Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Witcher Season 2! Be sure to check out IGN's review of Episode 2 for more about Eskel.
The Witcher Season 2 introduced a close friend of Geralt’s – fellow Witcher, Eskel. The character had previously been seen in the novels and videogame series, and fans were very eager to see him turn up on the show.
Taking to Twitter, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich discussed how The Witcher handled the introduction of Eskel, and why they decided to do things differently.
“Let's talk about Eskel,” she said. “One of my favorite moments on screen is when Geralt first hugs Eskel. The concern and confusion on his face says it all: ‘Are you okay?’ And Eskel's not.”
Of course, anyone who’s seen The Witcher Season 2 will know that things did not end well for poor old Eskel…
“He's been infected by a monster that we don't know yet, who is connected to Ciri in a way we don't understand yet (and won't for a while),” said Hissrich. “But from the get-go Geralt knows this person so well, and can't understand why he's acting out of character: mean, and coarse, and flagrantly disobeying Kaer Morhen rules by bringing women there, disrespecting the other brothers with whom he shares a deep history.”
It turns out that Eskel had been infected by a Leshy and his monstrous transformation was turning him into one of the behemoths of the forest.
“The story unfolds, of course, as you've seen,” said Hissrich. “Eskel admits he came home to seek help from Vesemir and his brothers, but the monstrous infection has taken over so deeply that he's lost himself. Geralt makes a choice that breaks his heart: he sacrifices Eskel to save Vesemir.”
Now, this chain of events doesn’t happen in either the novels or the game. Why did The Witcher choose a different path for poor Eskel? It’s all about how to push Geralt’s story along.
“Articulating Geralt's journey on screen had one other big challenge for us: namely, that in [Blood of Elves], his time is mostly spent watching and taking in Cirilla and her powers so that he could understand the breadth of what he had promised Calanthe, and how best to protect the girl from future threats that hadn't yet presented themselves.”
Hissrich explained that the slow burn of this story works well in print, but it needed to be adapted for television, because “most tv audiences don't want to watch 8 episodes of any character watching and waiting and reacting”.
“How could we take the growth that we need to see in Geralt, but have it have all the appropriate ups and downs and cliffhangers and devastation and action that modern audiences expect?” posed Hissirch. “Enter the idea of a mystery Geralt needs to solve in order to learn about Ciri and her powers. And enter the idea that the mystery should unfold in the place where Geralt should have felt most protected and safe: his home.”
The return of Eskel, and his ultimate demise, gives The Witcher a neat way of packaging all of this dramatic tension in one neat bundle. It also manages to keep things fresh – surprising fans of the books and games alike.
Despite this shocking twist, Season 2 of The Witcher is going down well with the fans. There’s plenty more where that came from, too, with a seven-season plan which we can only assume will take us in plenty more unexpected directions. Even if Henry Cavill wants to see a Season 3 which remains true to the novels.
The Witcher Season 2 launched on Netflix on December 17, 2021.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Continue reading...
The Witcher Season 2 introduced a close friend of Geralt’s – fellow Witcher, Eskel. The character had previously been seen in the novels and videogame series, and fans were very eager to see him turn up on the show.
Taking to Twitter, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich discussed how The Witcher handled the introduction of Eskel, and why they decided to do things differently.
“Let's talk about Eskel,” she said. “One of my favorite moments on screen is when Geralt first hugs Eskel. The concern and confusion on his face says it all: ‘Are you okay?’ And Eskel's not.”
Of course, anyone who’s seen The Witcher Season 2 will know that things did not end well for poor old Eskel…
“He's been infected by a monster that we don't know yet, who is connected to Ciri in a way we don't understand yet (and won't for a while),” said Hissrich. “But from the get-go Geralt knows this person so well, and can't understand why he's acting out of character: mean, and coarse, and flagrantly disobeying Kaer Morhen rules by bringing women there, disrespecting the other brothers with whom he shares a deep history.”
It turns out that Eskel had been infected by a Leshy and his monstrous transformation was turning him into one of the behemoths of the forest.
“The story unfolds, of course, as you've seen,” said Hissrich. “Eskel admits he came home to seek help from Vesemir and his brothers, but the monstrous infection has taken over so deeply that he's lost himself. Geralt makes a choice that breaks his heart: he sacrifices Eskel to save Vesemir.”
Now, this chain of events doesn’t happen in either the novels or the game. Why did The Witcher choose a different path for poor Eskel? It’s all about how to push Geralt’s story along.
“Articulating Geralt's journey on screen had one other big challenge for us: namely, that in [Blood of Elves], his time is mostly spent watching and taking in Cirilla and her powers so that he could understand the breadth of what he had promised Calanthe, and how best to protect the girl from future threats that hadn't yet presented themselves.”
Hissrich explained that the slow burn of this story works well in print, but it needed to be adapted for television, because “most tv audiences don't want to watch 8 episodes of any character watching and waiting and reacting”.
“How could we take the growth that we need to see in Geralt, but have it have all the appropriate ups and downs and cliffhangers and devastation and action that modern audiences expect?” posed Hissirch. “Enter the idea of a mystery Geralt needs to solve in order to learn about Ciri and her powers. And enter the idea that the mystery should unfold in the place where Geralt should have felt most protected and safe: his home.”
The return of Eskel, and his ultimate demise, gives The Witcher a neat way of packaging all of this dramatic tension in one neat bundle. It also manages to keep things fresh – surprising fans of the books and games alike.
Despite this shocking twist, Season 2 of The Witcher is going down well with the fans. There’s plenty more where that came from, too, with a seven-season plan which we can only assume will take us in plenty more unexpected directions. Even if Henry Cavill wants to see a Season 3 which remains true to the novels.
The Witcher Season 2 launched on Netflix on December 17, 2021.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Continue reading...