Henry Cavill’s 20 best moments as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher

3. The Cintran royal ball

Episode 104, “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials” features a royal ball at the palace in Cintra, where Geralt accompanies Jaskier as a way to pay back the bard for all the good will he’s drummed up among the masses with his songs immortalizing the witcher’s deeds. This ball is a crucially important bit of lore for the overall story, as it explains how Geralt and Ciri first became bonded after he helped unite Ciri’s parents despite the violent protests of her grandmother, Queen Calanthe.

Once the ball goes off the rails, Cavill gets yet another chance to do some of his trademark swordplay, fighting alongside a creature we eventually learn is Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard. There’s also plenty of magic as Geralt and the druid Mousesack deal with the otherworldly power of Ciri’s mother Pavetta.

But what really makes the ball stand out are all of the conversations. This is the first time we see Geralt stuck in a situation where he has to deal with a bunch of different nobles, profoundly out of his element. Geralt’s discomfort with being forced to do things like wear doublets and make nice with rulers is an important part of his character, and Cavill totally nails it with his deadpan performance. We don’t get another scene like it until the Thanedd ball in season 3, and by then Geralt’s so preoccupied with larger matters that he doesn’t get quite as much time to poke fun at the nobility and wish them “a shitless death.”