‘The Witcher’ Season 2 Premiere Will Adapt This Short Story About Geralt of Rivia
The Witcher Season 2 doesn’t arrive on Netflix until December, but showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich gave fans an idea of what to expect from the premiere. During a video clip, she revealed which of Andrzej Sapkowski’s short stories the first episode of the season will adapt. That offers fans insight into what will happen at the beginning of The Witcher‘s sophomore season, as well as an idea of where it could head after.
‘The Witcher’ Season 2 will focus heavily on Geralt and Ciri’s relationship
The first season of The Witcher saw the show’s three main characters on completely different timelines, but season 2 will feature a more straightforward plot. Much of its story will revolve around Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and his relationship to Princess Cirilla (Freya Allen).
The two characters were linked by the Law of Surprise prior to Ciri’s birth. However, destiny led them back to one another at the end of season 1. The new episodes will see Geralt guiding the girl safely to the witcher fortress of Kaer Morhen, where she’s likely to begin training as a witcher herself.
In the books, Ciri’s training is outlined in Blood of Elves, which the second season of The Witcher is likely to adapt. However, before it delves into the novel, it looks like the series will wrap up its adaptions of select short stories.
Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich says the season 2 premiere will be based on this short story
Season 1 of Netflix’s The Witcher brought the short stories from The Last Wish to life, but it didn’t get to all of them. That’s why the premiere of season 2 will delve into another story in the collection — one of Hissrich’s favorites. In a video posted to the Netflix Geeked Twitter account, the showrunner shared which tale the premiere will cover.
“I’m so excited that, in season 2, we get to bring one of my favorite short stories to life,” Hissrich said. “It’s been the worst-kept secret that we’ve had, but we are adapting ‘A Grain of Truth’ for the opening of our season 2 of The Witcher.“
“A Grain of Truth” sees Geralt running into a cursed man named Nivellen, whose face has been turned into that of a monster. Nivellen recounts the tale of his curse to Geralt, and the two discuss fairy tales — a topic that thematically fits with the journey Geralt is about to embark on.
Of course, there’s more to Nivellen than meets the eye. And while viewers will need to wait until season 2 to see how his story plays out, they can anticipate a compelling performance from Game of Thrones alum Kristofer Hivju, who will portray the character.
‘The Witcher’ tweaked ‘A Grain of Truth’ to include Ciri
Although Ciri doesn’t appear in “A Grain of Truth,” Hissrich noted that they were able to work her into the story. Since she and Geralt will travel together moving forward, her inclusion makes narrative sense. It also opens up new possibilities to tie Nivellen’s tale into hers.
“After season 1, I thought maybe that our chance to finish the short stories, that we lost that,” Hissirch said. “And instead, we were able to adapt this story and bring Ciri into it. It’s a story of a father and a daughter coming together in a place that doesn’t quite feel safe for them.”
“It’s really the perfect kickoff for season 2 because it’s about family,” Hissrich added. “It’s about the secrets that we keep from each other, and it’s about the monsters that we are inside sometimes.”
If Hissrich’s words about the premiere apply to the rest of the season, it sounds like fans have a lot to look forward to. The Witcher Season 2 arrives on Netflix on Dec. 17, 2021. All eight episodes will drop on the streamer at once, so fans will learn which other parts of the books Hissrich adapted for season 2 then.
