The Witcher Showrunner Teases More Jaskier Bangers In Season 2
Season 1 of "The Witcher" on Netflix was not created in a vacuum. "The Witcher" was, before all else, a series of books by author Andrzej Sapkowski. Those were then adapted into a variety of media, including the Polish TV series "The Hexer" (via IMDb). Perhaps most notably, "The Witcher" books served as the inspiration for a video game series, culminating in "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," first released in 2015. Not only has "Wild Hunt" been the recipient of overwhelmingly positive reviews (via Metacritic) but it endured as a major driver of sales for developer CD Projekt Red even in 2020 (via GamesIndustry.biz). "The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich thus had not one but multiple sources to either pull from or subvert in making of the world of "The Witcher" for Netflix.
The bard Jaskier (Joey Batey) is one of series protagonist Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill)'s various allies over the course of "The Witcher." While a version of Jaskier is present in the "Witcher" video games and the books series too, the decision to name him Jaskier marks a divergence from the "Witcher" video games in particular. In them, the character is named Dandelion, which is a direct translation of Jaskier, the word for the flower in Polish.
Another significant manner in which Batey's Jaskier stands out relative to past incarnations is through the inclusion of original music — in particular, the song "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher." The song, sung by Jaskier and original to the TV series, was something of a minor sensation itself (via CNN). Now, according to a new interview Schmidt Hissrich, if all goes according to plan, Jaskier might become more than a one hit wonder upon the release of the TV series' second season.
Toss a coin to the lead singer
"The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich brought up the possibility of new Jaskier hits in an interview with USA Today, discussing the show's upcoming second season. Writer Kelly Lawler opened her piece by calling back to the "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" phenomenon, noting that not only was it a hit with fans of the series but that the song was frequently stuck in the heads of series staff.
According to Schmidt Hissrich, the sound team and other members of the show's production staff would "come back in the morning and everyone would be like, 'Oh, that was stuck in my head all night," referring to "Toss a Coin." It's no wonder, then, that the series' producers might be hoping for a similarly-catchy song come Season 2, if only to preserve one element that helped set "The Witcher" on Netflix apart from the numerous other "Witcher" adaptations.
Accordingly, Schmidt Hissrich told reporters during a panel for the Television Critics Association that Joey Batey's Jaskier "is back in Season 2, and we have some good songs."
Whether or not "The Witcher" Season 2 includes a hit on par with "Toss a Coin" is out of the hands of the series' staff and, rather, up to the show's viewers at large. That said, at the very least, Schmidt Hissrich and co. are aiming to recapture the magic of Batey's Season 1 performance. Jaskier's latest work will be available upon the Dec. 17 release of "The Witcher" Season 2.