By Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the creator and showrunner of The Witcher, expresses that the fifth episode of season 4, entitled ‘The Joy of Cooking’ is “likely” her preferred installment of the series.
“We appreciate experimental ventures,” Hissrich begins while analyzing (in our humble view) the season’s notable episode in a conversation with GamesRadar+. In this episode, Geralt and his ‘Hansa’ companions gather around a fire and share tales of their prior exploits. While Geralt’s recollection is more of a conventional flashback, Jaskier indulges in musicals for his narration.
“Pitching to Netflix was considerably more challenging, considering we were proposing to introduce a musical segment,” Hissrich states. “Yet, for me, it was the ideal opportunity to truly grasp how each character is unique… that they’re all contributing their own vibe, their own essence, their own history genuinely into this series.”
Although Jaskier’s zest for life may radiate on screen, actor Joey Batey struggled somewhat through the filming of his scenes.
“It was exhausting, to be completely honest. It was genuinely tough,” Batey remarks. “I was injured about three days prior to filming. I couldn’t really walk properly, so we had to revise much of the choreography. The entire sequence took around four days to film, with me singing live on set, rushing from one side of the set to the other, dancing, engaging with numerous other actors and dancers who kept me buoyant throughout the day. Every single one of them was incredibly supportive… My lasting memory of that was that it was perhaps one of the most challenging weeks I had to endure this season, yet we persevered, and hopefully the joy of it shines through.”
However, the musical segment wasn’t the initial performance for the episode, which loosely adapts a beloved fan moment from Andrzej Sapkowski’s novel Baptism of Fire. Along with Jaskier’s song-filled segment was a dark, somber animated sequence that delved into Regis’ sorrowful history.
On how the vampiric journey down memory lane materialized, Hissrich mentions, “Regis was the first character we settled on, as we knew we wanted to narrate his backstory, but we unfortunately lacked the time and resources to dedicate two weeks to the Regis plot. Animation was proposed very swiftly. I believed it was such an intriguing idea to integrate in the midst of a show.”
The Witcher season 4 is currently streaming on Netflix. Don’t forget to watch the Rats prequel film, as well.
For further information on our Witcher coverage, we provide a guide to The Witcher season 4 conclusion, in addition to a preview of The Witcher season 5.