What Can CD Projekt RED Teach Netflix About The Witcher?
The Witcher 3 set a standard for adaptations that will be hard to match. Over two years ago, Netflix tried it, and while the series didn't do badly, it could learn a few things from the third games.
Table of Contents
- What Can CD Projekt RED Teach Netflix About The Witcher?
- Slavic charm or generic middle ages
- Friendly scuffles don't have to be cruel
- Cities are more than just empty fortresses
- Controversial heroes should be taken seriously
- Concerning Yennefer and Triss
- Dear Netflix, where's Ciri's personality?
- Geralt should be the hero of his own story
Geralt should be the hero of his own story
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt RED, 2015
Hearing the word "witcher," the first image springing to mind is the figure of Geralt of Rivia. He's the main character of the books, as well as the protagonist we control in the games, with whom we experience all the adventures. The Netflix series decides to present a broad picture of the Witcher world. It develops the threads of many characters, mostly Yennefer and Ciri, much more than the games. We do not see Geralt himself in every scene, and in some episodes, he appears less frequently than some supporting characters.
Such a composition means that sometimes, you can even forget that Geralt is the main character here – after all, many threads, such as Yennefer's youth, do not concern him at all. The multi-threaded nature of the series adaptation delegates Geralt from the main character to the role of one of the many leading heroes. The solution is quite unusual, considering that it used to be him who was the center of attention in every story from this universe. You could justify this by the fact that Netflix' production wants to show a wider context and let other characters shine more. But why do they shine even brighter than Geralt himself?
The Witcher, Netflix, 2019
The problem is not just that there's less Geralt on the show than you might expect. Even when he is present, he often doesn't seem like the real protagonist of the story. Other characters' relationships develop independently of him, and he doesn't have too many people around him. Of course, in both books and games, Geralt is not the type to make friends easily. However, this doesn't prevent him from having friends to turn to in cas of trouble virtually all over the continent. For example, in Blood and Wine expansion, Geralt, after reaching Beauclair, meets Regis, and it is clear that the two have known each other for a long time.
Geralt from the game knows some people in virtually every place he visits, which allows the plot to develop dynamically; it also sheds light on the character of the witcher himself, as we can observe his interactions with others.
Netflix' Geralt turns out to be a much less recognizable in the world. People rarely recognize him, even Ciri is not aware of who he really is. In the Netflix show, Geralt is not the central figure of the story, whose relationships we would get to know. He only has a closer bond with single characters, such as Jaskier, Yennefer or Ciri, and much of the story seems to take place beyond him, instead of around him. Is The Witcher really a Witcher if he is not the truly legendary Geralt of Rivia?
