‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ Review: A Reminder That Fantasy Is Allowed to Be Fun

There was one thing I wanted from Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power: a band of fantasy dudes banding together to go on a quest and becoming unlikely friends in the process. Is it a basic story that’s been done to death? Sure. But it’s the one I wanted and that Rings of Power, for all its beauty, failed to deliver. That’s why it was so rewarding to watch The Witcher: Blood Origin, a show that gets the prompt. At long last, my questing itch was scratched by Declan de Barra and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s four-episode miniseries.

Set long before the events of The Witcher, Blood Origin chronicles the creation of the very first witcher. Long ago, the mythical Continent was separated into spheres that divided the worlds of elves, men, and monsters. But something caused this multiverse to crash together in an event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres. That’s the giant hunk of Witcher lore that Blood Origin tackles in an installment full of epic battles, unlikely allies, and simply stunning work from hair, makeup, and wardrobe.

On some levels, Blood Origin feels like less of a show and more of a vibe. By that I mean the story is confusing to the point that it borders on nonsensical, but the characters, action, ideas, and set pieces are so much fun, that’s easy to ignore. That is especially the case when it comes to every major character’s backstory. Everyone from Sophia Brown’s warrior bard Éile to Huw Novelli’s ominously named Brother Death and Francesca Mills’ barbarically delightful Meldof has a brooding reason why they’re so desperate to take down the empire. But whereas the most developed characters get a a scene or two to explain their pasts, other members of the crew are lucky to get a sentence.

It’s a frustrating pacing problem, which has always been a flaw of The Witcher franchise. Blood Origin simply moves too quickly. Just when you’ve wrapped your head around one ruler’s master plan, here comes another equally confusing monologue from a mage about chaos magic. It’s unclear where this problem came from, whether it was a scheduling issue, a budgetary concern, or some other hurdle entirely. Regardless, it’s a series that could have really benefited from having a couple of Witcher-ignorant consultants and at least four more episodes.

This prequel’s short length is regrettable because, despite these over-arching problems, Blood Origin is a blast. Do you want to see Time’s Icon of 2022 Michelle Yeoh repeatedly take out bands of baddies using sick sword-fighting moves? What about enough portal fighting to make a live-action Rick and Morty look like a good idea? Want to watch the oppressed masses rise up, fueled only by vengeance and song? Of course you want all of that. All of these things are objectively awesome, and the last one is basically the plot of Les Misérables. Blood Origin delivers on all of these promises and about a dozen other killer moments, especially when it comes to Jaskier (Joey Batey). Yet by the time you know everyone and start to really fall for the gang, it’s all over.

Brown and Mills in particular are standouts. Éile, a former warrior and current wandering bard, is a character who runs the risk of being too outlandish to work. But like the witchers for hire or law firms-slash-detective agencies before her, she’s a juxtaposition who simply fits into this universe where nothing is as it seems. A lot of this stems from Brown’s confident portrayal. It takes talent to make rousing fantasy ballads feel cool, and Brown has that distinct talent. Likewise, Mills is a force onto herself. Her off-putting quips and snarky expressions stand at the center of some of the best moments in this surprisingly funny series. Yet this dual-wielder is also responsible for the most heart-breaking scene in this show.

I’m not blinded enough my love for The Witcher to ignore Blood Origin‘s flaws. But I can genuinely say it made me care about its motley crew, which is more than I can say about most shows this year. From the first time Éile appeared singing and knife-slinging on my screen, I wanted to know more about the Lark. Stellar characters, great performances, killer action, and — once again — some of the best costuming work on television can go a long way in covering up structural flaws. This year, I was promised a badass fantasy show, and I got one. It just wasn’t the one I expecting.

All four episodes of The Witcher: Blood Origin premiere on Netflix Sunday, December 25.