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Author Topic: The Witcher  (Read 56776 times)
MisterNoisy
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Reply #175 on: January 13, 2020, 07:40:19 PM

Finally got around to watching this over the weekend with some friends.

It's not super deep, but it was a ton of fun, which is what I want from this kind of thing.  Also, that 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher' song is a goddamned earworm.

The only thing that annoyed me was Cavill's Batman voice, but I stopped caring after ten minutes.  I'm glad a second season is already on order.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2020, 07:48:54 PM by MisterNoisy »

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Khaldun
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Reply #176 on: January 14, 2020, 07:07:13 AM

It's fun. I don't know quite why people find the temporal relationships between the main characters' storylines quite so confusing.

Cavill is really good in the role.
Samwise
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Reply #177 on: January 14, 2020, 08:12:59 AM

It's fun. I don't know quite why people find the temporal relationships between the main characters' storylines quite so confusing.

Never underestimate the stupidity of the average viewer.   awesome, for real

I had basically zero familiarity with the lore/story, and was watching in a somewhat distracted state, so I was a little confused for the first episode or two (wait, isn't that the same person who...?), but once I understood that I was seeing things out of order it was not hard to assemble the jigsaw puzzle.

"I have not actually recommended many games, and I'll go on the record here saying my track record is probably best in the industry." - schild
Riggswolfe
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Reply #178 on: January 14, 2020, 08:48:13 AM

It's fun. I don't know quite why people find the temporal relationships between the main characters' storylines quite so confusing.

Never underestimate the stupidity of the average viewer.   awesome, for real

I had basically zero familiarity with the lore/story, and was watching in a somewhat distracted state, so I was a little confused for the first episode or two (wait, isn't that the same person who...?), but once I understood that I was seeing things out of order it was not hard to assemble the jigsaw puzzle.

They drop hints early on that the timelines are different but it's not easy to pick up on if you miss them until I'd say, about episode 3 or 4. I've read the books and played the games and I remember thinking in episode 1 "wait, doesn't the Renfri stuff happen years earlier?" but I wrote it off as "I guess they changed the timeline for the show." I completely missed that Renfri said something like "Over in Cintra" Queen Calanthe just won her first battle" and in the very next scene Calanthe tells Ciri "I won my first battle when I was your age.""

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Reply #179 on: January 14, 2020, 09:10:29 AM

It's a lot easier to miss that stuff when you're still figuring out wtf everyone's name is.   swamp poop

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Draegan
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Reply #180 on: January 14, 2020, 10:47:03 AM

I think I picked up on the time thing with a scene early on with Yennefer.
Lucas
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Reply #181 on: January 14, 2020, 11:29:49 AM

Have you guys already seen this?

Official netflix website with map, timelines, bestiary etc.

https://www.witchernetflix.com/


" He's so impatient, it's like watching a teenager fuck a glorious older woman." - Ironwood on J.J. Abrams
Brolan
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Reply #182 on: January 14, 2020, 02:14:29 PM

I think I picked up on the time thing with a scene early on with Yennefer.

Yeah, I think noticed the same thing.  Indicated she was way ahead of everything else.
Khaldun
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Reply #183 on: January 15, 2020, 11:13:30 AM

I noticed that the showrunners realize they made a goof by not having Jaskier/Dandelion age at all when he meets Geralt for a second time.
MediumHigh
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Reply #184 on: January 15, 2020, 11:41:52 AM

The Witcher is what happens when people who give a shit is given a crap ton of money to make something. And make something great.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2020, 12:39:59 PM by MediumHigh »
Lucas
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Further proof that Italians have suspect taste in games.


Reply #185 on: January 15, 2020, 11:54:54 AM

And believe me, while these first 8 episodes were a bit of a jumbled mess here and there in some aspects (editing, dialogues, fundamental choices about how to develop the three main characters etc.), if the showrunner will stick to what Sapkowski wrote, you will definitely be in for some really great and unique moments (the writer is kinda "derivative" but really adds some funny, personal touches which you might not expect), starting right from next season. Can't wait.

" He's so impatient, it's like watching a teenager fuck a glorious older woman." - Ironwood on J.J. Abrams
Teleku
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Reply #186 on: January 15, 2020, 10:29:06 PM

So if I understand this correctly, the first book (or two?) are a collection of short stories about the Witcher's exploits.  Then they turn into full length novels?  Was the first season of this series based on one of the short story books, I'm assuming?

What time period do the games take place?  I'm assuming they can't be direct book adaptations.

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disKret
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Reply #187 on: January 15, 2020, 11:10:05 PM

First two books are the stories. Netlfix took a few of them and mixed.
Then we have 5 books of saga.
And after that one more (Season of the storms). Which if I remember correctly happens some time during saga.

The games are based on the saga but not directly.
Lucas
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Reply #188 on: January 16, 2020, 11:36:07 AM

Book 3-7 are full length novels, yes.

- The first season of the TV series has adapted some short stories from both the first and the second book of the saga. Showrunner and writers also came up with something entirely original, like Yennefer's "Origin story" which, in the books, is like....3 lines of writing in book 6 or 7 :P

- The TV series  "fast forwarded" to the end of book 2 when it comes to the fall of Cintra and Ciri storyline, otherwise we wouldn't have seen Ciri until season 2 of the TV series (and even toward the end of it).


- Regarding the overall timeline, the book saga ends with book 7 (called "The Lady of the Lake"), in the year 1265 or something; games take place AFTER the books, starting from Year 1270.

There is a "book 8" ("Seasons of Storms"), which Sapkowski published, like....20 years after book 7 (in 2018 or something) as a way to cash in from the growing success of the franchise thanks to the videogames. It is not not a sequel to book 7, but another collection of short stories that are slotted somewhere between the ones narrated in book 1.

" He's so impatient, it's like watching a teenager fuck a glorious older woman." - Ironwood on J.J. Abrams
Bokonon
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Reply #189 on: January 17, 2020, 06:31:45 AM

Some of the comments here sound like the general reception to The Expanse.

* Confusing, separate storylines (not temporally disconnected though)
* Editing, pacing in the first season
* Changes from the first book

I'll have to add this to show my watch list.
Tale
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Reply #190 on: January 20, 2020, 01:16:08 PM

The separate storylines happening in different times but shown simultaneously was done artfully in a way that I haven't seen before, rather than mishandled. It's challenging viewing rather than erroneous. They knew what they were doing with it (leading to a same-time conclusion).
Setanta
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Reply #191 on: January 21, 2020, 02:47:03 AM

The separate storylines happening in different times but shown simultaneously was done artfully in a way that I haven't seen before, rather than mishandled. It's challenging viewing rather than erroneous. They knew what they were doing with it (leading to a same-time conclusion).

I have to agree with this. It becomes a "oh wow" rather than "that was badly done" series of moments.

I'm working through the books at the moment, the showrunners seem to be on the ball and Cavill seems well and truly on point.

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Draegan
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Reply #192 on: January 23, 2020, 05:47:50 AM

When I figured out the times were different, everything clicked for me and it was a satisfying moment. Good on the show for that.
Khaldun
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Reply #193 on: January 23, 2020, 09:29:08 AM

One thing I like about the time differential is that it lets you see something like the murder and dispossession of the elves both in the immediate aftermath of it and in the longer-term consequences of it. It's also very clever in that you both see Geralt as this famous person with this huge reputation and see simultaneously the messy complexity of how he acquired that reputation without the use of flashbacks, etc.

That's a smart move for future seasons too, since it lets them drop new 'stories of Geralt and Yennefer' into different places in the timeline as appropriate rather than always be advancing the forward motion of the Ciri plotline in a relentless way.
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Reply #194 on: January 23, 2020, 09:39:59 AM

When I figured out the times were different, everything clicked for me and it was a satisfying moment. Good on the show for that.

My wife had that moment in Episode 3.

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Abagadro
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Reply #195 on: February 05, 2020, 12:57:48 AM

« Last Edit: February 05, 2020, 01:00:38 AM by Abagadro »

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Khaldun
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Reply #196 on: February 18, 2020, 08:07:05 AM

Ah, they're adapting "A Grain of Truth" as one episode of Season 2 with Kristofer Hivju as Nivellen. Excellent.
Trippy
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Reply #197 on: July 11, 2021, 01:55:44 PM

Season 2 teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aMVzFlApa0

December 17th.
Trippy
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Reply #198 on: July 11, 2021, 02:26:16 PM

Tale
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Reply #199 on: August 29, 2021, 06:09:04 PM

"The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf" (anime spin-off) launched on Netflix over the weekend and I watched it.

It's perfectly serviceable entertainment and a fine way to spend 83 minutes if you like fantasy tales. It made me want to rewatch season 1 of this.
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Reply #200 on: September 27, 2021, 11:23:20 AM

slog
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Reply #201 on: October 01, 2021, 04:45:50 PM

Lots of Season 1 footage in there.

I can't wait for December!

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Trippy
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Reply #202 on: November 01, 2021, 02:41:15 PM

Season 2 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFVV2L8GKs

Haven't read the books or watched Season 1 yet but seems kind of spoilery.
Khaldun
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Reply #203 on: November 01, 2021, 04:25:09 PM

Hm. No, not really, I don't think? If you got to the end of Season 1, the war was underway. I can see a couple of the stories they're adapting and like the game, the monster-centered ones are "procedurals", meaning that you gotta get into the guts of it to see what the twists are with the particular monster. The grand plot arc doesn't have that many surprises as yet, but the big developments are actually not in this at all really (Kaer Morhen, etc.)
Lucas
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Reply #204 on: December 17, 2021, 05:17:58 AM

I started watching Season 2 and, putting aside plot points for a moment, there are a lot more nods to videogame Geralt: general mannerism, his "exchanges" with Płotka (Roach), even the style of Nilgaard armor is now full videogame.

It's not that surprising: as we probably already discussed in the past, there was lots of angst between Sapkowski and CD Projekt; thanks to some money involved, production seems no longer "embarassed" to adopt some of the excellent characterizations the videogames provided.

One suggestion, if you want to give it a try: watch it dubbed in Polish, it just feels *right*, and the voices are excellent.  Hell, playing Witcher 3 in polish brings it to an even higher level, IMO.

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Setanta
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Reply #205 on: December 19, 2021, 08:10:34 PM

Binging on it 2 episodes a night. Lots of nods to the games, some to the books. It's not as strong as S1, but still watchable.

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Reply #206 on: December 20, 2021, 10:21:21 AM

I really only had two thoughts, wait this is it and wait this is it?Huh I loved it, but the entire season felt like damage control. I also loved what they did with Ciri who instead of being annoying like in any other setting like this comes off as enduring without feeling older or suddenly wiser than her character suppose to be. You cheer for her because she wants to earn her place in the world and not because she is the "chosen".
Riggswolfe
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Reply #207 on: December 21, 2021, 12:51:31 PM

I'm only about halfway into Season 2 but it feels like it is diverging fairly significantly from the books. It's been a while since I read them so I may be wrong but:


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Reply #208 on: December 21, 2021, 05:15:21 PM

No, I agree. They have chucked the book continuity out and a lot of things just don't tell a good story, merely an adequate one. Triss and Yennifer's stories just don't really fit the storyline, Geralt is just being superman and saving the day with no good reason as to why he is super-witcher, Cahir's story is all over the place, and the final reveal was a complete let-down! It had none of the nuances of the books, none of the developing storyline and payoffs. I'm not saying they aren't telling a story in the series, it's just not a good story. It was far more nuanced and clever in Season 1.

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Reply #209 on: December 21, 2021, 05:39:21 PM

They seem to be grabbing the bits of the video games they like and flipping the bird to the books to do their own thing.

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