Critical Role: Domestic Respite

May 13, 2019 2:28 PM - Season 2, Episode 62

The Mighty Nein explore their new keep while anticipating the meeting at the Overcrow Apothecary.
posted by booksherpa (20 comments total)

I can't help but imagine the Xhorhaus as the home of the bedroom where the whole cast was in bed together in matching plaid pajamas in the Kickstarter intro video...

Also, everyone else running around buying things, and Liam being focused on "I want scenes with these people" feels very on-brand for him.
posted by booksherpa at 2:37 PM on May 13, 2019

Love an episode where there’s a bit of respite from the combat and the gang get to kick back and enjoy the world. Mr Clay’s roof tree garden is particularly inspired.
posted by brilliantmistake at 2:56 PM on May 13, 2019

I like those episodes as well. I enjoy combat, it can have me on the edge of my seat, but those role played character interactions are probably my favorite moments, and they often happen in shopping episodes.
posted by booksherpa at 3:02 PM on May 13, 2019

As soon as Taliesin was like, I wanna put down roots, I started cracking up because I knew that tree was finally coming!! And then he went all out and made sure everyone had a little alcove to put their own deity into if they wanted. It made me happy. I'm also someone who loves shopping episodes, mostly because it means Laura is going to start haggling AND because it means Matt is going to give us some choice NPCs to cackle over.

Gosh I love this show
posted by Hermione Granger at 4:22 PM on May 13, 2019

Remember the Real World where everyone would just run from room to room screaming when they got there? That was the beginning of this episode.
posted by dinty_moore at 5:26 PM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Matt is going to give us some choice NPCs to cackle over.

I love the hell out of Matt’s shopkeepers, and this was no exception. For humor value, my favorite may be the guy who sold them the moorbounders. Watching the cast completely lose their shit every time he spoke was the best.
posted by booksherpa at 5:43 PM on May 13, 2019

"Will it be like that all the time?"
"I think that's how trees work."
posted by nubs at 7:51 PM on May 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

I missed that Critical Role is now on Fanfare. I haven't finished this episode yet but I'm so excited.
posted by lilac girl at 8:49 PM on May 13, 2019

Fun episode; just like C1, episodes like this are a necessary break now and then from the more combat heavy/high stakes episodes. And watching them run a covert intelligence gathering operation at the Overcrow was really amusing. That being said, I think this episode has some pretty important moments:
-finding residiuum at the Overcrow
-a decision being made to take some steps to aid the Dynasty against whatever secretive plot is unfolding (with Caleb seemingly laser focused on the idea that this will be his way to get revenge on the Cerberus Assembly). Basically, this is no longer a group that is trying to avoid the war, they are inserting themselves into it now. Anyways, I think Mr. Clay is likely going to be right about this - the events unfolding are bigger than they are.

B: Is there a backdoor entrance...
J: For the goblin?
B: For the store?
posted by nubs at 8:52 AM on May 14, 2019

I died laughing at Fjord distracting the shopkeeper.

(also yay booksherpa for putting CR on Fanfare!)
posted by tautological at 1:10 PM on May 14, 2019

Bless Laura and Taliesin for giving us a canonical hot tub.
posted by a hat out of hell at 6:07 PM on May 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

I enjoyed this episode, and was getting a little "Battle weary" so was glad it wasn't another full episode where the characters mostly hit things.

Really looking forward to what ever fanart is created due to the mighty Tree sprouting out out of the top of the house, and I was wheezing with delight at the description of Jester trying to cram her weasel into a nest.
posted by Faintdreams at 5:31 AM on May 15, 2019

Really looking forward to what ever fanart is created due to the mighty Tree sprouting out out of the top of the house,

Here's a good one.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:30 AM on May 15, 2019 [3 favorites]

Dani Carr's Critical Recap for Episode 62.
posted by booksherpa at 3:13 PM on May 15, 2019 [1 favorite]

Just a heads up - my intent is to post new episodes on Mondays to take advantage of using CR's own name and episode description. It also gives people a couple of days to watch the latest episode. If folks want them posted before that, we can figure something out.
posted by booksherpa at 2:16 PM on May 17, 2019 [2 favorites]

I think that makes sense, booksherpa. I don't often get around to watching it until Mondays anyways.
posted by nubs at 3:58 PM on May 17, 2019

Oh phew I caught up to where the fanfare entries start.

This show is just oozing out of my pores now. Mercer's word choices like "individual" and "abode" are really just burned into my brain.

I really like Taliesin Jaffe's character much more than the previous one or the one from S1. His gunslinger character was too fiddly in combat, it took him so long to roll and add up lots of plinky dice, and the previous one this season was just a little too haughty or something. Caduceus feels much more bringing what the group lacks.

All in all I'm impressed by all of the players' abilities to simply be ON while the camera is on them. Especially Mercer of course who hardly ever gets to fade into the background for a spell like the players can.
posted by fleacircus at 5:43 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

Cad admittedly has the benefit of being created with the other characters in mind, but Tal's surprisingly good at playing a support character - his 'let me try this weird thing' works well with the cleric's massive spell list in mind, and he's good at reminding the other players when they have an extra advantage or bless placed on them. I really liked Molly and it would have been interesting to see where Molly eventually ended up, but Cad's appearance (and general chillness) probably helped the group gel as much as Molly's death did.
posted by dinty_moore at 2:54 PM on April 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

I just remember there were times when Jaffe would be kind of mean with Molly, utter a statement that was kind of supportive in sound but had a sarcastic, "You're stupid" cooler/smarter than thou kind of twist to them.

Though ofc, at that time EVERYONE was kind of fractious and snippy, so that may have softened, but having a contrast now, a character who is like the goodhearted stoner step-dad of the group really contributes a lot to the mix and still results in moments of like contrast and relief even as the other characters have softened a bit from where they started.
posted by fleacircus at 11:01 PM on April 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

You're not wrong, but one of the things I find interesting is that all of Taliesin's characters (or at least the main campaign ones) have a bit of a patronizing/judgemental streak - from 'your secret is safe from my indifference' Percy to 'sleep well with your bad decisions' Cad. Caduceus gets called on it less partially because he's quieter (or at least more passive aggressive) about it, and partially because I think the audience buys that he does have the moral high ground pretty often - it's not that hard to be superior to the rest of the nein during the pirate arc. The wisdom stat probably plays into it a bit, too.

And I mean, playing judgemental characters is fun! You get to comment on other people's decisions, which adds to some interesting play. There's nothing wrong with that.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:03 PM on April 28, 2021 [1 favorite]