# Netflix working on 'The Witcher' series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, netflix\ **Created:** [May 17, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873 "2017-05-17T21:59:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/141 "2020-01-23T02:04:27Z")
Sadly, everyone needs to work around Cavill’s schedule, and he’s a busy man. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/142 "2020-01-26T00:28:51Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > This was a fun show for me. I didn’t know anything about the books or the game. My daughter has played the game so she had an idea of the characters at least. We binged on it in two or three days and I didn’t want to stop. I loved the little Game of Thrones references and seeing Maggy the Frog again. All the Game of Thrones vloggers have taken on this show too. You are referring to the actor who plays Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May)? Apparently she also played the younger daughter in Last of the Mohicans. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/143 "2020-01-28T20:03:48Z")
After reading some lukewarm reviews and comments about time-jumping (which I’m not a big fan of), I was pleasantly surprised by the result. It probably helps that I’ve played Witcher 3, so I’m familiar with the main characters but not so familiar with their backstories that I had a lot of preconceived notions. As far as the special effects go, I felt that it was kind of the mirror image of the first couple of seasons of Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones splurged on nice settings but was very skimpy on shots of dire wolves and dragons (e.g.) whereas Witcher had good monster effects but some pretty bland sets and locations. My biggest surprise: I didn’t realise that Stregobor was played by Lars Mikkelsen until looked up the cast list afterwards! The beard and hair really threw me. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/144 "2020-01-28T20:05:37Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > After reading some lukewarm reviews and comments about time-jumping (which I’m not a big fan of), I was pleasantly surprised by the result. It probably helps that I’ve played Witcher 3, so I’m familiar with the main characters but not so familiar with their backstories that I had a lot of preconceived notions. > > As far as the special effects go, I felt that it was kind of the mirror image of the first couple of seasons of Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones splurged on nice settings but was very skimpy on shots of dire wolves and dragons (e.g.) whereas Witcher had good monster effects but some pretty bland sets and locations. > > My biggest surprise: I didn’t realise that Stregobor was played by Lars Mikkelsen until looked up the cast list afterwards! The beard and hair really threw me. The original stories it’s based on time jumped like that. I found it more confusing in the books. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/145 "2020-01-28T21:57:44Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > As far as the special effects go, I felt that it was kind of the mirror image of the first couple of seasons of Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones splurged on nice settings but was very skimpy on shots of dire wolves and dragons (e.g.) whereas Witcher had good monster effects but some pretty bland sets and locations. I enjoyed the show, but you are right. All the locations in The Witcher have the same sort of grey “Generic Medieval Set” feel to them. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/146 "2020-01-29T19:48:48Z")
I thought the series was terrific, and I’d watch it all again if they released it in the proper chronological order. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/147 "2020-01-29T20:57:08Z")
I watched the series. Haven’t read the books or played the games. My overall reaction is “meh.” It looked like they substituted real actors for the avatars and kept the game components. Geralt sounded like he was imitating Christian Bale’s Batman, and he just looked fake. Their biggest priority was making him look like the video game avatar, so despite traveling through the countryside 99% of the time and fighting monsters, his poofy shirt looked like he just picked it up from the cleaners, his hair was impeccably styled, and he was clean shaven. I did like Yennefer’s character, but it seemed odd to me that somebody who was born a hunchback, abused by her father and sold off would be able to transform into a such a powerful, articulate figure. I guess it’s no more far-fetched than a slave kid turning a wheel for 20 years and transforming into Arnold Shwartzenegger, but I need context. It takes more than a fantasy genre plastic surgeon. The time jumps were disconcerting, mainly because doing so ripped away so much context. It seemed like lazy writing to me. Plus, how the fuck did “The Law of Surprises” become ingrained in every culture? No country I know would permit their justice system to be put on hold because somebody blurted out a secret. What’s to prevent every Tom, Dick and Harry from saying “I’ve got a surprise too! My uncle is actually emperor!” GASP! We never suspected, but now we have to completely change our way of life. Then there’s Princess Screamy, who gets taken in by a hidden tribe that managed to stay out of view of the rest of the world for centuries, then they all get slaughtered. What purpose did they serve? I get so sick of vague prophecy hooks with tragic consequences. Oh look, titties. Forget everything I said. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/148 "2020-01-30T00:09:31Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Plus, how the fuck did “The Law of Surprises” become ingrained in every culture? No country I know would permit their justice system to be put on hold because somebody blurted out a secret. What’s to prevent every Tom, Dick and Harry from saying “I’ve got a surprise too! My uncle is actually emperor!” GASP! We never suspected, but now we have to completely change our way of life. I don’t think you understood the Law of Surprise (or I didn’t). As I understood it, when you performed some major boon such as saving a person’s life, you could invoke the Law of Surprise in lieu of accepting any sort of set payment. Once invoked, you then got to claim the first unknown boon the person had coming to them. Since it’s far more likely that I’ll find out that my wife baked cookies or that my friend has the $10 he owed me than to find out that I won the lottery or am being appointed ambassador, it’s usually a polite way for you to accept a token reward for your heroic act where neither party needs to feel like they didn’t step up – I didn’t offer you a cookie for saving my life, it was _destiny_ that decided on the reward. We only really saw a single culture where this was an accepted thing and they obviously believe heavily in destiny as a concept. And it’s only done for major events so it’s not as though people are holding the door open for someone then invoking the Law of Surprise. Of course, in this case, _Destiny_ decided that Sonic the Hedgehog should knock up Ciri’s mom and that Geralt should wind up with Ciri as his charge. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/149 "2020-01-30T15:43:59Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Plus, how the fuck did “The Law of Surprises” become ingrained in every culture? No country I know would permit their justice system to be put on hold because somebody blurted out a secret. > [@Jophiel](#): > > I don’t think you understood the Law of Surprise (or I didn’t). No, it was definitely \*\*Knowed Out \*\*who didn’t understand it. It’s a classic fairy tale type of exchange, really. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873/150 "2020-01-30T21:24:31Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > No, it was definitely \*\*Knowed Out \*\*who didn’t understand it. It’s a classic fairy tale type of exchange, really. And, apparently, more akin to a law of physics than a legal code. Geralt invoking it to Ciri’s parents apparently attached some supernatural obligations to him, and there’s a sense (maybe explicit? I have to rewatch.) that Ciri’s grandma is courting some bad juju by refusing to recognize Sonic’s claim. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-working-on-the-witcher-series/786873.md?page=7)