S02.E06: Dear Friend

[Meredith Quill]

Quote

TBA

 

[Zonk]

They totally forgot to CGI Yennefer of Wonderbread's eyes in the tea scene, but CGIed Gerald's eyes. Weird.

[Bort]

Heh, Dear Friend. I really do like the actress who plays Yennefer, she has such humorous reactions to stuff.

7 hours ago, Zonk said:

They totally forgot to CGI Yennefer of Wonderbread's eyes in the tea scene, but CGIed Gerald's eyes. Weird.

I think they mostly use contact lenses.

[Smad]

On 12/18/2021 at 6:04 PM, Zonk said:

They totally forgot to CGI Yennefer of Wonderbread's eyes in the tea scene, but CGIed Gerald's eyes. Weird.

Can I just say how much I enjoy your constant changing of Yennefer's last name? I think my fave is 'Veggieburger'.

How dare they kill Roach. Why couldn't they let Nenneke talk like a freaking normal person instead of appearing as if she's stoned the way she is drawing out certain words? Well Ciri, welcome to the world of weird that is parents making out, so to speak. But props to her for trying to later give them some time alone by gracefully extracting herself. The unicorn broke under mysterious circumstances huh? 🤣 Dang Ciri was an a-hole to that poor historian in training. She also interpreted what he said as a penis reference, this Ciri is definitely not a child.

I understand why Geralt would be happy and kissy because Yen is alive but why is she? Last we saw them she was convinced what they felt was because of the djinn wish and she bounced.

As for the ending...bad Yennefer. Bad, bad girl.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Smad

[Morrigan2575]

1 hour ago, Smad said:

understand why Geralt would be happy and kissy because Yen is alive but why is she? Last we saw them she was convinced what they felt was because of the djinn wish and she bounced.

I think she loves him, just angry and afraid. Her dream/desire was a happy family and baby with Geralt. 

 

1 hour ago, Smad said:

As for the ending...bad Yennefer. Bad, bad girl.

I don't think it will lead to much. I can't see Yenn betraying Geralt like that. 

I'm actually really excited about the changing pairings/storylines. I'm quite excited for a Ciro/Yenn adventure

[Smad]

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I think she loves him, just angry and afraid. Her dream/desire was a happy family and baby with Geralt. 

Unless I missed something she never said anything about a family unit with Geralt. Of course she loved him, the whole point was last Season that she has no idea if that love is real or came about via the wish in which case that love isn't real.

2 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I don't think it will lead to much. I can't see Yenn betraying Geralt like that. 

She already did when she took Ciri. Broken trust is broken trust. He's going to need her to train Ciri but that doesn't mean the broken trust won't have consequences for them long term.

[Sakura12]

2 minutes ago, Smad said:

Unless I missed something she never said anything about a family unit with Geralt. Of course she loved him, the whole point was last Season that she has no idea if that love is real or came about via the wish in which case that love isn't real.

I think they meant the dream Yennifer had in the hut with old magical lady. She saw her and Geralt happy with a baby. 

[Morrigan2575]

4 minutes ago, Smad said:

Unless I missed something she never said anything about a family unit with Geralt. Of course she loved him, the whole point was last Season that she has no idea if that love is real or came about via the wish in which case that love isn't real.

It was her dream, with the white robe from episode 3 (I think). It was Geralt and her settling down and having a baby.

[Smad]

4 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I think they meant the dream Yennifer had in the hut with old magical lady. She saw her and Geralt happy with a baby. 

But was that actually her own dream or something old lady conjured up by putting Yen loves Geralt and Yen wants baby together into one?

[Bort]

8 minutes ago, Smad said:

But was that actually her own dream or something old lady conjured up by putting Yen loves Geralt and Yen wants baby together into one?

Can’t it be both? The old lady was trying to lure Yennefer into doing her bidding, what better way to get her attention than with a dream about something she wants?

[Smad]

4 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Can’t it be both? The old lady was trying to lure Yennefer into doing her bidding, what better way than to get her attention with a dream about something she wants?

Nothing says it can't be both. But I have no context of their relationship or her feelings post 1x06. She looked done with the idea of Geralt by the battle of Sodden. So any dreams were probably crushed in the dragon episode. Not to mention she was leading Geralt's child like a lamb to the slaughter (last minute change of heart doesn't change the intention), a child that she could have become the mother of. She already knows they can't have babies anyway so this would be the closest she could get. So someone who wants that family unit would do things very differently. That's where my doubt about it being her desire/dream comes from.

[AnimeMania]

I think Yennifer had to go through the portal because Ciri had already gone through and Yennifer could not let Ciri go by herself. It may have looked bad, but what else could Yennifer do.

[Morrigan2575]

9 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I think Yennifer had to go through the portal because Ciri had already gone through and Yennifer could not let Ciri go by herself. It may have looked bad, but what else could Yennifer do.

That was my take as well. The scene was filmed oddly because if she stopped as Geralt wanted, she would have abandoned Ciri.

[MissL]

10 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I think Yennifer had to go through the portal because Ciri had already gone through and Yennifer could not let Ciri go by herself. It may have looked bad, but what else could Yennifer do.

I think Yennifer could have called for Ciri to come back? It also seemed like someone who wasn’t ditching him would have more of a reaction of “oh hey it’s clear I’ll grab Ciri and we will be right back!” But the way she reacted when he called to her indicated to him she was taking off. He knows her fairly well at this point. 

[Bort]

2 hours ago, MissL said:

I think Yennifer could have called for Ciri to come back?

I’ve thought the portals were just one-way and you’d have to open a whole new one to go back the way you came.

[iMonrey]

Quote

That was my take as well. The scene was filmed oddly because if she stopped as Geralt wanted, she would have abandoned Ciri.

And why wouldn't Geralt have wanted her to go with Ciri? As far as he knows, she's protecting her. Unless he didn't see Ciri go through the portal and just assumed Yennefer created it and was leaving?

I was gutted that Roach died. Gutted. I'm not even much of a horse person (although "War Horse" nearly killed me). But they've been able to make Roach a real character on this show. I'd rather they had killed off Ciri, I think she's my least favorite character. She just seems the most tropey. 

[thuganomics85]

Roach, no!  That was sad.  Best horse ever!

Codringer and Fenn were really giving off some Miracle Max and Valerie from The Princess Bride vibes during all of their scenes.  Istredd's reaction to all of that was pretty fun.

Geralt and Yen finally reunite and seem to push aside a lot of their spotty history (I guess absence really makes the heart grow fonder?) and are in each others arms more or less, but looks like things are going to change against since Yen and Ciri are now off on their own.  I doubt Yen will actually betray her or anything, but I guess this will cause some tension.

I wish I could care more about the elf/Nilfguard drama and politicking, but it's hard since I'm kind of indifferent to almost every character involved in this particular story.

Looks like Triss is going to clue Tissaia in about the whole "Ciri might doom the entire human species!  Oh, and a vial of her magical blood is now in the hands of an asshole fire mage now!" thing.  Uh oh!

[Smad]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Geralt and Yen finally reunite and seem to push aside a lot of their spotty history (I guess absence really makes the heart grow fonder?) and are in each others arms more or less...

Pretty hilarious because just two episodes ago Yen said this:

'You find love but it isn't real. It's a wish someone made once, before they even knew who you were.'

This show needs to decide already. Either they love each other for real or they don't. And if they do, how hard is it for Geralt to freaking clear this all up? It was annoying enough last Season in the dragon episode. If it wasn't a love wish, then just freaking say so Geralt.

[Sakura12]

I think Geralt's wish was to never lose her. That's why Yen said last season that she couldn't get rid of him, they keep finding each other. She's surprised every time they do. 

If that is the wish it's pretty vague and Geralt probably doesn't know what that covers. He's basically tied them together forever. 

[Smad]

So far I'm operating under 'the last wish' I know from the actual source material. I know it wasn't a love wish in the show because otherwise Yen would be dead. The djinn would have absolutely killed her when it left her body. So Geralt had to tie them in a way that the djinn couldn't kill her and a love wish wouldn't stop that thing from doing so.

It's just shitty writing in the show though. They kinda want to keep tension in there so Yen continues to believe in love wish while Geralt just can't open his mouth. That's not what people do. Geralt would have corrected her when it came up in the dragon episode last Season. But then they also want to keep the romance going so Yen conveniently forgot what she said/believed 2 episodes ago.

[Morrigan2575]

6 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I think Geralt's wish was to never lose her. That's why Yen said last season that she couldn't get rid of him, they keep finding each other. She's surprised every time they do. 

If that is the wish it's pretty vague and Geralt probably doesn't know what that covers. He's basically tied them together forever. 

I believe that's what the Dragon said last season. I always interrupted Yen's comments about Geralt as protective cover. Last season I said Yen needed to learn to love herself, she's emotionally damaged from her father/family. She tried to fill that void with power and when power didn't bring her happiness she focused on a child to love her and then when she lost her powers she swung back to wanting power. Since she doesn't love herself, she doesn't believe Geralt loves her, how could he? Of course it was The Wish that is forcing him to love her and of course she doesn't really love him because magic. Honestly I just assume she really does love him but, is running away, which is kind of what she does. 

I hope/expect her character arc is to grow and find love (Geralt, Ciri, herself) and a place she belongs. Right now, she's more defined by being the outsider. She's the part Elf that the mages distrust/don't like (the older ones anyway). She's the loner/outsider (admittedly that's partially her own doing).

So yeah, my expectation, is that Ciri will help Yen, like she's helping Geralt. 

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Morrigan2575

[roctavia]

I assume her comments were meant as protection... if it was all just a wish then she could pretend it wasn't real and they didn't actually feel things for each other, but what she is saying and what is really in her heart may not be the same thing. 

[WatchrTina]

Oh my God!  They killed Roach!  You bastards!

Weren't Siri and Geralt supposed to be in a "safe space"?  He felt comfortable setting aside his weapons when they arrived so I assumed that location was warded against things like portals.  As such, I cry foul at the burned-faced villian getting in.  

Unless . . . did Yen somehow circumvent the magical safeguards in place to LET him in?  Is she a baddie?  I know she LOOKED like a baddie to Geralt when she followed Siri through the portal but as others have noted, she may have simply been following Siri -- who had already fled -- in order to ensure that Siri would not be on her own at the other end of the portal.  I have to say at this point I have NO clear understanding of what Yen's motivations are.  And that is a weakness.  Double-crosses are boring when they are over-used.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

Edited December 31, 2021 by WatchrTina

[Smad]

26 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

As such, I cry foul at the burned-faced villian getting in.

It's just a temple that anyone can enter. Apparently.

27 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

Unless . . . did Yen somehow circumvent the magical safeguards in place to LET him in?

How would she do that without magic?

[WatchrTina]

56 minutes ago, Smad said:

How would she do that without magic?

Fair point.  But it's a fantasy based on a video game so it's within the realm of possibility that there is a cheat code in this universe by which a non-powered individual can disable spells (by wielding an magical item for example).  I'm not saying that's what happened.  I'm just saying if there's a will (and plot necessity) there's a way.

Edited December 31, 2021 by WatchrTina

[Morrigan2575]

1 hour ago, WatchrTina said:

But it's a fantasy based on a video game so it's within the realm of possibility that there is a cheat code in this universe by which a non-powered individual can disable spells (by wielding an magical item for example).

Based on books, not video games.

[nodorothyparker]

NOW it occurs to these idiots that letting Ciri guinea pig the witcher mutant juice and having some of that sitting around might be a bad idea? Sure, guys. Whatever.

As much as I'm struggling to care about the elf story, my husband and I did have a good snort when someone was screaming about how the baby came early. Elf queen looked about 16 months pregnant.

Count me as one who thought Yennefer following Ciri through the portal was less a baddie move and more that she knows Ciri doesn't really know what she's doing and couldn't just let her wander off alone like that. I thought portals only went one way too. But I also concede that Yennefer zeroed in on Ciri pretty quickly and was probably thinking about seizing the opportunity before her strangely muted reunion with Geralt. I also took his handing over of his weapons in the beginning as an indication that the temple? wherever they are is supposed to be a magical safe space, so maybe since firefucker overrode that all bets are off. I don't know. The whole fight scene was so strangely shot it felt like it belonged on a different show. I had to remind myself more than once that neither Ciri nor Geralt seemed to have any idea yet that Yennefer doesn't have her normal powers.

I like that Fringilla is getting some development this season rather than just being "bad" for the sake of being bad, which seemed to be how the show was painting it last season. Cahir still looks like someone slowly melting a Matthew McConaughey shaped candle.

 

[Smad]

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

NOW it occurs to these idiots that letting Ciri guinea pig the witcher mutant juice and having some of that sitting around might be a bad idea? Sure, guys. Whatever.

I don't even understand the drama around the lost vial with the mutagen. They took a lot of blood from Ciri in the previous episode and not all was used to create that one vial. Just make another. And letting Ciri take it was always a death sentence, Geralt should have been way more pissed at Vesemir because he almost killed Ciri.

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

Count me as one who thought Yennefer following Ciri through the portal was less a baddie move and more that she knows Ciri doesn't really know what she's doing and couldn't just let her wander off alone like that. I thought portals only went one way too.

If the portal had been made by Yen, then it would have been a baddie move. But Ciri made it and they had no idea where it would open up to. Ciri might have done a portal and they come out outside the temple, inside Ciri and Geralt's room, wherever the weapons are stored in the temple. But I'm pretty sure Yen was hoping it was far enough from the temple because that would suit her plan.

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

As much as I'm struggling to care about the elf story, my husband and I did have a good snort when someone was screaming about how the baby came early. Elf queen looked about 16 months pregnant.

I honestly thought she might have triplets or more considering how big she was. Was expecting a whole litter like a dog or something.

[tennisgurl]

Not Roach! You killed Roach, you monsters! Poor Roach, such a great horse. 

I think that Yen probably went after Ciri to help her, but I think she could be tempted, out of desperation, to do something to Ciri, but I don't think she would ever go through with it. Yenn can be morally ambiguous, but not "kill a child who's also my true loves surrogate daughter for power" morally ambiguous, which goes beyond ambiguous and into evil territory. 

I feel for the elves plight and they have shown how terrible humans are to them, but its hard to really get that invested in this story because we don't really know that many elves that well as characters, so its more that I care on a principle level instead of a personal level. Also, and this might be because I just don't remember everything we learned in season one, but I don't even really remember why humans hate elves so much. I guess its just because humans hate and fear magic in general, there are usually people booing and hissing at every magical thing around, including witchers, but "elves magic, humans hate magic, therefore humans hate elves" is just not that interesting of a conflict for me. Probably because a lot of other shows I know have tried to do variations of it poorly and I am just burned out, but it doesn't make this story pop for me. At least there is some decent world building here and there and it gives Fringilla some much needed development. 

[AnimeMania]

16 hours ago, Smad said:

18 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

As much as I'm struggling to care about the elf story, my husband and I did have a good snort when someone was screaming about how the baby came early. Elf queen looked about 16 months pregnant.

I honestly thought she might have triplets or more considering how big she was. Was expecting a whole litter like a dog or something.

They successfully have babies with Humans all the time, Yennifer is part Elf.

[Smad]

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

They successfully have babies with Humans all the time, Yennifer is part Elf.

And what does this have to do with what that poster and I were joking about?

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, Smad said:

And what does this have to do with what that poster and I were joking about?

Mentioned they thought a litter of babies was going to happen instead of typically one baby like a human, nothing more and nothing less.

[Kasienka]

I think it was my least favourite episode so far. So many things happening, so many characters and I feel like we didn't spend enough time with some of them. After watching Wheel of Time last year, I think both series could use more episodes. I would love to see more of Nenneke, her interactions with Geralt and Ciri, but there's so much they need to fit into this , so they can move forward with the plot. It was kind of ridiculous how Rience was just all over the place. Am I supposed to think that Jaskier's slip about Kaer Morhen being in the mountains was enough for him to find the witchers? Still the sections in the temple are probably the best scenes in the episode, I like to have the main three characters together at least. I hope Yen won't do something she will regret later.

And I appreciate what the elf storyline is doing to Fringilla's character, she's not just this evil witch we need to defeat anymore.

[PotterOtherP]

The child of destiny is being chased by a flamethrowing guy with a scar on half his face. I kept waiting for him to say "that's rough buddy!" We didn't even get a cabbages joke.