That one time Travis feared for his life on stage | Critical Role

[@AlasdairGR]

Travis: That was a death threat in front of a thousand people. Laura: Did I fucking stutter?

[@Wraithstrike19]

About the only thing that could make it better would be some yobbo calling from the crowd, "We didn't hear anything!"

[@ForestRaptor]

​@@Wraithstrike19 i think someone did

[@Wraithstrike19]

@@ForestRaptor Had to max the vol and press the cans in but... _I think three people did._

[@thanossnap4170]

@@Wraithstrike19 Yeah there's definately a "we heard nothing" in there🤣 Laura even points to agree. How did i never notice that before.

[@amamemuse]

For a brief moment, Matt held an entire marriage in his hands.

[@zachlewis9751]

Matt did not hold their marriage in his hands, he held Travis’ life in his hands.

[@buzznat20]

Well marriage is until death do them part.

[@ghostinthesystem3872]

the wife will remember that..........Travis is banished to the couch

[@angrychef1786]

I have a feeling he never planned to end travis's life, but you can't tell me, during that long pause, he didn't consider "What if?"

[@ghostinthesystem3872]

@@angrychef1786 that could be theor next animated thing Going back from older campaigns and having a what if situation I'd watch it

[@lover-of-fate]

Now I get why they keep giving Laura immortal pets. Matt is protecting himself against Laura.

[@NYJFlybyKnight]

No he is protecting Travis.

[@Allantitan]

@@NYJFlybyKnight nah he’s protecting the entire party

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@Allantitan exactly. Laura has a temper on her. When she says; "MATTHEW MERCER!" in that special tone, you know what is at stake.

[@Allantitan]

@@PalleRasmussen the whole universe?

[@thehappyaipom]

This is why he gave her sprinkles. I'm afraid of Imogens love for horses and this groups horrible track record with keeping rent a horses alive

[@hanfran579]

Laura: "If I lose the broom, imma kill you" Travis: 😂 Laura: "And that is not in character" Travis:😶

[@krisvickers5451]

His face sobered up so quickly

[@darkecofreak23]

Death threat in front of a thousand people, and Laura’s not even perturbed. That’s where she got Lust’s coldness from. 😐

[@aquafyre99]

Scanlan: *casts Invisibility in game* Travis: *attempts to cast Invisibility in real life*

[@TheFrozenFlame05]

I would like this comment, but it's currently at 69 likes...

[@Allantitan]

Nah he was trying to cast teleport

[@doctorjay8673]

​@@Allantitaninvisibility doesn't work on Laura ever since she got those spectacles of true sight irl

[@ottokarl5427]

Laura Bailey: "Get away from my broom, my son, my bear and my husband - in that order!"

[@Allantitan]

You forgot “and my money”

[@chukyuniqul]

That a dbz abridged reference?

[@ottokarl5427]

@@chukyuniqul aye!

[@chukyuniqul]

@@ottokarl5427 awesome!

[@JustinSIsTank]

I would like to point out that in a recent (maybe TLOU2?) awards speech, Laura expressed her love for Ashley Johnson and asked to marry her AND THEN THANKED HER HUSBAND.

[@sammy431]

The clear clarification of “this is not in character” is always my favorite part 😂

[@Droolbaby]

At 1:20 you can see the wheels turning in Matt’s head. “How much do I like Travis.”

[@Allantitan]

More like “which friend do I like more?”

[@RoninXDarknight]

@@Allantitan"Which friend am I least afraid of?" .

[@jsbcody]

4:54 Ashley is a true friend......giving Travis a head start from the Wrath of Laura.

[@incomingbear1334]

I love Mama Ash pushing him and telling him to run lol

[@KarmicKnight97]

Need someone who rides as hard for me as Ash and Travis do for each other

[@kingofmonsters14]

"run, you idiot! run now! Go!"

[@sveinstein7233]

@@kingofmonsters14 like gandalf the gray once said: run you fool, run!

[@DredgenStorm]

Go. Go! GO YOU IDIOT!! RUN!

[@JamiTake2]

Ashley just shoving Travis off the stage to try to save him in a very "Fly you fool" has lived in my head for the past 5 years.

[@BillPitcher]

I was in the GenCon audience for this moment. It was even more epic in real life. Travis ran and hid behind the scenery poking his head around the scenery with a wonderful look of comedic terror. The audience could feel Laura's rage, Travis' fear, and Taliesin's disappointment.

[@imanione]

Yes! I was waiting for another Present Critter to make this comment! My favorite crowd interaction moment was when someone in the VIP section, who happened to have just taken a beer 🍺 brake, took their fresh ale and donated it to Travis! 🍻 Cheers Buddy! 😅

[@PurpleMush12]

Psycho behavior. Glad you enjoyed someone fucking threatening another and then being such a a crybaby about it.

[@enigma1326]

When Taliesin is saying "run! Hide!" under his breath. Hearing Travis in Grog's voice go "What Percy? You saying we should hide? Where?" I'm just sitting here like....um....Travis, I don't think it's Percy telling Grog to run. I think Tal telling YOU!"

[@burning_cities]

Matt: "I Stopped a Murder today" Stranger: "How?" Matt: "I gave an imaginary woman back a made up item that she previously stole" lol

[@Zedja]

When a couple get divorced they have to state the reason for why they get the divorce. I think them putting down "He destroyed his wifes magical broom" would be rather suspect.

[@Ioliar]

Depends on whether or not the judge plays D&D.

[@Zedja]

@@Ioliar Or believes in witchcraft

[@DeathnoteBB]

Clearly you’ve never worked in the public sector

[@vyse102]

That's the case for divorce, not homicide.

[@talitherose]

@@vyse102 potato, po-tah-toe

[@nickthedreamer4434]

"Thank you, Matt, for saving a marriage," will never not get me. XD XD XD

[@_TheDudeAbides_]

So if you used proper sentences, it "always gets you".

[@Eggs_hatching]

vex: dont mess with the bear dont mess with the broom dont mess with the money

[@franciscoborjaescobarsuare5802]

Grog: Kills the bear in the one-shot gives the broom to the gnomes is Grog with money

[@hrodga]

@@franciscoborjaescobarsuare5802 In the end, though, didn't Grog have a shitload of money because he hardly ever bought anything? I feel like it came up in a Talks once.

[@franciscoborjaescobarsuare5802]

@@hrodga I think so but even though I didn't say it in the comment I was referring to the exchange with the sleazy merchant in Vasselheim and the sandkheg's hide bottles (" We be clubbin', mothafuckas")

[@Pluto137]

all 3 fall into ideals, flaws and bonds

[@cannonfire0187]

Broom replaced carpet after it was lost

[@TimStamper89]

Ashley is like the clutch best friend to both, saves the broom for Laura and also gives travis the headstart he needs from her wrath

[@4492]

I know she's just that lovely, but there's a part of me thinking she also didn't want to be caught in the crossfire if Laura did attack Travis 😅

[@CommisarHood]

Years later Travis: (Holding Ronin and showing him this clip) And this when Uncle Matt stopped Mommy from murdering me on stage in front of a thousand people. Ronin: (In his head) My god my parents are weird.

[@Miss_Myth]

Actually, having grown up with them, I could 100% see Rowan going: "Yeah, that tracks." 😅😂😄

[@CommisarHood]

@@Miss_Myth Also highly possible

[@Shebeast3]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jevanking4768]

I’m sure over the course of their relationship Travis has has feared for his life a couple times. The bridge incident in C2 comes to mind

[@MaxwellKasper]

Turn the key, Sargant.

[@karencollins1356]

Matt was ready to step in then 😂

[@johnymey4034]

What episode is the bridge incident?

[@alittleantidote5852]

When his phone started ringing, I couldn't stop laughing. You could hear her 😆

[@btgardener39]

@@johnymey4034 Campaign 2, episode 68 -- "Reflections".

[@spiralphoenix9839]

It got to the point where Ashley and Sam were just working together to save Travis. No one was focused on the dnd repercussions. The only enemy they were worried about was at the table

[@juliep6435]

the sheer POWER matt held in that moment… travis’s life was fully in the palm of his hand

[@Allantitan]

Tbh I half expected Travis to admit he soiled himself a little

[@xXTheVigilantXx]

I'm sorta wondering if Matt was taking revenge for some past grievance

[@Allantitan]

@@xXTheVigilantXx oh like them voting him to be the babysitter for a bunch of really tall kids

[@ForeverDegenerate]

@Julie P Matt: (omniscience kicks in) "The Power Of The Son... In The Palm Of My Hand..."

[@IceMetalPunk]

@@Allantitan I don't know what you mean; everyone on the cast is so thoughtful, mature, respectful, and subdued..................................... (Is that enough ellipses to show the irony?)

[@J75Pootle]

It's so weird to hear Matt say "making your way" and to not have at least one person instantly echo it

[@AlexPerez-tt9ru]

I felt the exact same way

[@pedroscoponi4905]

Saaaame.

[@Iybraesil]

It's very refreshing

[@xavdervish4460]

i think that running joke started in C2 (someone correct me pls)

[@JustinSIsTank]

Dude, I'm watching C1 for the first time. SO MANY "making your way"s.

[@erayergi]

"I think with this many witnesses it's not a threat, it's a promise." I know Taliesin Jaffe is an eldritch god but i still don't understand how he can come up with sentences like this :D

[@toastermessiah]

Precisely because of that. If you lived for a millenia, you'd come up with that infinite wisdom sentences, too.

[@bendystrawz2832]

I was DYING laughing after that line. I was shocked the audience didn't react the same.

[@primecreator5257]

The audience honestly pissed me off

[@deancarruthers444]

@@primecreator5257 I still haven't watched that one-shot since I never finished campaign 1 and it has been on my to do list which I slowly chip through every so often what was so bad about them if you don't mind me asking?

[@cameronyeager7482]

@@primecreator5257 The guy has amazing one liners but that wasn't even funny really. Everybody says "That's not a threat that's a promise." That's why they didn't laugh they've heard it a million times lol

[@vicenzostella1390]

I love how Vex's accent fades away naturally as she continues to talk.

[@LaughingOwlKiller]

You can see Matt's face when Laura first threatens Travis...that Gleam in the eye and smirk...his whole plan formed just then

[@Shebeast3]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@dukekemppy5409]

Never clicked, for the moment that Taliesen was saying hide, it wasnt as Percy, it was to Travis. He knew what was about to happen.

[@r.f.switch5847]

I mean, considering how much death he has seen in his many centuries of living... I'd say Tal is an expert in this field.

[@savingpyro]

...or the time Ashley Johnson was the best wingman and saved Travis' life.

[@michaelscott6022]

"If this broom gets broken I will murder my husband." "Wait, Vex's husband, or Laura's--?" *"YES."*

[@kopkaljdsao]

Prety sure this plan was a failed assassination attempt on Travis by Sam.

[@peteralexandergraae2830]

She only has one husband at this point. She only just became a baroness. (Or am i misremembering the order of episodes?)

[@Huxxleigh]

yup this is shortly before her and percy got together​@@peteralexandergraae2830

[@raymundomuzones4533]

Marisha's reaction at 2:30 screams "Matthew, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

[@larrypoppins6273]

"Honey, you need to stop before travis gets killed."

[@thomasnolastname8734]

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SHE'LL KILL YOU TOO!"

[@boterror_4044]

It's that fucken "Oh dear god help me" look from Travis that gets me

[@demonhunter2282]

The thumbs up as he does not have to sleep on the couch tonight. Also how Laura thanks Matt for saving marriage.

[@reka10]

Couch is a lucky break. Underground was more likely.

[@TheAciddragon069]

wouldn't have been the first time Travis spent a night on the couch because of D&D

[@Allantitan]

@@TheAciddragon069 and probably won’t be the last

[@iansadler9417]

I had never seen this before but I was scared for Travis but also just knew Matt was messing with them lmao

[@136jab]

well Matt did destroy their flying rug previously so it wasn't a guarantee...

[@TheAciddragon069]

@@136jab true but he hated that rug cause it allowed the group to skip major plot points and interactions the broom was 1 maybe 2 players

[@Peter_Cordes]

​@@136jab - That's a good comparison: in that case, losing it took multiple failed ability checks, and the choice to heal / save people instead of saving the item with limited time. Plus it was the party's collective property, not one player's gear that they loaned to another player. Having another player be the one who lost somebody's favorite item wouldn't be fun, it would create some resentment. I'm sure Matt realizes that inter-party personal dynamic, and wouldn't destroy the item without a chance to save it, not without other players taking risks with fairly clear consequences and then failing some rolls.

[@lumitsuasmr7403]

ashley pushing travis out of his seat and matt just dragging out the fact that he is holding travis’ life in his hand at that moment will never not be funny to me

[@xelacremant7396]

There has to be a campaign in which Laura plays a mob boss. No matter the class. I know she played the daughter of one. But come on, we all know she'd be right at home.

[@ToeTag1968]

I love Sam's long game too with Laura and her broom. At one point, he had a custom witches hat made for her. Many episodes later, based on a promise she made, she put the hat on and he cast a spell to make her skin turn green.

[@Namonstar]

Matt was having too much fun at this point haha

[@stewartsmalls2024]

Matt is truly Lawful Evil and we all worship him for it.

[@MrImastinker]

People sometimes take for granted the sheer power a DM wields. Not to be taken lightly.

[@Allantitan]

@@MrImastinker and how much Matt feared for his friends life for a second 😂

[@meg3734]

what I like besides how freaking scary Laura can be, is that Matt only had to put up his finger for silence and the whole audience just quist down

[@eddaniels6978]

I just love the change in Travis’s expression and demeanor when Laura tells him she’s not talking in character

[@PurpleMush12]

Yeah, it's fucking scary. Instantly became a non fan of Laura after this. So pathetic of her

[@Supervinh47]

Travis genuinely had a Ralph Wiggums "Hahaha, I'm in danger" moment

[@lesterpadilla2220]

The way she started threatening travis as Vex but slowly turned into Laura is one of the most terrifying things ive ever seen LMAO

[@INKI_teh_Rogue]

"And the reason for the divorce madam?" "He lost my imaginary broom." "......."

[@clockednClucked]

(4:52) Taliesin being upset with Matt for not ending their marriage is my favorite mood and will never not be funny

[@worldeater2414]

I think he was more upset because that didn't have consequences, which is most likely what he wanted to happen being a long time dnder. I got that Laura was upset, and Matt probably let it slid for that reason alone, but if you look at the consequences for Laura in C1 vs C2, you can see that Matt held her accountable for little. I don't blame him, nor do I make this comment with any maliciousness; but Matt did let Laura get away with quite a bit in C1.

[@clockednClucked]

@@worldeater2414 fair

[@Raganui]

Actually, I think his disappointment was with Travis not realizing he was telling him to run OOC.

[@Peter_Cordes]

I think he was just reacting to Matt's classic move of creating a tense moment where the players think something disastrous might be happening with the tone of his narration, but then it was actually a trick, nothing bad happened. It's like "ugh, that was a dirty move". And then a smile of "you got me / us" as he points to Matt. Having PCs lose or damage another PC's personal magic item is a big deal and would in general create tension between the *players,* not just the characters in the game. With Laura being more protective of her loot than most (some might say dragon-hoard-ish), it probably wouldn't make the game more fun for the players for the DM to do that. Without a clear and obvious risk that players knowingly took, and without giving them a chance to save the item with some rolls or cleverness, it would not be cool to destroy a magic item. In fact the gnomes *did* use their character abilities to escape invisibly after the broom was temporarily disabled. IIRC, this was after they lost their magic carpet, which was the collective property of the party, not one players personal gear that they loaned to another. And losing it involved multiple failed ability checks, and actions that attempted to save it. I'm pretty sure all Matt ever intended was to take his players on an emotional roller coaster without a long-term downside (unless the players actively screwed up and fully lost the broom).

[@Sstovers]

@@Peter_Cordes 100%. Not only was he messing with Laura and Travis, but it created a tense and exciting environment for the crowd as well. Matt put on a "Performance" if you will, and you can hear it in the crowd that it worked.

[@spooked_glitch]

Who was Matt torturing more there, Travis or Laura? Lol

[@stone5against1]

Yes

[@kyloben8537]

both

[@PsykotikDragon]

@@stone5against1 came to the comments specifically to say this if no-one else already had lol

[@psychodrummer1567]

He was torturing Travis *by* torturing Laura.

[@Stronghand-yw1lk]

Yes.

[@noirrugger]

04:36 I like to believe Tal was telling Travis to run and not Percy to the group lol.

[@kings_mark]

5:16 That's the look of a man whose life had just been saved.

[@JulianCommodus]

4:50 and that's the look of the man that just recognized his screw up as he looked into the eyes of death.

[@Mode_na]

@1:22, it was precisely at this moment when Matt saw an opportunity to fuck up a relationship 😂

[@gpearce11]

"Saving a marriage". What a polite way to say "preventing a murder".

[@KanuckStreams]

1:18 you can spot the exact moment Travis realized that he may, in fact, be a dead man.

[@Allantitan]

And if he was lucky it would be quick and painless

[@sleepinghermit7778]

Legend says that vex was so happy to have her broom back that Ronin was born nine months after.

[@blizzard2798]

wait. is this true? can someone figure out the math?

[@FrustratedMillennial]

I believe so

[@ForeverDegenerate]

@@blizzard2798 Absolutely not. This was Campaign 1. Ronin was born Mid-Campaign 2.

[@IceMetalPunk]

What dat broom do, doe? 😏

[@SilverScaleMA]

@@ForeverDegenerate he was born early Campaign 2 but this was still only about mid Campaign 1. At least a year, year and a half, in between or possibly even a bit more.

[@RavenStorm1031]

I love Travis in this omg he was legit 'my wife is gonna kill me!!' And the everyone's cheering at the end 🤣🤣🤣

[@scooby45247]

i dont know if Mercer planned this or just decided on it after Laura's threat, but it was FANTASTIC DMing either way..

[@Eszra]

The broom just appeared in the 2nd season of Vox Machina. And i cant wait.

[@forgemakesstuff2734]

4:51 you can SEE the indecision on Matt's face as he realizes the amount of power he has at this moment he could have done ANYTHING he wanted

[@raynherrera97]

Ashley is truly a Saint for trying to save her friend like that 😂

[@lionheart1259]

One of the biggest jump scares in Travis life 😆

[@marygoround1292]

Matt took Laura's threat and went with it. And really enjoyed it too

[@diggis79]

Travis's physicality and comic timing is outstanding.

[@Darkness09ization]

You can always count on Laura to get overly attached to her items. Just like you can always count on Matt to troll her😜

[@Allantitan]

And to make Travis fear for his life by extension. Even if it’s unintentional

[@frogdude59]

That sigh of relief from both Sam and Marisha at 5:09

[@danifogel1709]

God I love the live episodes! They bring so much more to the atmosphere, every emotion is amplified 100 fold, even out of story. All time fav ep (so far), is from the 2nd campaign, when they got Lorenzo. That was epic. Much love to the whole cast of CR!!!

[@toze2145]

This was a really fun moment but it also shows how Laura evolved as a player, she seems to be so much better at not letting meta knowledge influence her game

[@romxxii]

funny thing to say after the events of episode 16 of campaign 3.

[@gamergirl209]

I don't think it's meta it's just that vex was so much like her it actual personality

[@toze2145]

@@romxxii Haven't had the time to watch it yet, might edit this afterwards if I consider it relevant

[@toze2145]

@@gamergirl209 She told her husband she would be pissed with him if something happened to the broom. She also got "up" to stop Grog from using the Deck of Many Things, or throw it into the lava, after Thordak even though Vex was supposed to be resting and not truly aware of what he may have found. There are other examples but these are the most egregious for me. I like Vex and I love Laura, so this is not coming from an antagonistic place, it is just my sincere opinion on it. But I do agree that Vex was very close to being Laura (which is common with first characters)

[@NafenX]

@@romxxii I just finished the ep, which part are you talking about?

[@antonionunez3759]

I had always seen Laura always so happy. Its this very rare moment when she gets in rage is why I remember. This is the reason that this group goes out of there way in keeping her always happy. 🤣🤣

[@ElizaShakiraMassani]

Yeah cause her anger is scaaary! Lol

[@oddtalesstudios3539]

I just realized...Vex's reaction to potentially losing the broom is so similar to Percy's reaction to losing the gun in the acid.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

Can you imagine the fact that a broom's activation mechanism is the thing that made a live audience explode.

[@YourLocalCryptid164]

the fact you can see Travis just begging and pleading with Matt via his eyes alone is what got me XD

[@BringOnTheRainxx3]

ashley being in the middle of this was a gift

[@Naegimaggu]

Who thought Laura Bailey would cherish a long cylindrical object that you can bring to vibrant magical life so dearly.

[@logicaloverdrive8197]

1:11 This went from Grog joking around to Travis fearing sleeping on couch for the next month

[@OniNoFro]

Ashley Johnson is the gamerbro we all need and deserve! Saving our boi Travis in what could have been his darkest hour!

[@ambermhaley]

In which over 1,000 people decided they were not going to be witnesses, but instead alibis

[@bhuntin08]

This whole video is a memory permanently etched into my memory when I saw it in person. I can still feel my jaw hit the floor and my fingers clutching my hair in disbelief as it seems all too obvious that Matt is about to tell Laura that her favorite toy has been destroyed... Only to tell her it's fine and literally save a marriage.

[@blueashke]

This never fails to have me laughing so hard I hiccup. The sheer conviction Laura threatens Travis with in that moment.

[@crownlessking6436]

There was nearly a murder live on the internet that night.

[@StealthMarmot_]

I just realized that Travis bolts off the right side of the screen....and comes back on the left.

[@masterjaczor9892]

All I could think of during this moment was "RUN TRAVIS!!!"

[@kaizen5023]

Laura at the end: "Thank you Matt, you saved a marriage."

[@RicardoMeansKing]

love how she speaks once and just becomes Scarecrow: "Soon this city will know what fear is, what REAL fear is"

[@joneardley73085]

You can see the evil look on Matt’s face as he comes up with the plot twist on the spot to make Laura freak out and scare Travis

[@SovereignRose]

Oh how I miss the esrly days. One of the best moments

[@Martialartfruituser]

I live for the day that their son sees this episode and asks "Mommy, were you really gonna murder daddy?" Its the same feeling I have when he sees FMA and asks "Daddy, why are you burning momma?"

[@stonecoldku4161]

3:13 "Level 3 Invisibility." Travis is like "Speaking of 'invisibility'"😬

[@gregfahlgren7501]

Travis's expression when Laura threatens him is priceless. It's the best, "Oh, I fucked up..." face I've ever seen.

[@shadowpsykie]

I love how Ashley was like RUN! RUN!!!

[@BYERE]

That pause by Matt during the sentence at 4:40... That is such an a-hole thing to do in that situation, which is just so much funnier than it should be XD

[@DatShadyGuy]

Ashley telling Travis to run to save him from certain death is the sign of a true friend.

[@brentage5000]

I have absolutely no context for anything going on and have barely seen any campaign one material but this is already my favorite C1 moment 🤣🤣🤣

[@feitocomfruta]

Matt said on 4 Sided Dive that information is the villain of tension, and this is a prime example. In this case, that information was how to prevent a homicide.

[@TaldrenMGMoonGuard]

OMG Laura is SO mad that her glasses look like they're frowning too!

[@Amozon28]

everyone at that table during this entire encounter is more afraid of laura than whatever matt is going to do to their characters

[@heyyitsfrizz2345]

People in the comments acting like this is toxic have never joked about anything in their life lol

[@Alemond]

Bro code kicked in. He had to save Travis.

[@romxxii]

Laura was really about to murder her husband because of an imaginary broom.

[@RavenRose91]

5:10 Matt realized he held an entire relationship in his hands (& Travis’ life)

[@r.f.switch5847]

Nothing is more terrifying than an enraged Laura Bailey

[@DeadEye364]

I firmly believe that this was Matt getting revenge on them for all of their shenanigans.

[@Ninjanico626]

Such a great moment in CR history. Up there w/ the onstage greats for sure

[@shelbykutil9743]

My favorite part of this is Ashley pushing Travis to flee😂

[@shannononeill482]

LOLOL Pike always has Grog's back.

[@clinthazzard7397]

Imagine holding 7 lives in your own hands, with only but a few words.

[@ducite9943]

The power of matt mercer to have so many strong emotions running through the group in onlky 5 minutes is the dream.

[@FragginCap]

Remembering Laura screaming off screen when the magic carpet got nerfed. She does not mess around