We'll have to admit, the first fight scene of "The Witcher" was slightly a disappointment. The effects in particular just looked okay. But after a few stumbles in its first fifteen minutes, the episode opens up and eventually shows the epic potential of the Netflix adaptation of the popular novel and game series.

Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a witcher, is struggling to make ends meet. He arrives in Blaviken to get some coin. Instead, he meets the sorcerer Stregobor who has tasked him to find and kill Renfri - whom he believes will bring suffering and death in the world. On Citra, we meet Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan) who is forced to leave her home as the Nilfgaardians mercilessly attack her kingdom of Cintra.

As we earlier mentioned, the episode starts rough. It could be the hype around the show but the biggest issue we saw was how the effects looked a step down from bigger shows like "Stranger Things" or "Game of Thrones". But effects are just for show. Everything else in this pilot episode was outstanding. Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia was simply perfect for the part. If you're familiar with the game series, Henry Cavill perfectly matches how fans would expect Geralt to act in real-life. From his grunts and quips, this was as authentic as it can go. Additionally, the action was on-point. The sword play in particular was gruesome, gore-filled, and fulfilling. The show also did not hold back on the more mature themes of the series. That scene on Stregobor's home just shows that this series will not hold back anything. Finally, the narrative in particular was the strongest point for the pilot. It was well-paced and did a good job balancing between the characters of Geralt and Ciri. Beyond flawlessly setting up for bigger things, the Stregobor story line was deep and thought-provoking. Overall, this pilot episode was simply stunning. We can't wait for the rest of the season when it launches on December 20, 2019.

Rating: 4 and a half reelsWhy you should watch it:- the narrative was awesome and sets up the rest of the season well- Henry Cavill is the perfect GeraltWhy you shouldn't watch it:- the effects were a step down compared to big budget shows