Midnight Book Club: The Witcher

B06-E03 | Get ready for some major exposition as we catch up with Sir Geralt of Rivia (don't you forget it) and friends in Chapter 3 of Tower of Swallows. What do beekeepers, a mule named Drakuul, and a 120-pound seagull have to do with each other? Listen along to find out. [Wine talk and tangents begin at 01:03:03. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:10:28 ] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and...

S01-E04 | Join us as we recap Season 1 of The Witcher on Netflix episode by episode. This week, we take a long, steamy bath and attend a banquet full of surprises, bad and good, as we recap Episode 4. We also meet the dryads and learn just how cartoonishly evil Nilfgaard is prepared to be. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher so you never miss an episode. And if you really like us,...

B06-E02 | Buckle up because we're riding to Jealousy, even though everything – and everyone – around us is telling us not to. On the way, we'll recap Chapter 2 of The Tower of Swallows, where The Rats and Ciri come to a dead end and a new villain rises. [Beer talk and tangents begin at 49:51. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:01:27 ] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher so you never m...

B06-E01 | Ride along with us – and the Wild Hunt – and we'll ride toward The Tower of Swallows. And if we're lucky, we may run into ol' Vysogota, a hermit in the woods who knows a thing or two about running johnny law and who can help our girl Ciri after a life-changing incident.  [Wine talk and tangents begin at 50:23. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:03:32 ] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,...

S01-E03 | Join us as we recap Season 1 of The Witcher on Netflix episode by episode. This week, we face a fearsome striga battle and an even more horrific magical transition for Yennefer as  we recap Episode 3, Betrayer Moon.  Plus, incest, break-ups, weird wizard balls, and glowups! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher so you never miss an episode. And if you really like us, revie...

B05-E08 | Our quest through Baptism of Fire is ending, so it's time for us to come back with our bullshit and give a final summary of every single chapter of our favorite book (so far) in the saga. You won't want to miss our conversation about vampires, orphan archers, and tragedy orgies (hint: it's not a New Wave band)! [Cider talk and tangents begin at 05:39. Skip ahead to the discussion at 13:0...

S01-E02 | Join us as we recap Season 1 of The Witcher on Netflix episode by episode. This time, we recap Episode 2, Four Marks, where we get to know our girl Yennefer and Jaskier (Dandelion) tosses a coin to our witcher. Plus, eels! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher so you never miss an episode. And if you really like us, review us on Apple Podcasts! Toss a coin to this podcast...

B05-E07 | It's the final Baptism of Fire and our party is walking (or floating) into battle. Follow along as we recap the final chapter of Baptism of Fire, where Regis attends a Vampires Anonymous meeting, Milva has a vulnerable moment, and Geralt officially becomes, well... Geralt of Rivia. [Wine talk and tangents begin at 00:53:09. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:02:54 ] Subscribe on Apple Podc...

B05-E06 | Guess who's back. Back again. Yennie's back. Tell a friend. Come along with us as we recap Chapter Six of Baptism of Fire. Yennefer comes back into our story in dramatic fashion, is dragged into the center of a secret magical plot, and gets help from an unlikely source – plus, get ready for a lesson in Ciri's family tree. [Wine talk and tangents begin at 00:54:48. Skip ahead to the analy...

B05-E05 | Sniff, sniff. Do you guys smell wormwood, coriander, and sage? This week, we cover Chapter Five of Baptism of Fire. Join our fellowship of idiots as we get into Regis' secret stash of special herbs and spices, unravel world-changing conspiracies, and roast Geralt for being the moody simp he is. [Wine talk and tangents begin at 01:16:29. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:25:37 ] Subscribe...

S01-E01 | Join us as we recap Season 1 of The Witcher on Netflix episode by episode. We begin with Episode 1, The End's Beginning, in which Geralt becomes The Butcher of Blaviken and Ciri begins her life on the run. We'll talk about the source material and who did it better: the books or the TV show. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher so you never miss an episode. And if you real...

B05-E04 | Brave your mandrake hangover and join us in a village that smells like cabbage and human waste! We'll take a tour of the best and worst tendencies of human nature, get a crash course in vampires, attend a witch hunt, and prove a presumed dead cat is actually alive – all before breakfast. [Wine talk and tangents begin at 42:41. Skip ahead to the analysis at 50:51 ] Subscribe on Apple Podc...

B05-E03 | Come along on our journey across the war-torn north and get ready to bump into a new character in a dark cemetery as we recap Chapter 3 of Baptism of Fire. Come for the company, stay for the mandrake moonshine – and don't stop until you cry in a corner and dance on the table. [Cocktail talk and tangents begin at 55:33. Skip ahead to the analysis at 1:06:37 ] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts ,...

B05-E02 | This week, we invite you to join our party and set off on a suicide mission to Nilfgaard as we recap Chapter Two of Baptism of Fire. We travel along a war-torn path, meet with assumed enemies and new friends, and take part in a minor massacre. It's all in good fun! Grab a cart wheel and Field Marshall Windbag – you never know when you'll need them! [Cider talk and tangents begin at 01:04...

We take a brief detour from our recap of Baptism of Fire to bring you some unsolicited commentary on Gwent or Gwint, the card game brought to you by The Witcher 3 and inspired by a card game briefly described in The Witcher saga. What is it? Why is it? We explore these fundamental questions, as well as why mini games in video games exist at all. Spoiler alert: for no good reason.  Like this fresh...

B05-E01 | Welcome to the Baptism of Fire era, where we meet the second official member of our party: Maria "Milva" Barring. Grab your bow and arrow and head out in the woods to join us on our epic quest. Before we set off, though, let's check in with a few old friends, who are busy founding a super secret magical society (psst.. you didn't hear it from us). [Cocktail talk and tangents begin at 01:...

B04-E08 | This week, we recap Time of Contempt in its entirety and put a bow on it. We cover the winding plot of this entry in the Witcher saga, including pivotal reunions, magical coups, the rise of Vilgefortz, and Ciri's consequential character arc. We discuss our final takeaways, check in with Vilgefortz, and deliver our predictions for what lies ahead in Baptism of Fire. [Wine talk and tangent...

B04-E07 | This week, we recap the final chapter of Time of Contempt, where young Ciri contends with a coming of change, for better or worse. We move through an unfamiliar landscape and meet shady characters until we run into outlaw group the Rats or, as we like to call them, the Icky Lost Boys™.  Hop on the murder train – next stop: Baptism of Fire. Content Warning: Rape and sexual assault discuss...

B04-E06 | This week, we are in the desert on a little horse with no name (or so we think) as we recap Chapter Six of Time of Contempt. Our girl Ciri is on her own – again – as she attempts to survive in a hostile environment, encounters new enemies and friends, and grapples with all-consuming magic. And if you're thirsty, just remember: Blood is also a liquid. [Rosé talk and tangents begin at 01:1...

B04-E05 | This week, we risk the ride into Brokilon to see an old friend who is in a bit of a funk as we recap Chapter Five of Time of Contempt. Meanwhile, the continent is (literally) on fire, multiple people have disappeared, the evil empire is closing in, and the hour of betrayal is nigh. Plus, will the real Ciri please stand up? [Beer talk and tangents begin at 01:15:05. Skip ahead to the anal...

B04-E04 | This week, we open pandora's box and our favorite characters are embroiled in a great big mess. Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri set off a chain of events for better or worse, competing coup d'états take place, and our big bad is big mad. Get ready to navigate the chaos as fate hangs in the balance. [Beer talk and tangents begin at 01:13:30. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:19:14 ] Subscribe o...

B04-E03 | This week, we attend a magical party and it has everything: thirsty sorceresses, old friends, spies, villains, intrigue, and an illusion that tastes just like caviar. Join us as we recap Chapter Three of Time of Contempt – just don't mistake the stars reflected in a pond for the stars in the sky.  [Wine talk and tangents begin at 01:13:30. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:19:24 ] Subscri...

B04-E02 | This week, we create a small crisis when we taunt a wyvern dressed as a basilisk, run for our lives from ghost riders in the sky, and reunite our estranged parents as we recap Chapter Two of Time of Contempt. Along the way, we'll follow our hearts and advice from our drunk aunts. Just remember: Don't grieve for the cabbage when the forest is burning.  [Wine talk and tangents begin at 01:...

B04-E01 | Welcome to the Time of Contempt era, where our plot is moving lightning fast. We get royal messengers, Geralt in leather (again), slimy lawyers, cameos from our favorite characters, and a death with world-changing consequences. We'll break down Chapter 1 for you with the help of wine.  [Wine talk and tangents begin at 01:10:55. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:20:51 ] Subscribe on Apple...

B03-E08 | It's the summary chapter and we go a little off the rails as we break down Blood of Elves one last time. We do a mini summary, our rankings, a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, and an overall analysis of Book 1 of The Witcher Saga. [Beer talk and tangents begin at 01:20:39. Skip ahead to the analysis at 01:32:51 ] Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher so you never miss an epis...