The Witcher Season 1 Episode 2 Recap – Four Marks

[00:01:00] A man and a woman were strolling near a farm. The man brought her a daisy, but she threw it away. She asked the man why he got her a daisy instead of a rose. The man responded that roses were cliché. The woman roared back at him, stating that daisies are cheap. The man began kissing the woman. He went down her neck, but the woman stopped him. She noticed that the daisy she threw away was missing. The man pointed out that she didn’t even want the daisy to begin with. The woman shoved the man and went inside the barn to look for the daisy. She found another woman holding out her daisy. It was a crippled woman. They teased her and pulled her to the ground.

[00:02:00] The crippled woman closed her eyes as the other two ganged up on her. When she re-opened her eyes, she was inside a temple. A man with his back to her was writing on a ledger. He heard the woman behind him. She asked the man where she was. The man responded that she was inside the tower of the gull. He told the woman that she must have portalled herself inside the tower. The man pointed out that the woman used magic and that she was a virgin user. The woman slapped the man, thinking that he was pointing out her sexuality. He praised the woman’s backhand slap as better than her magic abilities. He then heard whispers and knew that the crippled woman was in danger. The man took a flower from his bag and ate it. He summoned a new portal and told the woman to take it home.

[00:03:30] The man explained that someone was after her because of her magic abilities. The woman asked the man for her name. The man introduced himself as Istredd. The crippled woman used the tower and left. The man tried to ask for her name; however, she didn’t respond. The crippled woman resumed her day by feeding the pigs. Her father stopped her, but she insisted, which resulted in a mess. She slipped and spilled the feed all over herself. A woman riding a horse approached their house. He asked the man how much for a pig. The man responded that there would be a market tomorrow, but the woman insisted on buying a pig since she was already there. The crippled woman’s father responded that it costs ten marks for a pig. The woman asked him how much for the crippled woman.

[00:05:00] The man responded with six marks; however, the woman managed to haggle the price to 4 marks. The crippled woman’s mother heard the conversation and went outside to stop her husband. The man renounced his daughter, telling his wife that she didn’t consider her as his daughter. He told his wife that he sold her for four marks. The crippled woman begged her mother for help, but she didn’t do anything. Her mother knew that the woman buying her daughter was a witch. The crippled woman tried to refuse to come with the witch, but by the end of the day, she was locked up inside a tower. She begged the witch to let her out but to no avail. The crippled woman looked at her hideous self in the mirror. She cried and punched the mirror to pieces. Glass shards fell in the bowl in front of the mirror. The crippled woman thought of slicing her wrists with one of the shards. 

[00:07:00] Meanwhile, Cirilla continues walking in the forest. She heard men shouting her name. Cirilla hid behind a huge tree, hoping that no one would find her. The men continued shouting her name as they passed by her location. She found a mud puddle and used it to change the color of her hair. Cirilla walked onward and found a bush full of berries. She tried to pick a berry to eat, but something flew in her direction and distracted her. Cirilla knew that she wasn’t alone, so she picked up a branch to defend herself. A boy appeared from behind a tree. He was mute and showed Cirilla that eating the berry would kill her. She lowered her guard and approached the boy.

[00:09:30] The boy offered Cirilla his dagger. She saw a rat’s nest beneath the tree. Cirilla declined the boy’s offer, telling him that she doesn’t eat rats. Cirilla decided to stay with the boy as she hadn’t spoken to anyone in three days. The boy was mute; hence talking wasn’t his strong suit. Cirilla asked the boy a lot of questions but got no response. The boy offered Cirilla to eat the rat that he cooked. Cirilla took a piece of the rat and ate it. They walked onwards inside the forest. Cirilla told the boy that they couldn’t stay by the fire because she couldn’t risk getting caught. The boy was shivering in the cold, so Cirilla gave him one of her mittens. The two of them continued walking while Cirilla spotted a man carrying the Cintran flag. She knew they were saved and ran towards the flag. Cirilla turned around, looking for the boy, but he was gone. Cirilla continued chasing the flag bearer. 

[00:12:00] Meanwhile, a bard sang inside a bar. The crowd didn’t like his singing, so they got together to end his number. The bard kept his lute and picked up the bread that was thrown at him. He saw Geralt sitting in the corner of the bar staring at his beer. The bard decided to approach Geralt and asked him to rate his singing. Geralt told the bard that he was there to drink alone; however, the bard insisted. He sat down in front of Geralt and asked him to review his song. Geralt responded that the people in the bard’s song didn’t exist. The bard didn’t understand his statement, but he knew who Geralt was. He recognized him from his hair and the swords he carried.

[00:14:00] Geralt knew that his cover had been blown and headed straight out the door. The bard announced that he was Geralt of Rivia. The whole bar became silent. A man heard his name and stopped Geralt from leaving. He begged for his help claiming that a devil has been stealing their grains. The man offered to pay Geralt 100 ducats. He upped the offer to 150, and the man took out his purse full of coins. The bard saw the deal and knew that it was an opportunity for him. Geralt took the purse and left. The bard followed Geralt and asked if he could tag along. Geralt tried to make the bard leave, but he was a persistent bastard. The bard offered to be Geralt’s barker. He told him that he could spread his tale as Geralt of Rivia, the Butcher of Blaviken. Geralt stopped walking to face the bard. He punched his gut and sent him to the ground. The bard knew how to take a hit and took the punch like a man. Geralt continued walking as the bard tried to regain his senses. 

[00:15:30] Back at the tower, the crippled woman slit her wrists, but the witch helped her. The witch told her that a lot of people would die if she committed suicide. The witch introduced herself while the crippled woman got out of bed. Her name was Tissaia de Vries. She instructed the crippled woman to get ready and meet her in the greenhouse within 20 minutes. She did as told and met Tissaia inside the greenhouse. There were other women inside the greenhouse as well. As Tissaia addressed them, we learned each woman there possibly possessed magic abilities and was going to be tested.

[00:17:00] Just like the crippled woman, they were able to do a feat of magic beyond their control. Tissaia told them that their little acts of chaos reached her in Aretuza, and she took them in to teach them. She instructed them to lift a stone using their minds and an incantation. A woman named Fringilla was able to lift the stone. She announced her progress to the class, but the crippled woman noticed her hand decaying. Tissaia explained that magic always came with a cost. She took the daisy beside the stone and recited the incantation. The flower withered in an instant. The rest of the class followed her lead; however, the crippled woman couldn’t lift the stone. Tissaia told her that she had lost a lot of blood, but she didn’t stop. The crippled woman went as far as eating the flower, just like the man inside the gull tower.

[00:20:00] Tissaia saw the crippled woman eat the flower. She approached to tell her that not all flowers have a purpose. Some just serve as a thing to transfer death to. The crippled woman placed the flower on the table and left the class. The crippled woman walked around the castle and found Istredd. She finally introduced herself as Yennefer. Istredd acknowledged her presence and told Yennefer that it was good to have a proper introduction.

Cirilla walked into the Cintran camp. She tried to cut in line for food, so a woman pushed her away. Cirilla told the woman that the food was provided to them by the Queen; however, the woman cursed her grandmother. She met another boy; he claims that his father, Ziven Ozol, made Cirilla’s clothes. Cirilla noticed odd things hanging from the boy’s neck. He claims that what he’s wearing are elf ears.

[00:22:30] The boy told Cirilla that he killed elves to do his part in avenging the loss of human lives because of Filavandrel’s uprising. Filavandrel is the Elf King. He tried to claim the lands of Cintra last year, where the boy’s brother took an arrow to his head and died. He now does his part to make sure that his brother’s death wasn’t in vain. The boy took Cirilla to meet his mother. The boy’s mother also cursed at Cirilla’s grandmother, Queen Calanthe. She claims that her husband died defending the Queen’s selfishness. The boy’s mother asked when the conflict would ever stop. The boy proudly responded that the conflict would stop when he became a knight. Cirilla asked the boy when he was becoming a knight. The boy responded that he needed to take up an apprenticeship first, but he would be ready once Cintra rises again. The boy’s mother noticed Cirilla’s worn-off shoes. She offered to replace them and ordered one of their servants to remove his boots and give them to Cirilla. She hesitated to accept the boots, but the boy’s mother assured Cirilla that her servants were clean.

[00:25:00] Meanwhile, Geralt and the bard continued traveling. Geralt told the bard that he didn’t believe in devils because they didn’t exist. He knew that money and monsters were a rare combination; hence there was something fishy about the devil stealing grains. Geralt was right, and the devil seems to be a half-man, half-goat type of monster. The goat man managed to knock the bard out. He charged at Geralt and sent him flying. Geralt managed to pin the goat-man down, but his accomplice knocked him out.

[00:27:00] Back at Aretuza, the class continues to learn from Tissaia. Yennefer is having a hard time doing anything, and Tissaia’s patience is growing thin. Yennefer lied her way out of class. She went to Istredd, who told her not to give up. Istredd showed thought transference to Yennefer so that she wouldn’t lose hope. Yennefer was able to see, hear, and taste Istredd’s thoughts. Istredd managed to make Yennefer cry as he told her the reason why he showed her those things. Istredd thought that the things that he showed Yennefer were the things she wanted to see, feel, and hear. Meanwhile, Cirilla couldn’t sleep at the Cintran camp. The boy’s mother couldn’t sleep as well and asked Cirilla where her parents were. Cirilla told the boy’s mother that her parents died when she was still a baby. She added that her grandmother died during the Nilfgaard attack.

[00:32:00] The boy’s mother assured Cirilla that she would be safe with them. Cirilla tried asking her about Geralt of Rivia, but she didn’t know him. Yennefer, on the other hand, was awakened by a storm. Tissaia entered her room and told Yennefer to get up. Tissaia took all the women to the tower of the gull. She instructed them to catch lightning in a bottle. One of the women told her that it was impossible, but she just responded that it was magic. Everyone got their turn, but only two were successful in capturing lightning. Once again, Yennefer allowed her emotions to get the best of her. She tried to kill a woman named Sabrina using lightning. Tissaia channeled Yennefer’s spell through herself and sent the lightning back to the skies.

[00:37:30] After the session, Tissaia spoke to Yennefer. She told her not to let her emotions win. Tissaia told Yennefer that she too allowed her emotions to control her once in her life. She took the bandages off of Yennefer’s wrist to remind her what happens when she loses control of her emotions. She asked Yennefer if she really has what it takes to ascend. Meanwhile, Geralt and the bard woke up tied up together. Geralt knew that the elves were going to kill them. He saw the goat man, who was called a Sylvan. The Sylvan was stealing for the elves because they were forced out of their homeland. Geralt and the bard met Filavandrel. He told Geralt that he was not the King of the elves by choice.

[00:43:00] Filavandrel told Geralt the truth about the human’s treacherous ways of lies and deceit. The Sylvan defended Geralt. He told Filavandrel that he could’ve killed him, but he chose not to. Geralt managed to convince Filavandrel to spare their lives. Geralt told Filavandrel to take the elves and go somewhere else to rebuild their kind. Back at the tower of gull, Yennefer spoke with Istredd. She’s worried about not seeing Istredd again because Tissaia knows of their relationship. Istredd told Yennefer that the tower was built by elves long before humans came into existence. The elves taught humans to harness and control chaos and turn it into magic. Then the humans turned against the elves and rewrote history to claim magic as their creation.

[00:47:00] Istredd gave Yennefer a Feainnewedd. She ate it and conjured a portal on her first try. Yennefer’s ability shocked Istredd. Yennefer revealed that her real father was a half-elf. She’s part elf, which is why she has a crooked spine. She told Istredd that it’s also the reason why no one cares for her. Everyone thought she was cursed. Istredd kissed Yennefer to prove that he cared for her. Yennefer went back to Tissaia to show her the Feainnewedd. It seems that Tissaia gave her the task to prove that she could control her emotions. Yennefer asked her if she could now ascend. Tissaia sent her back to her room and told Yennefer to wait for her knock. That evening, we see Stregobor speaking to someone. It was none other than Istredd. He told Stregobor that Yennefer is part elf.

[00:51:00] Meanwhile, the Cintran camp is attacked by Nilfgaardians. Cirilla woke up to the chaos as the boy’s mother instructed their servant to defend them. The servant dropped the weapons, and the boy’s mother scolded him. The servant turned on her and killed her. Cirilla saw the whole thing. She froze on the spot as the woman asked for help. A dagger ripped through the tent and pulled Cirilla outside. It was the mute boy; he came to save her. They ran across the camp. Cirilla saw the boy from earlier with an arrow in his heart. She also saw the archer who tried to capture her a few days ago. Cirilla put on her hood and followed the mute boy into the forest. Back at the tower, Yennefer stayed awake, waiting for Tissaia to come knocking. She arrived at their floor, but she didn’t knock on her door.

[00:53:00] Yennefer used her Feainnewedd to follow Tissaia and the other women. They reached a cave inside the tower where Tissaia morphed the other women into eels. She also knew that Yennefer was watching her. Tissaia ordered Yennefer to push the eels into the water below. Yennefer refused, so she explained that sometimes a flower’s purpose was to die for them. Yennefer understood that the women were changed to eels to act as a conduit for the tower’s magic amplification. Meanwhile, Geralt and the bard were freed by Filavandrel. The bard promised to change Geralt’s image in his songs. The bard twisted a few truths because the real truth wasn’t a good song.

[00:57:00] Yennefer, on the other hand, pushed the eels into the water. The eels amplified the powers of Aretuza as the castle glowed in the darkness of the night. Back in the forest, Cirilla escaped with the mute boy. The boy finally introduced himself as Dara.