Netflix’s The Witcher has been a huge hit with viewers despite mixed reactions from critics, and it seems that fans are really enjoying this new live-action adaptation, though some of them still criticize the show for drifting away from the source material in several instances throughout the first season.
As you may already know, the new series adapts the first two books from the saga which are a collection of short stories; The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. These short stories hardly adjust to conventional television episodes though, which makes for a confusing timeline in the narrative and many plot elements left up to viewer interpretation. And so, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich had to change a few things along the way to make the story more suitable for the medium.
One of these big changes was the climactic scene at the end of the second book where Geralt and Ciri are reunited, with the White Wolf finally accepting the Child of the Elder Blood as his destiny. In the show’s ending, the pair meet each other for the first time, which makes their source material conversation more out of place than emotional, had they decided to incorporate it into the show.
Now, Hissrich has revealed an alternate ending with more dialogue between Geralt and Ciri, as opposed to the final version in which the Cintran Princess only says a single line, “Who is Yennefer?” You can check out the initial script page below:
I LOVING #TheWitcher dialogue this morning. As a treat for all the respectful debate, here is the original final scene of Ep 108, "Much More." This is what was shot. It was edited down later, because — as pointed out — didn't feel earned after we'd cut the Brokilon meeting. pic.twitter.com/wyBEFV1F9b
— Lauren S. Hissrich (@LHissrich) December 29, 2019
As mentioned above, this problem arose when the writers decided to remove a short story from the second book called “The Sword of Destiny,” in which Geralt and Ciri meet each other for the first time in Brokilon Forest.
In the novel, their reunion is more emotional and gut-punching after everything they’ve been through, but as the executive producer points out in her tweet, staying true to the final scene as written by Andrej Sapkowski wouldn’t have been satisfying to watch considering the direction they decided to take with the story.
While some fans see this as a missed opportunity, many wouldn’t want to wait for a second or third season to finally get to meet characters like Yennefer and Ciri. Granted, it’s always fun to see Geralt take on jobs and slay monsters across the Continent, but the live-action adaptation requires more conflict and resolution to keep fan anticipation alive.
Regardless, in spite of these critiques, The Witcher has quickly become one of the most popular releases in 2019, and as such, we’re getting a second and probably also a third season, expected to arrive in a couple of years. But for now, be sure to check out the first run on Netflix, if fantasy worlds, monster-hunting and children of destiny are your thing!