#this whole episode is amazing I LOVE MENTOPOLIS

[hamable]

Went from laughing to crying about the mayor in 5 seconds flat

[fillingthescrapbook]

Let's Talk About: Mentopolis and The Scattered Mind

Not gonna lie, reading the takes Tumblr peeps have on what's going on in Mentopolis is kind of raising my expectations on how the show is going to unfold. That said, nothing could have prepared me for how this episode ended. Nothing.

And speaking of not being prepared… Wilton?! Wilton with the character art looking like a wrinkly pair of--

How I wish we could get a bonus episodes of Dimension 20 seasons of just the players reacting to the character artwork. Because much like I would have loved to see how Bob the Drag Queen and Jujubee would react to Nyruth, I would really really like to see Freddie Wong and Mike Trapp react to Wilton as well.

Now onto the episode content itself;

Hank Green's "I think it's time to unlearn that?" Chef's kiss. The whole thing with The Fix being built to be menacing and scary but Hank's innate kindness and softness still shining through? I don't remember if it was Brennan Lee Mulligan or Brian Murphy or Aabria Iyengar who said something about how your tabletop roleplaying character is you but through a stained-glass. I feel like that really applies to Hank and The Fix.

Alex Song-Xia, once again, has impeccable one-liners in this episode. Trapp doubling down on his character's… tenacity? Amazing. Danielle Radford is taking no prisoners in her game-play, and I love all of her facial reactions. All of them. Freddie Wong's choices in game continues to astound me, and you never know where he's going to zag next.

But my second chef's kiss for this episode goes to Siobhan Thompson's "Fucks Expletive." That was some very quick thinking that really fleshed out a part of this world, and one character's background, with just two words. And that's not mentioning all of the in-character choices Siobhan makes that truly, truly elevates this episode as one of the funniest and most enjoyable couple hours of content on the internet.

I can't wait to see what happens next. Because, really, after that ender of a scene, I need to know how it all plays out.

[bittsandpieces]

Oh, I heard about that show! I didn't check it out personally but tbh I'm a little burnt-out on the whole Netflix shtick of adapting comics. No shade, of course! I've Also been watching a ton of Dimension 20 lately, so I get the fixation with dnd podcast-type content~♡

That's fair!! I don't pay attention to new shows very much but I saw some interview or something that made me want to check it out, and I ended up loving it (probably helps that I know nothing about the comics lol)

I'm a BIG dimension 20 fan, but I don't like waiting for new episodes so I'm waiting to binge the new season until there's more of it out!! I'm currently listening to the adventure zone versus dracula, which is such a delightful mix of silliness and amazing imagery... for people who like the goofier end of d&d live play (naddpod, join the party, dungeons and daddies, d20 starstruck odyssey/fantasy high/mentopolis) I highly recommend it!!

[crystal-lillies]

a rambling retrospective on the last year as a new Critter

So, it's been about a year (a little over) since I fully dipped into the Critical Role fixation.

Last year around this time, we got the other Halloween episode in Whitestone, just before the Mighty Nein Reunited two-parter, and gee, we just got a Halloween episode in Whitestone and we're about to go into a Mighty Nein Reunion this week! And a LIVE show at that, the first one since pre-COVID!

And last year at this time, I was just starting into a work D&D group and I'd just gotten my first set of dice at a renaissance festival, and I'd just bounced around a bunch of compilation videos, several oneshots, and some out-of-context Campaign 2, along with The Legend of Vox Machina season 1. I was just barely dipping my toe into the wider CR + TTRPG world.

So much has happened since then.

Every Thursday since that Halloween in Whitestone last year with Bells Hells, I've been tuning into the stream (despite the ET time difference) and sometimes even making it through all the way (for some exhaustion points that are still worth it). I watched more of the oneshots (the Call of Cthulu one and Nautilus Ark being particular favorites I've seen in 2023). I've also watched a lot more of Campaign 2 and even went back into Campaign 1, bought myself some merch (I'm actually wearing the Hot Topic Ashton shirt, haha), and I got friends into The Legend of Vox Machina before and after Season 2 dropped on Amazon.

I even wrote a little fic when Matt slammed us all with the Apogee Solstice on the 8th anniversary session :)

And, as anyone who's been following me has noticed, I got the Exquisite Exandria cookbook and have been making the recipes from it whenever I can, and that's also been amazing.

Plus, I've watched some Dimension 20 (Mentopolis was incredible and Burrow's End rn is fascinating) and dipped into Worlds Beyond Number thanks to that.

My work D&D group has since dissolved, but I took a leap of faith and I joined a pickup oneshot game of D&D5e in April, and around late June/early July, the DM of that game invited me with a few others to a campaign set in that homebrew world the oneshot was based in.

We started playing at the end of July, and I've been having such a blast. Each session is so much fun and the highlight of any given week we play. I cannot believe I went so long in my life without having D&D until this point, honestly. But I'm so glad I have it now.

All of this to say, a lot has happened in the last year, and I'm so glad to have stumbled into the Critter community and gained knowledge of Critical Role and the wider TTRPG sphere as a whole. The fandom has been so welcoming and supportive in a way I haven't felt from many fandoms in my experience. It feels like it's been more than just a year of being invested in Critical Role, but I suppose that the fervent intensity of the story and the people involved and the genuine excitement in front of and behind the cameras.

I guess, just... thank you for everything. And here's to many more years of Critterdom to come :)

Love y'all very much, and is it Thursday yet?

[vexillologyisenjoyable]

dimension 20 seasons that I’ve watched, ranked(spoilers obviously):

A starstruck odyssey, without question my favorite. Basically every character in this went hard. The plot was fun, the hijinks were delightful, there were the moments that just hit the spot(the house always wins, ‘how did you know there was going to be a plinth in this fight’, beating up a guy and being like oh. that didn’t really do anything but we beat him up, snake eyes, and so many more), just the whole vibe of the season was off the charts.

the seven. I’ve probably laughed the hardest in my entire life while watching this season. It is second to starstruck simply by virtue of not being an intrepid hero season.

mentopolis. A city in a mind. The whole season takes place in about a minute or two. Dan FUCKS. Conrad Shintz, who is so sad and so funny. The fix, with his… fun… facts. Imelda Pulse, with a very high class air who will do the stupidest shit on a whim. Anastasia Tension, who has the most indescribable vibe. Hunch Curio, who will get into a fight with Fight itself. A conspiracy, a philosophical thing, a stolen birthday cake, truly this season had everything.

Misfits and Magic. I probably wouldn’t like this season if I was British, but I’m American so it’s funny when they make fun of British people. Nice how it works like that. The story about how friendship is a stronger tether than dark magic(where have I heard that before?), a story made in the setting created by a transphobe, where they proudly proclaim ‘fuck terfs’. Brennan plays a pc. Aabria dms. All is right with the world.

Burrow’s end. An all around fantastic season. An amazing cast. Brennan pc. Aabria dm. All is right with the world. They play stoats, hats are an important subplot, there’s meta themes about imperialism and colonialism. Also Shiobhan and Izzy play siblings.

fantasy high. With two and a half seasons, it’s one of the most well known. Freshman year is a solid 7/10. Sophomore year is a solid 8.5/10. Junior year isn’t finished yet, but so far it’s going strong. Some incredible bits came out of those seasons.

Neverafter, some cool themes were hinted at but never came to pass, most of the characters were good, but some didn’t really hit the mark, overall a decent season.

a crown of candy. King Lou! This season was good, I can see why other people might like it, but it wasn’t for me personally. Saccharina wasn’t the turn off, to be clear. She was a fine character and Emily deserved none of the hate.

unsleeping city. I know some of y’all really love it but idk it just isn’t that great. Sophie is an incredible character. Ricky Matsui my beloved. Very ok season.

also I didn’t finish acofaf but I got a couple episodes and and it was incredible. The secrets! The lords of the wing! K. P. Hob! I based on of my pcs on Hob, that’s how good he was(flint if my irl friends see this). Rue! Andhera and the duel between him and hob was so good. “Me, the slippiest boy?” Followed by just being yoinked. I would put this in the top three if I finished it, which I don’t intend to. I do consider it worthy of a top three spot, but i haven’t finished it so I’m just putting it down here as a footnote.

[deelovesbooks]

so i only started watching d20 this year and i started with Neverafter man what a ride! I loved it so much and I'll be back to watch it again sometime I love little red and my frog man so much lmao

and then once that was finished, I decided hmm let's do A Crown of Candy that seems fun! And this was of course while I'm in the middle of 3rd year so I don't have A Lot of time and honestly just added to my extremely high stress levels already. (I haven't actually finished the campaign yet 😬 classes ramped up and it much stress abounded lmao I think there's like 4 eps left? After the betrayal and jet dying and meeting Frostwhip and rescuing Jawbreaker I believe I've seen the episode after jawbreaker is rescued and that's the last. I will come back eventually when I'm less stressed and farther from metal breakdown lol)

And then I watched the first and I think second? episode of dungeons and drag queens. And I truly enjoyed it! I will return to watching it and finish it for sure I just got very deep into school and had no time and then breakdown era lmao

Then I watched Mentopolis! My friend and I both watched and talked theories and honestly I loved it. Just so good, I believe made me cry. Will likely rewatch.

And now I am Obsessed with Burrow's End. Like, I don't even know how to put it in words. (Is it probably because Im mentally unwell right now and under vast stress and strain and have been since September? Lmao probably a small contributing factor) but like I have rewatched episodes already in this season it's that fucking good.

And now while waiting for the weekly episode to drop rather than doing any of my truly enormous list of Extremely important and Critical things to do, I decided I haven't had enough of d20 and I needed more Aabria DM in my life rn. So now I am honestly plowing my way through a court of fey and flowers and I'm in love. Ok Chirp and Squawk are truly marvelous and play off eachother so damn well I am in love with these birds and all the bird puns and references they make endlessly bring me joy. And fucking K P Hob omg 😭 truly going to make me cry this fucking goblin man. I don't really know much about this campaign or what happens but I stg if Hob and Rue don't end up together I will be heartbroken. I just finished the hedge maze EP and honestly up to this point just fucking heartbreaking. But like Holy shit honestly the whole cast is killing it and Aabria bringing the fucking thunder and not even like just A game the fucking A+ extra credit graduate early with honors game holy shit. Like I'm not big into regency, I've never read p&p or seen Downton Abbey or Bridgeton but I've read a few books set in that era and have knowledge of the media and like the cadence and tropes of the genre, so like when I say I'm invested so much I'm like sooo invested. I love all the mechanics with the tokens and the letters and the rumors especially it's amazing. Truly revolutionary and groundbreaking and in the least creepy way possible I would give Aabria a kidney her work is just so amazing.

Anyways! The point I started making this with was that I can't wait until I finish acofaf so that way I can actually go through the tags without getting spoiled!

[fillingthescrapbook]

Let's Talk About: Mentopolis and Grappling With Death

"There's plenty of reasons to lick a dog!"

Honestly? Not a lot of thoughts with this one. This is the first episode of Mentopolis, for me, that was so buck wild that I had to just grab on tight and go along for the ride.

What's great? Everything. The Fix's whole thing with Mark Bition; Imelda Pulse deciding to turn Conrad Schintz in; Anastasia Tension charming a shock trooper so well that he gives her the keys to his apartment; Hunch Curio and Dan Fucks bonding over steaks; and Justin Fication getting invited into the revolution with Wilton.

I don't have an MVP in this episode because everyone was firing on all cylinders, but the interaction between The Fix and a new character at the precinct was *chef's kiss.* Hunch Curio trying to say Justin is his best friend only to get a polite rejection is also up there. And the revelation with the Mayor? Amazing all around.

What's not great? Well, this is just nitpicking. But I am really interested to know how the Dimension 20 crew picks which NPCs get character art. Because I want all of them to have character art. Yet, sometimes, I'm disappointed when a character who does and did get character art--and I immediately love--doesn't turn up again after their first introduction.

I can't wait for the Adventuring Party for this one. My jaw hurts from laughing so much.