Netflix The Witcher season 2 recap guide: All 8 episodes explained

The Witcher season 2, episode 7 recap: Voleth Meir

Melitele is a mess in the aftermath of Rience’s invasion. Nenneke thinks Geralt is overreacting in his haste to track down Ciri, but he doesn’t trust Yennefer right now and can’t be sure she won’t bring harm to Ciri. He asks her to open a portal for him.

Ciri’s portal takes Yennefer and Ciri to Zola’s house. Unfortunately, there are no signs of life in the vicinity. Ciri remembers it was at Zola’s she first had her dream about Yennefer and met Geralt. That’s why the portal took them there. In the wake of the attack, Ciri is distraught and concerned for Geralt. Yennefer convinces her that they should go to Nilfgaard’s nearest port, Cintra, as that would be the most likely place they would take Geralt if they captured him. Little does Ciri know, Yennefer intends to betray her and bring her straight to Voleth Meir.

Recalling what Yennefer told him about Jaskier, Geralt tracks him down and breaks him out of his cell in need of assistance from the bard to track down Yennefer and Ciri, who are continuing their trek to Cintra. The two women get to discussing Geralt and Ciri reveals she sees him as the father she never had. Ciri can tell that Yennefer still loves him, too.

Jaskier and Geralt stop at a lake so Jaskier can wash up. He tells Geralt what happened in Oxenfurt, specifically that Yennefer saved his life and lost her magic. Jaskier also tells Geralt about how he saw Yennefer magically disappear and the incantation she recited. Geralt recognizes the incantation and realizes that Yennefer is in league with Voleth Meir, possibly intending to sacrifice Ciri to get her magic back.

They’re interrupted by the arrival of the dwarven warrior Yarpen Zigrin (Jeremy Crawford), the dwarf who we met in season 1 when they were hunting dragons. Yarpen gives Geralt a horse.

Ciri and Yennefer reach a broken bridge. There doesn’t appear to be a way to cross, but they don’t have a choice. Yennefer decides now is the time for a second lesson in using Chaos and helps Ciri raise the bridge to fix things. But Ciri can’t quite keep everything under control and strains herself too much, to the point that blood pours from her eyes. Yennefer tells her to stop, but Ciri screams in frustration, causing her power to manifest and portal them both across the river.

Once they arrive near the shattered black door, things start to fall into place for Ciri as Yennefer’s betrayal is revealed. But by this time, Yennefer has realized just how important and special Ciri is, so she no longer wants to hand her over to Voleth Meir. But it’s too late, Ciri knows what Yennefer did and her magic manifests in a massive ripple that causes destruction at the walls of Cintra.

The guards rush out to attack them both, and they do their best to defend themselves. Luckily, Geralt, Jaskier, and Yarpen’s crew arrive in time to save them, defeating the Nilfgaardian soldiers and rescuing Ciri. But things turn ugly when Geralt and Yennefer come face-to-face again. He pulls his sword on her, telling Yarpen and Jaskeir to get Ciri back to Kaer Morhen. Geralt intends to stay behind and force Yennefer to assist him in killing Voleth Meir. She utters the incantation to deliver them both to her hut.

However, when they arrive, the Deathless Mother is gone. Geralt realizes she might have had her fill of pain and desperation, which would have given her new life. Freed, the demon flies through the forest to Ciri and takes possession of her.

A lesser light

In Aretuza, Tissaia and Vilgefortz are enjoying some post-coital bliss when Tissaia informs Vilgefortz that they have a surprise guest: Dijkstra. Tissaia suspects that Redania is up to something.

Dijkstra arrives to bring news of the baby born to an elven mage to the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. As expected, Stregobor is immediately pissed and believes the elf is a serious threat. Tissaia thinks they’re being ridiculous, as a baby is hardly a threat to them. The men believe the child could grow to become a serious threat years from now and the start of the elves creating countless threats as they extend their lineage.

Attempting to throw Tissaia off her game, Dijkstra makes a snarky comment about how he knows Triss, King Foltest’s mage, is at Aretuza, suggesting Tissaia might have sympathies with the Northern Kingdoms. But Tissaia throws it right back in Dijkstra’s face, reminding him she knows full well he’s working alongside King Vizimir.

Tissaia tells Triss she recalls seeing Ciri with Geralt at Sodden. They were looking for Yennefer, believing her to be dead at the time. Triss says no one knows about what she saw in the Dol Durza besides the other witchers and Tissaia, but Tissaia told Vilgefortz, and he comes marching in demanding she tells him everything. Triss feels betrayed by Tissaia. Vilegefortz doesn’t think they have time to dilly-dally because Ciri could end the war for them all unless she falls into the wrong hands.

Unbreakable bond of blood

Tensions are growing in Cintra as Emhyr’s arrival grows closer. Cahir and Hake are frustrated with the elves, as they refuse to fall in line exactly how they want them to, and many didn’t show up to that morning’s training. If Fringilla cannot get things under control, then Cahir will do things his way, which can only end badly. Hake is already going off the rails, believing that a Redanian spy has infiltrated his ranks. While we know he’s right (Dara), he’s going about it like a madman, hanging people over the side of the castle walls if he suspects them of anything.

Filavandrel and Francesca are basking in their bedroom with their newborn baby when Fringilla walks into the room. She tells them they need to get back on track and fight with them, but Filavandrel has no interest in fighting for Nilfgaard. They would rather focus on reviving their numbers than fighting someone else’s war. The arrival of the baby has changed things, putting Fringilla and Francesca’s partnership at risk.

Rience presses Lydia to let him meet her employers. She continues dodging, claiming he didn’t fulfill his deal since he failed to capture Ciri. Rience is beginning to doubt Lydia has as much sway as she claims. Hoping to meet her master, Rience allows her to test the vial he found at Kaer Morhen. Unaware that they mixed Ciri’s blood into a witcher mutagen, Lydia is horribly disfigured when she tries testing it.

Fringilla portals to Aretuza to speak with her uncle, Artorius. She tells him she might need to leave Nilfgaard due to the changing circumstances with the elves. Artorius realizes that Tissaia was right, the birth of the elf has helped their cause since it weakened Nilfgaard’s forces. He questions if Fringilla knows anything about why Triss suddenly returned. Artorius says if she wants to return, she’ll need to plead her case to the brotherhood for a chance of forgiveness.

Back at Cintra, Hake is telling Cahir his plans to overthrow Fringilla and remove her. Cahir isn’t as concerned about Fringilla, he just wants everyone to get realigned so they can focus on their real goal of hunting down Ciri. Suddenly, everyone at the table freezes, and Fringilla enters the room, revealing she paralyzed them all with nightshade. She systematically murders every general at the table, leaving only Cahir alive so he, as Emhyr’s most trusted advisor, can tell the White Flame that they were killed for treachery.

Seeing the newborn elven baby has given Dara a change of heart. He tells Dijkstra’s owl that he doesn’t care about Dijkstra, Ciri, or Redania anymore. He wants to focus on his people. Surprisingly, Dijkstra isn’t all that concerned about the loss of their spy because Redania is still in a pretty good spot for the moment. He and King Vizimir discuss their options, which, like everyone else in this show, is the desire to find Ciri.

Late that night, tragedy strikes at Cintra as assailants come in the night, murdering Francesca’s baby.