The Witcher

I frequently analyze episodes from television series using Story Grid’s 5 Commandments of a Scene. I hope that this analysis will help writers make better scenes for themselves. Additionally, I cover the 6 Questions Every Editor Asks, also from the Shawn Coyne’s book The Story Grid.

Series Description

I haven’t played the Witcher games, which I know is where it is most popular. My son was very excited that the series is coming out and I watched the trailer, so I thought I might give it a try. I did read the first book of the series in order to have some comparison.

The series description from Wikipedia:

The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, who struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together

Wikipedia

The initial trailer and the final trailer are somewhat different.

Expectations

So, after reading the Wikipedia description and watching both trailers, this is what I expect as a viewer:

• Lots of fight scenes, at least one per episode, this will be the core
• a good character arc for the Witcher
• I’m not sure this is going to follow the book, at least not the first novel
• The series seems to have strayed a little from the books to where The Witcher is a killer of supernatural creatures, not a defender of princesses

Blog Posts

Here are the links to the blog entries for this series:

• Episode 1 – Dec. 20, 2019

And here are the links to my podcast that discuss the Witcher through the Story Grid lens.

• Showrunners – The Witcher Intro
• Showrunners – The Witcher Analyzed

If you have any suggestions of a future television series you want me to analyze, please write in the comments below.