Netflix’s The Witcher strives to adapt Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, but there are many moments that are way better in the source material than they are in the show. This is no surprise, as the series has struggled to faithfully adapt The Witcher novels from the beginning. However, several instances stand out because of how noticeably superior they were in the books. In some cases, these Witcher scenes simply work better on the page than they do on-screen. However, other moments could have been more entertaining on the small screen had they been adapted well.
Unfortunately, the scenes in the latter category end up coming off worse in The Witcher TV series. These critical fumbles from The Witcher come from moments that happen under roughly the same circumstances as they do in the books. Much of the show’s criticism stems from the source material changing or leaving things out. However, these 10 moments prove that, even when the show pulls directly from Sapkowski’s books, it struggles to adapt events in a way that’s satisfying.
10 Geralt’s Fight With Foltest’s Striga
Geralt’s encounter with King Foltest of Temeria and his Striga is better in The Witcher books because they put more work put into the storyline. This moment is not about the actual fight between Geralt and the Striga, even though it’s one of Geralt’s best fights in The Witcher. Instead, the books focus more on the build-up to the confrontation and the meaning behind it. Much more time is taken to explore the hubris of Foltest and the events that led to this Striga — who turns out to be Foltest’s daughter — terrorizing the town. The complex ethical undercurrent of this short story is largely missed in Netflix’s The Witcher.
9 Ciri’s Training With Yennefer
Yennefer is different in The Witcher show vs. the books, but one of the former’s most egregious misses comes when Yennefer trains Ciri in the ways of magic and chaos. In the books, Ciri undergoes lengthy training with Yennefer, and this time is used to deepen their individual characterizations while developing and strengthening their bond. Yennefer teaches Ciri life lessons, as well as how to use magic, and Ciri comes to view her as a mother figure.
In The Witcher show, Ciri’s training is limited to a few brief shots of her using rudimentary magic under Yennefer’s eye. The adaptation makes the main focus of this sequence Yennefer and Geralt’s relationship, which makes it a massive missed opportunity to develop Ciri and Yennefer’s mother-daughter bond. This scene is better in the The Witcher books, both in its overall meaning for the characters and its actual execution.
8 Geralt’s Talk With Vilgefortz On Thanedd
Geralt’s conversation with Vilgefortz on the Isle of Thanedd is a much deeper and more meaningful conversation in The Witcher books than it is in the show. In the source material, Vilgefortz delves into the Continent’s history in detail, foreshadowing certain events and creating an irresistible aura of mystery around his character. In the show, Vilgefortz merely warns Geralt of trouble and asks him to join forces. This happens in the books as well, but the dialogue is far more entertaining and thought-provoking than it is in the show, which is a common theme in The Witcher‘s jump from page to screen.
7 The Coup On Thanedd
The Thanedd coup is a much more complicated subplot in The Witcher books. This coup is the catalyst for the rest of the story, and the books do a much better job of setting up all the layers in a way that makes sense without being obvious. In the source material, this scene challenges the reader to decipher who is scheming with who and why. In the show, things are more straightforward and predictable. The Thanedd coup really isn’t a terrible scene in The Witcher adaptation; it just doesn’t compare to the intricacy of the novels’ version.
6 Ciri’s Journey Through The Frying Pan
After the coup on Thanedd at the end of The Witcher season 3 part 1, Ciri jumps into the warped portal at The Tower of Gulls and lands in the middle of the Korath desert, also known as The Frying Pan. The show does a solid job of conveying Ciri’s desperation and anguish in this sequence, but it still isn’t as good as it is in the books. The Witcher books take the reader into Ciri’s mind, detailing her misery with excruciating detail. Ciri’s thought process is laid out vividly, taking the reader into the scorching sands to suffer alongside her in a way the show fails to.
5 Geralt Finding Ciri
At the end of The Witcher season 1, Geralt finds Ciri in the woods after nearly dying from a ghoul bite. This is a big moment of the show, and Geralt and Ciri run into each other’s arms. However, there is one glaring issue that isn’t a problem in The Witcher books: Ciri and Geralt have never met before. This makes it difficult to believe that Ciri is so thrilled to unite with a man she’s never met, especially considering the trauma she goes through right before.
Even accounting for the fact that Ciri knows to look for Geralt, she has no way of knowing that this random man in the woods is him. In the books, Geralt has already saved Ciri once by this point, so she knows who he is. She has a reason to trust him, as he has already helped her before. That inconsistency is the only reason this scene is better in Sapkowski’s books.
4 Yennefer’s Fight With Rience
Yennefer’s fight with Rience is a lot more entertaining in The Witcher books than it is in the Netflix show. Considering television offers a better medium for conveying fight scenes than a novel, this scene should have been better in the adaptation. Unfortunately, the show inexplicably decides to take Yennefer’s ability to wield magic, forcing her to spit liquor into Rience’s face instead of throwing fire at him. This makes the scene decidedly less entertaining. It’s also a missed opportunity to convey how powerful Yennefer really is.
3 Geralt’s Fight With The Michelet Brothers
In The Witcher season 2, Geralt takes on a team of supposedly elite mercenaries known as the Michelet brothers in the Temple of Melitele. Henry Cavill’s Geralt doesn’t have his sword on him, forcing him to use his fists and surrounding objects to beat them into submission. In the books, Geralt fights these characters on the road, sword in hand. He cuts them down with lethal precision, showing how deadly Geralt is compared to an ordinary human. This scene in the source material conveys Geralt’s rage and frustration. By contrast, the show seems like it’s just looking for a fight scene to insert at the end of an episode.
2 Geralt’s Meeting With Codringher And Fenn
Geralt’s meeting with the lawyers, Codringher and Fenn, is a much more enlightening scene in The Witcher books. Codringher and Fenn reveal a plethora of pertinent information, making it one of the most rewarding chapters in the series. They connect the dots on some of the most essential elements of the story here, making it riveting to read. The scenes of Codringher and Fenn in the show simply don’t provide the same value. They reveal important facts, but not nearly as many and not nearly as thoroughly.
1 Fake Ciri’s Introduction To The Nilfgaardian Court
Fake Ciri’s introduction to the Nilfgaardian Court is better in the books because it’s written from Emhyr’s perspective. Emhyr is fully aware that he does not have the real Ciri, but he plays along because he knows it will encourage the other nations to stop looking for her. He also has some fascinating conversations with his spymasters after this scene, setting up the covert hunt for Ciri that follows. In The Witcher show, it appears Emhyr is unaware that he’s been given a false princess, which severely hurts his characterization. Emhyr should know what his own daughter looks like, and he should want to draw attention away from her.
