Geralt of Riva, the monster hunter, enters the town of Blaviken to find a chilly reception. Queen Calanthe and Esit prepare for a potential war with Nilffguard, as Princess Cirila enjoys herself at a feast being thrown at the castle.

Many have tried to compare this new Netflix series with Game of Thrones, but apart from some surface similarities, it is clear from within the first five minutes of the first episode that this is a very different kind of show. With pretty passable CGI for a TV show, The Witcher immediately delves into the more fantastical elements that are prominent throughout and quickly establishes to the viewer that this is will be a TV series deeply steeped in magic and monsters, albeit often with a dark twist.

The rest of the episode carries out this promise with magic being used frequently and often casually. There are also excellently well-choreographed fight scenes, and well-paced world-building seeped into all the strong fantasy elements. The introduction of Geralt (Henry Cavil) is very well done, and you quickly get a strong sense of his character as he navigates the two sides he finds himself between, that of Stregabor (Lars Mikkelsen) and Renfri (Emma Appleton). His scene with Renfri on what it means to be considered a ‘monster’ by the common folk is an excellent demonstration of Cavil’s great acting, and later when he tells the story of his fight with his first ‘monster’ to his horse it not only deepens the themes of his part of this episode but helps to really sell who Geralt is.

We first come across Princess Cirila (Freya Allan) when she is playing knucklebones with some other children, dressed as a commoner herself. Freya Allan plays Ciri well, with Jodhi May brilliantly portraying the grandmother of Ciri, Queen Calanthe; you easily buy into the strong bond between the two despite their short time together on screen.

After a disastrous battle for Cintra and Queen Calanthe, resulting in the death of her husband Esit (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson), the aftermath reveals that Ciri and Geralt seem to be connected somehow, thus explaining why we are seeing these two separate strands of story side by side. It’s also revealed that Ciri herself possess strong uncontrolled magic and is the first of many hints as to how she is very important in the world of The Witcher, with even some suggestion that the whole attack is so that Nilffguard can acquire her.

The end of the episode again stresses the connection between Geralt and Ciri, with Renfri’s words haunting Geralt as we see Ciri escape into the woods. Renfir’s death seems to hit Geralt hard, and as he leaves from Blaviken while being jeered and stoned by the mob and Stregabors last taunting words, it brings to a great close the themes of this episode and cements to the viewer Geralt’s uneasy place in the world.

Verdict: Great acting, world-building, in both the dialogue and the set design, and superb music immediately demonstrates the brilliant production of this show. It embraces its high fantasy elements and yet is still able to keep the world and the story feels grounded and full of meaning and emotion. 8/10

Emily Day