10 Amazing First Episodes Of Brilliant TV Series
5. The Witcher - The Ends Begining
Beloved by audiences but a bit uncertain with critics, The Witcher is an adaptation that is clearly made for fans. Every little detail from the music, set design, right down to Geralt's eyes just feels right, and that you really are stepping into Sapkowski's world.
The first episode is one of its strongest, based upon many of Sapkowski's early short stories in The Witcher universe, including The Lesser Evil. The episode splits between two narratives, Geralt's encounter with the princess Renfri, and Ciri's escape from Cintra as it is conquered by the Nilfgaardian Empire. The former story is to introduce you to the titular character himself, his abilities and his morals; The latter is to introduce the wider world and politics of the Northern Kingdoms to the audience.
Geralt's encounter with Renfri is one of the shows finest moments, her character's story being one of the most compelling, and their fight at the end setting the tone for how the fight scenes would go down. It is brutal, fast, the choreography is superb and the end result is morally grey. The episode ends and you are left craving more, both to explore more of this world and to see more of Geralt in action.