the witcher, a. sapkowski
the beginning:
geralt: [walks into an inn]
people: “he’s rivian, get his ass”
geralt: [isn’t even rivian]
the ending:
geralt: [walks into rivia]
people: “he’s an elf, get his ass”
geralt: [isn’t even an elf]
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The Witcher Netflix - 3x08 Episode Reaction
In season 3 of The Witcher Netflix we got our first look inside the Nilfgaardian Empire. I was taken by surprise because sometimes I think the show isn't subtle with certain things. Sometimes showing without telling. Or telling without showing in a way doesn't offer viewers enough information to understand the impact of a creative choice.
The glimpses we got of Nilfgaard are, in my opinion, a subtle bit of worldbuilding that doesn't lose its impact without showing too much or telling too little.
In the books Nilfgaard's culture and history, its military strategy--it's all pastiche from different historical empires. That is a hallmark of Sapko's style. I'm sure other people have spoken more definitively about that on tumblr and elsewhere. CDPR absorbed a lot of Roman Empire influences from the books for its own take for Nilfgaard.
And now we can see TWN's production is also picking up on that as well and going with Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) flavor.
So let me share a few screenshots from episode 3x08 that caught my eye. This is a mini-commentary with some thoughts, not a deep analysis.
We had this establishing shot of a Nilfgaardian city (which I'm presuming to be the capital). This looks like Constantinople to me.
A modern day photo of Constantinople ruins for comparison:
Next we have Emhyr with several men dressed in what comes off as very Eastern Orthodox-inspired vestments, right down to the monastic headwear (mitre, I think?). I'll leave more the in depth TWN and costume critical takedown to perseruna. But those hats definitely kept screaming Eastern Orthodoxy at me and making me circle back to Eastern Roman Empire.
And finally we have this scene of Francesca and Fringilla in the church. In all of my groupchats everyone was losing their mind about their conversation and heartbreak. But I was losing my mind over the fact that they were a) in a Nilfgaardian church or temple and b) this shot was framed in such a way to show us the statue of an ambiguous church figure in the background. Standing in between Fringilla and Francesca, no less.
I can't help but think this might be a statue of the Nilfgaardian Emperor who, in the books, is implied to be a prophet or important figure in the religious sphere.
"...Recently the main topic of preaching has been of a Saviour who will come from the south. From the south! From beyond the Yaruga!”
“The White Flame,” muttered Demavend. “White Chill will come to be, and after it the White Light. And then the world will be reborn through the White Flame and the White Queen… I’ve heard it, too. It’s a travesty of the prophecy of Ithlinne aep Aevenien, the elven seeress. I gave orders to catch one cleric who was going on about it in the Vengerberg market place and the torturer asked him politely and at length how much gold the prophet had received from Emhyr for doing it… But the preacher only prattled on about the White Flame and the White Queen… the same thing, to the very end.”
-Blood of Elves
(thank you to @akilah12902 for sourcing this quote for me when I was looking for help!)
This just reaffirms my thoughts that Fringilla and Francesca are arguing before a statue of Emhyr. A surprising amount of symbolism for this scene and show.
Anyway. This was my main takeaway from 3x08. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised by this.
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The Witcher S3 Ep 1: Shaerrawedd AKA Oh we're coming straight for MY EMOTIONS?! Rude.
If the rest of this season carries along the same kind of route as this episode, I'm very concerned for my emotional state. This was a beautiful rollercoaster.
Who the fuck in the unnecessarily long words are these bitches?
Oh, never mind they don't matter, cool.
Ooh, I like this narration/the "Dear friend" letters. But I think there are less aggressive ways to "send" them...
Is Geralt just using Continent AirBnB? Where does he keep finding full ass houses with conveniently 2 separate living areas?
Yarpen's got a point, disguises are great for hiding
The pining, the bonding. I love this tiny disaster family
Also this loose fluffy hair and casual look for Yennefer is 👀 10/10 (as always, but perhaps especially?)
Subtle Yennefer, real subtle
Okaaay Dara. Growing up and glowing up
Is that Stephen Robbie Amell?
So they're actually called The Squirels, it's not some slang/insult?
Oh no. He's a Redanian prince-spy...my baby's gonna get his heart broken
😂 rock-paper-scissors over who gets the shitty job. I love it
Ooh, Philippa, what are you up to? Because that was both sexy and incredibly sinister
Don't worry Ciri, Geralt has a chronic case of foot-in-mouth, just ignore him. You look fantastic
Ohhhh, that's why she was dressed like that again. It's a new party and a reminder for Geralt 👀👀
Ciri, timing *sigh* Also, I've got a bad feeling about this...
Well you're an ugly roly-poly...I'll take 6
I like the false-start music to match the false-start fight.
"Seemingly" innocuous. I like that
Also, this is a good look Jaskier 👀
Nice catch princeling
He did not know. But I love their friendship. Is it friendship? I think it is
Ooh good, we kept the coat. I love that coat
Also this stitched jerkin-style leather armor is 100x better than the moulded shit Geralt's been wearing the last two seasons
Aww, Mom and Dad storytime. But damn Geralt, way to bring down the mood
Oh Honey. That's a good dream. But a lot to take on alone. I believe in you though. And want to give you a great big hug.
Ah yes, follow the mage alone to who knows where, where he has has the upper hand. Genius idea.
Oh shit. Not the confrontation I was expecting
The scream I just screampt. I swear to god, I cannot take Jaskier in danger
Aww, look they do love him 🥺
Ok but ma'am this is kinda your fault? You could have prepared better, or told your people the truth, or picked anywhere else for your ambush
Ominous. Who's even left to get dragged into this shitshow?
Aww, she's worried about her dad.
I'm excited for the return of "Geralt and Jaskier adventures"
🥺🥺
Jaskier...honey no...baby...I just...my heart...
Why does Aratuza seem Extra Creepy?
Aww, Geralt. That was actually really sweet
Ah right, Emperor Creepy Dad...I was hoping I could pretend to forget about you.
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i think the witcher makes me feel a profound sadness every night because it’s about all the things we love so much, or that we wish we had, but can never get back. the tragedy of the uncontrollable. the pain of loss.
ciri, despite her youth and innocence, loses her home and family and then she even her adoptive parents, and then she even loses her youth and her innocence, and is left with nothing but a grotesque scar symbolizing her trauma that doesn’t fit her childlike face and a hardened, green glare. and a sword, which is only a burden.
her parents, despite their incredible love for her, despite all of their agony and sacrifice to get her back, despite their own loss of their honor, their pride, their blood — they lose her too. they lose a child, the most tragic loss of all.
dandelion loses his best friend, clutching at his memories like the weeds growing by loch eskalott, trying to grasp the last twenty years to write his memoires.
milva hears her father’s words when she shoots, and his wheezing echoes in her mind.
regis lost himself, his entire life, all the people he ever loved and chased away.
cahir, despite his large family that loves him more than imperial orders, can never return to darn dyffrya, feel the sun on his face in vicovaro ever again.
angoulême wonders if her mother would have loved her had she not abandoned her, imagines what her hand patting her head in praise could have felt like.
and then geralt loses them. all of them, one by one.
and nimue, reading about it all, can never meet the figures of the legend she has obsessed over for years and years… she has her part to play in it, she can know their voices from dialogues and know their faces from etchings, but will never be able to tell them she loves them, tell them how much they mean to her.
even when they find what they’re searching for, even when they find what they’ve desired so — it’s only for a bittersweet moment. they shortly lose it again. everyone in this series is so intertwined together and caught in the same snare of destiny, and at the very same time so very alone and abandoned
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