The Witcher is a captivating series which manages to draw you in and entertain despite a number of flaws that permeate its whole length. Set in a dark fantasy world of monsters, magic and knigths, this book adaptation follows the deeds of a renegade mutant bound by fate and destiny.

Overall the production is great and definitely worth praising but, still, there's a lot of variation in quality and care in all the main aspects of story telling. The story in itself, though interesting enough, struggles from pacing issues and sudden cuts and change of focus. This is especially apparent in the first episodes where the viewer is continuously thrown in new situations without introduction or build-up. Be it the magical academy coming out of nowhere where a character goes from being a doormat to being the best in the span of two scenes, or two friend-enemies that after a thirty second dialogue are somewhat lovers, the viewer seems to be fed facts more than stories. There's a lack of progression, coherence and immersion.

As a consequence, many interactions between characters suffer of poor development and we're forced to believe in romantic relationships, friendships and whatever else we didn't see unfold.

The dialogues in turn, for a significant part, lower the quality grade of the show. Too many mediocre punch lines, ridiculous conversations and generally a tendency to deliver sentences without weight. This flattens the characters and binds them to their own little stereotype with no chance of redemption. Finally, the show would have benefitted from some deeper worldbuilding. Characters, places and events keep popping out of nowhere without introduction nor meaning. It's an issue somewhat related to the previous two and tends to lessen the viewer experience.

Hopefully these issues will be fixed in future seasons as this series has the potential for being a long-running success. There are a lot of great moments and scenes and it's definitely worth watching for fantasy lovers or those who already appreciate the story as told in other media. Just go in with the right expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised. As in, don't expect a masterpiece because, even though it's an above average series, there's a lot to be fixed and desired.