Tag: jester

Critical Role Finale Feels

This should go without saying, but warning there will be spoilers for the finale of campaign 2. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. And with that….

*screams in Shadowgast and demi*

Ahem. Right then. Getting ahead of myself. 

Credit: @OGaelfox

There’s a lot to go over in the 7 hour long finale, but I’m mostly just really excited that everyone got a happy ending, especially a certain wizard boy I was very much routing for. Let’s break it down.

Fjord + Jester – There were so many good moments between them in this one. Jester nervously saying “I love you” and wishing she could take it back, then going to her dad for advice. Fjord setting up that romantic moment in the rain to say it back. The two of them hitting the high seas together. I am very happy they got their happy ending, and hope to see one of their adventures in a comic or some other form one day. 

Credit: @Liabra

(Side note – I was also happy to see the Parent Trap worked and Marion and The Gentleman were at least testing the waters to see what they could make work. Jester deserves to see her parents happy.)

Beau + Yasha – Beau got some closure regarding her dad and ended up being more respected than he in the end. Meanwhile, Yasha got some closure of her own, revisiting her tribe and being able to properly say goodbye to Zuala. They both rode off into the sunset together and got their happy ending as well. Not much to say there other than “I’m happy for them”.

Credit: @TriaElf9

Cad and Veth both went back to their families and also lived happy lives. I love the idea of Veth starting an adventuring camp for little ones, like her son Luc. 

Molly, I’m sorry, Kingsley, got to live the pirate life he missed and discover who he was. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him being a blank slate, but he turned it into an opportunity instead of a reason to mourn. I love the idea of him becoming king of the seas and living his best life.

Credit: @rosyglommart

And then there was Caleb. Of all the ships that potentially could sail, his with Essek was always the longshot for me. I hoped with all my might, but also understood that Caleb and Essek both individually had to work on themselves first. I was so happy to see them both accept that you cannot change the past, only learn from it. I was also very proud of Caleb that he didn’t try to alter himself to live a longer life with Essek. I know a lot of fans wanted it, but it would’ve negated the lessons Calab had learned about bending time and space to suit his needs. He accepted that he needed to live the life he was given and enjoy the moments as they came. I’m very proud of him. I also know there were some who wanted a more explicit showing of affection between them, but again, I think the way Liam and Matt presented it was perfect. At the end of the day all I wanted was for them to be together and happy, and they were. There was also some talk on twitter about Essek being demi which is how I identify so it felt very good to be validated in this way.

Credit: @Omegasama_art

I know I was very slow to warm up to this campaign, largely because of my attachment to VM, but also because it just wasn’t the type of story I usually connect with at first. The Might Nein did eventually hit those “found family” feels though, and I was especially validated seeing a wide variety of relationships presented in the end. We had MLM/Demi love, WLM, and a more “traditional” straight couple. Plus some Ace rep from Cad! And of course the group will always stay in touch despite going their separate ways. I can only imagine the future sending messages Jester has for them all. 

Thank you Matt and company for giving us these characters and making us feel all of the feels. Let’s do it again sometime. 


In Defense of The Traveler (Cr C2 Ep 107)

Credit: @Madartsyworks https://twitter.com/madartsyworks/status/1303422861374177280?s=21

There’s a saying: better late than never. This is what I tell myself every time I give myself a deadline that I miss, and it applies to the following words I have regarding episode 107 of Critical Role: specifically regarding a certain conversation between Jester and the Traveler towards the end. I pulled some choice quotes for my own reference, but in general this conversation is everything I wanted from them. I love how sincere it is but still has the jovial nature their relationship is based on. Most importantly, between this and the actions the Traveler makes in the next episode, I think I can say without a doubt that, while he might be an agent of chaos and a troublemaker, he is not looking to hurt anyone. At least not in a malicious way, and especially not Jester or her friends. If you want a sense of his motivations, you simply have to listen to what he says. Never forget that Archfey can’t lie. They choose their words very carefully, and Matt is a calculated enough DM who plans far enough ahead that I believe everything you need to know about Artagan is in what he says to Jester in their moments alone. Especially two lines in particular:

“As much as I’ve guided you through the years, don’t think you haven’t guided me”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, not intentionally” 

I pulled far more than this from their conversation, but these two lines give you everything you need to know about him. 1) Jester has changed him since we first met him back in campaign 1, and 2) He is not malicious in his intent. I think Artagan truly thought dropping people on an island where they would forget about him was his way of setting them free and fixing his mistake. I don’t think he saw it as endangering anyone. I also don’t think he expected Jester to ever be in real danger, either because he trusted in her ability to take care of herself, or because he was prepared to save her if needed. 

There is another saying: actions speak louder than words. And since I waited an extra week to write this, we got some real clear signals that Artagan cares about Jester, as he was not prepared for her to risk her life to save him. He accepted the mistakes he made and was prepared to deal with the consequences on his own. I am very glad Jester managed to use her words to save him, and that they don’t have to separate. I know a lot of people asked “what happens next” but I don’t see much changing between them, other than Jester now knows that whatever spark the Traveler gave her was a boost. He lit the spark, but she grew into the person she is now all on her own. I look forward to see her continue to grow as a person, and see how much more influence she has on Artagan’s arc. I appreciate her friends and fans ready to thrown down to protect her, but ultimately I just want her to be happy. Right now, the Mighty Nein and Artagan both make her happy. I want to see them continue on their journey, and let chaos reign.