A bewitching blend of swordplay, sorcery, and morally ambiguous characters has held the attention of The Witcher series’ fans for four years now. As the series progressed into three seasons, the Netflix show never managed to attain its peak from the first season. After the second season saw a slight dip in popularity, the third failed to raise the bar back up, especially due to the audience’s anguish over the removal of Henry Cavill. 

Another factor could have been how the characters’ charm was in its prime in the first season. In particular the Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials episode where their individual stories began to converge. 

When the lives of the main characters in The Witcher molded

In episode four, timelines intertwined as Geralt unintentionally set in motion his destiny to protect Ciri after invoking the Law of Surprise decades before. With Ciri being the future savior of the Continent, this marked a pivotal moment in The Witcher‘s narrative as it shifted back to the present timeline. Meanwhile, Yennefer was devastated upon losing her newborn daughter which shed light on her deep desire to bear a child.  

These desires foreshadowed her impending relationship with Ciri for whom she later became a mother figure. By the fourth episode, viewers knew that the trio of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer would be bonded for life in their quest to save the continent. With the fourth episode, the show finally started heading in that direction. And the spectacularly filmed debacle kept audiences engaged throughout. 

Some awe-inspiring action sequences and the introduction of a magical location in the episode took its surprise factor to the next level. 

The fights and the forest that made episode four unforgettable

As the aforementioned events transpired, the series did not dull down for a single moment. The episode began with a chase sequence as an assassin thwarted Yennefer’s journey and took away her child. Meanwhile, Cavill’s Geralt had to intervene in Princess Pavetta’s fury during her wedding. Through his trademark self-performed stunt work that earned him much praise, the Brit delivered an enthralling sequence steeped in suspense. 

 As it shifted back to the current day scenario, fans got to feast their eyes on the enchanting Brokilon forest near the end of the episode. Here, Princess Ciri was introduced to Eithne, queen of the dryads. In later episodes, these forest dwellers would become crucial to the story. All in all, Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials combined some of the best elements of the series, from the bond forming and action to mystical creatures to emerge as the best. 

Do you agree that the fourth episode of season 1 of The Witcher was the best? Share your thoughts in the comments.