There was one thing I wanted Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: a group of fantasy guys who band together to go on a quest, becoming unlikely friends in the process. Is it a basic story made to death? Secure. But it’s what I wanted and that Rings of Powerright, not to deliver despite all its beauty. That’s why it was so rewarding to watch The Witcher: Origin of the Blood, a show that gets the prompt. Finally, my addiction itch was scratched by Declan de Barra and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s four-part miniseries.
Set long before the events of The Witcher, origin of the blood chronicles the creation of the very first witcher. Long ago, the mythical continent was divided into spheres, dividing the worlds of elves, humans, and monsters. But something caused this multiverse to collapse in an event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres. This is the huge piece of witcher lore that origin of the blood Tackles in a series full of epic battles, unlikely allies and just stunning work by the hair, makeup and wardrobe.
On some levels origin of the blood feels less like a show and more like a vibe. By that I mean the story is so confusing it borders on nonsense, but the characters, action, ideas and set pieces are so much fun that it’s easy to ignore. This is especially the case when it comes to the backstory of each main character. Everyone from Sophia Brown’s warrior bard Éile to Huw Novelli’s ominously named Brother Death and Francesca Mills’ barbarously delightful Meldof have a valid reason why they are so desperate to bring down the Empire. But while the most developed characters get a scene or two to explain their past, other members of the crew are lucky enough to get a set.
It’s a frustrating pacing issue that has always been a bug The Witcher Franchise. origin of the blood just moves too fast. Just as you’re digging into a ruler’s master plan, here comes another equally confusing soliloquy from a mage about chaos magic. It’s unclear where this problem came from, whether it was a scheduling issue, a budget issue, or some other hurdle altogether. Regardless, it’s a series that would have really benefited from having a few witcher-ignorant advisors and at least four more episodes.
The short length of this prequel is unfortunate, because despite these all-encompassing problems origin of the blood is a blast. Do you want to see Times Icon of the year 2022 Michelle Yeoh repeatedly taking out groups of villains with sick sword fighting moves? What about enough portal fights to make a live action? Rick and Morty Looks like a good idea? Want to watch the oppressed masses rise up, driven only by vengeance and song? Of course you want all that. All of these things are objectively great, and the last one is basically the plot of Les Miserables. origin of the blood keeps all of those promises and a dozen or so other killer moments, especially when it comes to Jaskier (Joey Batey). But by the time you know everyone and start really falling in love with the gang, it’s all over.
Brown and Mills in particular stand out. A former warrior and current wandering bard, Éile is a character at risk of being too alien to work. But like the contract witches or law firms, detective agencies before her, she’s a juxtaposition that just fits into this universe where nothing is as it seems. Much of this stems from Brown’s confident portrayal. It takes talent to make rousing fantasy ballads feel cool, and Brown has that talent. Likewise, Mills is a force in his own right. Her off-putting jokes and scathing facial expressions are the focus of some of the best moments in this surprisingly funny series. Yet this double carrier is also responsible for the most heartbreaking scene on this show.
I’m not blind enough to my love The Witcher to ignore origin of the blood‘s mistake. But I can truly say that I took care of his motley crew, which is more than I can say for most shows this year. When Éile first appeared on my screen singing and wielding a knife, I wanted to know more about the lark. Outstanding characters, great performances, killer action, and—yet again—some of the best costume work on television can go a long way in covering up structural flaws. This year I was promised a badass fantasy show, and I got one. It just wasn’t what I expected.
All four episodes of The Witcher: Origin of the Blood Premieres on Netflix Sunday, December 25.