#I'm like 5 hours into chapter 3 and I can just say AAAAA

[teleportingbushes]

jumping from ec to yttd obsession is really unnoticable cause no matter what I'm just sobbing about tragic siblings huh

[dorianpavus]

hi katie! i've seen looots of ppl talk abt critical role and i reeeally wanted to start watching it but i have no idea how it works. AT ALL. and i know there are LOTS of eps out there and do i have to start from the 1st one or is it something like season 1, season 2, etc? please guide me i'm really looost aaaaa thank u

omg omg!!! hi i’m so excited for you i love critical role so much!!!! :’)

so yes, there are currently like 96 episodes out… and most of them are 3-5 hours long. holy shit. it’s definitely a commitment, but super worth it imo (i love my family…. they are my family… so pure…. so positive). plus, you can watch it kind of like a podcast and just listen to it if you like, since so much of it takes place verbally. 

(though i actually prefer to watch it cause i love seeing their faces and their cute interactions and reactions and acting and just… ya know. to each their own :3)

BUT OKAY

there aren’t actually seasons!! i know on the critical role wiki they list episodes as in “chapters”, but it’s mostly just a fan construct to help group and organize the episodes. the game itself isn’t actually designed in Chapters/Seasons/Whatever, not exactly… 

THAT SAID there are a lot of story arcs and plotlines!!! that have clear beginnings and ends, and those are really helpful in dividing up and discussing the show. (usually the “chapters” of which ppl speak – they just take the story arcs and roughly group them together into “chapters”, though i think that tends to lump episodes together that don’t always belong together ya know)

in any case you don’t necessarily have to start from episode 1 – i mean, the cast members even played together for 2 entire years before ever starting to stream their games on twitch, so EVERYONE who watches the show is still kind of getting thrown into the middle of their journey. plus tons of fans start watching from like…. any given episode, and most of them turn out okay. :P

however, episode 1 is designed intentionally for people who are new (duh). it starts the Very First Arc of critical role, it introduces all the characters (for the first 20ish? episodes they have a little character-introduction video they play at the start of the episodes and during breaks that helps you familiarize yourself with the characters and their brief backstory & info).

i’m only on episode 66 myself (OUT OF 90 SOMETHING) but that’s partially because i’m determined to watch them in order…  because i love them and don’t want to miss out on anything. even though i’ve been watching for over a year, lmao. i mean, i’ve had a lot going on in my life!! ya know!!! (ok… but really i’ve been watching so much lately so i feel like i’m gonna catch up pretty soon lol).

ANYWAY

i can break down some of the arcs for you and give you some recommendations on where/when you might wanna jump in and why, without giving away spoilers! 

dun dun DUN

ARC 1 - KRAGHAMMER (ep 1-16ish) - so the first arc of critical role is designed intentionally to introduce viewers to both Vox Machina (the party) and dungeons and dragons. it’s a very traditional dungeon crawl where the party was tasked with rescuing an npc from a dungeon, so… story-wise, the plot isn’t the most interesting, and there’s a pretty fair amount of combat. but it’s vox machina! and you get to fall in love with them from the first time!! this is also most of the time you’re going to get to see Tiberius, a dragonborn sorcerer played by Orion Acaba. orion leaves the show around ep 27 i think, (which… to be perfectly honest i was really happy about because i kinda disliked him as a player… ahem… but other people LOVED tibs and orion so that really depends :P). all that to say, if you want to get tiberius content, if you want to truly get the whole Critical Role experience, if you want to get familiar with the group as they play and fall in love with their fans for the first time as you fall in love with them for the first time, arc 1 is the way to go. i do think it’s the most boring arc by far, and because the show was just starting out the production quality is by far the worst, but i still loved it, so. :P

MINI ARC - VASSELHEIM (ep 17-23, ***NOT*** including ep 22) - this is where critical role really starts to hit its stride. the players are more comfortable on screen, everyone relaxes, the story is funny and it’s kind of an In Between mini arc – the events of Arc 1 have finished, but the next arc hasn’t really started yet. you could call these “filler episodes” but they’re some of my FAVORITES, more lighthearted and goofy and fun as the party sort of takes a breather from the intensity of their previous arc. this also features the Slayer’s Take episodes, a series of 4 episodes that SPLITS THE PARTY!!!! and features guest characters for the first time, including my beloved Zahra (i’m lov!!!! her!!!!!!) played by mary elizabeth mcglynn. also featuring felicia day, wil wheaton, and will friedle. honestly these episodes are… fun. i love them so so much.

STANDALONE - EP 22 - keyleth-centric episode - episode 22 isn’t included in that above mini arc; it’s kind of a one-standing episode that features a moment in keyleth’s overarching character development and plot. it wasn’t my favorite episode, but it features some cool elements and if you like keyleth you’ll def wanna watch it.

ARC 2 - PERCY’S ARC - (EP 24-36) - yehhh boi!!! PERCY’S ARC. THINGS ARE REALLY HEATIN UP FOR VOX MACHINA. okay, some of my favorite episodes happen in percy’s arc, and you get a LOT of no mercy percy. there’s intrigue and danger and delish combat and just like… what more could you ask for? the stakes have really raised for vox machina in arc 2. i love it, and my personal recommendation would be to not skip this one. :P

ARC 3 - (ep 37/38, REALLY starts ep 39 and goes way past where i’m at right now so i haven’t even finished it yet) – so the first two episodes of this arc start of really slowly (eps 37 & 38); they’re setting up for the shit that’s about to go down, which pretty much starts in ep 39. this is sort of the BIG BIG BIG arc that spans like 30+ episodes. i mean, don’t get me wrong – there are a billion smaller arcs within this arc alone, but i’m grouping it together because… it’s a big overarching plot unlike anything we’ve seen before in critical role.  i mean, the majority of episodes of critical role have been about this arc, haha. even if you skip everything else (… though i don’t think you should :^)…), you’ll probably still want to watch from here on out. some episodes are better than others (my god, the Planning episodes…. rip) but like… this is sort of Modern Critical Role™.

ALTERNATIVES - of course, you could really skip that arc. you could jump right in right now to ep 96 if you want and just watch from here on out, as you slowly go back to watch older episodes (even though that gives away so many delightful spoilers and plot twists, it is efficient). or you could watch from wherever that big arc ends, which is probably around like ep 90 or something (i don’t know!!! i’m not there!!! i know it’s roughly around that point haha). wherever you want to start watching is up to you. critical role is a commitment. but since you did ask me my opinion, i’d say either start from arc 1 (even though it’s a little more boring/combat-oriented than the other arcs because it’s The Introduction, it’s really nice to have that background and not be missing out on great moments and episodes and stuff), OR skip the first arc and start with the MINI ARC beginning on ep 17. it’s gonna be a little less cohesive for you, and the cast doesn’t focus on explaining their background/what’s going on quite as much for you, but the stories being told are just kinda more fun, haha. OR start with percy’s arc. but i’d recommend not just starting on Arc 3 (aka The Big One) because you’d be missing out on a lot of fun and history and the important moments won’t mean as much to you because you won’t be attached to the characters and their world.

tl;dr either start from the beginning (which is what i did and i don’t regret it), or start from the mini arc or arc 2. or do whatever you want. :P

GOD I KNOW I WROTE SO MUCH 

I’M SORRY

just… i wanted to be…. helpful. lol. ahem. ANYWAY 

I HOPE THIS HELPED

even though i wrote a book D:

i hope you really enjoy critical role friend!!!! and thanks for asking!!! and calling me by name cause i melted!!!! :3