The Witcher season 1, episode 3 recap: Betrayer Moon

In episode 3 of Netflix series The Witcher, Yennefer undergoes a mystical makeover ritual and The Witcher battles a cursed creature/product of incest.

Episode 3 of The Witcher focuses a great deal on Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), who seeks to transform herself into a more ideal form. However, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers — especially the shifty Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen) — get in her way, relegating her to the land of Nilfgaard instead of Aedirn. Why? Yennefer has elf-blood, which people of Aedirn supposedly don’t like.

Yennefer ultimately feels betrayed by her lover, Istredd (Royce Pierreson), as he is the one most privy to that knowledge. Not to be held back, Yennefer undergoes her magical physical transformation anyway. Still, Istredd may have been wise when he warned her: “No amount of power or beauty will ever make you feel worthy of either.”

Yennefer visits Giltinethe enchanter (Julian Rhind-Tutt) for her intense, magical makeover process. Her transformation is obviously a painful experience, removing her ability to procreate. If that’s not enough, she undergoes the procedure without sedatives! Her spine is straightened and her jaw is better aligned. While she doesn’t look entirely different, she certainly emerges with renewed confidence. She immediately wins the attention of Virfuril (Ben Lambert), the King of Aedirn. This no doubt upsets Fringilla Vigo (Mimi Ndiweni), who was supposed to be sent to Virfuril’s land.

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Geralt vs. the Shtriga

Episode 3 of The Witcher puts Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) in the land of Temeria, where he is tasked to rid the kingdom of a strange creature. He is initially told that the creature is a Vukodlak. King Foltest (Shaun Dooley) sends sorceress Triss Merigold (Anna Shaffer) to assist Geralt’s investigation. It turns out, though, that the King kind of messed up. Geralt comes to suspect that the creature is actually a Shtriga, resulting from a curse placed by a man named Lord Ostrit (Jason Thorpe).

Why would Ostrit do such a thing? King Foltest had an incestuous relationship with his sister, Adda, which inspired Ostrit to curse their offspring. This is why the creature’s been frequenting Princess Adda’s tomb. When Geralt accuses the King of incest, he is almost booted from Temeria.  How does Geralt know this?  Well, there are hints here and there.  However, suffice it to say that he just knows.

Despite King Foltest’s initial ire, Geralt ultimately has his way, and Foltest himself offers his spiritual support in the quest to lift the curse. Ultimately, Geralt gets thrown around a lot by the Shtriga, but at least he doesn’t get his guts ripped out (the same can’t be said for Ostrit). The curse is lifted when Geralt contains the creature until dawn. It should be mentioned that Geralt might have died had it not been for Triss’s magic.

Being a formerly bestial, mystical creature, the freshly cured Shtriga damaged his neck pretty badly, to say the least. When Geralt awakens, it may not be with renewed confidence or hope, but he at least gets paid for his work. The moral of the story? Technically it may as well be about not having incestuous love affairs. Let’s just say it’s that anyway.

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