Netflix’s The Witcher had the biggest first season debut in the platform’s history to-date when it launched late in 2019, with over 76 million households tuning in to watch Geralt of Rivia’s adventures à la Henry Cavill. However, one aspect of the first series that some viewers questioned was its multiple timelines, with episodes hopping back and forth between the histories of its central three characters, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri over several decades. However, it’s now confirmed the second season will see all characters “existing on the same timeline”.
That’s according to The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich in an interview with The Wrap (via GamesRadar), who has said of the narrative device, “Obviously, it was one of the most controversial parts of Season 1, and I didn’t expect it to be as controversial as it was. But it’s something I still stand behind, in terms of storytelling.
The showrunner explains the goal in the first season “was to get to know each of these characters individually, and the only want to do that was to separate their timelines.”
“What’s great though,” she continues, “is they have intersected now. So what we’ll see in Season 2 is that all of our characters are existing on the same timeline.”
Hissrich explains that this allows the show’s creators to “play with time in slightly different ways” in the next season – and while there won’t be multiple timelines, it seems we’ll see things like “flashbacks” and “flash-forwards” when it arrives. “I think it will be a lot easier for the audience follow and understand, especially a new audience coming in. But there are still going to be some fun challenges with time,” Hissrich adds.
The Witcher Season 2’s production was halted earlier this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 around the world, though it’s possible filming could resume in the not-too-distant future, following the government and health bodies’ recent approval of some new safety guidelines.