Netflix’s original fantasy series The Witcher fails to live up the HBO’s Game of Thrones, which has become the new benchmark for not just fantasy television series, but TV series in general. Rather than being a fault, however, The Witcher’s inability to replicate the HBO juggernaut’s formula is actually a strength: an adaptation of the beloved book and video game franchise of the same name, The Witcher is at its best when it fully embraces its fantasy roots.
The Witcher chronicles the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a legendary “witcher” who roams the countryside as a monster slayer for hire. Along his journey, he meets a number of colorful characters, such as the hedgehog knight Duny (Bart Edward), a cursed princess-turned-monster, and everyone’s favourite sidekick, the bard Jaskier (Joey Batey). While there are moments in the series that delve into the epic battle scenes, political intrigue, and masculine brooding so characteristic of Game of Thrones, the Netflix series is incapable of delivering these qualities with the same finesse of HBO’s highly-rated series.
However, The Witcher’s inability to be Game of Thrones is not a bad thing: the HBO series faced a number of criticisms in its final seasons, including complaints that the Game of Thrones season 8 was (literally) too dark. Other than some forgettable scenes in the premiere episode, The Witcher season 1 is almost cheery by comparison. The Bard’s surprisingly-catchy theme “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” perfectly encapsulates the playful, infectious energy that works so well in The Witcher — and is completely absent in Game of Thrones.
The Witcher Is No Game Of Thrones
The Witcher can’t compete with Game of Thrones. Not only does the former lack the massive budget of HBO’s flagship property, but it lacks the kind of source material necessary for such a gritty, complex story. The Witcher book series, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, doesn’t strive for a medieval realist tone like George R. R. Martin’s book series; instead, it offers a rich world populated with elves, dwarves, and other magical creatures. That isn’t to say that Sapkowski’s books are better or worse than Martin’s — they’re simply different.
Regardless of how The Witcher’s source material measures up to Game of Thrones, the fact remains that the HBO series dominated the television industry for the last eight years, and became a staple of pop culture. Genre fatigue is always a concern for long-running series, and with HBO’s House of the Dragon prequel already dividing audiences, it would appear that viewers are ready for a change.
Netflix’s The Witcher is fundamentally different from Game of Thrones. Its world isn’t just brighter, if equally violent, it also seems smaller: The Witcher season 1 follows the stories of Geralt the titular witcher, Yennefer the mage, and Cirilla, princess of Cintra. The three protagonists’ stories intertwine in interesting (and at times, confusing) ways during season 1, and the narrative action is anchored to their experiences — very unlike the sprawling, narrative web that is Game of Thrones. Furthermore, magic is much more commonplace in The Witcher, and makes for some truly fun adventures. The stories in the Netflix fantasy series lend themselves to an almost procedural format.
With audiences already anticipating The Witcher season 2, the hit Netflix series proves that the fantasy genre is alive and well among contemporary audiences. Fans of the series will have to wait until 2021 to see what adventures Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri will get up to next, but if the first season is any indication, it will be well worth the wait.
More: The Witcher: Geralt’s Last Wish For [SPOILER] Explained
