The Witcher season 2: All episodes reviewed and explained

The Witcher 2×07 “Voleth Meir”

I feel like more than Episode 4, this one truly revolves about intelligence, about the way information is obtained, received and perceived. News of Francesca’s baby, Djikstra planting seeds of conflict, word of and from Triss, rumors of Ciri’s whereabouts and her powers…all of it is in the mix, and all of it inspires drastic measures. The other theme of the episode is undoubtedly trust.

The elves have found hope in Francesca’s newborn daughter, the first new pureblooded elf in decades, and many are deserting the Nilfgaardian army. Fringilla is dangerously close to losing her grip on the situation on the eve of Emhyr’s visit, so she takes matters into her own hands to hold on to power. After a desperate, clandestine visit to her uncle Artorius to beg him to protect her if she comes back to the Brotherhood, she assassinates Nilfgaard’s generals except for Cahir, whom she has learned to trust.

At Aretuza, Triss confesses what she knows about Ciri to Tissaia, and when Vilgefortz demands answers, Triss feels deeply betrayed. Triss, who professed to be loyal to Tissaia alone, loses her faith in her. When Tissaia stands up to Vilgefortz, it seems that something is broken between them. To him, it’s not personal, as information is a weapon in their arsenal, but Tissaia’s girls have always been her weakness in the eyes of the Brotherhood.

Yennefer convinces Ciri to go to Cintra, which is right where she needs her according to Voleth Meir, on the pretext that Geralt will be there. Ciri is desperate to get to him, convinced that he has been captured by Nilfgaard. She is beside herself with worry, and admits aloud for the first time that Geralt is the father she never had. Yen is touched by the words, and Ciri in turn asks about her relationship with Geralt. Yennefer’s answer, “longing, regret, hope and fear” comes straight from Blood of Elves.

We have seen time and time again that Ciri is of a trusting nature, so we cannot blame her for trusting someone that Geralt himself entrusted her to. Yen even helps Ciri control and direct her Chaos. They’ve only known each other a very brief period of time, but the betrayal nonetheless feels very personal. It’s only at the very last moment that Yen has second thoughts and confesses the truth to Ciri, but it’s too late; Nilfgaardian soldiers are already upon them.

Desperate to find Ciri, Geralt leaves the temple and goes to free Jaskier from an Oxenfurt jail. I’m not sure why he makes this stop: is it because he feels he owes this much to Jaskier? Because Jaskier has met Rience before? Or because Geralt is going to have to entrust Ciri to someone, and there is no one else he loves who hasn’t betrayed him?

Their reunion is so in character it hurts. Geralt apologizes for abandoning Jaskier and Jaskier can’t hold a grudge, although he pesters Geralt the entire journey, talking about feelings and teasing him and making jokes and doing impressions to cheer him up. It’s striking that at this point Geralt is ready to kill even Yen for Ciri. It’s Jaskier who speaks in her defense, how far we’ve come!

Geralt, Jaskier, Yarpen Zigrin and the dwarves descend on the Nilfgaardian soldiers attacking Ciri, and I am again annoyed by the convenient timing and the nebulous distance they had to travel. But only slightly, because Geralt sweeps in like a knight from Ciri’s stories, ready to wreak havoc and exact vengeance on everyone who’s hurt her. Yet he barely glances at her, only orders her to go back to Kaer Morhen with Jaskier. His attention is entirely focused on Yennefer and the broken bond between them, fury evident on every line on his face.

When Yarpen asks him whether Ciri belongs to him, Geralt utters only one word, looking into Yennefer’s violet eyes: “Mine.” Then he looks at Yarpen and repeats it for good measure, as Yen displays all the shame she can muster.

The two of them go find Voleth Meir and discover that she is no longer bound to the hut in the forest. Yen’s desperation has freed her.

This episode was an emotional rollercoaster. I went from crying to laughing multiple times in the span of the same scene.