Warning Spoilers for the episode “Rare Species” below

Netflix’s The Witcher has been wildly all over the place with it’s first season. Now that I have made it through the sixth episode, I can happily say that “Rare Species” lands on a good note and kept me both interested and wanting more, which is a feeling I haven’t felt since the fourth episode.

A big reason that this episode was a standout for me, was how they balanced pushing the overarching narrative with Ciri forward while building on the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer. the relationship was introduced last week with the djinn and in this episode, we learned what Geralt’s final wish was.

Ciri was a standout for me, as we finally get more then 10 minutes of screen time with her evading the Nilfgaardian Army. Seeing how Ciri starts out as naive and trusting anyone at first without a second thought, then seeing her grow to eventually outsmart her enemies was a great treat even if things felt a little rushed, which seems to be a common complaint about the show.

The Witcher spans at least 30 years and in that time so much has happened to our main trio that we never really get any context to these characters. Instead of exploring the characters everyday lives, we see them at there most important moments, it really feels like skipping through a movie and only watching the climax of each act. Yes it is a cool moment but in the end it doesn’t feel important or impactful.

Each episode was always enjoyable when it centered on Geralt as he is played to a perfect image of the character. “Rare Species” pairs Geralt and Yennefer on a quest to slay a dragon and this pairing made the whole episode for me. Hearing the witty banter between Yennefer, Geralt and Dandelion brought the humor center stage and made me laugh out loud a few times, which is always a compliment.

My one main complaint about this episode, is that the Dwarfs and the Knight were so insufferable that it made me want to turn off the episode entirely. I felt that the dwarfs were vulgar for the pure sake of it and the knight was just completely void of all personality, which is a problem when The Three Jackdaws standout so well.

One thing I have never mentioned in my previous reviews is the absolute masterpiece of a soundtrack. I have noticed the subtle voices mixed with a beautiful fantasy melody and that music really came to light this episode especially the end credit song “Her Sweet Kiss” perfectly capturing the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer.

The music gives the show the extra kick it needs, whether it’s for action sequences, more subtle moments or more emotional moments as well. I think this is the strongest point of the show and really deserves a bit more credit composed by Sonya Belousova. ”Rare Species” overall was a great episode and seeing how Ciri’s story progresses to the point where Geralt will finally meet with destiny is an intriguing prospect that I am excited to see to its inevitable conclusion.

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The Witcher

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• The Soundtrack is fantastic
• Geralt and Yennefer have great chemistry
• Ciri’s Story is back on track

Cons

• Side Characters are Insufferable