‘The Witcher’ Showrunner On Season 3: “The Biggest Danger Is That There Are No Good Guys Or Bad Guys”
The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich recently provided quite a bit of details about the upcoming third season of the Netflix series and specifically discussed how the show aims to make it clear that there “are no good guys or bad guys.”
During a discussion about Nilfgaardian Emperor Emyhr var Emreis, Hissirch told Netflix’s Tudum, “The biggest danger is that there are no good guys or bad guys. Villains believe that they’re doing the things that are best for them, their people, their land.”
Specifically addressing Emhyr she said, “This guy has been presented as just an absolute zealot. A harsh and terrible ruler. But suddenly you realize what he wants is his daughter back. I’ve just said family’s worth fighting for. So isn’t he kind of doing the same thing?”
However, what Hissrich does not delve into is that the reason why Emhyr is looking for his daughter is that he plans to have an incestuous relationship with her based on Ithlinne’s Prophecy that predicts the end of the world.
In The Lady of the Lake novel, Emhyr explains that he plans to marry his own daughter and they will have a son together who he believes will save the world from the destruction predicted in the prophecy.
In the novel, it’s abundantly clear that Emhyr’s plans with his own daughter are vile, disgusting, and villainous. He is clearly a villain.
When Emhyr reiterates to Geralt why he plans to have incest with his daughter, he explains he’s doing it because the ends justifies the means, and he’s doing it for the salvation of the world.
Geralt rebukes this evil thought process telling him, “If you have to save the world like this, this world would be better off disappearing.”
In fact, after Emhyr goes on a lengthy tale explaining the events that led to him cornering Geralt, Geralt informs him that there are indeed good people, “I’ve seen the death of friends who followed me here from the end of the world. To save your daughter. They did not even know her, except for Cahir; none of them had seen her. They came to save her because there was something in them that was worthy and noble.”
“And for what? To find death. I don’t think that is fair. And if anyone is interested, I’m not satisfied. Because a story in which good people die and the rogues live is bullshit,” Geralt said.
However, despite Emhyr’s vile intentions based on a prophecy shared to him by the sorcerer Vilgefort, he does end up freeing Ciri and allows her to return to both Geralt and Yennefer. He ends up heeding both Geralt and Yennefer’s words and recognizes Ciri as his daughter before he frees her.
After briefly discussing Emhyr and attempting to claim that his intentions are not evil, Hissrich teases there is another villain who will rear his head from the shadows.
She said, “Our villain has been playing a very long game. Decades.” As noted by Tudum, the series “has been working toward this big reveal since day one.” In fact, this reveal will seemingly make “prior scenes or decisions that may have seemed ‘out of character’ in the moment … start to become clear.”
“What I love, too, is that Geralt and Yen are putting together this mystery of who their ultimate villain is,” Hissrich added.
The Witcher Season 3 arrives on Netflix on June 29th.
What do you make of Hissirch’s comments about Emhyr and that the show not having good guys or bad guys?
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