“Most Intriguing Prospect”: How The Witcher Season 3 Updates Jaskier Romance For A New Era
Joey Batey teases how an intriguing prospect” in The Witcher season 3 updates Jaskier’s romance for a new era, testing his character more than ever.
The Witcher season 3 will bring interesting new relationship possibilities for Jaskier, reveals Joey Batey, teasing how his season 3 romance tests the bard and updates his story to a new era. Batey has portrayed the bard and ally to Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia since the Netflix fantasy series debuted in 2019. The Witcher season 3 will air in two volumes on the streaming service, with the first part of Cavill’s final season scheduled to air on June 29.
Speaking with SFX Magazine via /Film, Batey has teased that Jaskier will face his own unique tests in The Witcher season 3. In a change that showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich described as a more “modern interpretation of the books” written by Andrzej Sapowski, Batey stated that the arrival of Radovid (Hugh Skinner) introduces a person who disturbs Jaskier’s way of life when compared to prior relationships, as both are prone to hiding their true feelings. Check out Batey’s explanation below:
“We see Radovid arriving, for the first time in a while, Jaskier can’t work him out. That to him is the most intriguing prospect. You wear just as much of a mask as I do. I want to see who is going to lower their mask first.
We introduced a character from the books, Vespula — Jaskier’s on-again-off-again lover, but then we used that dynamic to provide a contrast to what happens when Jaskier actually starts to have deeper feelings toward someone.”
The Witcher Season 3’s New Love Interests Marks A Moment Of Change For Jaskier
When it comes to the love lives of The Witcher’s cast, Jaskier has not had the best of luck. Despite stating that he has had no shortage of passionate trysts, Jaskier has lacked a true long-term relationship, resulting in him having even needed Geralt’s protection to ensure that he doesn’t fall victim to a jealous lover or vengeful relative for his many affairs in season 1. While Jaskier’s musical talents have earned him recognition on the Continent and his friendships with Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) have stood many trials, season 3’s romantic subplots promise to test him in ways that the Netflix series hasn’t done before.
With Batey teasing the arrival of love interests Radovin and Vespula in The Witcher, season 3 could force Jaskier to look at his love life from a new perspective. Vespula is one of the lovers who Jaskier wronged in the past, leaving her harboring a grudge against the bard for many years, while Netflix’s adaptation of Radovin has been described as a charming young playboy prince. While Vespula’s arrival could be a reminder of how Jaskier has treated lovers in the past, Radovin’s playboy personality may force Jaskier to see someone similar to himself, leading to him wanting to know more about just what motivates him and how it could affect him.
Jaskier’s new love interests may mark a deviation from The Witcher’s source material. While Batey’s musical performances have been some of the series’ most celebrated elements, the character has often been more of a supporting player to Geralt and friends’ tale. As such, Jaskier’s blossoming new feelings for Radovin could lead to the character receiving a solid standalone arc of his own in the upcoming pivotal season.
