2x07 Voleth Meir

Great, more political warfare/chess. That's easily the weakest aspect of this season. I have no idea whether it's the opposite in the novels. It's certainly not very interesting in this season. But I imagine there are plenty of people who love the way it's written/done. Or maybe not. Who knows.

Another of the weakest aspects is everything to do with this Voleth Meir demon/monster thing. When it began in the second episode, it didn't make much sense: and now, it still doesn't make much sense. I mean, I guess it does make sense now. The most important thing, anyway. What the whole Deathless Mother thing was. It was so she could free herself. Still, everything about that seems so disconnected, so thank god it's kind of over now.

The structuring of all the plot points has also been weird. It's like the ones responsible for that don't have enough experience, or they aren't good at it, yet the source material requires more characters to be introduced and for the world to expand, and so on. So, they have no choice but to structure everything, probably to the liking of the writers/directors of each episode, or Lauren Schmidt Hissrich herself, only they just aren't suited enough for the task.

For example:

• I think the last time Aretuza showed up was in the third episode. That's when Yennefer rescued Cahir. Yet we're thrown back into the swing of things with Aretuza. Not only that, Tissaia and Vilgefortz are suddenly a thing as well as a part of the Council now. I guess them making "a play for their seats" worked out for them, yet it's sudden to us. To begin with, we don't even have that much context and information on all of that, either. The Council, their purpose, etc. You're just expected to and have no choice but to follow along based on a whole lot of vagueness and ambiguity.

• cont.) You'd think that Yennefer escaping with Cahir would've destroyed that effort. You know, considering how Stregobor is always using Yennefer as a talking point to sway the masses in his favor and against Tissaia; by extension, Vilgefortz, too. Guess not.

• cont.) As far as Tissaia and Vilgefortz and being together are concerned, it wasn't as sudden. It was foreshadowed and hinted at in the finale of the first season. But still. There's a little too much ambiguity and not enough explaining regarding stuff in this season, and the way the plot points and plot lines are structured isn't doing any favors.

My other thoughts:

• The cinematography at the beginning and end of the episode looked nice. The blue color palette (?) at the beginning looked nice. As did the end of the episode with the sun setting. Especially at the end of the episode. Something about how the shots looked with natural lighting and being a little dimmed because of the sun setting looked great.

• I can't believe I didn't notice it until now, but Mecia Simson would make a fantastic Diana Burnwood. Her voice is perfect.

• Wait, what? Is Lydia dead, just like that? If she's dead, that's hilarious. Dying, all from inhaling the Witcher mutagen with Cirilla's blood in smoke form. Or something more magic-y. That's a good one. I think we'd all like to go out as she did: an idiot. If only there were other ways to do what she was doing that isn't so conveniently made to where she'd die from it. /s

• cont.) Or Rience did something to it. It did look like her face was burning. And he said to her that he hadn't the time nor strength to open a portal; also aided with his escape. But he did. That's how he escaped, so he lied to Lydia.

• cont.) There's no way she's dead. In the finale, so it shall be revealed. I guarantee it. But if she is dead, let us all come together to create some good ol' hearty laughter. Boy, was her death hilarious! AMEN!

• Fringilla taking matters into her hands was cool; how everyone was stuck as she went through them, one by one. The entire scene itself. That was one of this episode's highlights, for sure.

• As far as Francesca's child getting murdered is concerned, I think it was Cahir. He did tell Fringilla at the beginning of the episode that if the elves refuse to serve, to let him deal with them. Everything he does "is in service of the White Flame." And he seems devoted. Devoted enough to where he'd likely make hard decisions; if it were for the White Flame.

• cont.) The only other person I can think of is Dara. But it couldn't have been him. Fringilla is another possibility, and I think some people think it was her. I don't think it was her, either. It could've been Voleth Meir, but she'd have to have a physical body, which I don't think she has.

• cont.) So, it had to have been Cahir or someone else. Maybe it was nobody in a physical sense, and the baby magically blew up or something like that, thanks to Voleth Meir, and that's why there was blood. Or General Hake told someone to go and kill Francesca's child before Fringilla did her thing. The camera did focus on him when Gage yelled to Filavandrel that the baby was early in the previous episode.

• I guess the callback was cool. To the second episode. The callback to what Vesemir told Cirilla about one of the first Witchers, including one of the oldest monsters: a demon. And how the Witchers bound her deep in the forest. At the time, I figured that story was referring to the hut-in-the-woods lady, and now it's confirmed. Now, Cirilla is possessed by Voleth Meir and heading to Kaer Morhen. The knife she used to kill Klef, one of the first Witchers, also comes to mind. It could end up used against Voleth Meir-possessed Cirilla.