Netflix's The Witcher hasn't been out for long, but it has already accumulated a ton of attention from longtime fans of the franchise who are praising its loyalty to the source material and the care taken with characters and world-building. That level of dedication likely wouldn't be possible without the work of showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich and her love of Andrzej Sapkowski's original Witcher novels.
However, as with any piece of media that relies on source material, there were also fans who took issue with the few deviations that did happen, as well as plot points from The Last Wish that had to be cut from the show. After one particular critique, Hissrich--who is quite responsive and open with the many Witcher fans of Twitter--addressed the complaint in her own informative thread, explaining exactly how she and her writers made each significant decision.
One fan tweeted Hissrich, writing that their main issue with The Witcher was an alteration within the Brokilon forest subplot, one that ultimately had an effect on Geralt and Ciri's eventual meeting at the end of season 1. Hissrich replied with a thorough and thoughtful thread, writing that the altered subplot was, in fact, one of the most debated topics in the writers' room. She explained the change from the perspective of showrunner and everyone else crafting a television show, and how some aspects of a story might not work the same way in a show as they do in a novel. Ultimately, Hissrich and the writers' wanted to involve Ciri and Yennefer's stories into the show's timeline during season 1, as opposed to later seasons (which would happen if they followed the books completely) and thus pieces of The Last Wish were cut from the show.
Hissrich concluded her thoughts about The Witcher's changes by tweeting, "We made choices through the whole process. Would I change this one? Good question. It's probably the one I contemplate the most, at night, lying in bed. But here we are. And forward we go, learning every step of the way." Whether or not fans agree with this decision or any others, it's refreshing and reassuring to see a showrunner so willing to engage with her audience and a great reminder that Witcher fans aren't the only ones passionate about the show's creation. Clearly, Hissrich is both extremely willing to hear and acknowledge disagreements from fans, and just as much a fan of The Witcher as the show's many viewers.
She's not alone, either; Henry Cavill, who stars as Geralt, is also a huge fan--he's played the games multiple times and knows his character so well that he actively pushed to include more of Geralt's signs into the show. Between his and Hissrich's love for the franchise and fans' response to the show, it seems like The Witcher's fanbase is not only thriving but also capable of respectful debate, which is always a promising sign for the future of a show.
The Witcher is streaming now on Netflix, with a second season slated for release in 2021.