm really looking forward to, if only because it means I'll be able to finally share this weird world with my family.