There were creepy monsters to hunt each episode, some great comic relief in the form of an annoying bard, as well as steamy bath scenes and a full-on orgy.
Season 2 attempts to up the fantasy stakes by focusing on some of the bigger, more existential questions about The Witcher universe, from the origins of monsters to why a young princess’s screams create earthquakes.
The story picks up right after the events of season 1’s final episode, in which two important things happened.
At the outset, Geralt, always the lone wolf, is now a father figure and takes Ciri with him to Kaer Morhen — a secluded spot in the mountains that serves as the home base for the witchers — in order to keep her safe and plot his next move.
So many things are tied to this event — the sudden appearance of new monsters, Ciri’s powers, the existence of the witchers in the first place — that it serves as the connective tissue for pretty much everything happening.
Geralt has become such a dad, focused almost entirely on Ciri’s well-being, even if it means upsetting the other witchers who just want to kill things and sleep for the winter.
So yeah, there’s a lot going on, but it’s actually a little easier to keep things straight this time because, unlike season 1, everything is happening on the same timeline.
Likewise, for a franchise where virtually every iteration — from the video game to the anime to the live-action series — is closely linked with an image of a buff man in a bath, it’s remarkable how sexless this season is.
Don’t get me wrong: I still binged through the season incredibly quickly because I just had to see what happened next.