Necrotongue

After the first season, I was a bit hesitant, but I held onto hope. Now, after the second season, that hope has vanished. It's similar to what happened to Game of Thrones, just a bit earlier on. I get it, the script can't always perfectly match the source material, but in this case, it feels like only the name remains from the original. It baffles me why some filmmakers think they can cover up script and casting flaws with a massive CGI spectacle. Instead, we're left with more and more side storylines that often lead to dead ends. Meanwhile, digital creatures roam around, looking like they've wandered in from Evolution (2001). Then there are the new questions. Why is Geralt called the White Wolf when his hair color reminds me more of Gandalf pre-Balrog encounter? Did the series creators use the Nilfgaardian invasion to divert attention from the Afro-Indian hordes infiltrating Slavic fantasy? Who knows. Undoubtedly, the upcoming seasons of this "masterpiece" will have some explaining to do. To put it in aviation terms, this series is in a descending spiral, and if this keeps up, it's heading into a tailspin. 2*-

Any semblance of the book adaptation is completely lost, and if Professor Sapkowski truly approves of this series, well, he's either gone senile or struck an incredible deal. My bet is on the latter. The plot made absolutely no sense to me. It seemed like the creators were more focused on showcasing their CGI creatures than actually telling a coherent story. The big revelation of his imperial majesty's identity would've only shocked me if I'd never touched The Witcher books.

The seventh episode was a bit of a mixed bag - partly amusing (though probably unintentionally) and partly just downright illogical. I couldn't help but wonder, what's the politically correct term for a black elf? Afroelf? Seems unlikely, especially since it feels like the show's creators conveniently left Africa out of the equation. At least, I hope that's the case... Imagine being a different race and also a minority within your own race. That's a minority within a minority. I have this sneaking suspicion that Netflix won't pass up the chance to introduce a character who's a black, gay elf. Killing three birds with one stone, right?

There were moments in this episode where I actually felt like something was happening for a change. It was a pleasant distraction from the unnecessarily long dialogues that could easily confuse viewers who haven't read the books. It's quite a paradox; if you haven't read the books, you might find yourself lost in the situation, but if you have, the twists might surprise you (or perhaps disappoint you). What really amused me was the talk of a timed detonation (even figuratively) - I wonder what's coming next. This episode also taught me that elves give birth to perfectly clean and dry babies (well, different species, different customs, I suppose). And, honestly, the way they push the multiracial casting so forcefully is starting to feel a bit ridiculous (or maybe just plain embarrassing...). 3*-

The episode didn't quite hit the mark for me. Once again, I didn't see any significant progress in the story; instead, there was a surplus of pointless talking. It's becoming a bit of a trend with fantasy series. They start off promising, then devolve into endless meetings with various characters, engaging in dialogues about nothing. And of course, just to spice things up, someone gets beaten up every now and then because, hey, the viewers need some action.

Unexpectedly, the plot wasn't as boring compared to the previous two episodes. The only dull moment for me was during the conversation with the deaf-mute dark elf. It was painfully obvious that they ran out of ears at the prop house, so he had to pretend they were cropped. Aside from that hiccup, the episode was quite enjoyable. However, the meeting with Marigold left me in a bit of an unpleasant mood. The troubadour's song in the tavern was as weird as if Morris dancers were doing the twist in Black Adder. It was missing only an electric guitar and keyboards to complete the scene. 3*-

I'm rather underwhelmed by the second season so far, to say the least. There's been a severe lack of meaningful dialogue. Sure, there were discussions, but nothing of substance seemed to happen. It felt like empty chatter, thrown in just to meet the required number of episodes for the series. Now, I don't mind a good, long debate. But it has to be full of intrigue and manipulation, with a clear goal in mind. And I found it to be lacking.

This episode took a sharp turn from the first in that it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The disco at Kaer Morhen felt like a bad joke; it's as if Vesemir decided to throw a village fair in spring. Equally ridiculous was the elven mushroom party in the cabin on chicken legs. Add to that a lot of unnecessary chatter and Geralt's repeated posing with the sword, and it all became quite annoying, to be honest.

If the series stuck to Sapkowski's short stories, it would be on a whole other level. Unfortunately, along with the saga, we've got this intrusion of dark Slavs into the plot, whom I find quite distracting. I'm also struggling to get used to the altered appearances - the ugly Yennefer, the overly pigmented Fringilla Vigo - and the dialogues felt a bit weak at times. However, the majority of the episode focused on the short story part, which I appreciated. So, with a clear conscience, I give this episode four stars.

I was completely misled by the title and genre of the show. I was expecting an entertaining war series. Instead, I got a kind of soap opera-like romance, with something remotely reminiscent of war going on in the background. There's not a hint of showing Nazi atrocities (the occasional execution, beard trimming, etc. doesn’t even come close). The bombing of Warsaw, which turned the city into ruins, is presented in the series in the form of one bomber flying over the city and three explosions. Either the creators didn't know what they were doing, or they didn't know how to do it, or the series was grossly underfunded. I bet it was a combination of all of the above. The only attempts to build an atmosphere I noticed were the visits to Berlin. Very weak, but I will watch the next season to learn something new about the war again.