What The Witcher's Vilgefortz twist means for season 3 part 2
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The Witcher season 3 part one spoilers follow.
The Witcher's season three part one finale was a lot to absorb. To quote Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Geralt (Henry Cavill) "[we] need a drink, or 12", especially after that reveal.
The neat tidy ending to their witch hunt over missing mage novices and who's been after Ciri (Freya Allan) has led them to the door of Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen). Or should we say the locked safe?
Rumbled by Yennefer, said safe held proof of Stregobor's gravest offences – and oh, was the list long and incriminating.
Accusations were thrown around in front of Tissaia (MyAnna Buring) and the Brotherhood concerning corrupt portals and the kidnap, torture and mind manipulation of young novices.
Not to mention his deadly pursuit of Ciri, the stolen book of monoliths was also tossed on the heap of crimes against Stregobor. That's the very book with the knowledge capable of ridding their world of the elves once and for all.
For his heinous actions, Stregobor was locked away to await trial. Yet something felt a little false about that 'ah ha, we caught the villain,' moment – and, no it has nothing to do with Stregobor's insistence over his innocence.
The evidence was a little too conveniently laid out – a factor that no doubt played in both Yennefer and Geralt's minds, as they replayed the night's events again and again.
Through their talk, they began to fill in the blanks with their own observations from the night, such as Vilgefortz's insistence to get Geralt to pick a side – despite encouraging the Conclave to ensure peace and unity.
Tissaia's scarlet ammonite jewelled bracelet (gifted to her by Vilgefortz) also became a talking point for the two when Geralt revealed that that very jewel could only be found at the mines in West Redania.
This just so happens to be the same location at which Geralt discovered those missing mage novices, fused together, their mangled form looking more monstrous than a Wyvern.
It's also where he stumbled across the young mage Teryn (Frances Pooley), whose mind had been screwed and twisted with until she believed she was Ciri.
In the centre of all this icky, sticky mess is Vilgefortz waxing lyrical about his beloved 'The First Landing' painting, which he casually talks up to Geralt at the Conclave.
The painting suspiciously depicts the place where Yennefer was attacked after being dropped there by the corrupt portal – and it's not likely that this is a coincidence. A more accurate assessment of the situation would be that Vilgefortz is the true villain.
Yes, the mask has dropped, and Vilgefortz has proven himself to be more slippery than the two-headed amphisbaena.
This also means the deplorable Stregobor was framed – but you know this. You watched the slow-burn reveal, but what does that mean about the duplicitous Vilgefortz?
Could we finally be seeing the unfolding of one of The Witcher's most gripping book storylines come to life on screen?
Vilgefortz twist explained – How evil is he?
*SERIOUS BOOK SPOILERS BELOW*
Those nose-deep in The Witcher fandom will have sniffed out this narrative twist long ago,
However, for fans only well versed in the Netflix iteration, Vilgefortz's betrayal will have come as a jaw-dropping shock. They may still be hoping for some inkling of miscommunication, a greater plan for good. Surely there must be some explanation…right?
Let us quash those hopes right now. While we can't say for certain how this will all play out on screen, all signs are pointing towards villainy and betrayal of the most epic kind. Or at least if the show follows the same trajectory as the books do.
On page, Vilgefortz is depicted as greatly powerful and incredibly ambitious in his pursuit of power – so much so that he makes an alliance with Emhyr, the Emperor of Nilfgaard. Their alliance is a longstanding one that predates the events we're seeing in season three of The Witcher TV series.
Committed to his quest for unlimited power, Vilgefortz set his sights on Emhyr's daughter Ciri. He sought to claim her power because he discovered she was the descendant of Lara Dorren, a particularly powerful elven sorceress, meaning that within Ciri's blood is the potential for greatness.
For this reason, Vilgefortz helped Emhyr reclaim the throne in exchange for the North once it had been conquered.
In between all the oily scheming, Vilgefortz also managed to maintain the trust of the Brotherhood, though Tissaia (whom he has no romantic relationship with on page) eventually has her misgivings and senses that Vilgefortz is up to something.
This all leads up to the terrible events that transpire in season three part one of The Witcher (with a few variations).
Vilgefortz's on-screen motives may differ slightly, as The Witcher has yet to reveal his true intent and if it directly aligns with what occurs in the books.
However, Joey Batey, who plays Jaskier, assured us Vilgefortz's journey is long and complex. During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Batey recalled advising Mahesh Jadu to swat up on his Vilgefortz knowledge during the early days of shooting.
"I was like, 'Oh, man, you should read [the books] pretty quickly, dude, because you're about to find out that you may not have much to do this season, but trust me, it's the long game.' Much like Vilgefortz."
The Witcher's favourite bard added: "We discover so much about Vilgefortz's intentions and his capabilities this season, and Mahesh's performance is so deeply arresting. The man is sickeningly talented. Nauseatingly talented."
One thing's for sure, Vilgefortz won't be getting an invite to the next Conclave. No skin off his nose though as we're sure he's got some more terrible plans up his sleeve to come.
The Witcher season 1-3 volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 volume 2 will launch on 27 July 2023. Spin-off The Witcher: Blood Origin is also available to watch on Netflix.
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