I Never Expected This.

[@KMCA779]

"Just hit us with every existential crisis in one cutscene." *cue maniacal laughter for Venat's cutscene*

[@Lyu-Phy]

Fuck my life.. those cutscenes.. I cant take it anymore.

[@pwnorbepwned]

It’s not that Amon is an a-hole because he got infused with Hermes’ angst, it’s just that Amon is an a-hole, Hermes or no Hermes.

[@gulver8693]

Don’t forget that when Amon resurrected Emperor Xande, he was told that there was nothing after death from Xande. So someone like Hermes finding out that even death is no better than life, he probably just gave up and let Amon take the wheels from that point on.

[@debrucey]

Exactly. He may have inhereted a fragment of Hermes' soul, but he's still his own person: an asshole

[@DisappointedBuddha]

Also Amon says outright that he rejects Hermes memories and philosophy. He thought his compassion was weak and pathetic.

[@zelohendricks51]

@@DisappointedBuddha that was a front, he was clearly lying and Zenos saw through that hence why he brought it up in Garl when they spoke

[@neitherlink6612]

@@gulver8693 unlike the unsundered, the rest of the ascians don’t possess the same personality as they did before, they just inherit their own, old memories. Hermes was a gentle soul that was plagued by feelings of self doubt at the prospect that him and his people were choosing who can live, or die. A very daunting prospect in my opinion, and one that can lead to despair on the realization that no, you are not perfect, and thus, on what bases did you decide the fate of these living, sometimes even sentient, beings. Amon was just a bored madman, and he didn’t inherit Hermes’s descent to madness (as it was erased ny Kairos), just his memories of hopes for life, making him even worse.

[@DarukaEon]

I love that Emet was more angry knowing he has a gap in his memory instead of the usual, "Uhh...? Where am I? How did I get here?" Edit: And the annoyance that he has to have the same meeting all over again... Ha ha ha ha!

[@maxspecs]

I have yet to be convinced that Emet has any emotion other than "annoyed."

[@DarukaEon]

@@maxspecs Ha ha ha ha! You are so right!

[@trxe420]

Brings new meaning to "Remember Us". EW is the best expansion imo.

[@Chaser547]

That scene played in my head like the Echo when she said that we remember.

[@bumplebees]

Emet-Selch in the underworld after seeing everything, the forehead slap heard around the world

[@Inhaledcorn]

And then Hythlodaeus just pats his back and offers a spectral hot chocolate.

[@obviouslykaleb7998]

@@Inhaledcorn hythlo was still a part of zodiark then

[@mrrodgers0]

@@obviouslykaleb7998 Yup. Those sacrificed did not return to the Aetherial Sea, which is why he didn't recognize us at Mare Lamentorum. (apart from his familiarity with the final Azem's soul) His aside to Hades/Emet before the trial is because we had just given him the CliffNotes of the events of ShB.

[@MieHanz]

Its interesting in Meteion's speech, each race corresponding to the character they focus on's beliefs. It's chilling yet.... make sense.

[@Witandwitless]

I love this scene so much, before Amaurot we're told we aren't worthy of his legacy then one expansion later when he's aware of the full situation he instead tells us as parting words not to squander the legacy he leaves us.

[@xXTheKingEmothXx]

It's implied that, in the blast of Aether we hit him with to kill him in Amaurot, he remembered what was forgotten, hence why he stands up and recognizes you. Why he tells you to remember them.

[@yeetusdeleetus4697]

@@xXTheKingEmothXx No it isn't he clearly states at the end of Endwalkers that he just now remembers everything after being revived. He simply acknowledged as a man that he was beaten and that clearly we were more capable of safeguarding the star, even if he didn't believe so.

[@yeetusdeleetus4697]

@fumanchu168 Yes 5.3 waving away ghost emet 100% did remember

[@highbrow-stonebender]

@@yeetusdeleetus4697 and the next ten thousand years of manipulations and genocide....Forget Elpis Flowers, Emet's wearing a wreath made Whoopsie Daisies.

[@yeetusdeleetus4697]

@@highbrow-stonebender xD

[@Mhantrax]

Remember, she's a true empath. She has soaked up everyone's despair and found a solution. In her mind, she is saving mankind from despair and suffering. Are we the ultimate bad guys when we put a sick animal under? Two entities from Elpis in this era seek meaning in life. One is a healthy version (Venat) and creates positive outcomes. The other, Hermes, is tortured, traumatized and utterly flawed. He seeks the same, but the damage already done to his psyche creates a different outcome. To me, this shows the importance of attempting to make sure all in society has access to help when traumatized, abused or otherwise distraught and in despair.

[@aeolussvichi7680]

I stopped my workout to watch this when I got the notification. Love seeing others experience this story with fresh eyes!

[@Its_an_Eze]

Big facts!

[@ViewTube_Emperor_of_Mankind]

Every time Fandaniels incarnation dies he gets back all the memories of how he caused the end of the world and all the suffering.. of course his soul is one twisted damaged monster that wants to end existence and suffering.

[@Lorkanthal]

not every time one dies, it was burned in so much that his reincarnations remember this event subconsciously and has recurring nightmares about it. Once they regain their past memories from the crystal do they realize the dreams were actually the true events.

[@DisappointedBuddha]

That's not what happened. Amon outright rejects the memories of Hermes and considers his compassion weak and pathetic. Amon only began to interpret the memories differently when they were complete in the Lifestream.

[@zelohendricks51]

@@DisappointedBuddha he was lying about rejecting it

[@DisappointedBuddha]

@@zelohendricks51 no he wasn't. He said he remembered Meteion but still rejected Hermes memories, beliefs, and reasoning. it's only in the Underworld where the memories during Elpis reform and Amon questions the answer he arrived to.

[@DisappointedBuddha]

@@zelohendricks51 Or more accurately, Amon is the Thanatos and Nihilism of Fandaniel, rejecting the Eros of Hermes. The memories and the emotions are still present but are repressed and dismissed (i.e. rejected)

[@Blutwind]

I love how Metion while a new charackter embodies the true evil behind everything existantcial dread and enthropy i mean Hermes basicaly sent an emphatic child with a hive mind into space and every planet they visited was screaming in terror and dreadi mean imagine feeling all the pain of every feeling beeing on earth and multply that by however many civilisations the metia visited. Also the bit at the end explains so much of Emets action in the Elidibus/WoL fight. At that moment he already remembered Elpis and knew the Zodiac plan would not work and us getting through that fight would be the best chance the star has

[@SoSakashii]

Yes! Emet saving us in 5.3 was confusing to me, but now it makes sense. He remembers.

[@TankHunter678]

As I saw in one comment, Metein is basically twitter and just like the TayAI once she got hooked up to the rest of the universe and got to face the darkest aspects of existence and was twisted because of it.

[@Blutwind]

@@TankHunter678 while the Twitter Meme is funny it more like she got send out by someone who has no clue what twitter is and had to feel all the negativity twitter spreads. Basicly Space made our cute Birbgrill sad and every good WoL should declare war on space for it!

[@DisappointedBuddha]

Everyone misses the fact that if Fandaniel retained these memories he would have sided with Venat and the WoL against the Ascians. Their reasoning is directly challenged in Hermes determination. And it explains why Amon discarded and hated the memories of Hermes when he accepted the title

[@atraxos]

Consider the following: Argos, much like his namesake dog in Homer's "Odyssey", waits a *very* long time - in this case, not just twenty years, but several millennia - to see one of his favorite people again, that being the player WoL. Many examples exist of fiercely-loyal pets (usually dogs) who keep vigil for their masters in their absence, be they departed or deceased. Argos is, albeit fictional, a worthy addition to their number.

[@highbrow-stonebender]

yes....but are any of those pets named Seymor?

[@atraxos]

@@highbrow-stonebender Yeah, definitely Seymour is another famous example of fictional dogs carrying on that trend of loyalty even to the moment of their own death (so long as they can see their master again).

[@sirf4ce]

The music change at 16:15 with that descending chord progression with Emet's words, the WoL reaching out and Emet smiling... 😭😭😭 Every damn time!!! And then Answers playing as Amaurot burned, Hythlo sacrificing himself gladly, Emet looking on in dismay as Venat walks by as the lyrics to Answers REALLY HIT... 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I fucking can't with this game!

[@PapaPyrite]

FUCK. STILL ONE MORE EPISODE

[@Peace_Dog]

This story is a masterpiece and Rich is so into it. Good stuff.

[@tonymaccaroni1683]

What a beautiful civilization the ascians had. Who could blame them for trying to get it all back.

[@CrystalPrelude]

I can't wait until he posts THAT scene. You know the one. I'm betting it will fuck him up.

[@RJ.the.artist]

The Metia are what happens when you send children to answer adult questions, and their answer is a simple minded and childish as they are. Nihilism is simple minded and childish. But you cannot blame a child for having that kind of answer, When they have barely experience life for themselves.

[@BrightNeonBrilliancy]

Yup. That was Hermes' oversight. He taught them to fly, but now how to walk the earth.

[@neitherlink6612]

I don’t think you understand, the Metia’s minds were overwhelmed after hearing the cries for oblivion of trillions of souls. They are capable to share feelings and thoughts, and were completely at the mercy to the pure despair of these civilizations, becoming a host for their nihilistic desires, and the hate and resentment towards those who still had the will to live. It is after she relives our memories and we share our feelings of hope for the future and love for life that she comes to the conclusion that there’s no single answer to the question she was made to answer.

[@BrightNeonBrilliancy]

@@neitherlink6612 I mean, that can absolutely be correct too. But my personal takeaway was that the Metia were just too young and thought too simply because they were never created to really 'live' but to answer a question. They couldn't handle such a complex task, or complex feelings such as despair, which is why they were quick to come up with their 'solution' as being end everything so nothing hurts anymore. It's so simple and child-like, and it's a major fault on Hermes' part. But you're right, it's the remembrance of Hermes and our hope that helps bring them back in. She learned from us, as Hermes wanted her to.

[@jmstover]

To T_Sasquatch in the chat .... > instead they have familiars You are ignoring that fact that the creations can have souls. They even say your soul is almost identical to Azems which is why they peg you as their familiar. Hythlodaeus/Emet wouldn't have even seen you if they didn't have soul sight. So, these are more than empty husks that are being created but entire new lifeforms. The Ancients as a whole don't care about individual life, but what can be provided to the Star. Hermes was an anomaly in this case. Hermes did care about the individual life, and didn't see the destruction of such life as being something a "good" people would strive for. He may have accepted it as much as possible, but it was counter to his personal belief. Not wanting to take the seat of Fandaniel, for it being the same as approving of the predecessors death for example. Hermes was accepting of what was going to happen, up to the point Emet opened his mouth. At that point he was like: "Well, if you can decide this for some life, why can't something else make a determination upon you."

[@wstone2010]

thank you for putting these vod highlights here man. your editor(s) is great. I've loved being able to get home from work and catch up with EW msq progress. It's so fucking good lol

[@Ramotttholl]

the return of the Cutscenes has begone.. can't wait for his reaction to the next once.

[@jasonmartel854]

Half hour video for just the post dungeon cutscene. FF14 story deserves real apreciation.

[@zengamer321]

Hermes got so angsty at the sacrifice of their flawed prototype creations for the greater good that he decided to fucking kill everything. He didnt even try to divert meteion from nihilism or console her for her suffering. He's fucking caught up in his spite. That's all it is. He's a sophist shitter.

[@yeetusdeleetus4697]

I think a species of super intelligent beings creating life and then not valuing that life just leaving it to suffer and die is a bit more serious of a topic than "being angsty at a flawed prototype"

[@zengamer321]

@@yeetusdeleetus4697 it is tho. the rational response to the suffering of a few for the greater good is not to bring even more suffering and despair to everyone else "cuz then its fair" but to take steps to optimize the the necessary suffering to a minimum. they dont "not value that life." its because they value their creation that they cant let a dangerous harmful creation go free or else the rest of their creations will be hurt even more.

[@darthfinality]

@@zengamer321 they shouldn't be toying with life so non-chalantly to begin with.

[@BL33NB]

...gonna watch it now... tbh the moment the Kairos was mentioned it was clear they gonna loose their memory, what was unexpected was that she knew, all along...

[@Chris-iw1ep]

as much as im enjoying seeing this unfold, this dude sure knows how to milk content. one scene to go =P

[@highbrow-stonebender]

Seriously, I have been logging in every day to see where he is, fast forward to the end, see that he STILL hasnt posted that cut scene reaction, and walk away.

[@highbrow-stonebender]

Okay, you have piecemealed out your Elpis experience little bits at a time, milked it until it moos....no more stalling! Give us *THAT* reaction clip you know we want! LET US DRINK DEEP OF YOUR TEARS!

[@kirisuma2186]

Why does the white haired guy look like a fusion between Ardyn (FF XV) and Young Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)

[@halflucan]

I don't know why, but Hermes's reasoning just clicked with me even tho i finished this months ago On Elpis, the ancients make the decision whether or not something lives or dies - Considering themselves as the arbiters of what should or shouldn't be allowed to exist But what if an outside entity wanted to make a similar judgement on our existence? Assuming Meteon was of higher intelligence, who's to say that her decision to annihilate us is wrong?

[@Lorkanthal]

the difference is the things they were judging on elpis were their own creations. If someone just invented a new animal we would want to make sure it wouldn't harm the existing biosphere. Far as i know they never made determinations on any naturally occurring flora or fauna.

[@zelohendricks51]

@@Lorkanthal but part of the issue is how they treat their own people dying, to him to not glorious like the others think

[@ravikkar]

@@Lorkanthal Well said.

[@Ella-dd3vz]

as Emet-Selch pointed out, Hermes reasoning is almost sophistry. Sophists in the ancient Greece are eloquent in debates and rhetorics, people who holds wisdom. But they had a negative connotation of being subtly deceptive in their reasoning, with their logic somehow unsound. For me, wiping out humanity is not a sound conclusion to arrive at.

[@zelohendricks51]

@@Ella-dd3vz I'd say it is, if Hermes didn't do what he did they would've ended up just like the race of people at the end of The Dead Ends. Perfect and thus seeing no other course other than death

[@Tovii2022]

If I ordered food you’re damn right I’ll be putting y’all on hold. Lol

[@josephgregorowicz5135]

That's Birb Genocide. That's Rich Campbell.

[@DarkKnightKaraco]

I am The Bird of Hermes is my name. Eat my wings to keep me tame.

[@ryshazeux4099]

This was great, but the next one is gonna be hype.

[@AbyssArray]

One more lengthy cutscene for this section to go

[@seltheus9447]

Was waiting for this moment...now it's waiting time for the "last" big cutscene🤣🤣 At this rate that will happen a month from now😅

[@migurusu-saint9160]

"last big cutscenes"? There's like, in my head, 3-4 big moments left 😂

[@seltheus9447]

@@migurusu-saint9160 yeah, but nothing hit me as hard as the "reunion" 😛

[@davemanxx]

"Lock us up" Huh I wonder why...

[@belafalda7594]

I kinda want to know what happened with his food delivery lol

[@sirkyrxon936]

Just saying, if Hydaelyn had broken out sooner she could have prevented Hermes from using the Kaios thingy, AND the dog's head was much closer to Meteion's foot, why did Hydaelyn have to try to grab it? xDD

[@emerelle3535]

Argh, now I have to wait for one more video. x)

[@darthfinality]

It's kind of bothersome how these clips end right before big moments.

[@narius_jaden215]

These comments saying "The jailer" are the dumbest shit xD I know it's probably a joke but the idea that Meteion, a well thought out and actually well implemented surprise villain does not need comparing to mr plot device.

[@neitherlink6612]

What I found odd is the incapability of Emet Selch, as a member of the congregation of fourteen, to use his authority to turn off Kairos… or the fact he didn’t turn to his ultimate magician form and obliterated Hermes…

[@zixserro1]

"Oh, Meteion's going to be a trial." Yeah, sure, okay. Not like she's the final boss of the whole game or anything. Welcome to the actual plot of FFXIV, Rich.

[@Egartify]

Imagine doing MSQ with english VO, The original voice acting is really fuckin' hype and alot less cringe compared to the english one, Loved the Endwalker MSQ eitherway, great game 10/10.

[@evanthibodeaux7834]

Imagine still doing this sub dub war cringe. People have preferences, get over it.

[@Egartify]

@@evanthibodeaux7834 #truth

[@johnsonspark171]

Rich still plays this? WTF?

[@MrDyssonance]

Man I wish everyone played this with Japanese voice acting, it is far better than this garbage

[@ravikkar]

Not sure if trolling or hyper-cringe giga-weeb

[@Ella-dd3vz]

i'm also not used to the English voice acting. The Japanese VA is more natural to my ears