Back from X-mas (the preferred pronunciation of the 31st century).
I am a pretty huge Witcher fan and enjoyed it immensely. Casting someone who actually likes the material? Man, it shows. If the larger industry takes away nothing else from the show, it should absolutely be that. Don't treat these IPs like disposable content that you cast some bankable but disinterested actor to 'I'm just here for the paycheck' their way through. Find people who are excited to do it.
Similarly, Yen blew me away. We had a good idea from trailers and leaked shots that they'd be filling out her BG and doing Sodden, but it was really far better than I could have hoped for. She's dead perfect in the role.
I loved the time stuff, but <insert read the book smug> (Poll: What's our Red Wedding equivalent?) Still, it didn't seem super obscure. The person I was watching with (who has only 'I saw the unicorn video on youtube' level prior Witcher experience) was wondering where Ciri's mom was right off, so I feel like the holes/inconsistencies primed the audience to anticipate the subsequent revelations.
Gripes are the things most folks are griping over (ballsack armor, and maybe Nilfgaard in general - hael Ker'zaer). I do wish the season was maybe 10 episodes, as there were clearly places where they had to cut and jam in stuff to make it fit (episode 2's non-Yen plot). Or well, just more money so we could have had Borch in his full glory. But who doesn't want more, better? I am mostly annoyed that I have to wait more than a year for more.