I have not read the books nor played the games. But I'm a sucker for medieval themed films and shows and since both the games and the series got so much hype, I finally gave it a try. I'm now 7 episodes into the first season and all I can say is.. What a mess. I still have no real clue what is going on half the time. Time line jumps are thrown around constantly and without any visual clue or logical placement, names of people, kingdoms, and other anchor points in any storytelling are seemingly random and made up on the spot. They are probably supposed to mean something but without context or explanation, names like Nilfgard and Ciri are just that, names. The world of the witcher's story just exists and that's that, the viewer is left to figure out everything for himself.

How am I supposed to understand what drives these characters without any real backstory or character development? They just exist and interact based on.. I don't know, a war? Monster hunting? The law of surprise? Where do these monsters come from and what threat do they pose? Why are there elves and how does their existence matter in the world of the Witcher? The only story I sort of understand and follow is that of the Witcher himself as he explained his existence to several minor characters. But even that's botched by throwing two timeliness in a bin, tossing it violently and throwing it's contents out on the table so the director and editor can grab whichever scene they feel like showing. Or at least that's what it feels like.

I'm a big fan of complex (and less complex) shows with deep, dark and twisty stories or with more simple, but beautifully written and thought out stories. Game of thrones, Star Trek, Stargate, the Wire, Battlestar Galactic, Breaking Bad, Sopranos, Fargo... But this show is so messy that right now, all I'm still watching it for is Henry Cavill and the production values, which are at least half-decent.