The Witcher Recap: Practical Magic

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In The Witcher, magic isn’t just spells and incantations—it’s connected to a raw, untamed force called chaos. As we learned from Yennefer’s training at Aretuza, harnessing chaos allows powerful magic, but it always comes at a price. Magic requires energy, and that energy is usually drawn from living things – it could be a plant, an animal, or even a person. Even skilled magic users can’t escape this cost.

Think about the disruption needed for Vilgefortz and his forces to assault Montecalvo, and then consider the upheaval Yennefer and her army would cause defending it.

The episode “Twilight of the Wolf,” named after Geralt’s mentor Vesemir rather than Geralt himself, unfolds like a complex strategic game. Vilgefortz and Yennefer carefully plan when and how to use their powerful magic and the magic users at their command. Vilgefortz immediately launches a forceful magical attack on the fortress, pushing some of his own soldiers to their breaking point. Yennefer, conserving the energy of her strongest mages, directs the trainees to maintain a protective magical shield, pushing them to their limits – only giving the order to stop when they begin to suffer from the strain.

This is only the beginning of a complex and multifaceted conflict. What makes the large-scale battles in The Witcher different from similar scenes in Lord of the Rings (like the Battle of Helm’s Deep) or Game of Thrones (like the Battle of the Bastards) is the sheer variety of unusual tactics used by the mages. For example, Triss Merigold turns an enemy soldier into a frog, which Vesemir then steps on. Later, one of Vilgefortz’s mages creatively uses telekinesis to grab swords off a wall and throw them at opponents down a corridor.

The fighting has resulted in many deaths on both sides, including the sorceresses Margarita and Nikita from Vilgefortz’s group. However, this battle has always been about the personal rivalry between Yennefer and Vilgefortz, which is why he’s now decided to fight himself instead of relying on his followers.

On the other side, he finds what appears to be his deceased lover, Tissaia de Vries—her hair still white, but otherwise looking unharmed and prepared for a fight. However, Vilgefortz quickly realizes it’s a deception: Yennefer has used illusion to look like Tissaia. Just when Vilgefortz believes he has the advantage, Yennefer reveals her true trap. As he explains his full plan to his second-in-command, he discovers Philippa Eilhart has disguised herself as that very aide, turning the tables on him.

Now in control, Yennefer probes Vilgefortz’s mind, and the vision she finds is horrifying. She sees a future where he’s captured Ciri and is performing incredibly painful experiments on her, seemingly to steal her power.

While a major battle unfolds at Montecalvo, a crucial fight is happening at Vilgefortz’s hidden fortress. Fringilla, though weakened, manages to free herself and rescue Istredd from his prison. They discover Vilgefortz is sacrificing less powerful mages to stay in control of the portals. Istredd quickly realizes he can permanently disrupt Vilgefortz’s control by making the same sacrifice. Both Fringilla and Yennefer worry about the cost, but ultimately agree that losing Istredd – even though he’s been a companion since the beginning – is a worthwhile trade-off if it can help turn the war and prevent a global catastrophe.

Returning to the events at Montecalvo, a beloved character makes a final, selfless act. Vesemir fulfills his promise and battles Vilgefortz, managing to wound him with a chest wound before tragically dying. His last words, “For my son, Geralt,” highlight that Geralt wasn’t the only witcher who cared for an orphaned child.

Despite the intense battle and magical attacks, the conflict finally came down to a final, desperate attempt. Vilgefortz and his forces tried to defeat Yennefer with fire magic, but Philippa countered by unleashing a flood of water. With Istredd having bravely sacrificed himself to open the portal, Yennefer’s army was able to appear behind Vilgefortz, forcing him to retreat. It was a win, but a costly one – Yennefer’s side achieved a significant victory while also sustaining considerable losses.

Getting portals back is a huge win for Yennefer in her search for Ciri, and she immediately puts them to use. She quickly asks Fringilla where Emhyr would hide something precious, then teleports directly to Nilfgaard and demands to know Ciri’s location – the question that’s driven her all season.

Stray Arrows

Following the thrilling magical duel at Montecalvo, the episode shifts unexpectedly to Ciri and the Rats. Ciri, after kidnapping a wealthy young man and dealing with security, tries fisstech for the first time, much to the Rats’ approval. However, Mistle expresses her concern about the increasing darkness within Ciri. Ciri responds defensively, asserting that this darker side is simply who she is, much like a typical teenager might say.

Okay, so Leo Bonhart is still doing his thing – hunting people, mostly those making really bad life choices, and, oddly, swiping dolls from kids who are surprisingly big fans of the Rats. But honestly, watching him, it feels like he’s finally getting closer to whoever he’s actually after. It’s a slow burn, but you can sense he’s honing in on his target.

It’s a small point, but it’s unclear what Vilgefortz’s followers actually get out of supporting him. He might have promised them power, but he doesn’t seem like someone who cares about loyalty. In fact, he’s shown he’ll exploit anyone – even his allies – to stay in control.

In the Netflix series, the death of Vesemir differs from the established lore of The Witcher. In the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Vesemir is still a significant character.

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2025-10-30 23:55