You Are Too Stupid To Understand The Witcher

If you wondered why The Witcher showrunners deviated from the source material, those questions have now been answered. In a stunning turn of events, one of the executive producers gave an exciting take regarding the source material. They state that in order not to confuse American audiences, they simplified the plot. According to them, Americans will need help to grasp the higher level of nuance and complexity. They must clarify why they made this comment, as most of the fan base is from America. They account for a large portion of both book and game sales.

Additionally, I would view the current plot of The Witcher on Netflix as more complicated than the source material. Stating that you dumbed down the story for Americans is very unlikely. This feels like a poor excuse to deviate from the source material. From the start, writers wanted to change the story and make it their own. While writers should be allowed to add their spin to the series, how you do it is essential. If you hold contempt for the original work, it is best that you do not contribute to the IP. Saying that your deviations from the source material are due to your audience being too stupid is additionally assaulting.

If audiences can follow along with Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, they can follow The Witcher. This series is already controversial, and thus, making statements like this will only further alienate the audience. It is best to keep your remaining viewers. Calling them stupid will do very little to assist with your declining viewership.

The Witcher Disaster Continues

The comments made by this executive producer are inquisitive. This producer is responsible for all three of CD Projekt Red’s opening cinematic intros. Thus I thought that they would have a better understanding of what the audience would want. If you worked on all three of the games, then you understand that the stories do not need any dumbing down. The audience understood the plot in the games, they understood it in the books, and the series will be no exception. You also know Americans are your most prominent supporter, so why make these statements?

This show has more significant problems than a dumb audience. The Executive producer also explained further why they changed the source material. A few explanations were given when asked why they change so many plot points within the source material that changes the entire story. The producer stated that the writers create many scenarios before deciding what will fit the world of the books best. This is a bit of a strange thing to do, considering that plots were already created for you by the original creator. All you need to do is focus on the story provided.

As a writer, it is one of the easiest things there is. All the work was already done for you. You do not have to create plots, characters, or stories. Everything was already done for you. All you need to do is turn the work into a series. You are free to add to the original work just like CD Projekt Red did but be honest with your reasons. The story was changed to provide more screen time for what you deem underrepresented groups. You did not change the whole story because Americans are stupid.

Why Henry Cavill Left

We return to the same argument whenever the source material topic pops up. This argument involves Henry Cavill and why he left the series. The most accepted theory for why Cavill left the show has always been the changes to the original plot. There are many instances where Cavill stated that he had to fight to keep certain scenes part of the show. When I hear this producer speak about all the changes, it becomes clear why the former Man of Steel actor decided to jump off this sinking ship. It is never good to have your name attached to something like this.

The producer in this interview also had a few other reasons for why they decided to make changes to the plot. They said they had to make changes because sometimes actors would fall ill. Due to this, they have to rewrite scenes and plot points not to halt production. I understand not wanting to suspend operations, but it would not be worth it if it meant changing your whole story. If there is an important plot point and you can’t film because an actor is sick, you will, unfortunately, have to lose out on that day. I know that might cost you thousands, but the alternative is worse.

If you make plot-altering changes due to illness, the story falls flat, and you lose everything. I also do not believe you changed the source material due to someone being ill. That sounds like a ridiculous excuse. The changes you made were for existing characters on screen. The original work where changed long before filming started. You are free to do this but stand behind your work and be honest.

A Project Doomed To Fail

None of these changes to the plot are due to ill actors or stupid Americans. You have a specific narrative and want to tell your story. You are changing the Witcher IP to do that. Once again, you are free to make these changes to the plot if you want to. It is a gamble that sometimes does pay off. CD Projekt Red changed the source material, which worked for them. Many fans, including myself, never heard of The Witcher until the games. Many people still refer to the games as the source material. I do believe that the original IP can be changed. I think that new writers add their spin to older stories.

However, there has always been one rule to this. You must respect the original work to add to an IP. There are complete rewrites of the books, and no one believes this is due to production chaos. If this is true, you need to sort out your production. The producer said in their own words:

“I tried to explain: there was an uprising against Germany, but the Russians were across the river, and on the German side, there were also soldiers from Hungary or Ukraine,” he said. “For Americans, it was completely incomprehensible, too complicated, because they grew up in a different historical context, where everything was arranged: America is always good, the rest are the bad guys. And there are no complications.”

Conclusion

They further state, “When a series is made for a huge mass of viewers, with different experiences, from different parts of the world, and a large part of them are Americans, these simplifications not only make sense, they are necessary.”

People often say that The Witcher writers hate their fans. If I listen to this producer, it sounds like they hate Americans. This is where we are at the moment. I will note again they are not making simplifications. They are changing the story completely. They are free to make these changes, but you also need to be honest with your motives or, at the very least, not dishonest.

It does not look like this series will last much longer on Netflix. I am not rooting for it to fail, but the following season could be the last. I do not see many people returning now that Cavill is gone. There will likely be high viewership for the first episode of season 4 because people will be curious to see Liam Hemsworth and how they work him into the show. From there, it will likely drop.

FAQ

Table of Information