5 Iconic The Witcher Scenes the Netflix Show Lowkey Butchered
While notorious for its treatment of the source material, Netflix’s The Witcher did some of its scenes phenomenally well — and some just went down the drain like these five.
5. Ciri’s Training with Yennefer
In the books, the training Ciri had to undergo in order to control her magic was a lengthy process, and Yennefer was there for her every step of the way. She taught Ciri important life lessons, too, and their mother-daughter bond developed beautifully over this time. Their relationship was the primary focus of this important sequence.
In the show, we only got a few shots of Ciri casting basic spells next to Yennefer, and the main focus was the relationship between the sorceress and…the Witcher. Why?
4. Vilgefortz and Geralt’s Conversation
_26459.webp)
In the books, Vilgefortz and Geralt have a long and intriguing conversation when they meet on the Isle of Thanedd. The sorcerer’s speech is dedicated to some of the deepest and most essential things in the history and future of the Continent, and it foreshadows some of the most important events — and Vilgefortz remains a mystery.
In the show, Vilgefortz merely warns the Witcher of the trouble and asks whether he’s willing to join forces. Their dialogue doesn’t have a fracture of its original depth.
3. The Thanedd Coup
_26459.webp)
In the books, the Thanedd Coup is an intricate, unobvious, and intriguing sequence that invites the reader to deduce their way through the multiple layers of truths, lies, and betrayals, and figure out who’s on what side and what’s really going on. The Coup is a very complex and mind-bending sequence for the plot and mind alike.
In the show, it lacks all the depth and mystery: it’s a straightforward sequence that requires no brain work at all — almost as if it was a coup of peasants, not sorcerers.
2. Codringher and Fenn’s Revelations
_26459.webp)
In the books, Codringher and Fenn are the real treasure for both Geralt and the reader back home. The two lawyers are immensely informed, and their revelations and news connect numerous dots across the entire story, providing a bunch of essential information that helps us piece the global events together to make sense.
In the show, the lawyers didn’t share nearly enough information: sure, Codringher and Fenn revealed some important facts, but not nearly as big or as many.
1. Emperor’s Reception of Fake Ciri
In the books, when the fake Ciri is introduced to the Nilfgaardian Emperor, he’s already aware of the fact that she’s not his real daughter. Emhyr plays it smart, making it look like he’s delighted to reunite with her — but his real goal is to discourage others from continuing the search to find the real Ciri himself.
In the show, the Nilfgaardian Emperor appears rather oblivious to the fact that the girl in front of him is not his real daughter, which defeats the entire purpose of this scene.