Reunion – As this episode of The Witcher begins, Jaskier (Joey Batey) wonders what Radovid means. He believes he’ll need to find out what he is hiding so he can help Geralt (Henry Cavill). Jaskier says Radovid is different. He is intelligent although he tries to hide it. His female friend believes he likes Radovid, but Jaskier quickly denies it. Although she has seen him chase tail, she has never seen him have a crush. When Geralt arrives at the door, Jaskier leaves with him and asks how it went. Geralt says Rience wasn’t there, but he found something else. Jaskier tries to speak to the woman who believes she is Ciri.

Geralt explains that she was the only survivor of the experiment. He needs to find out why that is stuck in her head so he is going to take her to Anika. If there is an enchantment, Anika will be able to fix it. Geralt reveals Anika is a druid and a friend of his mother. Otto (Dempsey Bovell) greets them in the woods before Anika (Catherine McCormack) invites them inside. While Anika works on the girl, Otto tells Jaskier that he is a werewolf. Geralt was hired to kill him, but he found a cure instead. Anika tells Geralt that she met Otto about a year ago at the Temple of Truth. She was there for Visenna who talked about him a lot at the end. Anika confirms it is a mind control enchantment. They can’t imagine who would have the power to do that.

The mage has a variety of interests. The girl is given an extraction elixir. If it works, the girl will be able to tell them who did it and what they want with Ciri. Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan) go to the dwarven bank where they speak to Giancardi (Giuseppe Lentini). He tells everyone about the time Yennefer saved him. She tells him that her ward needs a chaperone. She is given Fabio (Stuart Thompson). Yennefer takes her weapon, gives her money, and says she is just a normal girl here. She uses a locator spell on Ciri’s talisman. If she gets into any trouble, she should hold it right and recite the chant. Sigismund Dijkstra (Graham McTavish) and Philippa Eilhart (Cassie Clare) speak to King Vizimir about the rumors of a meeting with an emissary from Nilfgaard.

The King says they brokered a deal. In the event of their push north, Nilfgaard has agreed to leave Redania untouched. They’re offering Temeria as a vassal state. If they find the Princess of Cintra first, they will turn her over to them. Sigismund argues that Nilfgaard is playing him for a fool. King Vizimir reminds him that he makes the decision around there. Eva (Cal Watson) interrupts to see if the King is finished because Queen Hedwig wants him to know they’ve arrived. After that, Prince Radovid (Hugh Skinner) hears Sigismund and Philippa saying the King isn’t scheming alone. Philippa believes it is time to make Queen Hedwig useful to them. When they talk about the portals, Sigismund suggests reaching out to one of her old community members such as Tissaia.

If what the bard says is true, the witcher is on their scent. Sigismund is worried that he’ll get to Rience first and they’ll lose the girl. Philippa says they can use Radovid who comes out of hiding and approaches Sigismund. Radovid knows they’re nowhere close to finding the powerful Princess Cirilla. When Sigismund says he doesn’t need his help, Radovid tells him to tell the king that. Yennefer and Tissaia speak about the money that men fight and bleed for. Yennefer says it started gnawing at her back in Ellander that Northerners were killing their own. She believes Tissaia learned Cirilla was alive and shared the news hoping to curry favor with the Northern Kings. Tissaia finds it insulting that she thinks her goals are so basic. She wonders what kind of mess Yennefer will leave them with this time.

Yennefer apologizes for being a mess. When she tried to kill herself, she was desperate to control her destiny. Yennefer tells Tissaia about Rience being after Cirilla and someone more powerful backing him. Tissaia asks if Yennefer wants her to hide a princess whose existence means war. Yennefer wants more than that. Tissaia insists there is no way to hide Cirilla if war is coming. Yennefer suggests Cirilla can lead them out of it because the Brotherhood respects magic. She pleads with Tissaia to help her make this right. Tissaia thinks she finally became a mother after all her searching.

Fabio and Ciri argue while they hang out in town. Fabio tells her about Thanedd Island which is home to Aretuza. Istredd (Royce Pierreson) receives some items, but he still wants the book. He says Codringher and Fenn confirmed it had been buried in Xin’trean cavern. He learns that it went to Aretuza by the order of the emperor. Gallatin and Cahir wait to tell the emperor about their proposal. Emhyr approaches them to find out what they want. Gallatin explains that Francesca has been siphoning off their best fighters and resources. He goes on to say her choices are in defiance of Emhyr’s orders. Francesca isn’t fighting to soften the North and instead is searching for a girl. Emhyr wants Gallatin to stay awhile since he believes they can resolve this issue.

Once they’re alone, Emhyr asks Cahir if this is a manipulation to end his punishment. Cahir says he wouldn’t lie about this. He believes Cirilla is out there because he has been having dreams about her. Cahir argues that Gallatin can deliver them the North. Emhyr asks Cahir if he is ready to come home. When Cahir says yes, Emhyr tells him to prove it. Geralt tells Jaskier that they’ll wait for her to wake up and make sure she is okay. Then, they can find and kill Rience and the mage who did this. Geralt knows he was talking to Philippa so he asks what Dijkstra wanted him to do. Jaskier says he wanted him to convince Geralt to take Ciri to Redania. Geralt argues she would be nothing more than a broodmare on the Cintran throne. Although Jaskier says this is what princesses do, Geralt doubts she wants to be a political pawn for Vizimir and Dijkstra.

Instead, Geralt wants to stay the course. Jaskier says she is a princess and Geralt should trust her. Geralt goes inside to tell the girl she needs to wake up. She says there is always a source to magic and her name is Teryn. Geralt tells her that something happened that impacted her mind. Teryn was dragged from her room by a man and a woman with a funny voice. She begins freaking out. Geralt wants to get a name from her. Teryn’s voice changes before she tells Geralt that he is doomed and doesn’t even know it. She ends up attacking Anika before going after Otto. Geralt and Jaskier manage to get things under control. Ciri and Fabio go to see beasts in cages. Ciri briefly talks to a woman about the beast. When the presenter gets on stage, Ciri yells that is not a basilisk.

Ciri argues that this is a wyvern. It is young and starving because they’re keeping it in a cage. When the presenter tries to attack her, he knocks the cage over and frees the beast. Ciri tries to capture it. Fabio tells the man that the girl is under the protection of Giancardi Bank. Once the beast breaks free from Ciri, she wonders where her knife went. The thief throws Ciri her knife just in time for her to kill the beast. Ciri gives credit to someone else so she can escape. She soon learns that the thief took her money as well. Ciri tries to use the talisman, but it doesn’t work. She wonders where Yennefer went. Soon, she is grabbed by Rita who slaps her in the face. Yennefer interrupts and says she is bringing her ward to get a proper education.

Tissaia looks at Ciri and tells her not to take her eyes off her. Her eye begins bleeding. Then, Ciri and Tissaia watch while Yennefer hangs out with Sabrina and Rita. The women talk about sleeping with a witcher. They urge Ciri to get the wine. Yennefer is asked what is so special about her anyway. Ciri and Yennefer argue in private. Ciri tells her that she can’t spoil something that is already rotten. Yennefer reminds her that she is a low-level novice here so she might as well as used to it. She admits she doesn’t want to do it, but Aretuza is the best hope of protecting Ciri from those who hunt her. Ciri tells her that she doesn’t owe Tissaia the rest of her life just because she saved her. Ciri argues that Geralt would never sell his soul like this.

Geralt tells Anika that it is okay thanks to Otto making the potion so far. He asks if she suffered. Anika reveals she was mistaken for an elf and beaten very badly. Geralt never wanted her to hurt and only wanted her to know what she did. He remembers bits of their life. Anika argues that she had to let him go to save him. Now, he has his own impossible decision. Geralt says he won’t abandon Ciri even if it costs his life. Anika agrees to let Teryn stay there while he finds a way to help her. Geralt reveals he is going to Aretuza. Yennefer complains about the politics to Tissaia. She is worried about the coming war and that the kings will turn against each other. Yennefer says they must be united. Ciri goes outside and tries to find out where Geralt is.

Sigismund speaks to King Vizimir about not burdening himself with Redanian intelligence. Radovid comes in with a present that was left for the king. When he opens the box, it looks like the queen’s head inside. Sigismund asks for Radovid’s manservant. He promises the king that he won’t let them get away with this. Once they’re alone, Radovid accuses Sigismund and Philippa of doing this. Sigismund says he is the king’s most important advisor. As for Radovid, he just delivered his wife’s head to him in a box. Sigismund tells him to keep his mouth shut because it could be his head next time. Eva tells Philippa she knew Hedwig had a thick neck, but it was a workout to cut through. Philippa doesn’t understand it because Emhyr doesn’t use mages for emissaries.

They discuss the portal and the mage. Philippa thinks the mage backing Rience works for Nilfgaard. Rience tells Lydia that he only agreed to do the job because she said she didn’t work for Nilfgaard. She says she doesn’t and she only works for her lord. Rience is tired of being kept in the dark. He has a demand of his own if her lord wants him to keep going with the plan. Filavandrel tells Francesca that she is exhausted and should eat. He tells her about the scouts and Gallatin going to Xin’trea with the general. He believes they should consider an escape plan, but she will only accept death. Cahir speaks to Gallatin about why he likes fighting. Cahir says the White Flame told him the usurper was a fool to let him go because he is the strongest of them all.

He grabs Gallatin in the neck. Ciri is chased by dark clouds while riding her horse. Eredin calls her name. Ciri remembers that they’re ghosts and corpses. They say she is death and ask her to join them. Geralt arrives in time to help her. Ciri looks at the remains on the ground and says they were real.

 

The Witcher Review

While the first episode of this season was decent, the two follow-up episodes have been tedious and glacial. The writing hasn’t been strong enough to have a GOT-style politics and backstabbing extravaganza. Plus, the majority of the characters just aren’t that deep. Some of the dialogue and modern jokes are off-putting.

When Geralt was the focus, the episode was good. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen a lot in this episode. Instead, there were many new character introductions and scenes that probably won’t matter in the long run. At this rate, it is even difficult to know what the primary goal of this season is or why any of it should matter.

The series needs to find out where it is going and make rapid progress towards reaching that destination because it is too easy to not care right now. The episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of The Witcher are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.