I do have two upcoming exams in two and three days respectively so naturally i spend all my time thinking about Radskier (as you do). Those circumstances let me to a thought which will not leave my mind, and i'd love to here more opinions on it. (sorry, long post incoming)
Before i start, a little disclaimer: I haven't read the books nor played the game, so what im about to say is only and purely based on and referring to the show.
So, I'm not sure how everyone else feels about Radovid, but it actually took me some time for him to grow on me. And this is partially because i had envisioned him differently, especially after seeing Hugh Skinner being cast.
So my first thought seeing him on screen was literally "what's this wet cat looking man?"
Those didn’t quite fit, but i couldn't put a finger on what's my actual association was. So I ignored it. The man and the ship grew on me, and so I've spent quite some time watching fan-edits of Radskier on YT these past days (side note: i need MORE, there aren't enough out there!)
One of those videos feature The Calling from TAD's lates album ruin and when Madeleine sang about that fox, it hit me. THAT was my initial association!!!
I mean, just LOOK at him, he's so fox-coded?! the hair(-colour), his red coat, the FURR!!! And thats only the visual resemblance. I can't help but also notice parallels in his characterisation and with what personality traits foxes are usually associated.
all of those traits we have also already seen in - or can assume for - Radovid.
He's intelligent (and tries to hide it), as Jaskier so perfectly points out for us. He's sly, and deceptive. Cunning, and determined - and charming. We might also assume that he has at least some cruel tendencies from the way he's portrayed in the games...
But now, whats REALLY interesting is looking from this perspective at the Geralt/Radovid comparison, which Jaskier so cleverly opened with his hammer-spoon-metaphor.
Because more than Radovid, Geralt even is canonly referred to as "White Wolf" (which a friend of mine so cleverly pointed out might have been Jaskiers invention!)
This is not only because he is from the school of wolf witchers and has white-ish hair. He's tall, muscular, grumpy looking, fast, a hunter and so on.
But he's also characterised that way!
He might be the lone wolf, but he cares for nothing more than his pack and will protect them at all cost.
Both animals are canines, but theyre characterised as differently as possible. Both are predators but but their way of hunting couldn't be more different.
Now, coming back to the witcher and those two characters, it's easy to assume this character design of Radovid wasn't a coincidence.
In a way they're parallels when it comes to Jaskier, both fighting for his heart loyalty.
Geralt is a hammer, a wolf, secure in his ways, stubborn, but not always right.
Radovid is a spoon, a knife, a fox, with tricks up his sleeve and a mind like a maze.
