You’ve got to consider the source.
This writer said “I’ve been on show – namely Witcher – where some of the writers were not [fans] or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material)”, DeMayo said. “It’s a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos, and makes all the long nights worth it. You have to respect the work before you’re allowed to add to its legacy.”
This same writer is also credited as having written the episode with Eskel’s story being changed.
You also have a second writer dropping hints that the first one was fired for being physically and mentally abusive. That puts into question whether the first quote is all that truthful, a bitter former employee can bad mouth the production he’s no longer a part of.
Even if there is some truth to it (from the fired writer’s perspective), let’s reflect on these comments from the showrunner.
Back in 2020, Lauren Hissrich commented on her philosophy of hiring the writers for the show and why there was a need to hire both fans and people, who are distant from the source material.
“When writing an adaptation, are the best writers always the ones most familiar with the world?”, she stated. “Yes. And equally importantly, no.”
She continued: “Let me back up. When you write an adaptation, you have to be familiar with the original work. Yes. Of course. The writers and staff on The Witcher had to read all of the books, and had to appreciate/enjoy the genre. But I specifically didn’t seek out ten Sapkowski scholars.”
It’s important to have voices among the writers who can be critical, that can acknowledge flaws in the source material. There’s no point having a writers room full of people who all have the same opinions.
There’ll be some in the room who love the source, some who just like it, some who don’t like it, but they’ve all read it and appreciate it. They’re not destroying the source material, that will always exist unaffected, infact I’d argue it’s increasing appreciation for it, book sales increased a huge amount from the tv show viewers wanting to immerse themselves in more of that universe.
Letting go of the idea that the ‘adaptation’ has to be a 1-1 translation is important to be able to enjoy it. And though people **** on season 2, it’s pretty consistently reviewed better than the first.