Now on Netflix: A Thriller That’ll Make You Question Everything You Thought You Knew
A charming hero with a hidden past. A story that unravels with every twist. And one reveal that forces you to rethink the entire narrative.
He’s not lying to them—he’s lying to you.
👇 Dive in…and decide what’s real.
The Witcher’s “Unreliable Narrator” Explanation Also Works For The Show’s Massive Changes To Canon
There Are Different Versions To The Story Depending On Who Is Telling It
The Witcher‘s explanation for Geralt’s recasting is essentially a meta “unreliable narrator” approach, claiming that what audiences had previously seen on screen was inaccurate because a witness misled us. This isn’t a new idea in the world of storytelling. Movies, TV shows, and books that rely heavily on the concept of folklore have been using this excuse for generations. Even Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings utilizes the unreliable-narrator trope, since the author wrote different versions of the same story and later claimed that they were competing accounts from other witnesses.
The Witcher book series is written as a collection of stories repeated by different characters, and this format makes it far easier to adapt to the screen because there isn’t technically one true canon. These stories change depending on who is recounting them, so Netflix’s use of Stribog—a storyteller in the Witcher books—makes some sense as a way to explain The Witcher‘s Geralt recasting. The idea that what we see on screen may not be accurate because of the unreliable narrator can, therefore, also be applied to controversial changes to canon.
If The Witcher season 4 uses its unreliable narrator to explain Hemsworth’s appearance, then it can also use it to point out to audiences that this on-screen story doesn’t necessarily have to match what was outlined by the books.
This fantasy Netflix series has long been criticized by fans of the book and video game for its significant deviations from The Witcher canon. It’s even rumored that this is precisely why Cavill left the series. However, if The Witcher season 4 uses its unreliable narrator to explain Hemsworth’s appearance, then it can also use it to point out to audiences that this on-screen story doesn’t necessarily have to match what was outlined by the books.
The Witcher’s Fairytale Format Allows For Creative Liberties (But Fans Are Sure To Be Angry Nonetheless)
Just Because Netflix Can Doesn’t Mean It Should
The Witcher draws heavily from folklore and fairy tales. We see the influence of age-old stories like Snow White and The Beauty and the Beast, as well as endless introductions to monsters of folklore, such as the Baba Yaga. Of course, the Witcher books, video games, and TV show present very different versions of these stories than are traditional. The whole idea here is that these stories have been changed and distorted over time, to the point that there are now countless versions. This allows Netflix some flexibility with canon, but Witcher fans are unlikely to be impressed.
When it comes down to it, Netflix is allowed to make the changes it has made to the story in its Witcher adaptation. The unreliable narrator trope and folklore influence of the original books allow it. However, this doesn’t change the fact that fans who have known and loved these characters for years aren’t going to be pleased by significant shifts. Yennefer’s villainous role in The Witcher season 2 is a prime example. Sure, it could have happened that way, but it’s a dissonant change from the more familiar story. Overall, just because Netflix can, doesn’t mean it should.
