The Witcher season three spoilers follow.
The Witcher season three, episode six, can only be described as pure blood and carnage, changing the pace and stakes of the third instalment thus far.
The earlier half of the third season had been utterly docile in comparison to the bedlam that erupted during the fall of Aretuza. (We have Vilgefortz's pesky deceitfulness to thank for the full blown injection of action).
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Between Francesca (Mecia Simson), the queen of elves, reigning down a circle of fire on her enemies and Tissaia (MyAnna Buring) striking down the opposing side with bolts of lightning, it was difficult to tell who had the advantage.
Especially given all the indiscernible guts and blown off clumps of flesh littering the river of blood that ran thick across the floor they not too long before danced on. Basically, it was a scene.
Things did eventually become clear when the remaining, flagging mages of Aretuza (san Tissaia who was still busy with Alzur's Thunder) stood before the elven forces.
The elves may have been weary too but they were significantly larger in numbers, a fact Francesca was quick to point out: "You're outnumbered, you have no chance".
It was a worrisome moment for the titular heroes who were in desperate need of help despite Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) arriving moments before, fresh to the battle.
Yennefer's magic (which isn't to be underestimated) sadly wouldn't have guaranteed a victory, as was implied by the worried look on her face which suggested they needed another infusion of power to tip the scales in their favour.
Here's where things got really wild because when the chips were down and all seemed lost The Witcher made a questionable choice of turning to Stregobor (Lars Mikkelsen) to save the day. Yes, the elf-hating bigot is the one to give the mages a leg up in this battle and he garnished the moment in a hateful flourish.
"Go to hell you f**king mongrels," was his opening line when he appeared channelling the forbidden fire magic through his hands.
"I'll show you the way," he added, and it is implied that the sheer amount of all-consuming fire magic he'd need to end the elves could potentially be fatal for him.
His fate is further suggested by Vilgefortz's actor Mahesh Jadu who revealed, in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, that Mikkelsen's Stregobor would not be returning next season. His 'sacrifice' made for an odd, if not uncomfortable moment.
Stregobor has made no secret of his disdain for the elven race; an unsavoury opinion that has not been shared amongst his peers and has always been depicted as discriminatory.
Stregobor's ire with elves stems back to the days of Falka. The younger mage found himself caught up in the crossfires of Falka's infamous rebellion in her ambitions to reclaim the throne after being disinherited. Not only did he bear witness to the calamity and pain inflicted on the mages at the hands of the blood-thirsty elf, Falka, he also suffered extreme injuries.
This past has tainted his impression of all of the elves and has led to the abhorrent treatment of them, complete with some pretty distasteful slurs. His blighted past with the elves may have been stemmed in trauma but the decision to make a hero out of his bigotry is puzzling. Especially where Francesca is concerned.
The queen of elves is certainly driven and will stop at nothing to secure a home for her people but she's no villain. Her actions, however questionable (sometimes utterly deplorable), have been steered by the wellbeing of her community and at times acute grief.
We've seen enough from Francesca to know that she's flawed, hurting, imperfect in her loyalty but at her core is dedicated to uplifting the elves and securing a safe home for her race.
The obliteration of her husband during the battle at Aretuza was still fresh when she ordered the mages to "stand back or die" and while fans may not agree with her actions there is sympathy for her cause.
By comparison, Stregobor's toxic rational and overall personality is a tougher sell. We've seen no moments of humanity from him, nor compassion. His redemption arc has been non-existent. All in all he's a pretty unlikable character.
Yet we are forced to reconcile him rescuing Yennefer and the other mages with the idea that it's a feelgood moment and not like we've just swallowed a mouthful of guts on the battlefield.
To be clear, it is not a feelgood moment. It is a moment that could have been teeming with emotion, made icky by placing the wrong person at the helm of it.
Thankfully it is a short scene that is easily absorbed by the overarching, insanely epic, narrative that was brimming with much more engrossing talking points. However if you too got the ick from Stregobor playing the hero, just know you are not alone.
All episodes of The Witcher seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix. Spin-off The Witcher: Blood Origin is also streaming on Netflix.
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The Witcher 3 Game of the Year Edition (PS4)
The Witcher 3 Game of the Year Edition (Xbox One)
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
