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aspiringsophrosyne · 4 months

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The Circus Kids: A Story in Parallel

Alright, so. Let's talk about Campaign 2's circus kids and handling their stories in the animated series. Spoilers for all of the Critical Role Campaign 2 under the cut.

In the second campaign, despite everything Matt has said on Talks and at the End of Campaign Wrap-Up confirming this was not the initial plan, the circus kid's storylines ended up paralleling each other to an astounding degree. Eldritch body horror, people puppets, the Nein questioning if the Yasha and Molly they knew were ever real...all of it just beautifully and organically came out of the circumstances of the role play.

Like so many things in Campaign 2, we wound up with something incredibly and poetically fitting by complete accident.

And honestly? As much as I'd like to see new things, (so long as the CRew successfully adjusts the script and the world building so that it makes sense with what they don't change) I really don't want them to mess with that part of the Nein's story too much.

That said...if they're not messing around with that, how much do they want the first-timers to know? How do they want to play Yasha's and Molly's respective "betrayals"?

Here are two potential options:

Option one: the CRew hides Obann's magical mind control of Yasha from the first-time audience, leaving them in the dark about whether or not this was something she actually wanted. Then letting the audience realize the truth only when the rest of the Nein does. This leaves the viewers just as unsure and heartbroken as the Nein are until we learn what's really going on.

Or, option two: they can make it clear to us that she's mind controlled from the start, all the while hiding it from the Nein and jacking up the volume knob on the dramatic irony. In this route, we can make it hurt in another way by cutting between Yasha having an absolutely awful, miserable time with Obann and his little "family" and the Nein wondering aloud if she was just using them the whole time they were together.

I said all that to say this: let's say they pick an option that resembles either of these two ideas. In that case, whichever one they pick for Yasha, they shouldn't apply to Molly's situation later and expect the audience to not see through it. If they want to make the audience think Yasha chose to serve Obann only to reveal the truth later, they shouldn't lean into Lucien's bullshit about Molly never existing as well. Because the audience will be skeptical. They'll think, "Wait, this is kind of reminiscent of what happened to Yasha; why can't the same thing be happening to Molly?" And if the Nein aren't on the same page as the audience, they'll be in danger of looking unintentionally oblivious.

Basically, when it comes to the circus kids' backstories, I wouldn't want them to play the same trick twice, whichever route they take.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 4 months

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Jester Lavorre and Letting go.

A while ago, I wrote a post on the Mighty Nein and how that campaign had, among other accidental themes, an overarching theme of characters (player characters and NPCs alike) running from their problems and only delaying the inevitable at best and making things worse for themselves at worst as a result.

I did not include Jester in the list of characters I covered, and I think now might be a good time to delve into why:

Because Jester doesn't run from her problems, she runs to them.

For the sake of complete accuracy, this is generally the case, but not exclusively. Jester, like the rest of the Nein on the whole, has a rather pessimistic view of things and gives up on some things too soon. (Everyone, including Jester, assumed there was no way back to shore after they stole their first ship, and the rest of the Nein, except for Essek and Cad, were ready to give up before Cad's last Divine Intervention, etc.) But we see multiple times that Jester runs towards her personal problems, or what she sees as her personal missions or obligations, instead of away from them.

In fact, it could be argued that Jester hangs on long after it might've been better for her to let go.

But before that, her father. Jester pursues him every chance she gets, and when Marion reveals he's someone she knows and has met, her first instinct is to Send to him and tell him she's his daughter. She keeps doing this until he finally agrees to meet with her. And then, even after that less-than-hopeful face-to-face conversation where he finally admits she's his biological child, she still clings to the idea of hooking her parents back up again.

Travelercon is another one. It's one of Jester's main focuses after finding her father, and even with all the other things she has to deal with, she's continually worrying about getting there in time and trying to figure out what to do when she gets there. She sees it as an obligation to the Traveler (even after she finds out he was never actually a god), and she never tries to run from it or weasel (heh) out of it.

And then at Travelercon, when a vessel of the Moonweaver herself gets involved in the shenaniganary, Jester latches onto Artie and refuses to let go no matter how much Fjord begs her to do so or how much the vessel questions her loyalty in the face of Artie's selfishness. Only when he kicks her off does he spare them both a trip to the Fey Realm.

(And remember, this would've delayed their trip to Eiselcross, which would've allowed who knows what to happen before they came back; not only was there a ticking clock in the form of DeRogna and another adventuring troupe, but time moves weirdly in the Fey Realm.)

On a more positive note, Jester doesn't just refuse to give up on her goals; she also refuses to give up on people. Because of her, the Gentlemen gives up on selling his problems into slavery, eventually walks away from his criminal life altogether, and reunites with Marion like Jester wanted. Her kindness, however teasing, is a big part of why Essek turns over a new leaf. And she never gives up on either of the circus kids. No matter what terrible things their bodies are made to do, she still believes they're both in there, and not only is she proven correct, but her faith in them is rewarded both times.

Jester doesn't give up on people. And while this ties her to Artie in a way that's not entirely healthy for either of them, it does more good than harm in the long run.

This is part of what so strongly endears her to the rest of the Nein. With the arguable exceptions of Essek and Cad, the Nein have largely been written off by people who should've loved and supported them. Veth highlights this when she reveals why she chose Nott as her pseudonym. Caleb's tutelage under Trent is self-explanatory; Fjord's upbringing scarred him; Beau's dad sold her; Yasha's tribe forbade and then murdered her love; Molly was left to climb out of that shallow grave alone—all these people have been discounted. And when they meet Jester, she makes for a beautiful and powerful counterpoint.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 6 months

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One thing that I hope they touch on in The Magnus Protocol, if the Fears are still around in some form or another, is what appeared to be their collective vulnerability.

The Beholding and the Dark, the Web and the Desolation; yeah, some forces had specific counters, but that's not what I mean.

What I mean are folks like Karolina Górka from Underground, Robin Lennox from I Guess You Had to Be There, Sebastian Skinner from The Uncanny Valley and arguably Georgie. Folks who were able to escape from paranormal forces (albeit in some cases temporarily) by....ignoring them. Or not noticing them. Or just not being afraid of them when they encounter them for whatever reason.

I just always thought that was such an interesting angle that never got thoroughly explored in the original podcast.

Also, the idea that maybe the Fears were basically the equivalent of internet trolls who dry up and blow away like autumn leaves if you don't give them the attention they crave always amused me.

#the magnus archives #the magnus archives spoilers #tma #rusty quill #the magnus protocol #jonathan sims #alexander j newall #lena kelley #samama khalid #tmp #sarah lambie #shahan hamza #tma spoilers #tmagp

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aspiringsophrosyne · 8 months

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In this post I talked about how, for the animated series, we could do something fun when we get to that moment from episode 72. We could use the Dusts and the rest of the Nein being asleep and unaware of the events transpiring in the middle of the night to draw up suspense while Fjord plays chicken with his Patron.

Thinking back on it now, we can actually pull the same trick twice. It'll be just as effective the second time, and it won't even feel cheap. Why?

Because we'd be using it during the attack on the Nein's ship in episode 98. (Spoilers for that episode below the cut.)

Fjord is stabbed in his sleep and then further accosted when he wakes. He gets up; he and the audience realize his assailant, whose shadowy shape is only vaguely humanoid, is between him and the door. Cut to the crew, sailing the ship, none the wiser. Cut to the Nein, dreaming. Fjord, hand pressed to his wound, looks out a window. He sees the ocean; he bamfs out. Now he's momentarily stranded in the water, bleeding, as his aggressor leaves the Captain's quarters, looks out over the ocean….and spies his target. The warlock readies an eldritch blast, and Fjord ducks below. The POV goes under water; we see Fjord swimming, dodging columns of light that rise around him in the wake of the blasts.

Then we cut to the empire sibs. Veth. Yasha. Cad. Jester. All of them are still sleeping. Jester's lying in bed in the foreground. In the background behind her, we can see the doorway to her quarters slowly opening.

Until it reveals a twisted, shadowy figure standing there.

Fjord comes up for air, notices something. Camera switches to his point of view: multiple assailants are crawling up to the deck. And none of them look right.

He teleports back onto the ship. He looks around…the camera moves slightly. Both he and the audience notice the ship's bell right next to him. He frantically rings it. Jester hears, opens her eyes….and a Deep Scion is bending over her. Its unnaturally wide jaws open and dripping in anticipation of its first bite. She screams and smacks it in the face with her lollipop.

And the fight continues from there.

This wouldn't even feel like a retread because it's a direct consequence of Fjord's actions at the volcano. Its a beautiful inversion of the night he found the courage to free himself from his pact, as if Uk'utoa had taken that bloody and redemptive leap of faith and corrupted it, turning it back around on his betrayer.

And that would just be the start of the attack. The whole battle has the potential to be incredibly hype.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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How likely do you think it was that Miguel fixed it so access to Earth-1610 was flat out restricted?

When Miles and Gwen were swinging around the city, Gwen said the Spider Society was strict about where she could go. When Miles asked B. why he never visited, he said: "I couldn't."

Once Gwen is kicked out of the Society and sent home, she still has her watch. But it no longer works for her. Her access to the rest of the Spiderverse has been denied.

On top of this, Miguel not only made it so those watches can track the Spiders who are wearing them (Lyla was able to find B. when he was talking to Miles, and Jess popped up right as Gwen was investigating the damage the Spot had been doing in 1610) but so that he can spy on other Spiders and even the people they're talking to via his console, as we see him watching footage of Gwen with Miles at his family block party before Miguel meets with the two in his lab.

Does this sound like a man who would leave the way to 1610 open and would trust that the Spiders under his supervision wouldn't go there just because he told them not to?

I don't think so. I think it's possible (if not likely) the man made it so the watches just straight up didn't allow anyone to travel to Miles' home dimension.

It wouldn't let Gwen and B. completely off the hook (they could've made their own watches like Hobie, or saw the restriction for the red flag that it was) but it would make sense. Peter didn't visit because the watch wouldn't let him, and for the same reason, Gwen jumped at the chance to take a mission in 1610 because there was no other way she was getting back there.

#across the spiderverse #spiderverse #Peter B. Parker #Gwen Stacy #Miles Morales #Spider-Man #Miguel O'Hara #Spider-Man 2099 #Spider-Woman #Jessica Drew #Earth-1610 #Hobie Brown #Spider-Punk #Miguel O'Hara has trust issues #ATSV spoilers #across the spiderverse spoilers

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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Dude, is Miguel O'Hara just this generation's Jessica Rabbit?

#across the spiderverse #miguel o'hara #spiderman 2099 #who framed roger rabbit #jessica rabbit #cartoons #atsv #oscar isaac #spiderverse #into the spiderverse

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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Legend of Vox Machina S2: Review Master Post.

Just putting this all together here.

Episode 1: Rise of the Chroma Conclave.

Episode 2: Vasselheim, The Good.

Episode 2: Vasselheim, The Not-So-Great.

Episode 3: The Sunken Tomb.

Episode 4: Those Who Walk Away.

Episode 5: Pass Through Fire.

Episode 6: Into Rimecleft.

Episode 7: The Fey Realm.

Epiosde 8: The Echo Tree.

Episode 9: A Test of Pride.

Episode 10: The Kill Box.

Episode 11: The Belly of The Beast.

Episode 12: The Hope Devourer.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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Episode 12: The Hope Devourer.

Last show of the night, folks. We may be getting new trailers for new shows at some point soon, but we can't be sure for now. Until then, enjoy. And make sure to toss out your snack boxes on the way out.

The Good.

Dreams.

I'm happy to see from the watch along that Sam and Travis appreciate the delivery of "KragHAMMER!" as much as I do. I'm also happy that there was a nod to Kraghammer period; it was their first on-screen town and dungeon.

This series has so far done justice to how Critical Role would lean on dreams to develop atmosphere, character, and plot. Scanlan's is sillier than Pike's, but it's still effective. And it's even a little ominous, despite how weird it is.

The Dragon Chase.

Even if it did eventually shake him off, Grog's stubborn refusal to let go was a fun little roller coaster of a sequence. We get another example of how strong Grog is from it. And we also get a funny bit where the dragon turns Grog into George of the Jungle by dragging him through multiple trees. And then he's still hanging on.

I appreciate that the cast specified they wanted their characters to get badly hurt. In a setting where there's healing magic and incredible danger, that's essential. Otherwise, the audience won't believe anyone can actually die. Grog's crash landing is an example of that done well.

Vax and Scanlan's escape is a neat little nod to, well, stuff in the stream. Throughout that dragon fight, Scanlan repeatedly used his Hand to....fist the dragon's wounds. He made a way out for himself this way...and then described his attacks as such after for flavor. Honestly almost felt bad for the dragon after all that.

Taking Flight.

This next moment is slightly different. While timely intervention from the Matron did help Vax here in the stream, he didn't earn his wings until further down the road. However, this is an excellent example of a change that helps this shorter version of the story. It's an ideal continuation of the payoff to Vax's season-long angst that the last episode's communion initiated just in concept.

But in execution! Vax fully accepting his destiny, the flashback to the blood pool and the threads of life, the inclusion of the Raven from the opening titles (who I was expecting to tie into things but not that soon), and then the absolutely breathtaking sight of Vax's new wings unfurling. All while the music builds up to the show's theme. No notes. No critiques. Everything about it is immaculate. When Scanlan says: "I am so in love with you right now." he speaks for all of us.

The Fight.

Loved seeing Vax zoom around like a bear on cocaine in an acid cavern with a top-notch spooky atmosphere. (The underlighting!) Loved seeing everyone come in after him. Loved how, as Liam points out in the watch along, the fight is moment after moment of Vox Machina jumping in to keep another member from biting it. Loved seeing Umbrasyl's underhanded personality come out in his using Vax as a shield; Matt described him as the "shitty weasel" of the dragons, and this quote from the campaign about sums him up:

"Bravery means nothing. Survival and victory mean EVERYTHING!!"

In hindsight, it was a good call for Vax to point out how the dragons' wrath has touched on all of their pasts in some way. Not only was the stream story longer for its audience, but it was also longer for its characters; the Vestige hunt alone took in-game months. This season's timespan appears to be three or four weeks at the very most.

Months would give the dragons' influence time to reach Westruun, Syngorn, and other places of significance to the protagonists. Here it's all happening so fast that these events seem more meaningful. So the lampshade Vax hangs keeps it from taking us out of the story and ties it into his arc with the Matron. Plus, it's a nice nod to how the Dungeon Master tied everyone's stories into the Conclave so they'd all have stakes in the conflict.

And it might be a good set-up for some of the weird coincidences in the second campaign...

That was a clever little move having Umbrasyl use Mythcarver's ability to find the other Vestiges. And thus, those who equipped them. Counter to this, it was very satisfying to see Mythcarver used to blast the dragon's eyeball off. Scanlan's call of "Two!" was reminiscent of his bardic abilities that could distract the enemy enough so that they rolled too low to hit an ally. The sword and Scanlan harmonizing only added to the moment, and it was a fun call back to when he first got it.

I'm sure that joke won't come back to bite Scanlan and Vox Machina in their collective asses. No chance of that.

That key? The prevailing fan theory is it's the key to a particular mansion. If that's the case, it's great to see it included. And we have more than one mansion in this series; I can't help but wonder how the other will come to be if this is how Scanlan makes his.

Raishan.

The little montage of other characters is a sweet way to close out the season. Reminds us that this world holds other people besides Vox Machina, and for good or ill, our protagonists had an influence on them, and the world as a whole. Kind of a nice little nod to the stream episode Hope.

Cree. Summer. Kills. It. Dead. Of course, if you've seen any cartoon in the last twenty years, you know this, but it's always good to be reminded. Raishan has an earned arrogance: the countenance of a woman whose holding all the cards and knows it. There's a thick layer of contempt for our heroes and another thicker level under that for the primary target of her ire and machinations. She's evil for sure, but Cree gets across that she knows things: dangerous things. Things our heroes are going to need to know.

The deadliest member of the Conclave has arrived.

And what has she there to talk about? Something more specific than what she came to talk about in the campaign. Tying the Conclave to Ascension sets some future things up pretty well. We'll see where all that goes from here.

The Bad. (Or at least, the not-so-great.)

Scanlan.

Again, Scanlan's pushing for them not to fight the dragon, even though he was the first to acknowledge and accept they were fighting Krieg. I'm going to get into this more in another post, but....suffice it to say, that's been a consistently odd choice this season.

Similarly, this theme about running from problems comes up again. It does fit Scanlan, given his lifestyle, but it still bothers me it's such a prominent story beat this season when it only fits Scanlan from what we've seen.

And even so, this idea is undercut by how the battle turns out. It's because Scanlan isn't in the fray with everybody else, he's able to first find a temporary hiding spot for the rest of the group and then take advantage of Umbrasyl's distraction to nab Mythcarver and finish him off. I would suspect that this is a deliberate set up for some things down the line....but looking at how things have gone so far I have my doubts. For now it's ambiguously irksome.

Favored Enemy.

I'm disappointed with how they handled Vex having a dragon sense that could pick up on Krieg's deception. It felt cheap. Yes we're going to establish that Vex has this ability....that doesn't work in similar circumstances later in the series. It's like the opposite of a Chekov's Gun.

And they really could've done something interesting with it! Have Vex sense a dragon is nearby. Have her start to freak out, the camera cutting from one person to another as she desperately tries to figure out who it could be. The music get's tenser, everybody else is getting worried for her. She gets more and more desperate....Only for it to be too late: everyone starts to pass out. The interloper has already drugged the rest.

(Depending on when Raishan made the switch you'd have to move things around so they aren't in the same room before Vex realizes at the end, but I think that effort would've been worth it.)

Even keeping the scene as is, they could've played things a little better. Raishan pointing out how Vex's ability can't detect her implies she's faced many people with similar skills, and she's still standing. It didn't help them take her down. That sets her up as a formiddable opponent. However, I think Raishan's savvy enough to not reveal she knows which one of them has that trick; it'd potentially give away when she was spying on them and who and where she was when she was doing it. If nothing else, I would've changed it so all she reveals is that she believes someone in the group has the ability to sense dragons.

Nitpicks

I liked that Vestiges became a more focal part of the plot here in the series, but I was a little confused by Ripley and Umbrasyl's plan. The idea was to have their own champions that wielded the legendary equipment for them, right? Didn't they already have that for the Titanstone knuckles with Kevdak? Why not just use that guy instead of stealing the knuckles from him to give to someone else? Did they see him as unreliable? Just didn't like him? It's never stated.

~*~

Again, Kiki turns into a bird unprompted, recognizing how useful the form would be. (That still bugs me, I'm sorry.)

~*~

While masterfully delivered, Pike's line about Scanlan and Vax's plan seems a little out of place. After all, she didn't even know they had a plan. A line like "They thought that was a good idea!? Go up its ass!?" might've worked better.

~*~

A little sad we couldn't get Shale here. Probably wouldn't have worked, I know. But damn it would've been fun to have Chris Perkins on.

~*~

No One Down, which was an incredible little moment in the stream that I'm sad we didn't get to see.

"~*~"

Kind of wish they'd done more to establish how fitting Mythcarver is for Scanlan, and how his song powered it up. They can't use the term "bard" and I don't think they want to (meta-gaming)pigeon hole these characters anyway, but leaning a little more into the song/legend/bardic nature of the sword would've made it's incredible attack in response to Scanlan's singing make more sense.

~*~

Just pointing out again that the twin connection could've been better telegraphed before this point so that a moment like this (where Vex can't tell what's going on with Vax) would hold more weight.

That's the end of the season. Now the real fun begins.

Because now we get to put all our evidence together and talk about what's great about The Legend of Vox Machina so far...and what's holding it back from even greater heights. See you soon!

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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Episode 11: The Belly of The Beast.

It's been a minute since we had ourselves a good old fashioned monster movie. New ideas are fun, but the classics are classics for a reason. Lights are going down!

The Good.

The Shorthalts.

For a split second, I thought they might've actually changed Kaylie's mom's name to Leia: just for the tiniest second. Kaylie's face and Scanlan's "Are you sure?" are just the cherry on top of that sequence.

Aisling Franciosi gives an almost surprisingly heart breaking performance as Kaylie here. You can feel how broken up she is, how she's been wanting to tell Scanlan all this for a while....but you don't just feel her anger; you feel her hurt. A lesser performance could've made this scene a joke, but she pulls it off fantastically.

Vax And The Matron.

During Vax's super creepy vision, we start to get more of an idea of what the Queen wants. Until this episode, if you didn't already know her deal, you might guess she was furious with Vax: seeking compensation for his taking her Champion's armor and Vex's life being spared. But when the dead call out to Vax, it's the first indication of her motivations. It also tells us that she's not a spiteful, vengeful creature. This flows into the encounter later in the episode and helps set the tone for said encounter nicely.

Also it's just good to be reminded of these characters. Makes their deaths seem like they matter.

Vex is sneaky as hell, and Keyleth is still adorable. The talk the two have while Vax is communing is a nice cap-off to the tension between them in Season One. Vex has been kinder to Keyleth in general, but Vex effectively giving Vax and Keyleth's romance her blessing is a tangible example of her character development.

The New Champion.

There is no end of good to say about Vax's communion with the Raven Queen: the temple and the goddess herself are jaw-droppingly gorgeous to look at, and the buildup wherein her priestesses lead Vax into the temple is suitably spooky without coming across as hostile. But I think what gets me the most is the tone is just right. This sequence could've easily read like she was trying to manipulate him: playing nice when they both know she's got him over a barrel. But just like in the stream, the Queen is gentle and soothing, as if she knows how terrifying she can come across, and is trying not to spook a man who already knows the terror of impending grief. The moment shared between them feels like a balm on a burn. Courtenay Taylor gives an indescribably splendid performance as the Matron; we're two for two in most excellent goddess portrayals.

I love that they gave Vex a reaction to Vax coming out covered in blood. Even in this world of magic and monsters, some things are still weird. And it was a nice touch to have the area look gloomy as hell when Vax initially approached it, but the day is sunny and hopeful after Vax has made his peace with the Matron.

Umbrasyl.

This bit with Percy and the Goliaths is a better version of what they tried to pull with him in the Fey Wild.

The trap and the trigger. Percy and Vex: the clever ones.

That acid breath is, as always, horrific. That disembodied mouth opening up in the air, dripping with neon green, the invisble belly scales coated with blood....Mm! That's a visual.

All of this is nasty in the best ways, so I don't know why that acid on the back of Keyleth's ankle gets me so much. It's such a small thing. Maybe because it reminds me of every blister I've ever had. Whatever the case, it always makes me flinch when I see it.

I almost couldn't believe they were actually going to perform dragon proctology to get Scanlan and Vax in there when I saw it in the trailer. I don't know why. But in hindsight...of course that's what they did. Of course. Why did I question that?

And we end on the same beautifully unresolved cliffhanger that the stream did. No notes.

The Bad. (Or at least, the not great.)

World Building

Again, I have to whine about world-building here.

In DnD and the original Critical Role stream, all these characters had differing lifespans. Keyleth could live for thousands of years. The half-elves could live around 200 years. Percy could live a human lifespan. Grog's lifespan would be slightly shorter than Percy's. The Gnomes, however, could live up to 500 years, during most of which they would maintain their youth.

In other words, Scanlan is more than likely beyond old enough to have a grown daughter, despite still looking somewhat young. However, because the show never makes this clear to people who didn't watch the stream or aren't familiar with DnD, Kaylie's whole storyline is more confused than it should be.

Similarly, what's the deal with the Raven Queen's temple in Westruun? Is she special to this town in particular? Does every god of Exandria have a temple in this town? What's the deal?

In the stream, the town had a temple ward, which boasted multiple religious sites dedicated to various gods. This was where Vax originally went to commune with the Raven Queen, but because the show takes liberties with the stream events and it's never established in this episode, we don't know if that's the case here.

I want to know!!

Dr. Dranzel

Originally Scanlan had traveled with Dr. Dranzel's troupe after losing his only family. Here, they elected that the two had no connection to each other, and while I respect that change, I don't understand their reasoning.

Sam said on the watch-along that they eschewed the original connection because it would've taken attention away from Kaylie when we first met her, as we meet both her and the troupe together.

That explanation...feels like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, frankly. Again, I respect the choice, but it would've been easy to include that part of Scanlan's backstory and give Kaylie her moment. When she's leaving in this episode, have Scanlan take Dranzel aside, confirm their connection, and ask him to watch after Kaylie. This keeps their relationship, gives Kaylie her moment, gives Scanlan a little depth, and establishes the troupe is, while not malicious, definitely sketchy in some way if they try to keep the knowledge of who knows who on the down low.

Nitpicks

I'm unsure how I feel about Scanlan being trussed up during his confrontation with Kaylie. It adds cringe-inducing sleaze, for sure. On the other hand, it meant more when Scanlan refused to fight back in the original because he was free and capable of doing so. It doesn't mean much for him to not try to resist when he physically can't. Similarly, in the original, Kaylie was seeking a duel. Feels like it gives her more if she was giving him the chance to fight back.

~*~

This is probably just a me thing, as I saw a few reactors get this right away, but I would've had the shot of the ruined temple be from over Vax's shoulder. That makes it clear what we see is the temple he just stepped out of. I thought it was a different shot of the outside at first.

~*~

They could've set up the sword better. In the original, the item Scanlan and Vax used to try to hold down the dragon was called the "Immovable Rod"; it did...about what you'd expect. They couldn't use that name because of copywrite, but since the sword doesn't have a name that spells out what it does, it's hard to see why Scanlan thought it would be enough to hold down the dragon. A throwaway line from him about "Oh, I recognize this enchantment! It can hold down such-and-such pounds of weight!" would've clarified things for the audience.

~*~

Having Vax yell "What the hell do you want from me!?" right after we very clearly hear the dead begging him to usher them into the great beyond makes for an unintentionally awkward juxtaposition.

~*~

I don't really get the small convo Vax and Scanlan have before they enter the dragon. Everybody's out there on the field fighting the dragon; why is it weird that Scanlan is too? Feels like a really contrived lead-in to the "you win" bit. Also, we could've had a little more variety in terms of Umbrasyl's lines.

And that's it for the penultimate episode. Only one more to go this season.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 9 months

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Episode 10: The Kill Box

You ready for a fight? We got ringside seats, soda and popcorn. Just make sure you've got your splash guard ready to go.

The Good.

When the illusion over Whitestone is disturbed and ripples...that's a beautiful visual effect. This show's at its peak when it portrays magic so well it inspires wonder. Exandria is a gorgeous world; it's so gratifying when it's done justice.

Earlier, I said it was a good move to split the party because it serves the intervening episodes well. But that choice gives us something fun here, too. In the original, everyone was waiting in the wings to see if Grog would win or need to call for backup. Because the rest of the group needs to get to Restruun to help, and because the gnomes are spotted and threatened, the stakes get raised considerably. Half of Vox Machina is in dire straights and the calvary isn't guaranteed to arrive in time.

Note: in the game, Matt described the spike as going through Grog's shoulder. That's till bad, mind you. Much worse in real life than tv and movies would suggest, but I can't stand seeing it go through the gut. You could conceivably miss organs in the shoulder at least. Here? Not so much.

It always a pleasure to see Pike be bad ass. According to the episode commentary they actually slowed down her face bashing because otherwise it would've been a little much. Even then it's still sufficiently brutal.

Always good to hear Ike. And Liam was right. Grog's absolutely gut-wrenching (no pun intended) vulnerability sells this scene. Grog's usually a sillier character, but Travis is just as capable of making a character hilarious as he is playing them so that they break your heart.

And of course, the iconic as always call to rage. Even more hype here than usual.

I will never complain about this show's fight scenes. You can feel the difference between Grog fighting Kevdak before he rages and after. Likewise, the difference between fighting Kevdak before he swells up with the magic of the Knuckles and after. The hits' power and the weight of the impacts as Grog is slammed around the arena makes you flinch like it was you getting hammered to the stones so hard they crack.

The choice to have the rest of the crew come in, with no fan fair, in a corner of the screen where you could easily miss them...mwah! Beautiful. It feels organic, and it makes you feel excited for noticing it.

But once the fanfair starts....their silhouettes on the roof, the closeups, Grog's call to arms.....AH! I knew we were getting something special for this episode. The fight is sufficiently gruesome on both sides, and everyone gets to show off.

The episode would not have been complete without the Willingham Poke Ball drop. It was a particularly clever move by Laura in the game and seeing it play out was just magic. The rise and payoff of the music, that shot of bisected Kevdak when the smoke clears....there's no word but epic to describe it.

Keyleth is adorable, and the Raven Queen is a cockblock.

That last isn't the good thing. But it does make for a nice set up for what comes next.

The Bad. (Or at least, not so great.)

The only thing I could've possibly wanted out of the fight that I didn't get was a bigger sense of danger. The stream version felt incredibly tense throughout, as it was essentially a timed mission. The goal was to kill Kevdak (no mean feat) before the rest of the Herd killed them.

I get that this was basically a chance for everyone to get to be badass and go buck wild. And I support that. But getting just a little bit closer to that stream level of tension would've been nice.

This is why I think Percy's "This isn't going well!" falls flat, as from what we could see it was going pretty damn well up to that point. And even after it just wasn't a curb stomp in Vox Machina's favor. A better line might've been "The tide's starting to turn!" Or, if they really wanted to be cheeky: "They're getting a Second Wind!"

I'm also a little sad we didn't get a variation on Scanlan's Hold Person from the stream. Even though I appreciated the little nod to it via Vex's bramble shot, that move lacked the accidental ironic significance of the original. Grog got kicked out of the herd by his uncle for protecting a gnome. Only for a gnome to be instrumental in said uncle's defeat. It was so good!

Nitpicks:

What was Kaylie doing there at the start of the fight? Afterwards she just disappears. If you wanted to show that she was keeping an eye on Scanlan, it would've made more sense to have a shot of her watching from a distance. That way it isn't weird that she isn't in the fight after she said she wasn't letting Scanlan out of her sight.

~*~

After the fight in the tavern with Vex and Keyleth catching up: DUDE!! Talk. To. Each. Other. Give me my banter and character relationship development!

~*~

There isn't a full version of "When the Bald Man Cries" on the soundtrack. Release the full version, you cowards!!

~*~

Kaylie's speech to Scanlan could've been rearranged a bit so it served as a smoother transition into her revelation.

Instead of this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: My mum gave up all her savings for my education. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was. You know, Dr. Dranzel spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorhalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother.

We could do this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: Even more so when I joined up with Dr. Dranzel's troupe. You know, he spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorthalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother. My mum, who gave up all her savings for my education. So that I could play and travel the way I do. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was.

Not perfect, but I think it flows better.

Down to the last two, folks. Then the fun really begins.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 10 months

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Leitmotifs in Across The Spiderverse.

Let's talk about how the music of Across The Spiderverse tells us more than what might be obvious. Spoilers for both movies from here on out: you've been warned.

EDIT: added in one more very important instance.

For those who don't know or need a reminder, a leitmotif is a musical signature associated with a character, an idea, a situation, or some or all of those things together. And for the first Spiderverse movie, Daniel Pemberton made excellent use of at least two big ones.

To see what I mean, check out this video. If you haven't already. It highlights how music helped tell the story of Into The Spiderverse.

While this video exclusively covers the leitmotifs in the soundtrack of ITSV, once you know what they sound like, you can hear their inclusion in ATSV.

For instance, Miles' personal leitmotif (that ties together the themes that makeup Miles-as-a-person's journey) shows up both times he attempts to tell his mother that he's Spider-Man.

But the Spider-Person theme, in particular, is all over the place in ATSV. This is fitting, considering it features so many Spideys. Not only is it front and center in Peter B.'s theme and is hiding out in Gwen's, Pavitr's, and Hobie's themes, it demonstrates how Miles-as-Spider-Man has developed between movies: playing throughout My Name is Miles Morales. It's one of the first things we hear when we see the young hero again.

This is an evolution from before, as for most of the first film, the Spider-Person motif plays incessantly for the other Spiders but sparingly for Miles. Whenever it was used for him, it was to show he'd reached a new station in his learning and growth. It plays for him when he first thwips away from Doc Ock and intertwines with his personal theme during his leap of faith to show that he's finally become Spider-Man.

So to have multiple iterations of the Spider-Person leitmotif jammed into the song that plays when we first see Miles again shows how much he's grown.

However....the other places it plays in the movie can give us clues about the nature of the conflict between Miguel's Spider Society and the newly formed Spider-Band. To illustrate this, I want to talk about three specific moments where it's prominent in the soundtrack.

During Nueva York Train Chase, Miguel busts out of the train like a horror movie monster and calls after the younger Spider: "Who do you think you are? Really!?"

Miles answers: "My name...is Miles Morales. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. I'm pretty sure you know the rest, jerk!" He then proceeds to drop, kick Miguel in the face, and then nail him with a ball of webbing.

This is around 2:05 of Nueva York Train Chase on the official ATSV soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton. What do we hear after Miles declares this and then (temporarily) eludes 2099?

The Spider-Person leitmotif.

It's not much later that we hear it again. When? At about 2:25 in the track The Go Home Machine. When Margo Kess, Spider-Byte, decides not to interfere with the titular machine and keep Miles in Nueva York.

This moment is critical. Miguel is trying to stop Miles. Even if the machine doesn't take him home, it gets Miles out of the older Spider's clutches and gives him a chance. And when he gets away, what plays? The Spider-Person leitmotif. The music tells us that at this moment, in trying to escape and save his father and not halting his escape, Miles and Margo are acting like Spider-People.

The music is on Miles' side. The music tells us that Miles is acting like Spider-Man by resisting the Spider-Society. He's doing the right thing.

And on top of that, what do we hear after 2:35 of Start a Band? The moment where Peter B. looks outside and sees Gwen waiting for him? The Spider-Person leitmotif. It tells us that in taking Hobie's watch and gathering her band together, Gwen's acting like Spider-Woman.

It then plays over and over again until the credits role. The music is telling us that the Spider-Band's mission marks them as Spider-People. They are living up to the title. They are doing the right thing.

I don't think the music is the only thing in the movie that points the audience to that conclusion. There's also a lot of subtext, meta, and suspiciously little information about how Cannon Events and the multiverse generally work. But this is one of the simplest ways the movie tells us that Miles and the Spider-Band are in the right.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 10 months

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One thing I only realized in hindsight that I think is really striking is because...of course. Of course, Miles would never buy into Miguel and the Spider Society's "Canon" philosophy. Not just because he wouldn't want to stand by and just let horrible things happen to people, especially people he knows and loves...

But because the challenge Canon represents is one he's beaten once already.

The conceit of Canon events is essentially a trolley problem. There are two tracks: one set with one person tied to them and one set with several. Someone will die no matter what, but if the trolley is rerouted to the track with only one person on it, then fewer will die. Right? Likewise, if a Police Captain dies, the multiverse is saved.

But in Into The Spiderverse, the same problem is presented to Miles and the visiting Spider-People.

The Spider-People needed to use the collider to go home, or they would all keep glitching until their bodies disintegrated. But, they needed someone to stay behind and shut down the collider after, or it would threaten their various universes and beyond. In other words, one Spider had to strand themselves in Miles' universe to save everyone and everything else. Peter B. reveals to Miles before they set off that it's himself, even though they both know it's a death sentence.

All by themselves, there's nothing else the multi-versal migrants could've done. They had to get as many people out as possible, and they also had to stop the collider. No one could shut down the collider and escape succumbing to glitches.

Except for Miles.

After they leave him, Miles gets the reassurance, love, and support from his father that he'd been needing. This sets off his apotheosis, allows him to join the rest of the Spiders, and be the one to stay while they all go home. And since Miles is from the universe in question, as long as he can beat Kingpin, all the Spiders are safe, the collider gets shut down, and no one has to die.

While the confrontation at the collider isn't, as far as we know, a Canon event, it does present the same challenge: saving both the multiverse and the one person who seemingly has to die to save it.

In other words, Miles already beat this trolley problem once in ITSV. Miles wouldn't buy into the Society's idea that you not only can't fight fate, you must actively enable it, because...

Because he's not only fought fate once before, he's won.

And I believe he can do it again.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 10 months

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Episode 9: A Test of Pride.

Oh, don't you hate cliffhangers? Unless the movie's damn good enough to justify it, and those kinds are a rarity these days.

The Good.

This was another episode written by Sam and Travis, and it shows. Later I'll talk about the show's humor compared to the stream, but for now, I'll say that this one had some pretty good gags. The return of Boulder, Parchment, Shears, and Grog slamming Pike face-first into a barrel are peak Critical Role jokes.

You can catch an early nod to "When the Bald Man Cries" before Scanlan takes off; the beret on the dragonfly was a great little touch.

And hey, Cobalt Soul cameo!

I appreciate the Grog backstory. Especially since, in-game, Travis has been repeatedly reticent (at best) to explore his characters' pasts. Ironic, given that, so far, they've turned out pretty damn hype. The level of brutality is perfect; it shows just how little freedom, care, and love Grog would've gotten had he not spared Wilhand and been given away through him and Pike.

Also, I love the detail that Kevdak has one blind eye in the present day because Grog slashed it out in their backstory. Took me a re-watch or two to pick up on that.

I dig the focus on civilians. I like seeing how not everybody in this world is a mercenary or can defend themselves as the protagonists can. In the game, there would definitely be individual NPCs that got focus and love, but you couldn't do too much, or blood vessels in the DM's brain would eventually bust.

I love Kaylie's design; it's a cute pixie-ish look that doesn't conflict with her justifiable distrust and angry behavior and makes the family resemblance clear as crystal.

In terms of characterization, I appreciate that she and the troupe are trying to get help for the rest of the town; you get the impression Kaylie at least could sneak out on her own, but she's not doing that; she specifically charges Scanlan with the task of getting everyone out.

We got to see a little more from Zanror, too. Most of his portrayal was off-screen before the Kill Box fight in the original, so I liked seeing his and Grog's former closeness and Zanror's misgivings about Kevdak before that in these Herd-centric episodes.

The Bad. (Or at least, not great.)

I have something to say about Dranzel's troupe, but I think it fits better a couple episodes down the road. Keep them in mind for now.

Nitpick

I wouldn't have minded it if they'd made the flash back in the beginning of the episode a montage of different towns instead of just the one instance we saw. This would give us more info within the same amount of time, plus you can show multiple pillaged towns and Grog never encountering someone who was completely unprepared to fight back to any degree. Until he meets Wilhand.

This makes his change of heart make more sense and hit harder.

Pacing.

This is another episode with less-than-stellar pacing.

Grog and Pike's part of the story is handled well, but Scanlan and Kaylie's storyline should feel much less drawn out than it does. There's a cut back to those two, Dranzel's troupe, and the various townsfolk a couple of times; nothing really happens with them before Scanlan convinces Kaylie he can get them out before he reunites with Grog and Pike.

We can fix that.

There's a dragon in the neighborhood: have his presence shake the walls, have Scanlan peer outside only to see a long black tail slinking around the building, or have Umbrasyl's acid breath seep through the roof and down onto the people below, who cry out in fear and pain and then desperately try to stifle themselves so they don't draw his attention.

You can play up the suspense and uncertainty of the moment and make it feel like something catastrophic could happen at any time.

Pike's Mom?

I believe it was Sam who acknowledged during the watch party for this episode that there was some confusion over whether the gnomish woman we saw in the flashback was Pike or maybe her mother. This confusion was due to her hair being black, and her calling Wilhand her grandfather. Sam said that they didn't want Pike to say "great-great" every time she spoke of him, and that's reasonable.

Except...

If you've got a scene where a character looks markedly different than usual, to the point they can be mistaken for another character or a relative, you have to. If there was any scene where Pike needed to refer to her great-great-grandfather as such, it was here, so it would be clear that this woman was Pike.

Kevdak

We'll talk more about Ralph Ineson and how fucking intimidating he and the animators made Kevdak in the next episode...but I gotta say, he comes across as a little generic here compared to his stream counterpart. Kevdak's scary, sure, but not in any specific way. He feels scary the way any big, brutal dude would feel scary.

I like the idea of one of the folks Zanror was talking to about a rebellion getting impulsive, attacking Kevdak, and either getting mutilated (losing an ear, or maybe a finger) or being killed outright in turn. This tells us two things: the rest of the Herd is not and maybe has not been happy with Kevdak's leadership, but he is very good at putting down dissenters. It's a reminder of the Herd and its leader's specific brand of brutality.

In the same vein I would've liked to see them do more to tell us what Kevdak's motivations were. In the wrap-up for the first campaign, the DM revealed that, as had been hinted at during the stream, Kevdak had been biding his time until he would eventually try to take down Umbrasyl. By contrast, the audience doesn't even get hints about what Kevdak's deal is in the show. Is he genuinely cowed by Umbrasyl? Is he biding his time until he can rebel against him? Is that just what he's telling himself to avoid coming to terms with the fact that he's a dragon's servant? What's going on with him? Despite the show having multiple opportunities to clarify this for us, it doesn't.

That's it for this one folks. The last three episodes of the last season were nuts, and this one's no exception.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 10 months

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Thought: Jessica Drew's kid and Mayday having Spider-baby playtime together.

#Across The Spiderverse #ATSV #Jessica Drew #Peter B. Parker #Mayday Parker #Spiderverse #Spider-Woman #Spider-Man #baby spiders #Spider Society #Issa Rae #Jake Johnson

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aspiringsophrosyne · 11 months

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Episode 8: The Echo Tree.

Do the floors seem stickier than usual? Are the walls dripping with something? Is that the smell of earthen rot in the air? Don't worry about it. You've got a show to catch. And it's probably nothing, anyway.

The Good.

Before anything else, I should point out that Syngorn is ridiculously beautiful. The art team is still hitting it out of the park. And I like how it feels like it's of the Fey Wild but not; you could believe that it's a city that travels between two worlds.

Vex'ahlia

One way that stream!Vex differs from her animated counterpart is that much of her development happens pre-stream. Not all or even most of it, but some. TLOVM is not directly animating any pre-stream content so far, (aside from the Krieg fight, but even that got changed around more than a bit) so my best guess is the choice was made to move Vex's development here, so we could see it.

Stream!Vex had insecurities about money and being perceived as high-class, but by this point in the campaign, she was already done with Syldor's shit.

Pulling her back from that here gives her room to grow, and in the meantime, we get beautifully and painfully tense moments between her, Vax, and Syldor that hurt me to watch in all the best ways. I can't give enough praise for just how perfectly uncomfortable that talk in Syldor's office is.

Also, as other watchers have pointed out, he scoffs at the idea that the twins could find Fenthras...while Vax is wearing the Death Walkers' Ward. Unobservant and a bag of cocks. What a combo. Troy Baker plays him dead to rights; every interaction with him is perfectly cold and unpleasant.

Of the covenant and of the womb.

On the topic of blood relatives, I'm not sure how I feel about the change in the twins' relationship with Velora. In the stream, they'd known she'd existed for a while before she was introduced, and all three siblings already had a good relationship. On the one hand, the twins already knowing her gives a sense of history. This world and these characters have more going on than the audience sees. On the other hand, the twins reacting with warm affection even though Velora is such a shock speaks to their characters in a way a lot of dialogue couldn't. I think it's effectively a wash.

All that said, Toks Olagundoye as Devana and Jayla Lavender Nicholas as Velora do a great job injecting some much-needed sweetness into half of Vox Machina's stay in Syngorn. Both are instantly endearing.

Similarly, the incomparable Henry Winkler serves as a lovely palette cleanser. How great is the contrast between a loving parent and a shit one? He has such a warmth that gets across so well in just his first short scene. You can really tell why Pike turned out like she did.

The Echo Tree

I love how they turned up the creepy grossness for this version of this confrontation. Vex is already shown to be in a vulnerable place....and then this comes at her. The area is suitably sick looking and muck-filled, and Vex walking across the water with no trouble while the other three are struggling through it is a nice subtle touch.

Sendhil Ramamurthy gives a spell-binding performance as the manipulative Archfey Saundor. His words ooze like his sickness, but there's this....understated charm to him that, if he'd been presented slightly differently to the audience, could've gotten us on his side. You could almost see him caring about Vex's problems and genuinely thinking he was doing her a favor. Almost.

~*~

As a side note, I've noticed some stream fans' reactions to this video (more in terms of commenting on it than live reactions) are comments on how Saundor is significantly different here than in the game.

He's really not, as far as I can tell.

What is different is that he's less subtle here. This is due to several factors, primarily the rearranging of Vex's character development and the amount of time we have in the episode to devote to this confrontation.

Also, in no world could I see Matt Mercer and/or Laura Bailey being comfortable with him yelling "Bitch!" at her at their live-stream table, even in character. I think that was also a factor.

But Saundor was always an incel, exploiting Vex's weak spots to trick her into taking him as her patron. To the point where Taliesin and Marisha were mocking him and making faces during the original episode, like: "Holy shit, this guy is a creep."

And personally, given all the abuse the ladies of Critical Role (including Aimee Carrero and Aabria Iyengar) have gotten over the years, watching Vex beat the shit out of an absolutely unsubtle creep was incredibly satisfying on both a meta and in-story level.

~*~

And just in the story, it was magnificent to see a pure archer duel. As they say during the watch party, Vex hadn't had a big moment to shine in a fight up to this point. So I loved seeing her get one all to herself and excel at it. The recreation of Keyleth's tree-stride fire elemental move from the stream: the cherry on top.

Percy would periodically make various arrow types for Vex in the stream, and the arrowhead she kills Saundor with was a nice little nod to that. Laura and Taliesin were in fine form this episode, and there's been something so sweet about seeing these characters fall for each other all over again.

Of course, Artagan's reveal. It was so fun to see reactions from Critters who knew about him but not from Campaign One. The way they used Boyd as Garmelie was excellent, and seeing his transformation and then hearing Matt's voice…mwah!! There are a couple of characters that I was almost hoping Matt would voice, and Artie was definitely one of them. His design is perfect, and I particularly love his almost galaxy-like eyes. Makes him really seem like something with power. Can't wait to see him again.

The Bad. (Or at least not great.)

Really don't have much more than nitpicks.

Percy and Vex

Percy's words to Vex are, like previous bits of dialogue, too on the nose if you know what's coming. And given the events of season one, I feel it makes more sense that Percy might advocate instead for Vex's nerve, her fearlessness, and her not letting anyone intimidate her into folding or backing down. It's a more subtle setup for Saundor and fits their recent history.

Because I would think that watching Vex quake under her father's dismissal would be especially jarring for Percy after everything he's seen her do. Here's this incredibly brave and resilient woman who's faced down dragons and vampires. Who, with a gun to her head, stood her ground between Percy, his demon, and the target of their vengeance. That feels like a thing that would stick with him. He would want to remind her of that, and this reminder is what allows her to break free from Saundor before it's too late.

And it makes her immortal line about her heart feel more hers.

Nitpicks:

Let's look at some dialogue that could be improved.

Here's one more example of contradictory writing in this series:

The Twins' Asshole Dad: I will not be amending this for a meaningless title. Really, de Rolo, such a transparent ploy is beneath your dignity.

Vex'ahlia: Don't you dare talk to him like that. We came here seeking aid and you insult my friends?

So...Syldor basically tells Percy "You're better than this." And Vex comes along with a "How dare you say that about him!?"

Which is actually funny, albeit unintentionally.

It would've made more sense if Syldor sass-talked Whitestone or suggested Percy was a poor excuse for a noble indeed if he was pulling stunts like this, and then Vex stepped in to defend her teammate. As it stands, it's more like...Vex and Syldor were having two completely different conversations, but at each other and in the same space.

Moving along, we've got another one of Laura Bailey's immortal Campaign One lines.

Saundor: You've been a good daughter. You've tried. But it will never be enough. You will never be enough.

Vex'ahlia: If I could pull the blood of him from my veins and give it back, I would.

We can set such a stellar line up better than this. Let's just add one little line.

Saundor: You've been a good daughter. You've tried. But it will never be enough. You will never be enough. He will never consider you worthy of his blood.

Vex'ahlia: If I could pull the blood of him from my veins and give it back, I would.

~*~

Garmelie explaining that Saundor is an Archfey doesn't tell anyone who doesn't already know what that is anything. Stream watchers will know. And D&D players will know. Everyone else? Nope.

Theoretically, this could be a way to indirectly elucidate Garmelie's true level of power. We're told Saundor is an Archfey, so the audience understands from his duel with Vex that those are powerful creatures. Then make it clear that Garmelie himself is an Archfey later, so the audience has a reference for how powerful he actually is.

I don't have a lot of hope that this is what the writers are doing based on their previous record, though.

And that's the Echo Tree. Only one more episode until the crazy action sequences start. Be sure to get your tickets.

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aspiringsophrosyne · 11 months

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Episode 7: The Fey Realm.

If high fantasy's your thing, have we got a show for you today. Cursed swordsman, mysterious faerie realms, and grappling with destiny. Just make sure to get your seat before the lights go down.

The Good.

I appreciate Keyleth's freak-out after they realized they were separated from the gnomes and Grog. Too often, when characters don't get a moment to be distraught, it makes the stakes feel lower than they should. Or makes it feel like the cast doesn't care about each other all that much. So that was refreshing.

Also, good call to split up the group. That makes it easier for the show CRew; no need to figure out how to write and animate seven characters at once. Plus, that divides the audience's attention, making the plot easier to follow. And in smaller groups, it gives individual characters more time to shine.

Serious kudos is deserved for the design of the Fey Wild itself. Young Heller, episode director, and guest for the watch along, nailed it on the head when he described the Realm of the Fey as a character unto itself. Honestly, it comes across as even more alien and other here than it can in the game. Unless the DM wants to change things up, the game mechanics don't vary that much when you hang out there. So it can feel like only another weird area among many, depending on the story you're trying to tell.

Watching Craven Edge soak up Pike's blood from a distance while she's trying to heal, without even a wielder, is disturbing. It gives the impression that if left unchecked, this thing could turn into something even more dangerous than it already is.

Getting rid of Craven Edge was more involved in the stream, so they knew they had to make its destruction here brutal enough that it felt like death for the sword. For my money, they managed it; Grog breaking the sword had the visceral impact of a bone breaking in half. And the small ocean of blood it expels is like all its power and evil being released back into the world.

Holy shit Billy Boyd as Garmelie. He is perfect; the design and Billy's performance are just spot on what I would imagine a native fey creature to act like. Whimsical, self-interested, sort of smart ass, charming as all hell....everything about it is fantastic. I only wish we could've seen more of him. No notes.

Well, except for Garmelie's notes which....yeah, exactly right. Absolutely accurate to the stream. What a fabulously gross, cheeky little gremlin man.

My reactions to Pike and Scanlan's song, in order:

Oh, is this the song Sam hinted at during the pre-season interviews?

Wow, Ashley and Sam sound great together. They should do more duets.

...Wait, what are those lyrics?

These ridiculous little shits. (<-affectionate)

If you know, you know. But if you don't, it's just a good song.

Don't think we didn't pick up on those nine eyes Vex saw when she was sliding into a bad trip. It's weird and ominous to think that, in this universe, that's still around. And that the person who will trigger the confrontation with that whole thing....technically isn't even born yet.

I can't say enough about how pretty the Fey Realm is. Just....so gorgeous at every point.

And, of course, Cheech Marin is Trinket. Of course, he is.

The Bad. (Or at least not great.)

One thing that bothers me is that there are two angles they tried to hit in this episode that, due to poor execution, just...don't work. One is Percy being a more ineffective guide to the Fey Realm than he thinks he is, and the other is that the Realm Does Not Like the Matron's Champion in general on life vs. death principles.

When Percy warned the half-elves that the forest they were traveling through could pick up on a poor mood, we all knew what would happen. Vax has, understandably, been in a funk for days. So it wasn't hard for the audience to guess that the negativity-detecting plants would take one look at this boy and collectively go: get his ass.

Percy wasn't wrong about the vines; Vax was never going to be able to pass through them unscathed.

Likewise, when the rest of the group seems to think Percy doesn't know where he's leading them or is lost, that idea is undercut by the fact they've just reached the upside-down waterfall. The very same waterfall from Scanlan's vision of where Fenthras was. So the visual tells the audience Percy is actually on the right track, no matter how skeptical of him the group is in-universe.

As for Vax, the encounter with the mood forest muddles the idea that the Fey Realm is against him because it doesn't like death-aligned individuals in general.

Because Vax was initially attacked due to his emotional state, the potential takeaway was that the Fey Realm doesn't like bad vibes. And Vax is nothing but bad vibes right now.

It's another case of the script and the dialogue telling us one thing while what's actually happening tells us something contradictory. It's frustrating.

More Grog nerfing....eh. Makes a little more sense than some of the Season 1 moments, and it makes the fight in Episode 10 go even harder, but it still feels a little cheap to me. If I'm going to be nitpicky.

And that's about it. Next is a good one folks. See you there.

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