4. Is The Doppler Who We Think It Is?
The Doppler – or Changeling – was never called by name in his brief appearance. While he clearly had evil intentions from his first scene, he soon changed sides when he realized who and what Ciri was. Posing as Ciri in an attempt to kill Cahir, the Doppler was unfortunately slashed across his face before he managed to escape with his life. To the viewers, the Doppler is merely another monstrous being with the potential for good, but for those familiar with the Witcher series it might be an interesting surprise for the future. Geralt eventually has an ally often called Penstock but more commonly known as Dudu. Dudu is a Doppler who often prefers to appear as a halfling who simply wants to make some coin. After being unfortunately scarred with a rather substantial gash across his face, Dudu is, unfortunately, unable to remove the scar when transforming into other people. The scar at the hands of Cahir looks suspiciously like that which defines Dudu; could this be the beginning of an odd friendship down the road? Keep an eye out in Season two for any copies who happen to have a similarly shaped scar.
3. The Transformation of Vilgefortz
First encountering Vilgefortz when he tracks down Yennefer and asks her to return to Aretuza, he kinda seems like the closest thing we have to a knight in shining armor in this series. Geralt – for all the good he does – is no saint, and that’s okay, he doesn’t have to be. But this isn’t a series about definitive good and bad characters, everyone is a bloodstained shade of gray. Vilgefortz is unique as a mage in that he is also a seasoned and experienced warrior, proudly wearing his armor at all times. He displays cunning with military tactics and a strong ability to command leadership, so what could go wrong? Shortly after his epic fight with Cahir when he sadly expelled his chaos in combat to frequently summon his sword, Vilgefortz is kicked down a hill. Upon getting to his feet, the last thing we see is his approach to an injured ally… as he picks up a mace and caves the man’s skull in. What does this mean for viewers? Well, as with all things The Witcher, the show is doing an incredible job of being authentic to the source material. Vilgefortz is not the man you think he is, and Season two is going to have to deal with his actions – and intentions – sooner rather than later.
2. Introduce the Larger Cast
Two names have been dropped in the show so far without seeing them appear on screen: Vesemir and Emperor Ehmyr. These two are iconic characters of the franchise and will absolutely need to appear in Season two, but The Witcher is a large world with an extensive cast of unique characters and we have only just scratched the surface. We came very close to encountering Zoltan, Geralt’s dwarf friend, as one of the dwarves looked incredibly similar but he as yet has not been named. What about Vizimir II, King of Redania? Establishing Vizimir II in Season two sets up some incredible events down the line including the introduction of Djkstra and Philippa Eilhart, both incredibly important figures. Or what about Letho of the Viper school? We were briefly teased with the appearance of another Witcher, but he died before we could learn his name or what school he belonged to. The school of the Viper has a reputation for some truly brutal actions and having a morally ambiguous Witcher for Geralt to face off against would give some context to why people truly fear them.Â
1. Ciri Learns to Fight Back
Ciri’s special powers have been teased a few times, but nothing has outright defined what she is and what she can do. As one might expect, the destinys of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are now forever linked. Yennefer and Ciri will inevitably meet in Season two but what we truly need to see is when Yennefer takes Ciri under her wing and trains her to focus and control her powers. This is seen in the books during a series of potent and powerful training sessions in which Ciri is learning from both Yennefer and Geralt, with Yennefer frequently mocking the inferior powers of a Witchers magic. Even if it takes until the end of the season, we absolutely must see Yennefer step away from being the uncontrollable explosive ball of fire she is and watch her grow into the controlled, confident force of nature she is meant to be. Ciri will need to learn to control her powers and season two is the perfect time to begin her training.
Is there anything you want to see happen in season two? What did you think of season one? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, or the Comments section below.