Winter is coming, as they say. Especially in/with regard to’concerning’regarding young Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan), who spends much of this second season of the fantasy saga based on the reserve s by Andrzej Sapkowski moping around Kaer Morhen, a vast, chilly, snow-bound castle, where she tries to win the respect of her mentor Geralt (Henry Cavill) and his Witcher gang by training to be a fighter. It’s not exactly The Witcher’s most grapple ping plot-strand, and it’s hard to ignore the similarities between Geralt’s home in/with regard to’concerning’regarding t and a place called Winterfell, especially in/with regard to’concerning’regarding TV critics fond of crassly comparing e grossly TV-fantasy epic that comes along to Game Of Thrones, but the relationship between the cautious, fatherly Geralt and plucky Cirilla does at least help anchor Series 2.###Indeed, the new season is generally more streamlined and focused, aldespite’in spite of’albeit no less sweeping and visually sumptuous. Where the first series jumped around between times and places to fill in the backstories of its main characters, in often bewildering style, the new run homes in on that mentor/trainee relationship between Geralt and Cirilla, allowing Geralt to tap into his soulful side, intercut with the parallel journey of Geralt’s onetime lover, part elf and sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and her gang. We’re also kept abreast of the machinations of those in power — Shaun Dooley (It’s A Sin) and Ed Birch (The Last Kingdom) are a peculiar ly fun double act of super-entitled kings — and enormous’vast’massive’tremendous ideas of imperialism and racism (elves are not treated well) hover over proceedings.###Cavill is generally intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in the role, commanding and dignified at all times.###But the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue is at its intense’fierce’exquisite est when it acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s freaky. The opening episode’s intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully first scene featured Geralt grappling with a bizarre, giant, spider-like creature called a kikimora, and Season 2 begins with a gory, mystery-creature attack, complete with severed limbs being hurled through the air. It could be the opening of a pretty effective monster movie, and when the deployment of these beasts takes the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue into out-and-out horror territory, it’s often on firmer ground than when it’s trying to be funny. Some of the banter between the carousing Witcher dudes at the castle, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding example, is frankly excruciating. Thankfully, Geralt rises above it, and Cavill is generally intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in the role, commanding and dignified at all times, making the most of his dialogue, which is marginally less monosyllabic than it was in Season 1.###As in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the new characters, Kim Bodnia, so effective as Konstantin in Killing Eve, does a fine job as Vesemir, Geralt’s mentor and father figure in the witchering business, even if his character is rather thinly drawn, and Mecia Simson is charismatic as uncompromising elven sorceress Francesca Findabair. Most of the best characters from Season 1 return, too, aldespite’in spite of’albeit the writers delay our gratification and make us wait in/with regard to’concerning’regarding some fan favourites to put in an appearance. No spoilers, but let’s just say you can keep that coin in your pocket in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a while bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e a certain bard will call on you to toss it.