THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA 3x2 REACTION | Prisoners of Ank'Harel | Critical Role

[@jackakimbo5718]

The Ace Attorney thing actually has an additional layer to it: Sam Riegel (Scanlan) is also the voice actor for Phoenix Wright

[@shaskusmas]

That's two time Emmy Award winner Sam Riegel. And don't you forget it!

[@ghurcbghurcb]

Yeah, he even cosplayed Phoenix in one of Critical Role's halloween episodes!

[@yodaiam9589]

In the games, yes. Different guy in the anime.

[@TheRuneSage-s4b]

@@yodaiam9589 Theres an anime!?

[@dragoninthewest1]

There also was that one Halloween where Sam dressed up as Phoenix Wright.

[@TojiChiba]

Fun fact. The kids playing with guns are voiced by Laura Bailey and her son Ronin. So with grog you have the whole family in the scene.father, mother and son.

[@renamako8845]

Oh my god that is adorable !❤

[@topkekbieri]

Jesus I still remember Laura hiding her belly in the stream and Now Ronin is already voicing a character. It's been a minute since I found critical role. And what a Minute it's been.

[@bandi138138]

That means Laura voiced another blue tiefling girl lol

[@danzansandeev6033]

ronin is that big now?!

[@ellwyn8634]

@@danzansandeev6033 He was born in Aug 2018 so he's 6 (5-5 1/2 when it was recorded)

[@agenttwenty-six6133]

You have no idea what a monumental name drop they did with Zerxus Ilerez. I am so hyped for this season!!!

[@hosungyoo7601]

Yep this is an entirely different story than the original campaign

[@taly_slayer]

"Does that mean that anybody that dies at the hands of any weapon, their soul would be given to Orthax" - Yes, that's exactly what it means. If she creates the weapons with Orthax's help, that's what's in it for the demon.

[@agenttwenty-six6133]

Which in turn would make him SO much more powerful. It is a hell of a concept, pun slightly intended.

[@danielmoriarty9273]

Orthax makes pacts of vengeance with mortals in exchange for souls.

[@IceMetalPunk]

@@agenttwenty-six6133 There was something similar in American Gods. I believe it was Hephaestus who forged guns, and every time someone killed with one of his guns, it acted as a sacrifice to give him more power.

[@nightingale8178]

Name drop and inclusion of Zerxus Ilerez is INSANE but also a very nice fit

[@kaniamia]

It completely makes sense that J’mon Sa Ord would be on familiar terms with Zerxus, and that if they wanted to hide something in the Hells, he’d be the one they enlisted.

[@radicaladz]

Deep lore! It took me a hot minute to remember that name, but yes! Let's fucking GO!

[@Thurrak]

The fact that we may get Calamity in animation later is so fucking cool, I hope we do!

[@OfficialEdwardNewgate]

That name drop had me so incredibly hyped it's not even funny, I couldn't focus on episode 3 cuz it was all I could think of💀

[@jasonmarbach]

So much in the way of incredible Easter eggs and such in this. My favorite is Matt’s song (that’s him singing!) about a certain lady of Nicodranus 🥹❤️

[@nightingale8178]

I cannot wait for Mighty Nein

[@jasonmarbach]

@@nightingale8178 it’s going to be incredible, for sure

[@Shanyetta23]

I loved Vox Machina, but my all time favorite was The Mighty Nein.

[@dragoninthewest1]

​@@nightingale8178I hope they get Amilia Tyler to play her. She was The Baldur's Gate 3 narrator and also happens to be a huge fan of the series.

[@igavini12]

Dude I’m very new to the fandom, in fact I discovered critical role through the animated show last year I haven’t been able to watch a lot of the live play But I LOVE JESTER and the Ruby of the sea This song is GOLD❤ Matt is too talented for this world🥺

[@carlotacosta9193]

Loved seeing you connect the dots about who activated Vex's dragon sense lmao

[@kiyara94]

The way I had to pause when Zerxus was mentioned, omg I wasn't expecting it! God I can't wait to see that trip to hell :D Also that opening is so haunting and beautiful and just gives me goosebumps, they did such a good job with it!

[@TheGohanSkywalker]

I loved the foreshadowing of the fake Vestige when we saw it damaged before. How would an ancient magical artifact that resists dragon fire be that badly damaged by one singular explosion?

[@sybariticcupboardrat3763]

I'm glad they're finally getting to Percy's guilt about his guns. It got darker in the game, but there's still time to introduce the real depth of that guilt.

[@matthewenokson4251]

I think vax's story this season will be about not sacrificing today's happiness because of the risk of future sadness. He has to come to terms with the fact that it is the fate of all of those around him to mourn the loss of those they love.

[@aro_ger_]

That moment when the NPC Guards can really Kick your Ass.

[@xboxman1710]

It's nice to see NPC Guards that can actually standup to a higher level party every once in a while.

[@NightSterling]

17:56 No shot they're just casually dropping this name just like that

[@shaskusmas]

Great reaction! I'm so glad Percy isn't taking a back seat this season, I want more gadgets! As for J'mon Sa Ord, I'll just say their tiny 'dragon' looks way too small to even be a hatchling. My guess is it's a pseudodragon; intelligent, but size and disposition are similar to a house cat. Technically I think it could set off Vex's Draggy-sense... I.. I was going for like, Spidey-sense. And now I'm going to go to my room and think about what I've done.

[@coreozurn4950]

Travis and Laura's son, Ronin, voiced the kid Grog was playing with

[@Becky31389]

Someone else mentioned that Laura voices the little girl so it was a family affair 😁

[@laurahart1337]

“Is it you or is it that?” - Fair after Creed. 😂

[@tlaragihai5953]

Heyyyyyy nce to see your enjoyment (and how much you love Percy and Vex, that "No, go back!" when Grog started talking just sent me under the table :DDDD) Loved your thoughts. Percy really does try to hold too much on his shoulders.

[@EpicRandomness555]

Something to know is, Percy’s worst fear was the invention of his guns reaching out farther than just himself. And now Riply has brought his worst fear to life. There were even children playing with a stick in the shape of a gun. He can’t control it now.

[@kaniamia]

4:18 You’re the first person I’ve seen ask this question, and it’s such a damn good one!

[@mayaenglish5424]

21:00 Which is literally what Ripley did to Percy lol. Percy knows that, he knew it at the start, but with a demon whispering in his ear, revenge in his blood, it felt worth it. Now, it seems less so.

[@ryanbagley3293]

You know now that you mention it even as a long term critter I never looked much into ripples’ back story…TO THE WIKI!!!

[@Pablo360able]

I suspected they'd make some changes to this leg of the story, since the original campaign's quest for the plate was very sidequesty and not particularly tied into anyone's backstory. Still, it's wild that they're going to feature Zerxus, who did not exist in any capacity until EXU Calamity, long after even the second campaign had ended. He's probably going to just fill in for an NPC from the stream but I wonder what else they'll do with him.

[@LJLvids]

The continent this episode takes place in is where campaign 3 mainly takes place (in the beginning, at least. i'm VERY behind) and it's such a cool setting, with many truly unique locations, very different from your standard european-esque/western fantasy locales we're so used to. If they ever get to adaptating that campaign, I can only imagine how great it'll look/sound.

[@Pablo360able]

Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure Bell's Hells never visits Ank'Harel. By this point they've visited every continent, but not the biggest city from the one they started on. It's even the setting of the adventure module about Ruidus!

[@Gwolf303]

Who else got excited when Drenzel mentioned Nicodranas.

[@mathsalot8099]

I love how much you love their love stories! ❤️

[@monsterking1973]

Can not wait to see your reaction to the next

[@neintales1224]

I don't buy that Ripley cares even a little about the downtrodden considering she worked for the Briarwoods and then with a black dragon. I feel she's saying that to try and get Percy on board, she just wants to Do The Big Science Thing in a mad scientist way. As you said, she's a manipulator. (And she sounds entirely too happy about y'know, endless war etc.)

[@cas2762]

ripley is one hell of a saleswoman is what I'm getting here. She's selling Percy what she thinks he wants. Just like she sold Umbrasyl. Just like she sold Delilah. She's a survivor, a climber, going with whatever gives her an edge to get what she wants. Work for the briarwoods? Sure, so long as they fund her research. Dragons? We can work with that. Play on their ego to make them get her what she wants. Selling her soul to a demon? Souls come cheap these days. As long as it gets her where she wants to be, she'll do it. No matter who gets hurt or how much. Herself included, considering her hand got exploded to bits and she kept working on the gun.

[@kenle2]

​@@cas2762 Classic sociopath.

[@ColMcWillis]

Character that wears all the armor: Centaur, top half wears the plate, horse half wears the raven armor, turns it into a pegasus with a death ray

[@Becky31389]

I hope nothing happens to them... ...5 seconds later Vex is shot in the chest 🤣😂 If you haven't watched EXU: Calamity, I highly recommend it. No spoilers to anything in the campaign or series, but you'd learn a little background on the person with the vestige that Vox Machina needs to find in hell 😉 Cannot WAIT to see your reaction to the next episode 😂

[@seansilence2697]

Kelly Hu doing her best villain as Ripley

[@johanandersson8252]

Percy: Oh great my smokey ex.

[@ClassiestCat-vb8rp]

Percy and Vex are my favorite CR couple and I cannot wait for today's episodes to see how they adapt the story! (I have to wait a few more hours before I can watch episodes 7-9 and your reactions are carrying me through so thank you!)

[@IceMetalPunk]

Me, who never watched campaign 1: "Zerxus? Why does that name sound so familiar.... I swear I know it from somewh---OH. OH, FUCK." Iykyk but also, that's *got* to be a change from what actually happened in C1, right?

[@AnxietyRat]

Yes. Xerxes wasn't even a character that existed until after campaign 2 was completely over... So yeah, he is most likely just going to replace an NPC that they interacted with in actuality in the campaign. 🤷‍♀️ But yes, it is a departure from the campaign... One that I am NOT upset with, though!

[@billthecanuck]

zerxes name drop got me hyped up, awesome change and one of my favourite characters from calamity

[@zippomage]

see your idea is my idea too. think about how awesome it would be for orthax, king of chaos to suddenly appear after another campaign started

[@danielmoriarty9273]

I can’t wait for the Vex/Percy bathtub scene…if they include it

[@kaniamia]

It’s happening either this season or next season but it IS HAPPENING.

[@cayla308]

The fact that they are the same voice actor makes the objection so much better 😂😂

[@daimonclarke]

Vengeance demon wants mass means of achieving vengeance

[@bandi138138]

You're the first reactor I've seen that picked up on the spinning orb in the opening

[@VampireHunter5790]

Sam Regal actually voices phoenix Wright XD

[@mayaenglish5424]

3:34 IF she isn't killed by anything! Which she could be! mwahahahaha!

[@GamiCross]

I always imagine Matt was inspired by Discworld's "Gonne". The idea of introducing a gun possessed by a demon into a fantasy-and-magic world and how much destruction it would cause..

[@johnniequinn3215]

I had forgotten that. One more excuse to read all the Discworld books again.

[@Strife159Highloch]

Taliesin wrote that part, actually!

[@corvacks8924]

@@johnniequinn3215 Like you need an excuse to read Discworld again

[@cas2762]

@@Strife159Highloch the demon part too? For some reason I remembered Taliesin left the "what's up with the gun" thing to Matt, and that beyond general details, but I could be wrong, as a lot of my VM knowledge comes from dashboard osmosis

[@Strife159Highloch]

@@cas2762 Tal said he had dreams that inspired the gun, but then left it to Matt if it was just a normal dream or something more supernatural.

[@mayaenglish5424]

5:24 fun fact, in the campaign Gilmore didn't come with them to Ank'Harel, he and Allura needed to stay in Whitestone to maintain the protection around it. But I'm really glad they brought him, so far in the animation they've really done his character dirty due to time constraints putting a lot of his great moments on the chopping block. I'm glad they've managed to make it up a bit here so far. I hope they keep it up.

[@AnxietyRat]

I mean it does kind of ruin the emotional narrative pull later on in the campaign where Gilmore desperately does NOT want to go back to Marquet for reasons... I mean I suppose he didn't necessarily travel super duper far within the city and definitely didn't run into any of the people that he doesn't want to run into... But yeah, that narrative beat probably isn't going to happen now because he very much did readily go with them in this episode. Which kind of sucks... I REALLY liked that storybeat of Gilmore's. It really fleshed out his character, IMO. Oh well. But yeah in general I'm glad that he is being utilized within the show more frequently than he has in the past seasons. He is a fan favorite character for a reason. He's great. I am sad that they are not depicting a rune lighting up on his forehead like he has in the campaign... It's a really small detail but it's SUPPOSED to happen when he uses his magic and they're just not doing that in the show for some reason.

[@mayaenglish5424]

@@AnxietyRat I think you are mistaking Gilmore for Jarret. Jarret is the one who REALLY did not want to go home because of reasons. Gilmore couldn't go because he was maintaining the protection around the city of Whitestone. SPOILERS FOR C1: As for the runes Shhh! spoilers dude! Don't ruin it for people! No it's not supposed to happen yet. It doesn't happen until he uses a certain amount of magic. They only see it when they fight Thordak together and Gilmore goes all out. Gilmore is hiding, it would be a little hard to hide if runes showed up every time he did any spell at all lol.

[@AnxietyRat]

@@mayaenglish5424 I'm very much remembering that it was Gilmore who didn't want to go back home. Jarret potentially ALSO didn't want to do to legal trouble from what I remember but yeah Gilmore absolutely had reasons for staying off the continent as well... Also I didn't remember that it was when he had done a bunch of magic. My brain was like... it happens every time he does magic but I guess not! My bad.

[@mayaenglish5424]

@@AnxietyRat ok, no worries. Gilmore's stuff was complicated, and I am assuming/ hoping they do some of it later. Spoilers for campaign 1 and maybe tlovm s3: I'm really hoping they are forced to go to Gilmore's parents house and they dive into his reluctance to talk to them and his immigrant story and all that juicy stuff. They are going to need to see J'mon again at some point cuz reasons, it could happen! You are right, there's something about home Gilmore doesn't want to confront. But I do think he would have gone with them despite it in the campaign if he didn't need to hold up the protection. The dragons are more important than his personal problems. (Jarret I give a pass too, not wanting to get arrested is legit lol).

[@AnxietyRat]

@@mayaenglish5424 yeah, we will have to see if the writer's room deems that aspect of Gilmore's story important enough to put into the show... Unfortunately, a lot of stuff has to be cut due to time restrictions but I really really hope that they do delve into it because as I said it was really interesting and it really fleshed out his character in ways that I liked. I can very easily see them not adapting it though... So we will have to wait and see!

[@horse_lover_2025]

We Goin To Hell, Baby. :')

[@InkyPetrel]

16:56: "No, no, go BACK!" 🤣I laughed a lot at this. I love how gentle Vex and Percy are with eachother, they've both got so many walls, but you can start to see them opening up. 17:20: what's impressive is that Percy STILL managed to get energy...out of the decoy. (which you mentioned later, but leaving this here) There's an origin comic for Ripley coming out soon! "The Whitestone Chronicles: Ripley" will be released in November! 🤩 It's a prequel set before the events in TLoVM. I'm SO HYPED about it (if you can't tell). There's a short preview available on Dark Horse comics (only a few pages), and it looks SO SO GOOD. Even those first couple of pages give some insight into Ripley's past. It is spoiler free because prequel, but obviously up to you whether or not you want extra information about the animated universe from another source, and we don't know if they might reference any of the little glimpses in the preview in TLoVM as well, so I suppose it could be spoilers, potentially? (It shares the LoVM universe and timelines, not the campaign timeline, they're considered two separate universes now.) I enjoyed the preview pages a lot, and they DID give a tiny bit of insight into Ripley's past, so obviously your call on what you consider spoilery. (Here endeth my excited rambling about the comic, heh, sorry.) As for "altruism" I suspect that Ripley's ideas of arming the downtrodden may be what Orthax is using as a lever, pushing her ideas closer to an obsession. You remember how Orthax was whispering to Percy about vengeance, that was an east target, igniting embers that were already smoldering. I think he's doing the same thing from a different angle with Ripley. Filling her head with promises of "the greater good" and grand ideas of advancing science and technology, whatever the price. A way for people to get vengeance on those more powerful. I think you're right about the souls, too. That's a great theory. (This is me theorizing obviously, since, as I said, these are separate timelines now, and we never really got much of Ripley's activity outside of when she encountered the party in the campaign.) Ripley is ABSOLUTELY a manipulator, and like it or not, she understands a lot of how Percy's mind works. She knows exactly how to appeal to "the smartest person in the room" because she knows what would work on HER. She's underestimating the connections Percy has though. If he'd still been isolated then she would have had a better shot at convincing him, but Percy is learning that he can trust other people, that he really doesn't have to carry and solve EVERYTHING himself. He's learning slowly, but he is learning. *slaps Percy's shoulder * This man can hold SO much guilt! 🤣 I think your insights for this episode are spot on. Off to watch the next one now!

[@cas2762]

listen, for a decoy of a Vestige to be even remotely convincing to a thief, it has to have a certain amount of power. The vestiges are ancient, powerful relics. I don't see them NOT giving off palpable power in their neutral state.

[@daimonclarke]

Objection!

[@joeyjohns9517]

ripley being a big 2A person was not on my bucket list LMAO

[@zaincassis2612]

Love how quick you are with these! EDIT: Also the Emperex(idk how their name is spelled) is totally a gold dragon.

[@Becky31389]

J'Mon Sa Ord is a brass dragon, actually...but a badass nonetheless 😁

[@zippomage]

​@@Becky31389wow spoilers

[@Becky31389]

@@zippomage i was replying to someone who had it wrong....don't see you bitching at them 🙄

[@jasonmarbach]

The most beautiful OP in all of animation? Discuss

[@BaronesaReturns]

the quality keeps improving and wow these episodes ooked fantastic... the Dragons too look way better

[@danzansandeev6033]

is it just me or riply is more seductive in this season?

[@theunfamousone2818]

I really hope the "transformation" isn't a replacement for a better scene from the streams.

[@hhylobates4098]

I think the coffin in the intro might be the answer to that

[@Luzarioth]

I told you not to watch the intro ^^*

[@alexworoniecki7231]

The intro doesn't really give anything away. Besides the reveal of the whispered one and the orb.

[@Luzarioth]

I utterly disagree with the whole "Death gives meaning to life" BS. Death is the absence of meaning. Death removes everything that has ever been... the final Insult at the end of things.

[@alexworoniecki7231]

Death is the end of life. If there was no death and everyone could live forever. Everyday will feel less important as you can't live it to fullest. As you have eternity to do so and it becomes dull and the same.

[@Luzarioth]

@@alexworoniecki7231 That is your Stockholm syndrome talking.

[@viktorstagnetti7491]

@@Luzarioth Cringey edgelord over here.

[@elbruces]

I'm not sure whether you need to read more books about vampires, or less.

[@n4l9bx]

​@@elbruces😂😂😂 fr fr