About the first encounters in episode 1x02
The Witcher Meta. Geraskier meta. Netflix.
Hi my friends! This is my second meta from the Netflix's serie, and I had to put it in two parts, because it has a lot of info for all of you.
I want to say thank you to my friend @agusvedder , she made the gifs for this meta, Thank You girl!
This is a more focused analysis in Geraskier.
Let's start...
First encounters
As I pointed in my first meta here, this episode shows us three Parallels of three different first encounters. But Geralt and Jaskier will be blatantly mirrored by Jester and Yennefer, (a romantic couple).
The first scene is related to Yennefer and talks about a foreshadow in episode 1x06: the lover's separation (when Geralt offended her about her motherhood desires).
This scene is between two young lover's, hidden. The girl asks for her baby, and the young man answers I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T WANT HIM, and the girl gets mad. They discovered Yennefer observing them.
- First meeting: YENNEFER AND JESTER
When Yennefer meets Jester we have this amazing scene with a contrast between the deformed/self concept of monster (Yennefer) and the beautiful man (Jester).
Jester tries to get to her being kind, and approaching her slowly, but he makes a mistake... He calls her a virgen.
Yennefer reacts almost by instinct, but this is telling us, she felt offended because Jester didn't know her to talk about such an intimate manner... Keep all of these things in mind, because the parallal with Geraskier is delicious.
Now, we could say, Yennefer was lonely, and she found a protector (Jester) and a wise guide (her sorceress's mentor).
- First Meeting: CIRILLA AND DARA
So here, CIRILLA finds Dara, a quiet lonely protector that came from nowhere to be with her. But he doesn't talk. Is the importance of this parallel, the kid is taciturn, but committed to protect Ciri to any cost.
- First Meeting: GERALT AND JASKIER
Jaskier is singing a song in one rustic tavern, he is naming different kind of monsters, and the public get bored, and buffed at him. Our poor bard exclaims here something like "I'M GLAD I REUNITE YOU ALL IN HERE," and we could infer, is another foreshadow of his implied mission, by being present in two of the most important moments in Geralt's life that will tied him to his destiny: Ciri and Yennefer, so, we could say, Jaskier will reunite them together.
But, remember when Jester approached slowly to Yennefer? Well... He does the same here in the tavern, when he spots Geralt brooding alone in a corner. His approaching is very seductive, but he failed in his pick up quote...
The thing is... When he discovers who Geralt is...
His eyes shone with determination. He will follow this Witcher.
Naming him in the middle of that place, brings Geralt a job and money, immediately changing Geralt's luck.
Trying to know you
We all can spot the precise moment in which Jaskier decides to follow Geralt, immediately after the Witcher stood up and walked away.
Then we had the Shrek/Donkey scene, because that's what that scene was, right?
They even describe Geralt as an onion, because his layers... And because is a very poetic way to see him. Not just that, but... Jaskier smells one big, grumpy onion. And he began to name each one of his layers... Fascinating, because it talks about how the bard, an observatory of people and life, is trying to decipher this mysterious Witcher. And in that attempt to describe him, he gets to the point of one accurate first impression...
Stories... Death... Poetry... Destiny... Heroic acts... Brokenhearts. (Yes, I know... So many foreshadows... Mostly one sweet bard's heart that will break...)
And then, at the end of all these layers... Geralt concluded IS ONION. Of course, you are an onion, but I think Jaskier is discovering you slowly... And he is very insightful in reading you...
And pay attention to this scene ... When Jaskier mentions THE BUTCHER OF BRAVIKEN, is like Jester calling Yennifer VIRGEN, You don't know me enough to call me like that. And he punch Jaskier. Just like Yennefer slapped Jester.
Love me some Geraskier parallel with a romantic couple...
What do you want?
Is blatant the way the writer established the parallel between Jester/Yennefer and Geralt/Jaskier.
First of all, there's a dialogue with Yennefer and Jester, in which Yennefer says that she found herself there and Jester found her.
Now... Back to Geraskier parallel, the bard is trying hard to decipher the mystery that Geralt is... So he starts to analyze him. Geralt is muted because it seems as if everything what Jaskier is saying is truth. He calls him White Wolf, because he is trying hard to change the idea of the public about him. He needs people to see Geralt as he sees him: a real hero. Because he noticed since the first time, Geralt is beautiful.
And he is not scary, just like Marilka thought too.
So... We have Jaskier trying to see what Geralt would want... And we have Jester/Yennefer scene in which he is teaching Yen to see what is hidden to the eyes. When Jester starts to name things that are hidden, Yen asks "Those are the things you love? And Jester answers: Those are the things I thought you would love."
Is like trying to read her mind, just like Jaskier is trying to read Geralt's mind.
Another visual tool used to establish the parallels between these three first encounters were the color BLUE. Ciri, Yennefer and Jaskier were dressed in blue, these three characters intimately related to Geralt's destiny. The color BLUE symbolizes knowledge and protection, resting in the witcher's hand to be the protector of these three.
To Conclude:
In this first part of episode 1x01 meta we are witness of how the writers blatantly established a parallel between Geralt/Jaskier and Jester/Yennefer first encounter. Knowing Jester and Yennefer are romantically involved, what the writers are doing is not so different to what Andrzej Sapkowski did with his books.
Is an episode that talks about first encounters and how the destiny is being knitted with one first meeting JASKIER, who will be the one reuniting Geralt with his different destinies.
We see how Jaskier is not afraid of Geralt, by the contrary, he is fascinated with him and decides to follow him and make the people to see him as he sees him.
More than this, my reading of their first encounter, is a first sight crush from our cute bard.
Thanks for reading, I'll see you in the second part.
Buenos Aires, March 5th 2020 23:34 PM
