Why Fans Should Be Concerned About Geralt In The Witcher Season 2
Based on the fantasy book series by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher television series was an immediate hit when it premiered on Netflix in December 2019. Starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher, Anya Cholatra as the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Freya Allen as the special, magically gifted Princess Ciri, the show follows the three characters as they come together to fight off evil forces pursuant to their destiny. The series was renewed for a second season by Netflix before the first even premiered. Since then, the show's upcoming season has faced quite a few obstacles due to the current coronavirus pandemic, like production being halted in March 2020, only to restart in August. Despite these issues, a season 3 renewal seems highly likely.
While fans of The Witcher eagerly await any updates on the upcoming second season, people are digging deep into what makes the story of Geralt and the others so intriguing, like the protagonist's exciting fight scenes, the complex and empowering stories of Yennefer and Ciri, and the show's amazing creatures. While the series uses all three main characters to explore the effects of pain, trauma, and the rest of the human condition, one fan took the time to highlight Geralt's experience living with disabilities, a piece of lore from the books that hasn't made it into the TV series ... yet.
Showrunner Lauren Hissrich plans to explore Geralt and his disability going forward
In an extensive Twitter thread, user @mustangsart went into detail about Geralt's disability, largely ignored by the video games, but hopefully no longer to be ignored by the series. The user brings attention to "a severe injury that shatters his elbow and his thighbone and leaves him screaming in agony and delirious" in the second novel, Time of Contempt.
Even though he receives healing for the injury, it doesn't disappear, and Geralt "complains of severe aches and pains in his sword arm" and walks "with a limp that increases in severity depending on the weather." His condition, and how he adapts to it, is further explored in the following novels. The thread highlights how little disability is portrayed in the fantasy genre, and it shows that Geralt is still capable and strong while living with the disability.
The thread came to the attention of The Witcher showrunner, Lauren Hissrich, who thanked the Twitterer and promised "we won't forget," referring to herself and the other creators behind the show. While she hasn't outright confirmed that this will be a huge part of Geralt's story, Hissrich later posted about the thread on her own Twitter page, stating that she's "excited to dig into this more. To add this layer to our hero." With that statement, Hissrich confirms the strong possibility that Geralt's disability will play some role in the second season or beyond. Without more information, fans will have to wait and see if Geralt's injuries and lasting disabilities will be featured in the show, but there's certainly reason to be hopeful.