LoBeholder

I like the concept of the series. In its core, it's yet another variation on the theme of "a group of 20-somethings fight monsters with their supernatural skills", but there's a kind of brutal, dark edge that you don't usually see in e.g. Anglo-American fantasy series of the same kind. There's sadness, and resentment, and gray morality, and guilt, which makes some plotlines and characters rather interesting.

However, the execution is a mess. While the main story arc, spanning all the episodes, is not challenging to follow, there's a lot of abruptly aborted side-plots, hastily introduced (and discarded) characters, and rather big reveals that are just skimmed over. Some of that stuff is clearly setting the scene for Season 2 (which may not come), but mostly it's just very frustrating. As a watcher, you'd like to find out more about some characters, or some sub-plot, but it feels that this was originally a 14-episode series that was forcefully and violently compressed to 7 episodes.

Also, there's a lot happening, but in the end it turns out to be quite meaningless. It's as if the creators didn't want to resort to the "monster of the week" formula, but then in the end they kinda did.

Dialogue is very jumpy, at least in the Finnish subtitles provided by Netflix, but I assume that is the case for the original Polish script as well. People reach weird conclusions all the time, they jump through non sequitur hoops to suddenly appear at someplace important. It makes me skeptical towards the show, as suspension of disbelief needs to be on quick dial. Feels like I can't trust the writers, because I don't know what to expect next. Or maybe I know what to expect next, but the way the show takes me there is completely bonkers and seems just too random.

Acting seems to be quite plain. Lots of sulking, and brooding eyebrows. It's not a big problem for me, though - I'd assume the cast really starts to come together and slip into their roles if there would ever be another season.

Having said all that, I do think there's potential in this show, and I wish there would be season 2 so that it could start finding its true path.

Lo and behold: I've read the books, and yet I enjoyed the new season immensely. (Oh, by the way, I also liked the new Star Wars trilogy and Rey Skywalker, although GoT's last few seasons were pretty crappy and rushed. Then again, better rushed than never finished, because that is what ASOIAF the book series is gonna be.)

The season finale was just as epic and emotional as it should be. It also provides a very satisfying stepping stone to the next season. I hate it when too many plotlines are left dangling and too many secrets left unexposed, because there's a need to create some ultimate cliffhanger; here, instead, the finale does what a proper season finale should do: it caps a season with style, and provides more answers than new questions.

It's been great to watch the chemistry between the actors. It works brilliantly, especially between the dysfunctional family members of destiny's child, and even if the storylines deviate from the source material (as they should in any good adaptation BTW), the characters are still the ones from Sapkowski's universe. Character development has also been great, and all in all, actors have been doing stellar job this season, really starting to grow into their roles like a mutated leshy in a witcher.

If there's one complaint, it's that there is no tune quite as catchy as Toss a coin in this season. But quantity triumphs quality this time: we get not just one but three Jaskier ballads, and while they lack the simple catchy hook of the first season's hit piece, they still deliver excellent entertainment and some witty insights and reflections.

Hopefully S3 is not too far away in the future. Even though I know how things go in the books (and in the games), I love to see a new, fresh take and this show caters.