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Critical Role: Campaign 2
Now that we're four episodes in, and finished with the introductory arc, I feel ready to say a few things about the characters and setting for the new Critical Role campaign. If you've been curious about Critical Role, but overwhelmed by the idea of catching up on its vast back catalog, may I suggest that this new campaign is a wonderful place to jump in? All new characters, all new story, and the first campaign is deep backstory but so far has not been referenced at all. (That said, I appreciate that not everyone is willing and able to keep up with a media property that provides at least three hours of new content every week. But at least newbies can start from scratch!)
I'll start with Travis and go down the table.
Fjord (Travis): I love the joy that Travis is taking in playing a character so very different from Grog. True for everyone, to an extent, but I think more so for Travis than anyone else. He's such the solid, stable, Team Dad. It's fun to see him playing a high-charisma, thoughtful character. The questions raised about his backstory are among the most intriguing to me: how did he acquire his magical powers? Was he really just a fisherman before? What sent him on this quest? He's a good-hearted soul, with still waters that run deep, and I can't wait to see what he becomes.
Beau (Marisha): I feel we got more solid backstory on Beau than anyone else, thanks to her throwdown with her new mentor in this week's episode. The connection to the Cobalt Reserve is great. I caught that reference to The Knowing Mistress; does that mean that she follows Iuon, and did we know that the Cobalt Reserve had a connection to Iuon's priesthood? The criminal element is also pretty fascinating, and I hope this means she has some sort of tie to the Myriad. Normally I don't like to start creating headcanons about a character, but I'm happy to go along with fandom majority opinion that Beau is likely not straight.
Caleb (Liam): Having a traditional arcane wizard in the group is going to change up gameplay in a way I find interesting. His relationship with Nott is beyond precious. Otherwise I don't have a lot of feelings about him yet. Liam is playing him pretty close to the vest, and I suspect this is on purpose.
Nott (Sam): She's going to be a lot of fun. Sam's glee at playing a low-charisma character is palpable. I like the burgeoning friendship with Jester almost as much as the established relationship with Caleb. Of all these characters, I think she's the most likely to rip our heart out with something in her backstory, especially with what sounds like a reveal that she's turned against her goblin kin.
Jester (Laura): This is Jester's world; we're all just living in it. Not a complaint -- she is easily my favorite character so far. I love how sweet and open and genuine she is, and how she seems to have no filter whatsoever, and her trickster persona. I'm excited to learn more about her deity, too.
Mollymauk (Taliesin): Leave it to Taliesin Jaffe to create a shady bastard with a deep backstory of which we've clearly only just scratched the surface. When Toya dropped that tidbit about how Molly had only joined the circus a couple of years ago, and Taliesin made a face, I knew. Not that Molly and Percy are similar in pretty much any other way, but I feel like Taliesin doesn't know any other way to build characters. I enjoy the instant mutual dislike of Beau, in part because it's not a dynamic we've really had between party members in Critical Role before, and I look forward to seeing it play out.
Yasha (Ashley): It's really too bad that Ashley wasn't able to be in more of these early episodes, and that it doesn't look like she'll be around next week either. I'm glad that she has an existing relationship with Molly, because otherwise I have no idea how she'll build up an organic relationship with the rest of the team. That said, I love her character concept a lot, and can't wait for a woman to be the biggest, buffest fighter in the group.
The Party: I thought having the characters come together as three small pre-existing groups with already established connections was smart, rather than trying to build up all the camaraderie from scratch. It's nice to see new friendships already forming, too, like Nott and Jester, and Fjord and Caleb. Fjord's journey to the magic academy gives the team a nice overarching goal (which I'm sure will be sidetracked from in the first five minutes, but still), and I believe that they would stick together to at least the next city.
So, who else is watching? What do you think so far, especially if you're new? Me, I'm happy, and looking forward to what comes next.
I'll start with Travis and go down the table.
Fjord (Travis): I love the joy that Travis is taking in playing a character so very different from Grog. True for everyone, to an extent, but I think more so for Travis than anyone else. He's such the solid, stable, Team Dad. It's fun to see him playing a high-charisma, thoughtful character. The questions raised about his backstory are among the most intriguing to me: how did he acquire his magical powers? Was he really just a fisherman before? What sent him on this quest? He's a good-hearted soul, with still waters that run deep, and I can't wait to see what he becomes.
Beau (Marisha): I feel we got more solid backstory on Beau than anyone else, thanks to her throwdown with her new mentor in this week's episode. The connection to the Cobalt Reserve is great. I caught that reference to The Knowing Mistress; does that mean that she follows Iuon, and did we know that the Cobalt Reserve had a connection to Iuon's priesthood? The criminal element is also pretty fascinating, and I hope this means she has some sort of tie to the Myriad. Normally I don't like to start creating headcanons about a character, but I'm happy to go along with fandom majority opinion that Beau is likely not straight.
Caleb (Liam): Having a traditional arcane wizard in the group is going to change up gameplay in a way I find interesting. His relationship with Nott is beyond precious. Otherwise I don't have a lot of feelings about him yet. Liam is playing him pretty close to the vest, and I suspect this is on purpose.
Nott (Sam): She's going to be a lot of fun. Sam's glee at playing a low-charisma character is palpable. I like the burgeoning friendship with Jester almost as much as the established relationship with Caleb. Of all these characters, I think she's the most likely to rip our heart out with something in her backstory, especially with what sounds like a reveal that she's turned against her goblin kin.
Jester (Laura): This is Jester's world; we're all just living in it. Not a complaint -- she is easily my favorite character so far. I love how sweet and open and genuine she is, and how she seems to have no filter whatsoever, and her trickster persona. I'm excited to learn more about her deity, too.
Mollymauk (Taliesin): Leave it to Taliesin Jaffe to create a shady bastard with a deep backstory of which we've clearly only just scratched the surface. When Toya dropped that tidbit about how Molly had only joined the circus a couple of years ago, and Taliesin made a face, I knew. Not that Molly and Percy are similar in pretty much any other way, but I feel like Taliesin doesn't know any other way to build characters. I enjoy the instant mutual dislike of Beau, in part because it's not a dynamic we've really had between party members in Critical Role before, and I look forward to seeing it play out.
Yasha (Ashley): It's really too bad that Ashley wasn't able to be in more of these early episodes, and that it doesn't look like she'll be around next week either. I'm glad that she has an existing relationship with Molly, because otherwise I have no idea how she'll build up an organic relationship with the rest of the team. That said, I love her character concept a lot, and can't wait for a woman to be the biggest, buffest fighter in the group.
The Party: I thought having the characters come together as three small pre-existing groups with already established connections was smart, rather than trying to build up all the camaraderie from scratch. It's nice to see new friendships already forming, too, like Nott and Jester, and Fjord and Caleb. Fjord's journey to the magic academy gives the team a nice overarching goal (which I'm sure will be sidetracked from in the first five minutes, but still), and I believe that they would stick together to at least the next city.
So, who else is watching? What do you think so far, especially if you're new? Me, I'm happy, and looking forward to what comes next.