Where Does The Witcher Season 2 Take Place In The Timeline?
After an arduous two-year-long wait, "The Witcher" Season 2 has finally arrived on Netflix. After a brief hiatus, the cast and crew worked tirelessly through the pandemic to finish production and get Geralt's (Henry Cavill) next adventure out into the world. Making a fantasy TV show is no small feat regardless, let alone getting through it with all the restrictions in place on set to protect everyone. The series picks up moments after the end of Season 1, where the armies of Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms clash at the Battle of Sodden Hill. The conflict has a huge ripple effect that is felt throughout the continent, and it plays a huge part in where the story goes in the 2nd season.
It starts with Geralt and Princess Cirilla/Ciri (Freya Allan) as they journey towards Kaer Morhen, where the young royal will be safe from both Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms. But she quickly starts to use her time at the Witcher stronghold to harness her growing abilities so that she can defend herself. Elsewhere, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) is drawn into a bizarre mystical conspiracy that could threaten the entire Continent.
But one concern that fans have about "The Witcher" Season 2 is whether or not the timeline will be as confusing as it is in Season 1. The season was met with a lot of criticism because it jumps around in time, introducing new characters and storylines that all weave together by the time the finale rolls around. But thankfully we already know where "The Witcher" Season 2 takes place in the timeline.
The Witcher Season 2 has a linear timeline
Thankfully, Season 2 is taking a different approach to its story compared to the first season, and it's a linear tale that carries on from the Battle of Sodden Hill. That means no jumping back and forth in time, which should be a little less confusing. Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich already addressed the timeline concerns when speaking to The Wrap back in 2020," explaining how "all of our characters are existing on the same timeline."
Hissrich then pointed out that there will be other ways of widening the story though, saying, "What that allows us to do storywise though is to play with time in slightly different ways. We get to do flashbacks, we get to do flash-forwards." She also noted that the flashbacks used in Season 2 benefit the story more because they would've been too complicated in the first season "Because, if you can imagine, if we were in three different timelines and then flashed forward or flashed back, we would have been in four or five or six timelines—even I know that's too much," the showrunner added.
So yes, there are flashbacks in Season 2 that reveal more about specific characters and storylines — but the main plot carries on in a linear, straightforward direction. On the other hand, it'll be interesting to see if the writers play around with time even further when "The Witcher" Season 3 eventually arrives on Netflix.