The Poet and the White Wolf

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.

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).

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.

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.

Tags: @agusvedder @legendary-destiel @spnsmile @mrsaquaman187 @jawnlockwinchester

Buenos Aires, March 5th 2020 23:34 PM

1x01 meta. THE WITCHER NETFLIX. Geralt meta. Geraskier meta.

Hi! Here I am, I feel strange talking in this fandom because I'm new is like to enter in a party and not knowing the people, if you know what I mean 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

But hey, I can always share my thoughts and art with all of you, right?

As I said before, I'm rewatching the show so I can put in order my thoughts and write them down. I will make a meta for each episode, while I will keep reading the book and writing down by separate, my thoughts and meta about books related to the Netflix's Show.

I want to say thank you to my dearest friend @agusvedder , she made the majority of the gifs in this meta, Thank You for your time girl! You're amazing!

Okay, my first meta is settled in the first episode, in which I saw the topic coming down my neck: MONSTERS. Not just the monster Geralt hunts, but the inner monsters.

Hope I won't rant too much... Let's see...

Geralt perceives himself as a monster

The first scene they show us is Geralt hunting a monster...

Emerging from the waters and stabbing him.

Gif credit @mistress-light

And we see black eyes, and white skin... Why we are seeing Geralt's monstrous side?

Because is a reflection of how Geralt perceives himself and how writers wanted to board his character in the first episode.

Is Geralt a monster? No, but he thinks he is. He lives with this ghost inside of him. Fears and insecurities, that drag him to solitaire.

Just remark the word solitaire, because is not the same that loneliness... But I will talk about this in my next meta.

Now... We had the first encounter with Renfri, and this scene...

Geralt bowed his head... As if he was ashamed... He is carrying with the risponsability of that word. MONSTER. And he is like I'M SORRY BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M A MONSTER TOO. Si ashamed, is so sad to see him doing that.

That's another proof of Geralt feeling himself a monster.

And by the end of the episode, when he kills Renfri in a battle of swords... Even if he said he doesn't kill humans... The monster inside of him will torture him... And it will be reflected on this scene...

Gif credit @stormborndean

Strogobor naming Renfri, a human, a monster

The encounter with Strogobor is very interesting, because it's settles the new interpretation of a monster.

Is not just what Geralt hunts ...but can be humans too...

When Geralt hears this, he rejects the offer, because is against his rules. His moral.

But even so... Geralt will confess later to Renfri that the first monster he killed, was a human.

Another characteristic Strogobor pointed to make the Witcher less human, is his lack of feelings...

But we will see in this episode, Geralt feels. Not just feels, but he fears to feel. Because deep inside of him, he thinks he doesn't deserve be loved, he doesn't deserve a family, or any kind of bond.

When Strogobor is trying to convince Geralt to accept the job, he had an apple in his right hand.

The apple is a recall, from my point of view, to Snow White (Renfri in the first Book The Last Wish, is Snow White from another perspective) so, this apple, as in the Bible and here, represents DECEIVING. So, Strogobor was trying to MANIPULATE Geralt with his speech, but he failed.

He also talks about Renfri's cursed life. Born under a Black Moon, surrounded by other deformed girls. The only one surviving when all of them were killed. She can be beautiful by the outside, but is very dangerous. This, my friends, is a description of Yennefer, so, is a foreshadow of her apparition in the next episode.

Yennefer, a deformed girl, that will suffer a huge transformation through a big sacrifice, becoming a dangerous but beautiful sorceress.

Destiny has different faces

Strogobor recited these words too to Geralt, and we could travel in this episode and find interesting scenes foreshadowing the connection and the encounters Geralt will have in the next episode.

First of all, let's talk about Marilka.

When I first saw Marilka, i didn't realized she was a mirror of Jaskier and Ciri.

But when I rewatched the episode I saw it clearly. So I ran into the fandom because I recalled a very funny but accurate post here, posted by @silent-odd-moth .

Geralt and Marilka walking down the street and Marilka talking without stopping, trying to decipher that mysterious Witcher there, was Jaskier tryin to get to Geralt some way.

But let's check this... Marilka starts to name monsters...

And this is a foreshadow of Geralt meeting Jaskier in the tavern my friends, because, our bard will start to name monsters, and Geralt will answer THEY DON'T EXIST.

So... The parallel here with Marilka...

But also, this...

And this is the most important, for her (Jaskier) GERALT IS A HERO. Geralt sees all the bad in him that transforms him into his inner monster, but Marilka/Jaskier see the hero, all the good qualities Geralt has. Marilka/Jaskier is the vision of their goodness.

But... We have Renfri... Seeing all the thing she felt identified to... The solitary soul. The discrimination, the fears. And she empathize with that, just like Yennefer will do.

"You don't believe in Destiny (...)" She would say to the Witcher... But guess what?

In this piece of dialogue is settled the foreshadow of Geralt next encounter with Destiny, is Marilka represents DESTINY she is mirroring Jaskier, as we saw here, then, logically, to find Jaskier in his way, will drag him to his destinies. So, Jaskier (the vector) will lead him to Ciri and Yennefer (his destinies) but also, because Marilka was the destiny who lead him, Jaskier is his destiny too. Full circle. Because Destiny has different faces.

To Conclude:

The first episode presents Geralt from his POV, as a monster. He is a solitaire Witcher who will experience the crashing in his world with three characters that will change everything for him: named as Destinies, we will have Jaskier, a fresh bard not afraid of him, but curious, that only sees the good things on him, a daughter who will show him what family is, and a storming lover, who will empathize with his fears and loneliness and his will to make good.

I hope you like this meta! See you in the next one!

Tags: @legendary-destiel @mrsaquaman187 @spnsmile @jawnlockwinchester @casualpandabeliever

If you want to be tagged on my metas, just let me know.

Buenos Aires, February 28th 2020 5:40 PM