It was touch and go for a moment, but we’ve just about recovered from our first dive into The Witcher: Classic Collection. And that’s a good thing because it’s time to finish the book! The second three chapters are all based on classic Witcher short stories, so at least we know what we’re in for…or so we thought! Why is that knight riding his horse up a giant stone dildo? Is that an Edgar Allan Poe cameo? What’s up with the guy and his magic cat? And don’t even get us going on the descriptively named cobbler in the final story! At least there’s whisky this time around—the Icelandic Flóki Single Malt, which proves to be every bit the wild ride as the book we’ve paired it with.
--------
2:02:44
Appreciating the Classics…or Not
This week, we travel back to 1993 as we dive into The Witcher: Classic Collection, a new graphic novel compilation of Geralt’s earliest comic book adventures. And since neither of us were old enough to drink in the early ’90s, we’re discussing this book sober! Well, the first half of it at any rate, which proves to be an unwise choice because the first two stories…aren’t great. How does an oversized, non-speaking earwig have its own gang of thieves? What is Dandelion doing hanging out with a bunch of sheep? And do not get us started on how Geralt got his famous white hair! Be smarter than us and pour yourself a strong one before hitting play, as we navigate this weird, wild and at times strangely homoerotic Witcher world.
--------
2:02:48
Ronin in the Deep: Ronin of Rivia Returns
We’ve read The Witcher: Ronin and we have questions! Sadly, we don’t know any actual ronin that we can approach for answers, but we do know someone with “ronin” in her Instagram name (which is basically the same thing, right?). This week, we welcome back our good friend Gosia, aka Ronin of Rivia, for a deep dive into the world of the Witcher manga. How much do witchers actually have in common with ronin samurai? Why is a yuki onna the perfect adversary for this version of Geralt? And are there any Japanese monsters she’d have liked to see? Plus, she reveals some intriguing details hidden within CDPR’s Witcher: Ronin statues, shares a few juicy rumors and even offers her non-spoiler thoughts on Crossroads of Ravens—since she’s one of the few people we know who’s read it!
Find Ronin of Rivia on Instagram at @ronin_of_rivia and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roninofrivia.
--------
1:27:45
They See Me Ronin
We’ve woken up in some strange places on occasion, though Geralt definitely has us beat with the ancient Japan-inspired world of The Witcher: Ronin. In this 2022 manga, the monster hunter finds himself on a very different path, fighting creatures inspired by Japanese folklore in his pursuit of a mysterious white-haired woman. Fortunately, our search for the perfect whiskey pairing proved much simpler—Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon, an east-meets-west collaboration that’s well suited for enjoying alongside this equally cross-cultural comic. Plus, we discover why you’d better have some cucumbers on you before you start messing with kappas, ponder whether we’d be able to fight a dragon and remind our silver-haired samurai (and the creators of his debut adventure) that no one likes feeling unfulfilled at the end.
--------
1:37:32
Side Quest: Cutting Ourselves Off...Again
What was once lost is now found. And for that, we can only say...we're sorry! It's our first side quest of the season and we're dishing up over a dozen never before heard podcast moments from over the past two years. These were conversations, tangents and the occasional meltdown that we sadly had to cut for time, even though they resulted in some of the biggest laughs we've ever had behind the mics! If that's not enough to entice you, many feature past guests—including Joanna Estep and Ronin of Rivia—a few offer unique glimpses behind the scenes, and at least one of them includes Valerie singing about mermaid sex. Plus, this entire episode was recorded AFTER last week's, which means we start things off pretty lit and they only get more unhinged from there.
Tim and Valerie are here to discuss each episode of the Netflix series and pair it with an appropriately themed whiskey…with exactly the results you’d expect. Get ready for alcohol-infused banter on everything from the possible double-meanings of Jaskier’s song lyrics to how we’d feel if our boyfriend spent all day alone in a bone cave to whether the show’s crazy timeline is a cruel trick to play. (As Jaskier says, “What is time, anyway?”) If that sounds like fun, then pour yourself a drink and join us on the path. Just don’t touch Roach!
South Africa