I love that the first thing Grog does with the gauntlets' power is break Zanror's chain. A small thing, but a great way to show where his heart lies, he doesn't seek power or control.
Kaylie was a part of the original campaign. Matt sprung the surprise onto the cast, including the part where she tells Scanlan while he's trying to bed her.
Context for CRs origins. Sam and Liam had a podcast. During an episode Liam wished to play an RPG for his birthday. Sam used his connections in the VO industry to make it happen. Now we all get to enjoy the Best. Present. Ever.
Laura Bailey had the same birthday and wanted to play a rogue, but the game was Liam's birthday gift, so she decided to play a ranger instead, and they decided to be twins. When deciding on names, Liam sent an email to the wrong address, getting in touch with another VO, who was also a DM, who explained that he ran a Dragonlance campaign and half-elves weren't allowed.
You left out the part were word got around among the VO community in L.A. that a bunch of them had an RPG game going. Felicia Day got wind of that, invited them to play a session live on the internet, to which they all laughed and said: "Yeah sure, but no one is going to watch that." The rest is history.
@@leonielson7138 Not trying to be THAT guy, but...being that guy. Matt Colville is not quite a VO, he's a writer and worked for many years in the video game industry, so he's worked quite closely with VOs like Matt and Liam. His campaign setting is also not Dragonlance, it's his home-brew setting of Orden. Otherwise, yeah, this is always an amazing tidbit of history to share!
As far as I know, Sam didnt have anything do to with bringing together that first session. It was Liam and Matt. Liam mentioned to Matt that he hasnt played DnD in quite a long while when he found out Matt played DnD and as a birthday present, Matt offered to do a one shot. Which turned out to be the birth of Critical Role.
" Sam used his connections in the VO industry to make it happen..." This part is not true. Like at all. Back in 2012 Matt and Liam were working on Resident Evil 6 (Liam was the Voice Director, and Matt voiced Leon) and they talked about their hobbies during lunch breaks and stuffs, and thats how D&D came up. Matt was running multiple games arround that time, while Liam hasn't played since he was a teen. To get material for his podcast with Sam (where the theme was, that they were trying out new things before each episode) and since his birthday was also coming up Liam asked Matt to run a one-shot. It was actually he, who invited Sam, Laura and Travis (since Laura was also working on RE6), while Matt brought in Marisha and Taliesin, since they were both more experienced with the game. They found out that Liam and Laura has the same birthday and thats why Vax and Vex became twins. Ashley (and probably Orion) joined later, when it became an actual Campaign.
ONE OF US, ONE OF US! Part of it is really that you get it. You love the crass moments, cry at the hart warming moments. And the obligatory "Here, you stop it here!!"
Scanlan saying 'haha and then I disguised us all as cows' actually happened in the stream. Someone was stealing cows so they made themselves look like bait, and it's one of the funniest moments on stream
Especially when Keyleth turned herself into a giant eagle to fly after the monster, but still had the spell on her that made her look like a cow. So someone casts fly on the party and now you have a bunch of cows flying after a monster.
@@nickscholz6559 oh yes! The chat was fecking toxic that day. Keyleth's trying to reason with the roc's caretaker and the chat's yelling: Someone shut her up! Just kill it! I didn't agree with Key on a lot of things but that episode just showed how good she could be when she put her foot down
Only Matt knew that Kaylie existed, and he sprung that on Sam/Scanlan almost exactly how it happened in the animated series! It’s a great moment, with everyone’s faces going on a WILD journey as it slowly clicks what is happening and what Kaylie is saying.
This is the episode we learn that in Real life Scanlan is based off Eminem haha. Scanlan shorthalt = slim shady. Kaylee = Hailey. Dr Dranzell = dr dre. The legnths Sam goes to troll is insane.
Yup! In the campaign it was Scanlan that was discovered by Dr. Dranzel and joined his Spectacular Traveling Troupe. Kaylee joined long after he had left. Sam (Scanlan) would even call Dranzel "Dr. Dra" in the campaign.
The great part is that Sam built all the back story with S and S being like M and M, (Marshal Mathers) and slim shady and Dr D. and all the other Eminem stuff, but Matt sprung the Kaylee being his daughter on him, and Sam didn't catch the hint that Matt played into the theme. Matt is a sneaky devil.
@@Logan_Baron Matt is an evil genius. I wouldn't be surprised if he dumps novels and English class textbooks into a cauldron at his place and siphons off only the best storylines from the foam that bubbles up, like some artisan cheesemaker in Bavaria.
Kaylee being Scanlan's daughter was 100% Matt's idea. Sam was completely blindsided by the reveal, which happened almost exactly as shown, and ran with it. Matt does a brilliant job of incorporating a players backtory into the game, adding some details to subvert expectations and surprise his players.
It's so great to see how this story clicks with you as someone who didn't watch the campaign. It shows that it is indeed in itself a great story! Oh, and BTW: You really don't need to worry about how to correctly pronounce Umbrasyl. Matt called him the "Florida Dragon" recently, so ... there you go. 😂
If I'm not mistaken, when Vex drops Grog in the campaign, it was one of more than a few times that Travis rolls a perfect timed Nat 20. It was very *chef's kiss*
I love that this show is fantasy animation, but it is also about adults, not teenagers or a coming of age story, but instead adults with adult issues, but it also has so much heart and the friends that we made along the way. But it's for someone like me, an adult. And Sam's songs just kill it every time.
Best episode of the season. Grog's Kevdak fight and the Scanlan Daddy moments were huge character moments for both of them. I don't want to wait for the next season.
Okay, Sam and co. really made some banger songs for this season. Power ballad for the sphinx, metal for the fight and now that damn "crying bald man" which is catchy as hell.
I think Grog's insult to Kevdak was funnier in the campaign, but I can understand why they changed it. In the campaign, he asked Kevdak "So tell me...do you squat when you pee now?"
This is the episode I was waiting for since the show began, my expectations were high but holy hell they somehow exceeded them! Instantly became my favorite episode of this show and it might even be in my top 10 favorite episodes of all time if I'm perfectly honest... from the writing (it feels like not a single second was wasted), to animation, to music, to just sheer epicness of the fight, I honestly don't even know what it would take to make it any better. 10/10 from me, both for the episode itself and for the reaction!
You’re right. Allura’s spell was convenient, to be sure. There is a spell in the game that both she and Gilmore would have access to that literally shows you a person (or a place if you prefer). Also, given how often Titmouse and the writers want to split the party for their convenience, it’s nice the spell is “real”.
(Potential spoiler for an NPC's class and mechanics) I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but the smallest of Easter eggs: when Gilmore is talking about keeping the city hidden murdering his complexion, this is a reference to his character class in the game. Gilmore is a Runechild Sorcerer. When he uses certain kinds of magic, glowing runes appear on his skin. I don't know if they'll ever bring that into the series, but it's a nice nod.
@@Allantitan it does sound like friends, but he is yelling kinda incomprehensibly there which makes it hard to tell. The subtitles at least say "my pike" and even though they are wrong sometimes I'm going to believe that's what it is cause I really like their bond.
Kevdak had these Titanstone Knuckles/ He wailed on Grog as he chuckled/ But while Kevin laughed/ Grog sliced him in half/ And said "These are mine now, fuckles!"
You should go back and see some clips of campaign 1 when you're done to see some of these cool ass lines improved. Like when Percy give Vex her title in front of her father to protect her. It was on a live show and was EPIC.
Yes! The Kaylie reveal was almost exactly the same in the campaign and was also a shock then! Sam got teased about trying to hook up with his daughter for ever after that XD Glad you're enjoying the show- this fight between Grog and Kevdak was one of the moments I was most looking foreword to seeing animated! It definitely didn't disappoint!
It's been said, but you're a Critter for sure. Glad to have another at the party! I think we all knew this episode was going to be fantastic, whether we watched the campaign or not. And yes, in the campaign, Matt surprised Sam by giving Scanlan a daughter, and it unfolded much like what we saw in the show, more or less!
I thought you might like that song! Loved your reactions, as usual. A note from the game play: Travis had almost zero health (HP) as he dropped to attack Kevdak at the end of the fight; numerically, he generally has substantially more than anyone else in the group. So he basically had just the one chance to kill him -- and so, as you can guess, no pressure. So he rolls his 20-sided die for the attack . . . and it's a natural 20! And that means extra damage -- a critical hit. And after all of the dice are rolled for the damage, and all of the modifiers added on to that, it is just enough to take out the big guy! (Matt later revealed that at several key points this fight could have gone very differently -- not all of them included in this shortened version of the fight.)
I'm not sure if the full streams are still up on Geek & Sundry, but in the first year, as the show picked up steam, they started getting art, gifts, and letters from viewers. "Critmis" was every week for a long time because players were showering them in stuff. Amongst that stuff, btw, was a 5 pack of elder dragon models for Matt, which he absolutely lit up for. That was the origin of the Chroma Conclave. They had killed a blue dragon pre-stream, so he left that model out of the plot. I think the reason that they have such a stellar reputation with longtime fans came out in some of the letters they received. Numerous letters indicating that viewers were in deep depressions, some suicidal, before finding the stream. They found that watching them play together was like being in the room with a group of friends having a good time. People started to meet up through fan pages and make connections. A lot of that early narrative has gotten left behind. They used to do updates on charity work regularly and at a certain point they asked viewers to stop sending them gifts and to donate to charities instead. During the first Campaign, at some point a taxidermied bear appears behind them. Someone sent it to them as a stand in for Trinket and it stayed there for the rest of the campaign. Some of this is in the RUclips videos@ but there is a ton that wasn't included.
Watching the campaigns in real time - it felt like every major cliffhanger also happened when there was a scheduled break the next week for a holiday or vacation etc. They really keep that energy going into this series.
Never apologize for being a sobbing mess. As an OG, I am living for reactions from people not in the know. Evil? Maybe. But so enjoyable the reactions. These fights really were this insane.
When leaving the Feywild, unless you go through a permanent gate, time can get a little wibbly wobbly, kind of like Narnia. You can be gone for a day and have only a minute pass, or entire years. In theory, they could have returned a whole century after the dragons had attacked!
Matt Mercer is the king of cliffhangers. He is soooo good at finding the perfect spots in the streams to make the entire group of his players always go “wait wait wait! Just a bit longer! Let’s play longer!”
Been really fun seeing you get into this with no idea whats gonna happen in each episode, makes the crazy moments very entertaining for us in the comments. And with how they've reworked some events and brought in some stuff from the pre-stream days, even critters get neat surprises in these episodes. Matt totally has a thing for cliffhangers. It feels like every few streams he ends on one, and the rest of the cast (and especially Ashley) says something to the effect of "can we just play for another hour or five?". Funny to see how the show has maintained that effect with how they're pacing the events. Also cannot wait for the Mighty Nein show, that's a whole other bundle of pain and laughs and chaos that will be amazing to see adapted. Truly, Liam asked for the best birthday present that year.
here’s a link to the narrated adventures of what happened pre stream! nothing here is spoils, it will just add some flavor to the group coming together, and show some of the timeline differences for things they made . i guess very slight SPOILERS about why pikes hair is white now, but i don’t think it will be brought up/the same reasoning in the show 😊 ruclips.net/video/kKixWUIgmKA/видео.html
@@KBTibbs true okay so: angela if you see this and want to watch the video this is what you need to know. initially there was another party member named tiberius who was a red dragonborn. he left right as the briarwood arc was starting for personal reasons. it was very easy to remove him from tlovm story line. you will see him in this video, but he is wholly unimportant for watching the show. that is all
It might be convenient, Allura had a spell to help the gang but funny enough it's an actual spell in d&d something called scry basically let's you spy on a someone, it's going to be a thing hahah
there were a few parts i was watching this episode and said i can't wait to see your reaction for this, and the next few episodes also. Us critters are a welcoming group and one of Mercer's catch phrases sums us up quite good, "Don't forget to love each other".
It seems we will have at least two more seasons of this show and we know that Campaign 2 will get a show and standalone movie(s) in the same universe. I will love seeing EXU: Calamity as a full movie, also the Darrington Brigade would be fun.
Well that depends on Amazon. I think it is very likey, considering that they already greenlit a Mighty Nein Show. But you are right. The amount of story they have to tell with Vox Machina at this pace probably needs 3 more seasons. So 5 total. We'll have to wait and see.
God I love this show. It has the darkest and most somber moments, but they're contrast to moments that are just such a pure joy (so much endorphin production from this show!).
Fun fact: the cast was so nervous for this fight they brought in Wil Wheaton to touch all of Matt's DM stuff before the game. Because Wil Wheaton was cursed by the gods to always have shitty dice rolls, so they hoped the curse would rub off on Matt's dice xD
I think I watched an entire video of just Wil Wheaton’s shit dice throws. I feel like anything negative or bad that happens in a campaign, you can just blame it on him lol.
The Legend of Vox Machina season 3 is officially confirmed, so yay! And given how well the show is doing, I have to imagine they'll get all the seasons they'll want in order to finish the story.
I finished the latest Vox Machina season, and I loved that Scanlon, Grog and the twins got a lot more focus throughout the numerous episodes. Pardon my “nerd-side” manner but Grog’s fight with Kevdak was the closest thing I got for a Kratos vs Thanos death match lol.
Somewhere I read that currently they have campaign one mapped out to 5 seasons. But since 4 and beyond aren't green lit yet (that I know about) I'm sure that could change.
loved your face when you clicked on who Keylie was, in the stream the rest of the group worked it out before Sam, and the look of slow realisation on his face was priceless, I think Allura used the spell Scriying to detect were the others were. a bit like what Ripely does with the orb she has.
If the vocals are what bother you about metal, listen to Nightwish, it's Metal with an opera singer and it's even more awesome than what that sentence suggests.
Hey I never really comment on people’s videos but, on the off chance you see this I just want to say thank you for your amazing videos and reactions. I genuinely always look forward to seeing your new vids when I get home from work (especially your critical role ones). Thanks for all your hard work an amazing reactions. I look forward to continuing to be apart of your channel. 💙
I love that this was Scanlan's backstory episode tied in with Grog's vestige story. The fight was at crazy anime levels and it was so good, though in the campaign they were all getting their butts kicked. Scanlan Shorthalt was apparently based on Marshal Matthers who was discovered by Dr. Dre and has a daughter named Hailey...
I am only finding random bits of vox machina with you?!?! ... is youtube doing their CCp thing again? I do love taking these trips with you... you are amazing dear! ♥
Been looking forward to seeing this reveal for YEARS!!! The Kevdak fighte was a highly anticipated moment for me and for them to pair it with that ending!? *chef's kiss*
you did it XD you said it right! we out here being happy for ya lol kaylie was sprung on Sam XD they met before the conclave arc in the live show but that was moved for time and such :3 Sam was speechless which doesnt happen often!
For the record, Dr Dranzel In The Stream(ITS) was an old friend of Scanlan's. He was part of the troupe in his backstory before joining VM. ITS and he re-united with them them(including meeting their new member Kaylee) after coming back from Whitestone. An episode or 2 before the Conclave attacked. This included a scene where he took Kaylee to a room thinking they'd get it on and then she revealed he was her father. He did tell her to strike him with her sword, and she found she couldn't. It wasn't a magic sword though. They had a Rod with a similar effect they could use.
We critters love being coy and giving trollish smiles towards people who don't know what's coming and we do. Cause really, it's fun and D&D players and especially DMs get to savor knowing whats coming and the emotional response that will ensue. Shock, horror, laughter, unbridled joy, watching people experience that for the first time reminds us of when we felt that the first time and now we get to share it. Also many of us grew up having seen Avatar; The last Airbender and knowing THAT episode that destroys everyone. If you know, you know. Edit: And it it pronounced "Umbilical."
this is why i enjoy watching your reactions, the moment you figure out what kaylee is telling scanlan was awesome lol. you could see it click. i also really enjoyed the credits song lol. hes done an amazing job with the music this season
Such a great translation of the actual combat for the killbox. Travis did shout "Vox Machina, fuck shit up!" as their cue to attack the herd. Vex did use the necklace to transport Grog and drop him onto Kevdak... Travis rolled a natural 20 for a critical hit and the show accurately displays his description of how Grog finishes Kevdak. He shattered both legs and went unconscious when landing too lol. Fun side note, I recently caught up on The Last of Us. Not only did Ashley Johnson voice and MoCap Ellie in the game and has a role in the show, but if you watch the first episode, Joel's daughter Sarah is wearing a shirt with Marisha Ray, Kiki, on it!!! Also, Troy Baker voiced Joel in the game, and he was Liam O'Brien's roommate at the time lol Looking forward to both TLOU and VM reactions from you 💛
@@balijosu You got that right. Rolled a NAT 20 on a save and then a few moments later remembered that he should have had disadvantage and then rolled a 1.
That moment of realisation during the credits song regarding who the bald man is... It's so much fun to see all the conflicting emotions leading up to laughter. For that song, I actually checked the German dub to see how they would translate the lyrics. Instead of making the bald man cry, they "catch the fish alone" (literal translation). xD
In the campaign, Scanlan met his daughter before the Chroma Conclave arc. The two had a flute playing competition that Scalan deliberately lost because he wanted to bed her. The reveal went about the same way and blew everyone's mind. It was hilarious
Scanlan in 1x02: “Look at us! We’re Vox Machina! We fuck shit up!” Twenty episodes later… they prove why they do. And now Grog has the Titanstone Knuckles. And at dawn… we plan! Keyleth now being the one to look longingly at her love interest? You love to see it, even if the Matron keeps spooking Vax to the point of making him walk away. Then again, bad timing. But at least they’re working through their individual shit. That’s what they need to do before coming together. And believe me, the reveal at the end was just as shocking in the campaign.
Tbf, Allura scrying to find the group in Westruun is perfectly in line with what we've seen with Ripley and her scrying orb. If the villains can do it, so can the heroes.
Of course we're welcoming you into the fold, you *are* one of us now. We all started somewhere and didn't know everything when we first came into the fandom. That's half the point of this animated series, sharing this incredible story and characters and world with people who either can't or won't sit through hundreds of hours of the game, which is fair as it can be a lot to get through. If you actually want some wholesome metal, look up the Japanese band called Babymetal. Teenage Japanese girls who discovered metal and made a band that performs it but does so with positive messages and lyrics (albeit in Japanese).
You figured it out when the line came, but yeah, the rage wasn't what he was saying was where his strength came from, but his friends are where his strength comes from, and thus seeing Pike in peril gave him the boost to get his strength back. He just didn't clarify it until a little bit later. Rather than the rage being the inspiration, his friends were the inspiration that caused him to rage.
You mentioned that they wouldn't show Pike's hair color being different for no reason. It is possible they are simply doing that as a nod to the Critters who are familiar with the RPG stream, just like Gilmore's shop (when they first go there for help with the blue dragon) contains an item that is a nod to the Mighty Nein.
Kaylie was a fun reveal in the campaign as well, since she was not a characters Sam added to his backstory, it was just Matt messing with him, and it was a big moment for Scanlan.
It is funny how she is like "curse you matthew mercer" when matt elyeah he is dark but he was the director for the campaign. But althought all of the cast of critical role has a saying on this series the directors whom decide the cliff hangers and the rythm of the episodes ks Travis Willingham (Grog) and Sam Reagel (Scanlan)
In game, Grog is a Berserker Barbarian, who get an additional attack per melee round at the expense of a point of exhaustion, whereas Kevdak is a Totem Warrior Barbarian with a bear totem, which means that he take half damage from every source except psychic damage. During Scanlan's song that's Travis Willingham chanting 'rage' - Travis attended a glee school where he played football, but also learned to sing, act, and compose music ... enough to know that he didn't want to go into musical production. Grog was at 20hp when Vex used the locket to pull a mors ab alto, and the people attacking him weren't going to stop when he hit 0, meaning that they were going to kill him. Matt Mercer revealed in the Campaign 1 wrap-up party that if anyone but Grog had killed Kevdak, the Herd of Storms wouldn't have stopped attacking - meaning that Vox Machina would have had to retreat or die, too.
I got into critical role from Campaign 2 with the Mighty Nein. You’re going to love that team! Vox Machina is a very on the nose D&D team with all the trope characters, edge lord rogue, horny bard, etc. But with the Mighty Nein, they really went for more unique character and class choices like Nott’s nervous goblin rogue or Jester’s trickster tefling cleric. They made some very interesting characters and I actually prefer Marisha’s Monk character Beauregard over her Druid character Keyleth so far. The characters really interact with each other and grew in interesting ways. My prediction is Jester will be your favorite character. Calling it now!
The slow realization about "make the bald man cry" is almost as good as your sudden realization that Kaylie is his daughter! xD
Yeah, at first I was like “think about it for a minute….”
And a couple minutes later, “yep, she got it.” 😂
I love that the first thing Grog does with the gauntlets' power is break Zanror's chain. A small thing, but a great way to show where his heart lies, he doesn't seek power or control.
Something about those who follow Kord breaking chains.
Kaylie was a part of the original campaign. Matt sprung the surprise onto the cast, including the part where she tells Scanlan while he's trying to bed her.
such a great moment
Leaving this comment at 69 likes
Context for CRs origins. Sam and Liam had a podcast. During an episode Liam wished to play an RPG for his birthday. Sam used his connections in the VO industry to make it happen. Now we all get to enjoy the Best. Present. Ever.
Laura Bailey had the same birthday and wanted to play a rogue, but the game was Liam's birthday gift, so she decided to play a ranger instead, and they decided to be twins. When deciding on names, Liam sent an email to the wrong address, getting in touch with another VO, who was also a DM, who explained that he ran a Dragonlance campaign and half-elves weren't allowed.
You left out the part were word got around among the VO community in L.A. that a bunch of them had an RPG game going. Felicia Day got wind of that, invited them to play a session live on the internet, to which they all laughed and said: "Yeah sure, but no one is going to watch that."
The rest is history.
@@leonielson7138 Not trying to be THAT guy, but...being that guy. Matt Colville is not quite a VO, he's a writer and worked for many years in the video game industry, so he's worked quite closely with VOs like Matt and Liam. His campaign setting is also not Dragonlance, it's his home-brew setting of Orden. Otherwise, yeah, this is always an amazing tidbit of history to share!
As far as I know, Sam didnt have anything do to with bringing together that first session. It was Liam and Matt. Liam mentioned to Matt that he hasnt played DnD in quite a long while when he found out Matt played DnD and as a birthday present, Matt offered to do a one shot. Which turned out to be the birth of Critical Role.
" Sam used his connections in the VO industry to make it happen..."
This part is not true. Like at all.
Back in 2012 Matt and Liam were working on Resident Evil 6 (Liam was the Voice Director, and Matt voiced Leon) and they talked about their hobbies during lunch breaks and stuffs, and thats how D&D came up.
Matt was running multiple games arround that time, while Liam hasn't played since he was a teen.
To get material for his podcast with Sam (where the theme was, that they were trying out new things before each episode) and since his birthday was also coming up Liam asked Matt to run a one-shot. It was actually he, who invited Sam, Laura and Travis (since Laura was also working on RE6), while Matt brought in Marisha and Taliesin, since they were both more experienced with the game.
They found out that Liam and Laura has the same birthday and thats why Vax and Vex became twins.
Ashley (and probably Orion) joined later, when it became an actual Campaign.
The sheer panic when you heard "From my mother". Good job you weren't drinking or that could have been a spit take.
"I can't believe he has a daughter!"
I can't believe he doesn't have dozens.
"I can't believe he has A daughter"
“I can’t believe he doesn’t have a whole towns worth of kids at this point minimum
ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
Part of it is really that you get it. You love the crass moments, cry at the hart warming moments. And the obligatory "Here, you stop it here!!"
GOOBLE GOBBLE GOOBLE GOBBLE
Right when Grog started messing up the dragon's name I was like I can't wait for your reaction see you're not alone
Me and Grog, good big dumb company 🤣
@@funnylilgalreacts Now whenever someone corrects you on pronouncing names you can respond with "Him too" like Grog.
@funnylilgalreacts It's your fault I'm now calling Umbrasyl Imbecile, it's a bidet-like upgrade!
Scanlan saying 'haha and then I disguised us all as cows' actually happened in the stream. Someone was stealing cows so they made themselves look like bait, and it's one of the funniest moments on stream
Especially when Keyleth turned herself into a giant eagle to fly after the monster, but still had the spell on her that made her look like a cow.
So someone casts fly on the party and now you have a bunch of cows flying after a monster.
That was one of my favorite episodes with the cows. Not just the humor but they dealt with some of the groups issues and ethics.
@@nickscholz6559 oh yes! The chat was fecking toxic that day. Keyleth's trying to reason with the roc's caretaker and the chat's yelling: Someone shut her up! Just kill it!
I didn't agree with Key on a lot of things but that episode just showed how good she could be when she put her foot down
What episode is it in the campaign?
@Thinkingmakesitso. campaign 1, early 20s, 22 I think. Called Consequences and Cows. Just google vox Moochina and it should show up
Only Matt knew that Kaylie existed, and he sprung that on Sam/Scanlan almost exactly how it happened in the animated series! It’s a great moment, with everyone’s faces going on a WILD journey as it slowly clicks what is happening and what Kaylie is saying.
This is the episode we learn that in Real life Scanlan is based off Eminem haha. Scanlan shorthalt = slim shady. Kaylee = Hailey. Dr Dranzell = dr dre. The legnths Sam goes to troll is insane.
Yup! In the campaign it was Scanlan that was discovered by Dr. Dranzel and joined his Spectacular Traveling Troupe. Kaylee joined long after he had left. Sam (Scanlan) would even call Dranzel "Dr. Dra" in the campaign.
The great part is that Sam built all the back story with S and S being like M and M, (Marshal Mathers) and slim shady and Dr D. and all the other Eminem stuff, but Matt sprung the Kaylee being his daughter on him, and Sam didn't catch the hint that Matt played into the theme. Matt is a sneaky devil.
@@Logan_Baron also, light spoilers, but consider the initials of the nickname he uses later.
Meat Man. M & M
@@Logan_Baron Matt is an evil genius. I wouldn't be surprised if he dumps novels and English class textbooks into a cauldron at his place and siphons off only the best storylines from the foam that bubbles up, like some artisan cheesemaker in Bavaria.
@@CountryMusicMann he actually made a deal with a lovecraftian elder god and used wil wheaton's dice rolls as the sacrifice
Kaylee being Scanlan's daughter was 100% Matt's idea.
Sam was completely blindsided by the reveal, which happened almost exactly as shown, and ran with it.
Matt does a brilliant job of incorporating a players backtory into the game, adding some details to subvert expectations and surprise his players.
I just went and watched it! 🤣 Everyone realizing it and then Travis was last and hiding his face in his shirt 😂
It's so great to see how this story clicks with you as someone who didn't watch the campaign. It shows that it is indeed in itself a great story!
Oh, and BTW: You really don't need to worry about how to correctly pronounce Umbrasyl. Matt called him the "Florida Dragon" recently, so ... there you go. 😂
I love that too! It show that it's just straight up a great show.
The dragon is pronounced "AA-SS-WHOE-LL."
@@Ironoclasty That works!
If I'm not mistaken, when Vex drops Grog in the campaign, it was one of more than a few times that Travis rolls a perfect timed Nat 20. It was very *chef's kiss*
The Search for Grog is an excellent example of that.
I demand that the Harvest Close get's animated
The Kaylie reveal from the campaign was as chocking as the show one) the table reaction was absolutely priceless
I love that this show is fantasy animation, but it is also about adults, not teenagers or a coming of age story, but instead adults with adult issues, but it also has so much heart and the friends that we made along the way. But it's for someone like me, an adult.
And Sam's songs just kill it every time.
Best episode of the season. Grog's Kevdak fight and the Scanlan Daddy moments were huge character moments for both of them. I don't want to wait for the next season.
I'd say tied for first with 6. Epic fights, epic songs, great character moments for the two characters who got the least development last season.
Okay, Sam and co. really made some banger songs for this season. Power ballad for the sphinx, metal for the fight and now that damn "crying bald man" which is catchy as hell.
I think I heard Sam and Travis in the thrasher song in this ep
Biggest moment at the table was 'For strongjaw!'
The reaction at the table was the biggest I've ever seen when they confirmed Kevdak's kill
That "how do you wanna do this" was one of the most hype reactions I've ever seen from that table.
Such an epic moment perfectly translated
@thunderspear2251
Suddenly, you remember ...
"Falling damage goes to the character falling AND what they hit."
[Light Bulb!]
I think Grog's insult to Kevdak was funnier in the campaign, but I can understand why they changed it.
In the campaign, he asked Kevdak "So tell me...do you squat when you pee now?"
😃😀😃😁
This is the episode I was waiting for since the show began, my expectations were high but holy hell they somehow exceeded them! Instantly became my favorite episode of this show and it might even be in my top 10 favorite episodes of all time if I'm perfectly honest... from the writing (it feels like not a single second was wasted), to animation, to music, to just sheer epicness of the fight, I honestly don't even know what it would take to make it any better. 10/10 from me, both for the episode itself and for the reaction!
You’re right. Allura’s spell was convenient, to be sure. There is a spell in the game that both she and Gilmore would have access to that literally shows you a person (or a place if you prefer). Also, given how often Titmouse and the writers want to split the party for their convenience, it’s nice the spell is “real”.
(Potential spoiler for an NPC's class and mechanics)
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but the smallest of Easter eggs: when Gilmore is talking about keeping the city hidden murdering his complexion, this is a reference to his character class in the game. Gilmore is a Runechild Sorcerer. When he uses certain kinds of magic, glowing runes appear on his skin. I don't know if they'll ever bring that into the series, but it's a nice nod.
I forgot about that, and here I thought he was just being his sassy self
@@kikphlip1080 A little of Column A ... a little of Column B.
I mean Maaaaaaaybe but I think he's just being sassy and this is a big spoiler so maybe At least put a spoiler warning on the top.
@@mayaenglish5424 Ah shit, you're right. Sorry for that. Spoiler warning added.
That "don't you touch my pike" line hit real hard for me.
While being impaled on a pike
For some reason I thought he said friends and had to rewatch the episode a few times 😂
@@Allantitan it does sound like friends, but he is yelling kinda incomprehensibly there which makes it hard to tell. The subtitles at least say "my pike" and even though they are wrong sometimes I'm going to believe that's what it is cause I really like their bond.
Kevdak had these Titanstone Knuckles/
He wailed on Grog as he chuckled/
But while Kevin laughed/
Grog sliced him in half/
And said "These are mine now, fuckles!"
Sam's limericks are great.
That heavy metal song during the battle was AWESOME!
You should go back and see some clips of campaign 1 when you're done to see some of these cool ass lines improved. Like when Percy give Vex her title in front of her father to protect her. It was on a live show and was EPIC.
Yes! The Kaylie reveal was almost exactly the same in the campaign and was also a shock then! Sam got teased about trying to hook up with his daughter for ever after that XD
Glad you're enjoying the show- this fight between Grog and Kevdak was one of the moments I was most looking foreword to seeing animated! It definitely didn't disappoint!
This was definitely my favorite episode of either season one or two.
So much hype. So much intensity. Just *chef’s kiss*
It's been said, but you're a Critter for sure. Glad to have another at the party! I think we all knew this episode was going to be fantastic, whether we watched the campaign or not. And yes, in the campaign, Matt surprised Sam by giving Scanlan a daughter, and it unfolded much like what we saw in the show, more or less!
Kaylie was very much sprung on Sam and it was hysterical!
I thought you might like that song! Loved your reactions, as usual.
A note from the game play: Travis had almost zero health (HP) as he dropped to attack Kevdak at the end of the fight; numerically, he generally has substantially more than anyone else in the group. So he basically had just the one chance to kill him -- and so, as you can guess, no pressure. So he rolls his 20-sided die for the attack . . . and it's a natural 20! And that means extra damage -- a critical hit. And after all of the dice are rolled for the damage, and all of the modifiers added on to that, it is just enough to take out the big guy! (Matt later revealed that at several key points this fight could have gone very differently -- not all of them included in this shortened version of the fight.)
I'm not sure if the full streams are still up on Geek & Sundry, but in the first year, as the show picked up steam, they started getting art, gifts, and letters from viewers.
"Critmis" was every week for a long time because players were showering them in stuff. Amongst that stuff, btw, was a 5 pack of elder dragon models for Matt, which he absolutely lit up for. That was the origin of the Chroma Conclave. They had killed a blue dragon pre-stream, so he left that model out of the plot.
I think the reason that they have such a stellar reputation with longtime fans came out in some of the letters they received. Numerous letters indicating that viewers were in deep depressions, some suicidal, before finding the stream. They found that watching them play together was like being in the room with a group of friends having a good time. People started to meet up through fan pages and make connections. A lot of that early narrative has gotten left behind.
They used to do updates on charity work regularly and at a certain point they asked viewers to stop sending them gifts and to donate to charities instead.
During the first Campaign, at some point a taxidermied bear appears behind them. Someone sent it to them as a stand in for Trinket and it stayed there for the rest of the campaign.
Some of this is in the RUclips videos@ but there is a ton that wasn't included.
The whole of campaign 1 is still up on Geek & Sundry, and the playlist is on the critical role channel.
We critters treat you like one of us, because you *are* one of us.
Watching the campaigns in real time - it felt like every major cliffhanger also happened when there was a scheduled break the next week for a holiday or vacation etc. They really keep that energy going into this series.
I love Keyleth in her Minxy form. The first time she transformed in season 1 I freaked out.
I lost it in season 1 when they foreshadowed her going Minxy later in the season when she intimidates the undead dog
Never apologize for being a sobbing mess. As an OG, I am living for reactions from people not in the know. Evil? Maybe. But so enjoyable the reactions. These fights really were this insane.
When leaving the Feywild, unless you go through a permanent gate, time can get a little wibbly wobbly, kind of like Narnia. You can be gone for a day and have only a minute pass, or entire years. In theory, they could have returned a whole century after the dragons had attacked!
Matt Mercer is the king of cliffhangers. He is soooo good at finding the perfect spots in the streams to make the entire group of his players always go “wait wait wait! Just a bit longer! Let’s play longer!”
"I'm not good at guessing"
Guesses right on the first try.
😂
Been really fun seeing you get into this with no idea whats gonna happen in each episode, makes the crazy moments very entertaining for us in the comments. And with how they've reworked some events and brought in some stuff from the pre-stream days, even critters get neat surprises in these episodes.
Matt totally has a thing for cliffhangers. It feels like every few streams he ends on one, and the rest of the cast (and especially Ashley) says something to the effect of "can we just play for another hour or five?". Funny to see how the show has maintained that effect with how they're pacing the events.
Also cannot wait for the Mighty Nein show, that's a whole other bundle of pain and laughs and chaos that will be amazing to see adapted. Truly, Liam asked for the best birthday present that year.
here’s a link to the narrated adventures of what happened pre stream! nothing here is spoils, it will just add some flavor to the group coming together, and show some of the timeline differences for things they made . i guess very slight SPOILERS about why pikes hair is white now, but i don’t think it will be brought up/the same reasoning in the show 😊
ruclips.net/video/kKixWUIgmKA/видео.html
Oh no... this link will bring _looks left and right then mouths without sound_ Tiberius questions.
@@KBTibbs true okay so: angela if you see this and want to watch the video this is what you need to know.
initially there was another party member named tiberius who was a red dragonborn. he left right as the briarwood arc was starting for personal reasons. it was very easy to remove him from tlovm story line. you will see him in this video, but he is wholly unimportant for watching the show. that is all
It might be convenient, Allura had a spell to help the gang but funny enough it's an actual spell in d&d something called scry basically let's you spy on a someone, it's going to be a thing hahah
there were a few parts i was watching this episode and said i can't wait to see your reaction for this, and the next few episodes also. Us critters are a welcoming group and one of Mercer's catch phrases sums us up quite good, "Don't forget to love each other".
It seems we will have at least two more seasons of this show and we know that Campaign 2 will get a show and standalone movie(s) in the same universe. I will love seeing EXU: Calamity as a full movie, also the Darrington Brigade would be fun.
Well that depends on Amazon. I think it is very likey, considering that they already greenlit a Mighty Nein Show. But you are right. The amount of story they have to tell with Vox Machina at this pace probably needs 3 more seasons. So 5 total. We'll have to wait and see.
Season 3 is already confirmed in production, I'm hoping for a 2024 release?
They are working on it right now so 2024 sounds very likely.
This episode was beyond amazing. Loved every minute of it and had me cheering and bouncing on my couch like a little kid (I'm 37).
I love that!!!
God I love this show. It has the darkest and most somber moments, but they're contrast to moments that are just such a pure joy (so much endorphin production from this show!).
Fun fact: the cast was so nervous for this fight they brought in Wil Wheaton to touch all of Matt's DM stuff before the game. Because Wil Wheaton was cursed by the gods to always have shitty dice rolls, so they hoped the curse would rub off on Matt's dice xD
I think I watched an entire video of just Wil Wheaton’s shit dice throws. I feel like anything negative or bad that happens in a campaign, you can just blame it on him lol.
can u imagine them playing for 5 hours and then hes like "and there where we end this week" on a huge cliffhanger xD oh jaeh he loves that xD
The Legend of Vox Machina season 3 is officially confirmed, so yay! And given how well the show is doing, I have to imagine they'll get all the seasons they'll want in order to finish the story.
Yaaay! You did it! At 23:55 the "Umbrasyl" was absolutely accurate!
Umbra - darkness, night, blackness
sil
Umbra... sil... umbra-sil
Easily my favorite episode this season. Really loving your reaction. FOR STRONGJAW!
22:13 lol cause this song is awesome.
The credit musical - it always brings something out of us =)
I finished the latest Vox Machina season, and I loved that Scanlon, Grog and the twins got a lot more focus throughout the numerous episodes.
Pardon my “nerd-side” manner but Grog’s fight with Kevdak was the closest thing I got for a Kratos vs Thanos death match lol.
They have confirmed Season 3 back in October. They also have thousands of hours of content
Somewhere I read that currently they have campaign one mapped out to 5 seasons. But since 4 and beyond aren't green lit yet (that I know about) I'm sure that could change.
loved your face when you clicked on who Keylie was, in the stream the rest of the group worked it out before Sam, and the look of slow realisation on his face was priceless, I think Allura used the spell Scriying to detect were the others were. a bit like what Ripely does with the orb she has.
Critical Role has said that one of their intentions with this series is to make people cry. They are purposely trying to make their viewers cry.
Well they are certainly good at it...
Mission successful.🫡
I love the fact you watch preview’d, they’re one of my other favorite reactors
If the vocals are what bother you about metal, listen to Nightwish, it's Metal with an opera singer and it's even more awesome than what that sentence suggests.
Hey I never really comment on people’s videos but, on the off chance you see this I just want to say thank you for your amazing videos and reactions. I genuinely always look forward to seeing your new vids when I get home from work (especially your critical role ones). Thanks for all your hard work an amazing reactions. I look forward to continuing to be apart of your channel. 💙
I love that this was Scanlan's backstory episode tied in with Grog's vestige story. The fight was at crazy anime levels and it was so good, though in the campaign they were all getting their butts kicked. Scanlan Shorthalt was apparently based on Marshal Matthers who was discovered by Dr. Dre and has a daughter named Hailey...
Seriously, the had BETTER release a soundtrack with full versions of all these Scanlan songs! 😄
The soundtrack will definitely be available, just don't know when. I for one cannot wait. I still listen to the first seasons over a year later!!
Amen! I have "make the bald man cry" stuck in my head.
I am only finding random bits of vox machina with you?!?! ... is youtube doing their CCp thing again? I do love taking these trips with you... you are amazing dear! ♥
Also that line at dawn we plan was a great line in the original campaign.
Been looking forward to seeing this reveal for YEARS!!! The Kevdak fighte was a highly anticipated moment for me and for them to pair it with that ending!? *chef's kiss*
Grog is officially a Shonen protagonist - his strength is the power of friendship ...
As always love your reactions and MidwestGeek is a friend? That's great, totally dig his stuff too!
you did it XD you said it right! we out here being happy for ya lol kaylie was sprung on Sam XD they met before the conclave arc in the live show but that was moved for time and such :3 Sam was speechless which doesnt happen often!
For the record, Dr Dranzel In The Stream(ITS) was an old friend of Scanlan's. He was part of the troupe in his backstory before joining VM. ITS and he re-united with them them(including meeting their new member Kaylee) after coming back from Whitestone. An episode or 2 before the Conclave attacked. This included a scene where he took Kaylee to a room thinking they'd get it on and then she revealed he was her father. He did tell her to strike him with her sword, and she found she couldn't. It wasn't a magic sword though. They had a Rod with a similar effect they could use.
We critters love being coy and giving trollish smiles towards people who don't know what's coming and we do. Cause really, it's fun and D&D players and especially DMs get to savor knowing whats coming and the emotional response that will ensue. Shock, horror, laughter, unbridled joy, watching people experience that for the first time reminds us of when we felt that the first time and now we get to share it.
Also many of us grew up having seen Avatar; The last Airbender and knowing THAT episode that destroys everyone. If you know, you know.
Edit: And it it pronounced "Umbilical."
this is why i enjoy watching your reactions, the moment you figure out what kaylee is telling scanlan was awesome lol. you could see it click.
i also really enjoyed the credits song lol. hes done an amazing job with the music this season
Such a great translation of the actual combat for the killbox. Travis did shout "Vox Machina, fuck shit up!" as their cue to attack the herd.
Vex did use the necklace to transport Grog and drop him onto Kevdak... Travis rolled a natural 20 for a critical hit and the show accurately
displays his description of how Grog finishes Kevdak. He shattered both legs and went unconscious when landing too lol.
Fun side note, I recently caught up on The Last of Us. Not only did Ashley Johnson voice and MoCap Ellie in the game and has a role in
the show, but if you watch the first episode, Joel's daughter Sarah is wearing a shirt with Marisha Ray, Kiki, on it!!! Also, Troy Baker voiced
Joel in the game, and he was Liam O'Brien's roommate at the time lol
Looking forward to both TLOU and VM reactions from you 💛
Travis is great at rolling nat 20s and nat 1s at the perfect times.
@@balijosu You got that right. Rolled a NAT 20 on a save and then a few moments later remembered that he should have had disadvantage and then rolled a 1.
@@balijosu FACTS lol
That moment of realisation during the credits song regarding who the bald man is...
It's so much fun to see all the conflicting emotions leading up to laughter.
For that song, I actually checked the German dub to see how they would translate the lyrics. Instead of making the bald man cry, they "catch the fish alone" (literal translation). xD
You should watch the campaign clip of Kevdak's death and Grog's death defying attack. Amazing!
That was like a Dethklok music video. 🤘
In the campaign, Scanlan met his daughter before the Chroma Conclave arc. The two had a flute playing competition that Scalan deliberately lost because he wanted to bed her. The reveal went about the same way and blew everyone's mind. It was hilarious
It's Umbrasoo...I mean Umbraseel...umm Umbyr ah Fuck it. Just call him The acid one.
Umbilical.
Scanlan in 1x02: “Look at us! We’re Vox Machina! We fuck shit up!” Twenty episodes later… they prove why they do.
And now Grog has the Titanstone Knuckles. And at dawn… we plan!
Keyleth now being the one to look longingly at her love interest? You love to see it, even if the Matron keeps spooking Vax to the point of making him walk away. Then again, bad timing. But at least they’re working through their individual shit. That’s what they need to do before coming together.
And believe me, the reveal at the end was just as shocking in the campaign.
A song was made for this arc/episode - new pack by lilli furfaro (Grog's song)
@Sandra Muñoz no
@Anthony Salas no
Haven't seen it mentioned, but Grog turned Kevdak's skull into a drinking cup and flayed his tattoo off and kept it as a trophy in the campaign.
Tbf, Allura scrying to find the group in Westruun is perfectly in line with what we've seen with Ripley and her scrying orb. If the villains can do it, so can the heroes.
The moment you understand "Make the Bald Man Dry". Love that Look
Of course we're welcoming you into the fold, you *are* one of us now. We all started somewhere and didn't know everything when we first came into the fandom. That's half the point of this animated series, sharing this incredible story and characters and world with people who either can't or won't sit through hundreds of hours of the game, which is fair as it can be a lot to get through.
If you actually want some wholesome metal, look up the Japanese band called Babymetal. Teenage Japanese girls who discovered metal and made a band that performs it but does so with positive messages and lyrics (albeit in Japanese).
You figured it out when the line came, but yeah, the rage wasn't what he was saying was where his strength came from, but his friends are where his strength comes from, and thus seeing Pike in peril gave him the boost to get his strength back. He just didn't clarify it until a little bit later. Rather than the rage being the inspiration, his friends were the inspiration that caused him to rage.
Oh I didn't know you and Devin MW Geek were friends! Awesome!
You mentioned that they wouldn't show Pike's hair color being different for no reason. It is possible they are simply doing that as a nod to the Critters who are familiar with the RPG stream, just like Gilmore's shop (when they first go there for help with the blue dragon) contains an item that is a nod to the Mighty Nein.
It's you. You're the problem. It's you. Don't change. Excited for the conclusion!
17:05 ... one of the best "How Do You Want to Do This" moments of the whole campaign
😂🤣 I cackled when I found out what the song was about. Absolutely makes sense why it's a Scanlan song.
when I saw Callie and scallion staring at each other; that's when I went "Oh SH*T that's his daughter!' and I was not surprised; at all.
Kaylie was a fun reveal in the campaign as well, since she was not a characters Sam added to his backstory, it was just Matt messing with him, and it was a big moment for Scanlan.
Season 3 for Vox Machina has been approved. We just have to wait until probably next January.
It is funny how she is like "curse you matthew mercer" when matt elyeah he is dark but he was the director for the campaign. But althought all of the cast of critical role has a saying on this series the directors whom decide the cliff hangers and the rythm of the episodes ks Travis Willingham (Grog) and Sam Reagel (Scanlan)
I think it’s easier to direct my frustration at Matt because he’s not voicing one of the characters that I love lol
One fun thing to remember is Grog's wisdom is higher than his intelligence
First off, great job, I love your reactions, secondly, Grog, need I say more?
In game, Grog is a Berserker Barbarian, who get an additional attack per melee round at the expense of a point of exhaustion, whereas Kevdak is a Totem Warrior Barbarian with a bear totem, which means that he take half damage from every source except psychic damage. During Scanlan's song that's Travis Willingham chanting 'rage' - Travis attended a glee school where he played football, but also learned to sing, act, and compose music ... enough to know that he didn't want to go into musical production. Grog was at 20hp when Vex used the locket to pull a mors ab alto, and the people attacking him weren't going to stop when he hit 0, meaning that they were going to kill him. Matt Mercer revealed in the Campaign 1 wrap-up party that if anyone but Grog had killed Kevdak, the Herd of Storms wouldn't have stopped attacking - meaning that Vox Machina would have had to retreat or die, too.
I got into critical role from Campaign 2 with the Mighty Nein. You’re going to love that team! Vox Machina is a very on the nose D&D team with all the trope characters, edge lord rogue, horny bard, etc. But with the Mighty Nein, they really went for more unique character and class choices like Nott’s nervous goblin rogue or Jester’s trickster tefling cleric. They made some very interesting characters and I actually prefer Marisha’s Monk character Beauregard over her Druid character Keyleth so far. The characters really interact with each other and grew in interesting ways.
My prediction is Jester will be your favorite character. Calling it now!
Hahaha your face at the song was just priceless