The Witcher: 8 differences between the show and the books, explained

Image: Netflix/The Witcher

The Lesser Evil

“The Lesser Evil” is an early Witcher short story that forms the basis for the very first episode of the series, and it’s a great introduction into the world of the Witcher. The opening shot of Geralt entering the town of Blaviken on his horse, Roach, with a dead kikimora at his side is exhilarating for longtime fans of the series, and establishes the tone the series is going for. This episode plays out more or less like the short story, but there are details from the book that may clarify some things that went down in the show.

The short story begins as Geralt, seeking a reward for the dead kikimora, ends up getting caught in the middle of a complicated conflict threatening all of Blaviken. On one side, Stregobor the wizard attempts to persuade Geralt to kill a “monster,” a young woman named Renfri born under a Curse of the Black Sun. Renfri is gunning for Stregobor’s life, mainly because he was responsible for getting her exiled from her family at birth. Stregobor insists that killing her would be the “lesser evil,” but Geralt refuses.

On the other side, Renfri has entered Blaviken along with her band of rogues. Geralt meets with her, and the young woman proceeds to tell her life story, comparing Stregobor to the kikimore that Geralt brought into town. She says the wizard is a worse monster and offers Geralt the same deal Stregobor did: choose the lesser evil and kill the other. Geralt refuses, again.

At this point, the show deviates from the short story, leaving out a small but crucial bit of information. After refusing the lesser evil, Geralt learns of the “Tridam Ultimatum,” a strategy in which a number of people are held hostage, and either the demands of the aggressor are consented to, or the people are killed one after the other. This is hinted at in the episode when Renfri holds a knife to a young girl’s neck before she and Geralt cross blades.

The reason Geralt slaughters Renfri’s companions is because she plans to kill hostages until Stregobor leaves his tower. That is also why, in the books, the whole affair takes place in the marketplace, which by design is full of people. The innocent lives at stake force Geralt to choose the lesser evil and engage Renfris companions, and later herself. This ultimatum is only hunted at in the show, whereas it’s underlined n the books.

All in all, Hissrich and her team did terrific work bringing the narrative together. Turning a collection of short stories into a television show is no easy task, but it paid off, and now that the characters are all on the same timeline, the second season should be more straightforward. The narrative-focused novels that come after the short stories will be easier for the show to adapt. It looks like The Witcher will come out swinging in its sophomore season.

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