We return with our Witcher Season 3 Podcast as we discuss the next two episodes in full spoiler filled detail.

Spoilers for The Witcher Season 3 Episodes 5 and 6.

Based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski and the game series "The Witcher" from CD Projekt Red

Showrunner and Lead Writer: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Episode 5 - The Art Of The Illusion

Written by Clare Higgins

Directed by Loni Peristere

Synopsis: With the banquet over, Geralt and Yennefer discuss the night's events from the bathtub, the bed, from beneath the sheets and in the morning after. 

Despite his discomfort at the surroundings and the company, Yennefer and Geralt step out arm-in-arm and dressed-to-kill at a lavish ball. But all is not as it appears during the evening of gossip, spiked drinks, revelry and revelation. Geralt tries very hard to socialise and avoid the revelling sorcerers. His patience is pushed by Dijkstra, Phillipa and Stregabour during the evening and Yennefer has to remind him they need to lie low in order to expose Stregobor as the dark mage during the conclave the following day. 

However, their plans change when Yennefer is alerted by Istredd and Triss about Stregobor's possession of the Book of Monoliths. Geralt and Istredd pretend a fight to cover for Yennefer as she breaks into Stregobor's study where they discover the book, as well as apparent evidence of kidnapping half-elven students. 

Stregobor is arrested in his study by Tissaia, Vilgefortz and Artorius, and the banquet is deemed a diplomatic success. Once Yennefer and Geralt put all the pieces of the night together, however, they realise the mastermind behind Rience's actions and the kidnappings is Vilgefortz who only framed Stregobor. 

Scouting the halls to find Vilgefortz, Geralt is distracted by sounds of a distant fight and is ambushed at knife-point by Dijkstra, as he enacts his plan to purge the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

Episode 6 - Everyone has a plan 'Til They Get Punched In The Face

Written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach

Directed again by Loni Peristere

Synopsis: With Geralt taken prisoner, bloodshed and betrayal, rocks Aretuza, as the Redanian soldiers led by Dijkstra and Philippa, along with several Northern mages, strike a coup to arrest mages led by Vilgefortz who collaborated with Nilfgaard. 

Not believing the accusations levelled at her lover, Tissaia frees the apprehended mages and Vilgefortz, where he reveals his conniving, plotting and betrayal to Tissaia as he lets in an invading force of elven Scoia'tael led by Cahir and Queen Francesca to reclaim Aretuza. The hunt for Ciri comes to a head as Vilgefortz, the elves,and the Redanians all seek to find Ciri for their own purposes. 

A bloody battle erupts between the league of Nilfgaardian and Scoia'tael forces and the Northern mages, as many are killed on both sides including Filavandrel and Artorius. Elsewhere, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer are briefly reunited trying to get Ciri to safety. But after surviving an attack by Rience who is killed and decapitated by Geralt’s sword, Yennefer must go to help her Aretuzian brothers and sisters. Yennifer joins her weakened mentor Tissaia at the battle, after she has cast a devastating spell of last resort leaving Aretuza ruined. While the last few mages are saved by Stregobor who sacrifices himself using fire magic to stop the remaining forces from finishing them off .

Meanwhile Geralt and Ciri are confronted by Cahir, who has an epiphany realising he has been used and lied to for long enough, asking for forgiveness from Ciri he pledges to defend her as he fights off Scoia'tael hunting Ciri and Geralt. 

As they both make their way to the shore to escape by boat something feels wrong and Geralt commands Ciri to run. She runs back towards Aretuza and the tower of Tor Lara, as Vilgefortz confronts Geralt. The dark mage shows expert combat prowess and defeats Geralt allowing him to pursue Ciri. Half-dead and bleeding out, a lucky Geralt is found by Triss who takes him to Brokilon. 

At Tor Lara just before Vilgefortz can capture her, Ciri taps into the power of the monolith contained in the tower, unleashing a devastating explosion which destroys the tower. Nothing on the Continent will ever be the same again.  

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Thank you for joining us for the first part of our Witcher Podcast. We hope you'll come back next week when we discuss the final two episodes of season 3.

Derek, Chris and John

TV Podcast Industries

Date Recorded: 01/08/2023

Date Published: 02/08/2022

All images and audio clips are copyright of of their respective copyright owners. No infringement is intended.

The music for this episode "Morrisson's jig - Leslie's march" by Aislinn is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.