Warning: Full spoilers for the entirety of The Witcher: Season 2 on Netflix, particularly the finale, "Family," follow...
Now that you've made your way through all eight episodes of The Witcher's second season let's unpack the revealing and action-filled finale, "Family," and clarify what it all means.
Given the sheer amount of twists and turns here, it might be best to start at the finish and then work our way backwards. So let's kick things off with...
The final beat of "Family" is the arrival of the much-spoken-about "White Flame" of Nilfgaard to Cintra. Teased for half the season, Emperor Emhyr made his grand entrance, revealed that HE was the one who had Francesca's elven newborn killed (and also that he was onto Cahir and Fringilla's bulls*** about taking credit for it), and then turned and faced the camera so that fans could see he was an older version of - yup - "Duny," the former hedgehog'd "Urcheon of Erlenwald."
And for viewers who may have forgotten what Ciri's father looked like back from Season 1, the Season 2 finale had just given us a face refresher for actor Bart Edwards, who we'd just seen minutes earlier as part of Ciri's dream prison at the hands of Voleth Meir and her possession.
This answers why Nilfgaard knew about Ciri's specialness before everyone else - a question that was also just posed, said aloud, right before this. What we haven't been told though is why thought-to-be-dead Emhyr — after everyone presumed he perished in a shipwrecked watery grave alongside Ciri's mom, Pavetta — ditched his former life and reinvented himself? Most likely it has to do with Ciri and the fact that he, as her pops, knew she inherited her mother's powers.
Right before the Emhyr scene, Geralt tells Vesemir that he can't hide Ciri at Kaer Morhen anymore, as too many people are now gunning for her. They'll have to go on the run. Geralt allows now-powerful-again Yennefer, whom he hasn't fully forgiven, to come along so that she can help train Ciri in the ways of magic, helping her control her Chaos.
After realizing that the monoliths are gateways to other spheres (since Istredd posited a few episodes earlier that the Conjunction of the Spheres was not a merging but instead a type of cosmic swipe-left, momentarily allowing these worlds to cross-pollinate), and that Voleth Meir (who arrived because of the Conjunction) just wanted to use Ciri to go home, Geralt then entertains the idea that Ciri, as a surrogate daughter of sorts, is what he and Yennefer need — the "something more —" to succeed as a fated couple.
The dragon Villentretenmerth said that he and Yen were made for each other, but there had to be an extra ingredient added to their cocktail of just randomly hooking up for decades. A larger purpose. And that's Ciri.
Oh, and Jaskier's with them too. But for how long?
This won't mean too much to viewers just yet, but fans of the Witcher stories/books/games will undoubtedly know the name Philippa Eilhart, revealed to be played by Cassie Clare in the Season 2 finale. Yes, all the kingdoms have their magical advisors and Phillipa is the Chaos consort for King Vizimir of Redania.
Graham McTavish'a Dijkstra might be Vizmir's spymaster and head of Redanian Intelligence, but Philippa is the scheming sorcerer here, and Dijkstra's favorite spy due to her ability to hide as a barn owl and pass information back to him from hundreds of miles away (like how Ciri has Elder Blood). It would also appear that he can see through her eyes when she is in owl form.
A quick line of dialogue also revealed that Dijkstra was Jaskier's secret benefactor, for all of the bard's "Sandpiper" elven refugee smuggling, once again illustrating how Dijkstra plays all sides and loves a Continent in the midst of confusion and calamity.
After losing her baby in the most brutal way — the pain of which helped feed and fuel Voleth Meir's freedom (since the baby was part of a "wish") — elven sorceress Francesca, thinking Redania is to blame, magically kills all the newborns in Redania and now has designs on fully starting war with humanity.
After her men capture a snooping Istredd, Francesca and former elf king Filavandrel also now know about Ciri being "Hen Ikeir" - aka "Elder Blood." A descendent of Lara Dorren (who was all over this season, first told in storybook shadow form by Nivellen and then actually seen by Ciri in a vision, played by Niamh McCormack) and the one foretold in Ithlinne's Prophecy (which is kinda/sorta an end of the world scenario).
So now there's one more faction after Ciri.
Speaking of those hunting Ciri, the shadowy figure pulling the strings behind Lydia and "Fire F***er" Rience is still unknown to us, though we saw his back while meeting with the two of them in a tavern. What we did see however was Lydia's hideously ravaged face, the aftermath of her trying to use the Witcher potion, made from Ciri's blood and stolen from Kaer Morhen.
Did any of the potion work for her -- like, does she have enhanced abilities -- or was it totally wasted and only successful in melting half of her face? She did seem to communicate with her boss telepathically, however.
In a brief scene, the Kings of the North, absent Redania's King Vizmir, are told about Ciri by Tissaia - and thusly decide to have Ciri bumped off.
The world would just be a better place without her, as whoever captured her could lay claim to Cintra. So King Foltest — along with the queen of Lyria, king of Aedirn, and the king of Kaedwen — decide to put a bounty on Ciri's head. That's yet another headache for Geralt to deal with in Season 3.
Mentioned a few times (sightings have been reported across the skies of The Continent), and then seen by Ciri in one of her many visions, The Wild Hunt appeared, in true physical form, after Ciri, Geralt, and Yen were transported to a seemingly dead and desolate world (the realm of the the Aen Elle, perhaps).
The Wraiths of Mörhogg (as they're known in Skellige) rode up to the trio, eager for Ciri to join their ride. Eredin, elven king of the legendary Wild Hunt, spoke to her before they were all whisked back to Kaer Morhen. "Child of the Elder blood, join our hunt!"
Geralt, now knowing that Ciri has been marked for something, thanks to the grim interest taken by both Voleth Meir and the Wild Hunt (who are this series' Thanos), decides to flee with Ciri and live life on the road.
Before all of those aforementioned revelations, "Family" dealt with the showdown between Geralt, Yen, and the witchers of Kaer Morhen - and the "Deathless Mother" Voleth Meir, who is basically the witchers' first-ever enemy and maybe even the reason witchers were created in the first place.
Spoken of by Vesemir himself back when Ciri first arrived at Kaer Morhen and snooping around, Voleth Meir — who killed one of the first witchers, Klef — wreaked havoc until the witchers bound her deep in the forest. "Some say she still calls to the unfortunate souls unlucky enough to cross her woods," he tells Ciri in Episode 2 (right as Yen, Fringilla, and Francesca all enter her lair).
Well, the witchers would once again square off with their oldest enemy after Voleth Meir possessed Ciri, and then killed several of them in their sleep. From there, cornered, Voleth-Ciri creates a monolith in the middle of the keep, erupting out of the Medallion Tree. Vesemir, enraged over the "sons" he just lost at Ciri's possessed hand, wants blood. Specifically, he wants to kill Ciri to stop the Deathless Mother. Other witchers agree, with only Geralt, of course, pleading with them to not give into anger and to consider a course that removes the demon from Ciri.
All of this comes to a head when Voleth-Ciri begins throwing monolith-monster after monolith-monster at the witchers, causing more death and destruction. Ciri, meanwhile, is trapped in a type of mind prison, a memory of a banquet, where she's reunited with not only her grandmother and Mousesack, but her parents.
The battle ends with Vesemir realizing that his rage and sorrow was only adding to Voleth Meir's power, Ciri deciding that she needed to return to what was real, and Yennefer, feeling guilty about inadvertently causing all of this, sacrificing herself to become the Deathless Mother's new vessel.
When the dust clears, Voleth Meir/Yen is banished back through the monolith, and Geralt, Yen, and Ciri return from the other world, Yen is alive and her powers have been restored.
So that's the basic lay of the land for the end to The Witcher's stunning second season. There was a boss fight, a family formed, a glimpse of the show's endgame, and the introduction of powerful new players. What did you love the most about the finale, "Family?" And what are you most excited about for Season 3? Let us know down in the comments.
Continue reading...
Now that you've made your way through all eight episodes of The Witcher's second season let's unpack the revealing and action-filled finale, "Family," and clarify what it all means.
Given the sheer amount of twists and turns here, it might be best to start at the finish and then work our way backwards. So let's kick things off with...
Emperor Emhyr var Emreis is Ciri's Father
The final beat of "Family" is the arrival of the much-spoken-about "White Flame" of Nilfgaard to Cintra. Teased for half the season, Emperor Emhyr made his grand entrance, revealed that HE was the one who had Francesca's elven newborn killed (and also that he was onto Cahir and Fringilla's bulls*** about taking credit for it), and then turned and faced the camera so that fans could see he was an older version of - yup - "Duny," the former hedgehog'd "Urcheon of Erlenwald."
And for viewers who may have forgotten what Ciri's father looked like back from Season 1, the Season 2 finale had just given us a face refresher for actor Bart Edwards, who we'd just seen minutes earlier as part of Ciri's dream prison at the hands of Voleth Meir and her possession.
This answers why Nilfgaard knew about Ciri's specialness before everyone else - a question that was also just posed, said aloud, right before this. What we haven't been told though is why thought-to-be-dead Emhyr — after everyone presumed he perished in a shipwrecked watery grave alongside Ciri's mom, Pavetta — ditched his former life and reinvented himself? Most likely it has to do with Ciri and the fact that he, as her pops, knew she inherited her mother's powers.
Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri: A New Family
Right before the Emhyr scene, Geralt tells Vesemir that he can't hide Ciri at Kaer Morhen anymore, as too many people are now gunning for her. They'll have to go on the run. Geralt allows now-powerful-again Yennefer, whom he hasn't fully forgiven, to come along so that she can help train Ciri in the ways of magic, helping her control her Chaos.
After realizing that the monoliths are gateways to other spheres (since Istredd posited a few episodes earlier that the Conjunction of the Spheres was not a merging but instead a type of cosmic swipe-left, momentarily allowing these worlds to cross-pollinate), and that Voleth Meir (who arrived because of the Conjunction) just wanted to use Ciri to go home, Geralt then entertains the idea that Ciri, as a surrogate daughter of sorts, is what he and Yennefer need — the "something more —" to succeed as a fated couple.
The dragon Villentretenmerth said that he and Yen were made for each other, but there had to be an extra ingredient added to their cocktail of just randomly hooking up for decades. A larger purpose. And that's Ciri.
Oh, and Jaskier's with them too. But for how long?
Dijkstra's Owl is Philippa Eilhart
This won't mean too much to viewers just yet, but fans of the Witcher stories/books/games will undoubtedly know the name Philippa Eilhart, revealed to be played by Cassie Clare in the Season 2 finale. Yes, all the kingdoms have their magical advisors and Phillipa is the Chaos consort for King Vizimir of Redania.
Graham McTavish'a Dijkstra might be Vizmir's spymaster and head of Redanian Intelligence, but Philippa is the scheming sorcerer here, and Dijkstra's favorite spy due to her ability to hide as a barn owl and pass information back to him from hundreds of miles away (like how Ciri has Elder Blood). It would also appear that he can see through her eyes when she is in owl form.
A quick line of dialogue also revealed that Dijkstra was Jaskier's secret benefactor, for all of the bard's "Sandpiper" elven refugee smuggling, once again illustrating how Dijkstra plays all sides and loves a Continent in the midst of confusion and calamity.
Francesca Findabair is on a Warpath, Knows About Ciri
After losing her baby in the most brutal way — the pain of which helped feed and fuel Voleth Meir's freedom (since the baby was part of a "wish") — elven sorceress Francesca, thinking Redania is to blame, magically kills all the newborns in Redania and now has designs on fully starting war with humanity.
After her men capture a snooping Istredd, Francesca and former elf king Filavandrel also now know about Ciri being "Hen Ikeir" - aka "Elder Blood." A descendent of Lara Dorren (who was all over this season, first told in storybook shadow form by Nivellen and then actually seen by Ciri in a vision, played by Niamh McCormack) and the one foretold in Ithlinne's Prophecy (which is kinda/sorta an end of the world scenario).
So now there's one more faction after Ciri.
Lydia is Deformed, Though We Still Don't Know the Identity of her Master
Speaking of those hunting Ciri, the shadowy figure pulling the strings behind Lydia and "Fire F***er" Rience is still unknown to us, though we saw his back while meeting with the two of them in a tavern. What we did see however was Lydia's hideously ravaged face, the aftermath of her trying to use the Witcher potion, made from Ciri's blood and stolen from Kaer Morhen.
Did any of the potion work for her -- like, does she have enhanced abilities -- or was it totally wasted and only successful in melting half of her face? She did seem to communicate with her boss telepathically, however.
The Princess Die-aries
In a brief scene, the Kings of the North, absent Redania's King Vizmir, are told about Ciri by Tissaia - and thusly decide to have Ciri bumped off.
The world would just be a better place without her, as whoever captured her could lay claim to Cintra. So King Foltest — along with the queen of Lyria, king of Aedirn, and the king of Kaedwen — decide to put a bounty on Ciri's head. That's yet another headache for Geralt to deal with in Season 3.
The Wild Hunt, Baby
Mentioned a few times (sightings have been reported across the skies of The Continent), and then seen by Ciri in one of her many visions, The Wild Hunt appeared, in true physical form, after Ciri, Geralt, and Yen were transported to a seemingly dead and desolate world (the realm of the the Aen Elle, perhaps).
The Wraiths of Mörhogg (as they're known in Skellige) rode up to the trio, eager for Ciri to join their ride. Eredin, elven king of the legendary Wild Hunt, spoke to her before they were all whisked back to Kaer Morhen. "Child of the Elder blood, join our hunt!"
Geralt, now knowing that Ciri has been marked for something, thanks to the grim interest taken by both Voleth Meir and the Wild Hunt (who are this series' Thanos), decides to flee with Ciri and live life on the road.
Taking Down the Deathless Mother
Before all of those aforementioned revelations, "Family" dealt with the showdown between Geralt, Yen, and the witchers of Kaer Morhen - and the "Deathless Mother" Voleth Meir, who is basically the witchers' first-ever enemy and maybe even the reason witchers were created in the first place.
Spoken of by Vesemir himself back when Ciri first arrived at Kaer Morhen and snooping around, Voleth Meir — who killed one of the first witchers, Klef — wreaked havoc until the witchers bound her deep in the forest. "Some say she still calls to the unfortunate souls unlucky enough to cross her woods," he tells Ciri in Episode 2 (right as Yen, Fringilla, and Francesca all enter her lair).
Well, the witchers would once again square off with their oldest enemy after Voleth Meir possessed Ciri, and then killed several of them in their sleep. From there, cornered, Voleth-Ciri creates a monolith in the middle of the keep, erupting out of the Medallion Tree. Vesemir, enraged over the "sons" he just lost at Ciri's possessed hand, wants blood. Specifically, he wants to kill Ciri to stop the Deathless Mother. Other witchers agree, with only Geralt, of course, pleading with them to not give into anger and to consider a course that removes the demon from Ciri.
All of this comes to a head when Voleth-Ciri begins throwing monolith-monster after monolith-monster at the witchers, causing more death and destruction. Ciri, meanwhile, is trapped in a type of mind prison, a memory of a banquet, where she's reunited with not only her grandmother and Mousesack, but her parents.
The battle ends with Vesemir realizing that his rage and sorrow was only adding to Voleth Meir's power, Ciri deciding that she needed to return to what was real, and Yennefer, feeling guilty about inadvertently causing all of this, sacrificing herself to become the Deathless Mother's new vessel.
When the dust clears, Voleth Meir/Yen is banished back through the monolith, and Geralt, Yen, and Ciri return from the other world, Yen is alive and her powers have been restored.
So that's the basic lay of the land for the end to The Witcher's stunning second season. There was a boss fight, a family formed, a glimpse of the show's endgame, and the introduction of powerful new players. What did you love the most about the finale, "Family?" And what are you most excited about for Season 3? Let us know down in the comments.
Continue reading...