The Witcher season 3 part 1: What happened at the ending’s mage ball

Here’s a joke setup: Geralt and Yen walk into a party.

As far-fetched as that might’ve seemed — maybe most particularly with Geralt (Henry Cavill), who, three seasons in, has very little interest in social events — it’s actually the premise for one of the most high-stakes adventures in The Witcher yet.

The mage’s ball kicking off the conclave for peace cooked up by Yen (Anya Chalotra) is, on its face, just a fancy dance. You may have noticed (a lot of it) while watching the 5th episode in season 3. It’s not what it appears. Geralt und Yen reveal that this party was filled with backstabbings, politickings, and magical performances.

The end of Season 3 Part 1 is only a hint as to why the Continent won’t be the same after the Conclave. The Continent will not be the same after Conclave, for reasons that only season 3 part 1 hints at. Rashomon-ing left your head a bit spinny, here’s what you need to know about all the political power that walked into that room — and what they left the ball with:

[Ed. note: Spoilers for all five episodes of The Witcher season 3 part 1.]

Image: Netflix

Nilfgaard has been deemed suspicious

The most we can say about Nilfgaard’s machinations in episode 5: They’re up to What are you waiting for?! Lydia van Bredevoort is the liaison for Rience (Chris Fulton), and she’s a mystery with her best impression face. Geralt and Yen are aware of a number of rumors about Nilfgaard’s traitors, but they tend to ignore them in favor of the night’s main event.

Stregobor and his mages are fighting with the Brotherhood of Sorcerers (and sometimes each other).

Image: Netflix

Image: Netflix

Geralt and Yen enter the ballroom with a specific goal: find proof against Stregobor. (Lars Mikkelsen). Based on his history of experimenting with young girls, using illusions and hating Yen they suspect him to be Rience, the firemage. “If Stregobor is behind this, he’s a traitor to the Brotherhood,” Yen notes in episode 4, setting the table for their trap at the conclave.

Luckily for Triss and Istredd, they also suspect the truth, after observing a few oddities at Aretuza. These include the disappearances and deaths of girls with elven ancestry and other strange things. Book of Monoliths. The book was also included in The WitcherSpinoff Blood OriginThey stress the need to stop Stregobor. Tonight.

Geralt and Yen concoct a plan to cause enough of a distraction that Yen can get to Stregobor’s office and find the damning evidence — namely the book, a list of elven students at Aretuza, and some trinkets from the kidnapped girls. Tissaia and Vilgefortz, played by MyAnna Buring and Mahesh Jadu respectively, put Stregobor in jail until the conclusion of the conclave.

Tissaia Takes the Book of Monoliths and tells Yen and Geralt they’ve “saved the night.” Their success gives them a lot of good vibes, and the opportunity to say “I love you” and retire to their room for a long night of unwinding all the You can also read about other ways to get in touch with us.Strange moments of the night.

Dijkstra Philippa & the Redanians also have something to do

Photo: Susie Allnutt/Netflix

Redanian whispers have been circulating throughout the entire season. Dijkstra (Graham McTavish), and Philippa, (Cassie Clare), have attempted to take Redania into their own hands by manipulating Radovid (Hugh Skinner), and having him enlist Jaskier.

They come to the conclave under duress — the king, grieving his wife (who Dijkstra and Philippa had killed, unbeknownst to him), orders their attendance — but still spend a lot of the episode working their agenda. Dijkstra pulls Geralt aside and speaks of “traitors who will soon turn their loyalty to Nilfgaard, and not the North,” and trouble brewing at Aretuza. “One would be wise to abandon neutrality and choose a side,” he continues, telling Geralt that Redania is the “only hope” for keeping Ciri (Freya Allan) safe.

Meanwhile, Philippa pulls Yen aside to speak somewhat vaguely about Lydia van Bredevoort, Phillipa’s friendship with Tissaia, and the Battle of Sodden. She thinks Tissaia’s Brotherhood of Sorcerers is doomed but she and Yen have different builds. “We break rules, we aren’t afraid of power. There’s still hope for you,” Philippa insists, speaking of traitors “already working with Nilfgaard.” She continues, “But if Tissaia and you stick to this plan, neither of you will be any better off than poor Lydia: in love with a poison that kills you slowly.” And although Yen walks away and doesn’t hear it, Philippa mutters that “tonight means everything We are a team of professionals who can help you. as well.”

Ultimately Yen and Geralt piece together their warnings just enough to make sense of some of their other interactions and realize — maybe too late — that Vilgefortz is the poison killing Lydia slowly, and the one performing the experiments on the girls Geralt found in episode 2.

Geralt and Yen’s season 3 ending ties it all together

Susan Allnutt/Netflix

Where does this leave our brave couple? Well, they’re a bit behind the times. The Stregobor was assembled in the very last minutes of the episode. wasn’tVilgefortz is the man behind all of these experiments, including kidnapping and reading powerful books. Stregobor, an elf racist, was framed.

But Vilgefortz’s web of lies seems to go further than that. As Geralt and Yen figure out in the cold light of day (having talked all night), Vilgefortz is also the one who corrupted Yen’s portal and almost killed her, two-timed Tissaia with Lydia, and sent Rience after Ciri.

What’s worse, he doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in the conclave actually bringing about peace, speaking to Geralt about “the battle to come” and wishing him good luck (though his well wishes drip with foreboding and seem to nicely set up a showdown in part 2 of the season). And indeed, Geralt ends volume 1 of season 3 with a knife at his throat, and Dijkstra telling him, “You should’ve chosen a side, Witcher.”

Finaly, everything is in place for an unexpected event to reveal what’s really going on. Unfortunately, this threat is also no laughing matter. We’ll find out more when volume 2 of The Witcher Season 3 of Netflix will debut with three new episodes on 27 July.