The Villainous Cutscene - Vox Machina, Ep. 3 | Critical Role Demystified

[@violetnightmare9216]

When you do a very difficult and uncomfortable voice, and your players decide to just adopt that npc to make you have to do it all the time

[@SupergeekMike]

Every kobold and goblin I’ve ever played feels this pain.

[@KumoKumiko]

Clarota always struck me as an easy character for that party to resonate with, since. who better to ride along with Vox Machina than another talented outcast with nowhere to belong?

[@SupergeekMike]

Haha very true

[@sagesaria]

That's so true. Especially considering Vex was one of the party that found him. The twins in particular would resonate with that feeling.

[@Zalied]

I think there was also a little bit of "Matt wouldn't put him in for no reason" thinking. Things an interesting guy and everyone got caught up in it

[@Logan_Baron]

@@Zalied Except Travis who wrote 100 times in his notebook "I do not trust Clarota".

[@piperbird7193]

10,000% correct on that chat cover. man, those folks were nasty. Although half the time I was so engrossed in the episode I forgot the chat existed.

[@jimwatson1013]

Yeah it was a time, I mean the same thing kept happening just in Twitter form E.G the Marisha Ray being attacked for what she did as Kayleth, only to be reminded by her husband Matt Mercer and everyone WOULD stop Crit role and go back to just being friends playing DnD in private if they cant respect them. Its best to keep out of those circles and enjoy the on screen and not rule lawyer

[@lordofgraphite]

Has it improved at all? Luckily since I'm in the UK I've just watched the VOD but I've been tempted to watch live for special occasions but the chat puts me off

[@kathrynrowland5165]

@@lordofgraphite Personally, I haven't engaged much with the chat, but I believe it has gotten much better. If you're worried, you can certainly watch live without paying attention to chat - they do also stream on KZbin simultaneously with the Twitch chat, and KZbin comments are turned off for the stream. Also, you can close or minimize the chat window if you watch in Twitch

[@nicholasromero238]

I'm so glad I just listened to it at work

[@lordofgraphite]

@@nicholasromero238 I couldn't do without the visual element personally

[@smoogieboogie1694]

lmao the gag at the beginning! Unfortunately the toxicity still seeps through in the comments of the videos themselves. I remember watching through this campaign for the first time and being like "Oh that was really cool! I wonder what everyone else thought about it?" Big mistake. Any given comment section: "X sucks and they should just not be on the show anymore." "Is this really the best they could do? If I were playing, I would've [lengthy writeup of why they are the superior roleplayer]." "X and Y are perfect and unmatched beings. They are the only reason I watch the show because every other person objectively sucks." "I am incredibly intelligent and can clearly tell exactly what everyone is thinking at any given time. Based on my amazing people-reading skills, I can tell that everyone hates X and that this married couple actually despises each other." And so on. Every episode without fail. If you did a drinking game for toxic comments you'd die. Thankfully this died down a bit in Campaign 2.

[@SupergeekMike]

Yeeeeesh but also, not surprised. But also, yeeeeesh.

[@kasiamleczarska9078]

You described the CR KZbin comment section so well...

[@MaskofFayt]

I felt like they trusted Clarota because he seemed to be unaffiliated with the other mindflayers but seemed to genuinely care about his people despite his exile, while they didn't quite grasp the 'why' of that situation they empathised with his intent and the situation itself. Plus he was cool as fuck. Maybe mostly that.

[@SupergeekMike]

Truth

[@Logan_Baron]

And all that was true. I always feel it was a good idea to ally with him, just not to trust him beyond the mutual goal.

[@mayaenglish5424]

Plus Matt did say in I think the Campaign wrap up that there was a chance if they had really put the effort in that they could have won Clarota over for real. So it wasn't 100% set in stone. Just very difficult.

[@lordofgraphite]

Whenever matt comes up in conversation for the first time, I have to show them clarotta, a masterful performance. This man really gave telepathy a sound with just his voice.

[@RonquixoteDIII]

I definitely feel like Clarota is a character Matt would have his end play out differently in C2 or C3 than C1 where he was more aligned with classic dnd lore

[@ceridwenaeradwr8105]

Imagine Clarota being the Essek of C1

[@Samaru163]

I believe in the campaign one recap, Matt did say that there was a possibility for Clarota to be a permanent ally of VM, but they would have had to convince him to abandon the hive-mind. None of the players did that.

[@fabiovarra3698]

@@Samaru163 yes the moment he took his skullcap off and connected back to the elder brain, he wasn't Clarota anymore

[@spensirmclife6549]

@@fabiovarra3698 No he was Clarota, he was just every other Mind Flayers. Mind Flayers have surprisingly a lot of identity in their hive mind

[@alisadavies8943]

I remember there was a really sad moment where he removes the cap and connects to the hive mind where for a second he pauses and its that Telltale moment of whether you said the right things. I don't know whether he felt momentary regret or uncertainty or sadness but he did think about it for a moment.

[@canadian__ninja]

I love watching Liam during the monologue at 11:04 onward. He's intently listening, breathing heavier than normal and rubbing his face. Whether Vax fully gets it or not, Liam does and he's stressing out big time.

[@shekinester]

I used to watch C1 on my phone, and the screen was too small for me to be able to read the chat. A few months back i rewatched it (this time on my computer) and pretty much got so mad at the chat. I'm so glad they stopped putting it on screen, bc it was sickening

[@NoFacetheVoid]

Wish i had thought of that post-it note back then.

[@deansheets]

Hindsight is 20/20

[@lordofuzkulak8308]

Been years since I watched Campaign 1, but Clarota has got to be one of the highlights of the early episodes, which makes what happens with him all the more tragic.

[@JamesTrickington]

🎶When I get that feelin… I want… Clarota healin🎶

[@JakeSpank83]

Holy shit, I actually did use post-it notes during me second watch through last year and it helped me soooo much. Actually great advice!

[@bunnykisses]

if you do these for every episode I will be very impressed...i am still so impressed! I think this is a great way to "rewatch" the series without watching the full episode again. love the content !

[@SupergeekMike]

I do plan to do it for every episode 😁 wish me luck!

[@MagmaRiver]

The thing that springs to (unflayed) mind to me on hearing that description of Clarrota is the reunion talkback Dimension 20 did for Escape From The Bloodkeep (where Matt was a player). Brennan was talking about setting this LotR parody following Sauron's generals at the point right after his defeat. They were talking about how villains are always at their most sympathetic when they've just *lost* (which in turn makes me think of a certain "i broke the world for you" later on...) If they meet a group of Mind Flayers talking about subjugating or eating everyone around them? Sure, villains. One guy wearing a metal plate on his head sitting in a hole because his people were taken over? Damn, can't help but feel sorry for that guy. Instant ally.

[@BabyDinosaurRawr]

Clarotta is the hook that really got me into critical role and dnd. Justice for Clarotta 🐙

[@futurecaredesign]

It was the first non human(ish) NPC we got to see from Matt. He really pulled it off!

[@MegaphoneMan0]

10:15 That is an amazing point regarding the mind flayer. Introducing your villain doesn't have to necessarily be showing them doing something evil, but it's very very good to show it doing, as you put it, the thing it does! Because it's a villain, that will most often wind up being evil, but the core if it is to show, in very stark relief, some of the inherent properties of this villain. At least, if it's the villain of a single arc rather than, say, a whole campaign.

[@sergeantangel3526]

I must say, you come across very eloquent! you are very good at explainging things and dissecting the episodes! im looking forward to more!

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@liizumi3337]

Agreed!

[@EmmieClassix]

This is why I miss Alpha! Like the episodes that was on that service didn't have the chat on the sides and made it actually possible to watch the Briarwood arc without the chat yelling about Keyleth all the time.

[@ChaoticTabris]

I think the way Matt does descriptions is kinda like he has a formula on his head, probably not something he purposefully developed but something that came with experience. If you pay attention you will notice several of those descriptions look structural similar in a way that a person that has pre-written them would notice and avoid. He uses some specific uncommon words a lot (like physicality), has this tendency to describe tones by mentioning two different colors (like he says the Mind Flayer's skin is bluish-purple). I think he just did it enough times that he knows what to describe and falls into this formula he created.

[@mayaenglish5424]

CoughCoughToothyMawCoughCough

[@LightSage89]

I have never seen better advice for watching the video when they had the chat running. Even when chat was on it's best behavior it is distracting. More often then not, however, the chat is a toxic cesspool.

[@captain_rewind]

Like a Good DM, you really put a lot of thought and writing into these breakdowns, with even context as to what's coming down the road to keep viewers interested. Well Done. And since I'm only on Episode 8, that reference at the end? Literally stared at my laptop saying: "What does that mean, Mike? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, MIKE?!"

[@liizumi3337]

Oh, nice! you pointed out some really good tips and tricks from this episode! Thanks for doing these videos :)

[@Lathlaer]

They trusted him because never in their mind have they even considered that their own values and views on life might be vastly different from this abberation. We can see it time and time again, when players treat different races as just reskinned humans which leads them to conclusion that monsters can be reasoned with or pitied. Calling him "Clarence" and resonating with his story of being an outcast put them in a state of false confidence that they have a solid and reliable insight into his motives.

[@crazyscotsman9327]

Very good point.

[@deansheets]

Great work man, and 100% they just like his voice.

[@rhyder7715]

watch Laura in the last clip. she's loving it/ impressed and kinda worried cuz she knows what Matt is putting his voice box through

[@Daltygaming2]

I think it’s your civil duty to make more of these, always great!

[@Laurantalasah]

The moment that post it note was attached to the screen I knew I was gonna like the video.

[@peterhattingh8754]

im on the nine hells arc atm and honestly i miss this level of story the earlier episodes had but this is a great perspective you have great video

[@Tessee]

Fantastic breakdown! Great series so far, I'm excited to see more.

[@Jaalgo]

Absolutely love these videos Mike

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@Jaalgo]

@@SupergeekMike Can I ask your advice? I am starting a new campaign as a DM, none of us have played DnD before but I've watched all of critical role. I wondered if you had any resource suggestion for building a mystery? Your videos have been great as part of my planning

[@tiredjediknight3110]

I’m absolutely loving this channel and these breakdowns of the critical role episodes are fantastic.

[@augustusdens]

It's a bit late for the One Villainous Scene collab 😂😂😂

[@Heritage367]

Another reason they might have kept Clarota around was just because the character was so interesting. They knew they were playing with fire, but they knew as players they would miss him as soon as he was gone.

[@SupergeekMike]

100%

[@Arkantolas]

sometimes i forget that matt is a legit voice actor and then he busts out some incredible voices

[@CthulhuOnCam]

I thought you where gonna put that post it over Tiberius/Orions face for a moment there xD

[@SupergeekMike]

Lol

[@PS-yi7nz]

ive been loving the stream of good content, this channel is really impressive!

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@parrisb]

Really wish we could've gotten this section animated.

[@faranior]

The post-it tip would have been great for my first watch, except I watched it on my TV so that would have been a LOT of post-its. Love your videos by the way.

[@jijonbreaker]

Ever since I saw how Clarota ended, I've been of the opinion that there was a chance to redeem him. It feels like one of those RPG tropes where a character goes down a path because you didn't hit enough checks to change their mind. If you'd just made the right moves, they could've become an ally. For example, if they had put the cap back on his head during the escape, perhaps he would've broken free and seen what his people, who he held in such high regard, were trying to do to the brave adventurers who had been kind enough to trust him, and powerful enough to save his entire race. Maybe play on the fact that, as an outcast himself, he knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of his people's ire.

[@Pixelkvist]

This is such a good idea for a series! Subscribed and looking forward to more content! :D

[@Martialartfruituser]

About he chat, luckily for me when I play the youtube stuff I'm usually either playing some video games or doing something else to notice. Even then I'm also reading another fanfic as well so theres that. Even then, I find the chat so small I can bearly read anything.

[@Beth-cj7ip]

I love your content

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@silversugar2140]

I am forever sad over Clarota's betrayal. I wanted to see a good Illithid forever. Ah well it got me to make my own and I love them.

[@AndrewJW]

I never looked at chat. I never even noticed it lol.

[@authoranonymous8892]

RE: the greater restoration roll. I know Matt has said he always makes reviving players have a chance of failure to add some genuine risk (after all, the game is no fun without some chance of failure), I wonder if that was what that was about.

[@Knightbruder]

Very good content. Seeing another episode makes me subscribe.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@Finn_Films]

great vid as always mike

[@cecilia7932]

Loving this series!

[@cspaikido]

Have watched every episode of Campaign 1, 2, and 3.

[@TectonicImprov]

I remember that Clarota was my favorite NPC early on and I was really rooting for him to permanently side with VM. I'm sure I wasn't alone either and I think why everyone was so attached to him (even going so far as to distrust Kima as a consequence) is because getting something like a Mind Flayer that can cast spells is more interesting than your run of the mill paladin. It's been years since I've listened to these episodes though so my memory might be spotty. Maybe it was always clear that Clarota wouldn't betray them but iirc there were hints that he might not have.

[@AnxietyRat]

Matt has said that they're absolutely was a chance that they could have convinced clarota to abandon the hive mind it would have been difficult but possible. But none of the players did that... so it never happened. But Matt said that there there WAS a chance that he could have become a permanent ally for the party like Essek did, I suppose.

[@tvernile]

omg the post-it hack is so reeeaaal

[@katz86]

Love these videos. But I love all your videos.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thank you!

[@GhostLesbianWizard]

I really love this channel and this series of videos. You are doing a great job.

[@sunnygcat13]

Lol the post-it note

[@returnosf5043]

Wow, I have that exact same sticky note pad and I did exactly the same thing with it

[@SLorraineE]

This whole time I thought they were mind "flair" not mind "flayer" and now I feel silly! Lol

[@MrJCTrix]

watching on my pc years later i litleraly have never noticed anything in the comment section, smeg i only look at that area of the screen when a PC's stats get put up on it

[@SupergeekMike]

This was before they put PC stats up there - it was either comments or battle maps. I don’t miss having the comments on screen, clearly.

[@ChemicalVelocity]

I cackled at the post-it note. I hated accidentally catching annoying shit in the chat.

[@TashaKoenig]

awe you made me mISS CLAROTA

[@SupergeekMike]

Honestly same lol

[@TashaKoenig]

ty for the great vidyo

[@lefterismplanas4977]

2:00 Dragon quest 11 would've benefited from knowing this lesson xD

[@BryGoose]

Sometimes you trust shady characters just for the fun of it

[@caseycoker1051]

Lol I probably would have never noticed the chat if you hadn't mentioned it. I just ignore it completely. haha

[@DiceFTW273]

Was the live chat THAT bad? I only listened to the mp3 archives from their site.

[@SupergeekMike]

From the beginning, it was full of people claiming that the women on the show were just there to fill seats and attract male viewers.

[@equusheart3344]

I can't wait for the bucket of shit scene lol

[@duolingo0552]

Early on the chat isn’t that bad is it?

[@SupergeekMike]

I remember early chat being plagued by people assuming the women players were just there to fill seats and draw in viewers, rather than being people who were also passionate about D&D. It certainly wasn’t as bad as it got later, but it was still not awesome.

[@mycatoverlords]

Lol, cute solution!

[@TheDarksaphira]

Oh yes, I would have loved if someone had told me to just stick a damn post-it over the chat in the first streams... That got old sooo fast....

[@SupergeekMike]

It’s rough, it’s just… rough.

[@lt3746]

Do you plan on doing every critical role episode for campaign 1, or just plan on highlighting certain ones?

[@SupergeekMike]

Right now the plan is for every episode, at least for campaign 1!

[@lt3746]

@@SupergeekMike awesome! Can’t wait. Especially for when you reach episode 39…probably one of my favorites.

[@SupergeekMike]

@@lt3746 Mine too 😁😈🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@mkang8782]

Really enjoying your content and perspective. This is a nitpick about semantics and connotation: perhaps call something a "technique", instead of a "trick"? A technique, to me, is something that can be worked on, tweaked, and improved. A trick cannot (at least in this context). Your mileage may vary, of course.

[@SupergeekMike]

That’s a great point! I’m a few weeks ahead in filming so there might be a few more videos where I say “trick,” but “technique” is definitely the more accurate word 😁

[@SupergeekMike]

Also, as we know from Arrested Development, a “trick” is… a different thing lol

[@mkang8782]

@@SupergeekMike never watched the show, but I am knowledgeable of that particular usage of the word. 😎

[@sonichalo1527]

1 episode every two weeks... You're in it for the long haul. Or are you planning on skipping some parts, combining episodes or ending at a certain point?

[@SupergeekMike]

Long haul, all the way.

[@cspaikido]

An aside "raised to the ground," should be "razed to the ground." Being picky I know but just in case you wanted to know. Like your content.

[@SupergeekMike]

Thanks! I didn’t catch that when I converted the subtitles :)

[@guessulagged3400]

id love for you to do a like story recap of each ark of campaign 1. would really help skip the tiberius problem of the first 2 seasons for people .> this is by far the closest and best one i have seen tho if u can really call it a recap :P

[@AnxietyRat]

There are written out episode recaps for people who do want to skip boring parts or Tiberius stuff... there just aren't any videos of people doing that but the content in written format is out there if you really want it.

[@Spoteddy]

You seem very knowledgable about Critical Role and one thing I have missed about it. Im only at episode 16 atm tho, but what is the main goal? Atm it seems like they are just doing random tasks to ppl.

[@SupergeekMike]

Early in all of the campaigns, that is the case. Later in the campaigns, bigger events will happen that will propel more narrative momentum. In C1 and C2, it’s around the mid-late 20s. I’m not sure where it will happen in C3 (and I’m a few episodes behind as well so I can’t give the best answer yet). This might go into another video I’m working on about the 3 campaigns of CR.

[@michaelbohannon527]

Dude, you really need to be knocking these out every few days. Like three a week, not one every two. I know that's work, and a serious commitment. But you'll be done with the Tiberius arc when campaign 3 is over.

[@SupergeekMike]

Agreed, I hope to get there at some point, it just takes a lot of time to make the CR videos.

[@michaelbohannon527]

@@SupergeekMike just take some of marisharayguns recaps or old talks machina, and crank it out. will get you up in the algorithm, and get your videos in front of alot of new fans trying to get into it from the beginning. again, i know. just take the resource of the shortened content, it's free fan project stuff, and use it. otherwise man...it took them what, 3 years at a game a week for campaign one. so by your format that's 6 years. good for consistent content, not good for getting the robot to put your show in front of new eyes like it has been. formats great. editing great. sustainability...eh? get the growth on now, then you can cover other streamers or different sci fi/fantasy worlds once you have a dedicated fan base that isn't here just for matts pretty face.

[@michaelbohannon527]

@@SupergeekMike there's this guy "quinns ideas" used to be "ideas of ice and fire". started just as a game of thrones channel. granted he doesn't pull the views like when the show was running, but he covers Dune and other sci fi properties now. still grabs like 100k or so a video over time. maybe you could look at how he transitioned from his main content format and into a broader space? again. you're great. good face, good personality. great familiarity with the audience. good for forming a fan base. you should also look at "egotastic funtime" i think he just calls his channel "talking the orville" now. good guy, good personality. but once the orville went dormant during the pandemic his channel crashed and he had to go back to work. two different roads you could take, and good examples of what to do and what not to do. you can make this a career man, you got it. just don't burn out or go down a road without a second path.

[@ravenshadowz2343]

Using players knowledge of a mind flayer from years earlier playing D&D is meta gaming, should not be allowed. Just because the player knows what it is, does not mean their character will know.

[@SupergeekMike]

I ended up cutting a section from the video that would be about this, because it’s a subject for another day, but I would probably feel the same way at my table, but it depends on the DM and their preferences. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, and sometimes it can be handled well. That said, in this case, really all they learn from Liam is that “there are monsters who are scary” and maybe one of the names; everything else, they discover through rolls and by seeing it in action. So it’s not as egregious as it could’ve been.

[@mayaenglish5424]

@@SupergeekMike Also going forward Liam tends to be a good boy about his monster meta knowledge especially with the upcoming vampire stuff lol fumbling with wooden stakes and such when he knows full well it's pointless. (unless under very specific circumstances that definitely weren't happening).

[@crazyscotsman9327]

Great video but honestly the thing that pissed me off most about Keyleth in Campaign 1 is her attitude towards the LAWFUL GOOD Paladin they had been sent to save. You trust the fucking mind eating alien over the Paladin?! Da fuck is wrong with you guys? Why by all the gods would you trust him?! You see Mindflayers you kill on sight! (Or run away if you are too weak to fight them.)

[@SupergeekMike]

It wasn’t just Keyleth; half the party was fully willing to side with Clarota. It’s wild.

[@crazyscotsman9327]

@@SupergeekMike Ya but Keyleth was arguing with the Paladin, and took Clarota's side. Like I get that he looks sad but he will eat you. He has a very different mind do not trust him!

[@lordofuzkulak8308]

@@crazyscotsman9327 also, iirc she got very snippy with Kima for killing a couple of Duergar (or might have just been desecrating their corpses) despite a few minutes ago gigglingly killing some herself and the whole casually tossing one into lava and using her Druid powers to pile more lava on top of them as they’re dying. Contrast with Kima who was the Duergar’s prisoner for a protracted period of time and, iirc, was found in a torture chamber with clear signs of having been tortured by them for most, if not all, of that captivity. Also, also, that morally superior attitude was something Keyleth never shrugged off from what I can recall. For me, Keyleth is a good example of why it’s crucial to build a mental wall between the player and the player character; I intensely disliked Keyleth when I watched Campaign 1 (to the point I’d often fall a few weeks behind once I’d caught up because I found watching the character so mentally/emotionally taxing), but harbour no ill will to Marisha.

[@crazyscotsman9327]

Ya I couldn’t stand Keyleth at all. I hated her self righteous attitude and the way she hinted that they couldn’t trust Keima it’s like girl this is a Paladin blazing with holy energy she is not someone you need to worry about betraying you. Seriously the way Matt was describing her was some Uther the Lightbringer shit. (For those of us who came to ttrpg from WoW lol.)

[@Logan_Baron]

Keyleth had issues with religious folk and especially authority in religion. Pike got a pass because she was their buddy for ages, and didn't really act too religious and definitely not as authority. Not trusting her was perfectly within that character. And side note the piling more lava on top of the duergar while it was dying was to end it's suffering faster, rather than prolong it. Great demonstration of why avoiding the chat was a good tip though.