Episode 4 marks the halfway point for season 2 of Netflix’s The Witcher. In this episode we finally meet Sigmund Dijkstra, who pays King Vizimir a visit in Redania, murdering two of the advisors present in true Dijkstra fashion. As violence against the elvish grows, we meet the mysterious Sandpiper who has been smuggling elves to safety from Oxenfurt to Cintra.
The Kaer Morhen Guest List Grows
Vesemir calls for Triss to join them at Kaer Morhen. Ciri and Triss finally meet, and Vesemir seems determined that Triss can aid Ciri in the control of her powers. Vesemir also seems to think having Triss around will be good for Ciri — having someone to look after her and ensure her needs are being met other than the gruff and unemotional Witchers. Triss makes an attempt at rekindling a romance with Geralt, inviting him to spend the night with her, which Geralt promptly turns down. However, Geralt makes sure to let Triss know that he does care for her — which is obviously truly genuine. Geralt wants to keep the bond between the two at a friendship level, it would seem.
Seeking Answers
After discovering that both Eskel and the leshy contained a material called stellacite which is found in the ancient monoliths scattered around the Continent, Geralt decides to seek out the monolith that Ciri toppled in season 1 when she screamed at Cahir. Geralt meets up with Istredd in Nilfgaard at the recommendation of Triss, and the pair set off to Cintra to investigate the monolith. Whether the monsters were lurking under the monoliths or a gateway has been opened is unknown, but either way Ciri is a piece of the puzzle.
Elder Blood
After finding Feainnewedd, a rare breed of flower, sprouting in various areas around Kaer Morhen, Vesemir seeks out Triss to confirm his analysis. The rare flower only grows where elder blood has been spilt, but supposedly elder blood has been gone from the Continent for centuries. The flowers are connected back to areas where Ciri has bled, meaning the young princess has elder blood in her veins. This gives hope to Vesemir that Ciri’s blood could be used to spawn a new generation of Witchers, after thinking this would never be possible due to the loss of Witcher mutagens at the ransack of Kaer Morhen. As we know, the path to becoming a Witcher is not a pleasant one.
The Persecution Of The Elves
The violence against and persecution of the elves continues to grow, and Yennefer is forced to observe it with no choice but to do nothing, as she no longer has her powers. Cahir and Yennefer are forced to enter the sewers on their search for the Sandpiper, where they come across two elves. The younger elf wants to help Yennefer and Cahir escape, while the older elf is reluctant. The group is attacked by a sewer monster when the elder elf flees, leaving the younger elf to drown. Cahir and Yennefer have to scramble to escape the monster and the sewers. Finally safe, a ballad can be heard in the distance.
The Sandpiper
A ballad being sung by the Sandpiper himself, none other than Jaskier. Geralt breaking his heart on the mountain in season 1 certainly left a mark on the bard, who now has longer locks of hair and a new-and-improved purple outfit akin to the flamboyance of the games’ Dandelion. New clothes aren’t the only new material Jaskier is sporting, as he is now singing a new song — “Burn, Butcher, Burn” — because he’s still angry at Geralt for leaving him on a mountain, which is understandable considering Jaskier wouldn’t have been on that mountain if not for Geralt. Yennefer and Jaskier share a surprising hug and drink while trying to maintain that they’re still mortal enemies. In the end, Jaskier agrees to ship Cahir and Yennefer to safety.
The escape plan appears to be going well until Jaskier can’t handle the criticism of some of his music by the dockhand on duty. In typical Jaskier fashion, he gets a little too sassy and ends up in a full-blown fight. The elder elf from earlier in a bid to redeem himself steps forward to anger the dockhand, sacrificing himself so that everyone can board the ship and flee Oxenfurt. Safely aboard, it seems the plan has worked out in the end, until Jaskier can be heard being captured above. Ending the episode on a cliffhanger, Yennefer jumps off the ship to rescue the bard, who she still insists she doesn’t like.
The Witcher season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
