The Witcher –Season 2 Episode 8: Recap, Review & Ending Explained

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Where is Ciri?

Episode 8 of The Witcher Season 2 begins with Geralt riding to Kaer Morhen alongside Yennefer. They’re still not on talking terms though, especially as Yennefer betrayed him. She tries to explain her actions, pointing out that Voleth Meir is pure evil, grabbing and twisting the parts of one’s soul that are bathed in despair and insecurities.

Her words – and apology – fall on deaf ears though as Geralt remains determined to find Ciri and save her.

Now, Ciri has been influenced by Voleth Meir, encouraging her to slay the other witchers at Kaer Morhen while they sleep. Just before Vesemir meets the same fate, Geralt rushes in and sees through her façade, understanding that the Deathless Mother is inside Ciri. “Tell me what you want,” He says plainly, but as she lashes out and cuts Geralt, the answer is an emphatic “no.”

Meanwhile, Filavandrel and Francesca learn that Dijkstra and Redania are behind killing their daughter. Blinded by rage, they decide to head off and slay their enemies. Only, it wasn’t Redania after all. However, that doesn’t stop the elves from arriving in town and slaughtering all the babies through some powerful magic.

What happens during the fight?

Back at Kaer Morhen, Yennefer and Jaskier work together to try and try and create a serum to free Voleth Meir from Ciri’s body. Without the use of her magic, it comes down to doing this the old fashioned away. While she concocts a serum, the remaining Witchers begin hunting for Ciri.

When Geralt finally finds her, he offers up a trade – free Ciri and take Geralt instead. However, the Deathless Mother is too strong and instead uses her powers to bring forth several Hell beasts from a portal that appears behind her. While they keep the other Witchers busy, Geralt squares off against Ciri, trying to get through to her.

The thing is, Ciri is stuck in her own visions, kept at bay while dancing at a banquet featuring Mousesack and her parents. The Deathless Mother continues to control Ciri but Geralt tries his best to get through to her. In the heat of battle though, he deduces that their hatred is what’s feeding the Deathless Mother. After slaying the creatures, they turn and plead with Ciri to see reason and come back to them.

What does Yennefer do to save the others? What happens with the Wild Hunt?

With hope lost, Yennefer decides to serve as the vessel to take the Deathless Mother away and free Ciri. As Mousesack and her Mother fade, Ciri makes her choice and decides to head home. With tears stinging her eyes, she returns to Kaer Morhen and collapses.

With Yennefer now holding Voleth Meir as a vessel, Geralt calls on Ciri to use her powers to throw Yennefer into a portal. Geralt and Ciri join them though, as the evil spirit leaves Yen’s body and instead inhabits the Wild Hunt. Yes, the black riders are here and they’re intent on finding the Daughter of Chaos.

Ciri manages to use her powers to bring them back, but it’s an ominous sign of what’s to come in the next season. It also appears that Ciri’s screams awoke Voleth Meir in the first place, hence why this spirit was so interested in finding Ciri. She wanted to go home, and with Ciri able to travel across to different Spheres (like the one she took the trio to where the Wild Hunt rode toward them) then it would seem like she was the perfect vessel. Geralt though is concerned and wonders just how Nilfgaard knew about her power before anyone else.

How does season 2 set up season 3’s events?

In the wake of this, Yennefer’s magic returns too, which she uses to help patch up the other Witchers. Interestingly, her magic returned for her selfless act of sacrificing herself. With the ship seemingly steady for now, Geralt still hasn’t fully forgiven her but does entrust the woman to help Ciri train up and use her magic.

However, trouble brews with Tissaia and the council. They decide to put a bounty on Ciri’s head, and anyone who protects her. Now, this obviously comes off the back of a pretty precarious situation occurring across the continent.

With the elves having slaughtered those in Redania, Nilfgaard are on the verge of war. Rience is working with Lydia and Dijkstra continues to stir the pot. However, Istredd shows up before Elves and tells them about Ciri. He claims that she’s Hen Ekeir (Elder blood) which confirms that she’s part of the prophecy. In other words, she could save them all.

Unfortunately Dijkstra’s scout, Phillipa, happens to be perched in the tree listening in. When she feeds this back to Dijkstra, he tasks her with bringing back the bard.

How does The Witcher Season 2 end?

Meanwhile, the White Flame (Emperor Emhyr var Emreis) arrives in Nilfgaard. Fringilla and Cahir both confirm they’re the ones who killed the elven baby but actually, it turns out it was the White Flame who ordered the baby to be killed. He did all of this to find his daughter. Ciri. As Emhyr turns around, we catch a glimpse of who he is. It’s Duny! He immediately has Cahir and Fringilla arrested as the season comes to an agonizing end.

The Episode Review

The Witcher Season 2 bows out with a pretty shocking ending and plenty of promise of the third season when it arrives. The finale essentially works to give Yennefer back her magic while simultaneously giving one last big fight before the bigger war to come.

This season has been an improvement over the first, with much deeper worldbuilding and slowly building up toward a massive fight that’s going to consume the world.

The battle lines have well and truly been drawn between Nilfgaard and Redania now, and with Duny intent on finding Ciri, as well as the elves aware of her elder blood, lots of plot threads are left unresolved here for the future.

Interestingly, there’s also the subject of the Wild Hunt too which has been teased throughout this season. I’d imagine we’ll see more of that in the coming chapters, with a good chunk of the story dedicated to the prophecy and how Ciri fits into all of this.

The Witcher season 2 bows out on a high, with plenty of action and drama. There’s certainly a lot of promise for the future too, with that final teaser serving as a tantalizing glimpse at what’s to come.