Nothing will ever be more emotional than watching Sam cry about the fact Scanlan chose to save the world rather than save his friend. Breaks me every goddamn time.
Sam genuinely wanted you give Liam something good, especially because of what Liam had been through but also that Critical Role exists because of Liam.
i hate how everyone in this moment proceeded with the game not realizing the gravity of this moment. Two members are crying while others are counting dmg :(
@@2o7o7dragon He was going to use his 9th level slot to cast Wish and save Vax's soul from the Raven Queen. He used it for counterspell instead. Feelsbadman.
Say about the goldfish incident what you like, the fact remains that through the whole campain the only person, monster, thing or deity that managed to kill Keyleth, was Keyleth.
When you're at the pinnacle, where do you go from there? (Apparently, the answer is that you cliff dive to your demise to the horror of your battle-forged and almost-in-law sister.)
I love how during the "It's yours" scene everyone is crying and immersed in the scene but Travis is listening like "My wife is fucking killing this scene!"
Scanlan telling Vax "just say jenga and we'll fight her" will always be the heaviest line to me. "Hey if you want us all to fight this God and die with you then just say the word"
Bigby’s hand, level 5, lift me up, inspire Grog. That’s it. Gives me chills every time. What a risk he played and he knew it. You can hear it in his voice.
The look of pain on Sam's face after using his 9th level spell was so damn heartbreaking. He saved the world, but at the cost of not being able to save his friend.
And that is what made Veth/Nott so fantastic. Sam went from a character that failed to save Liam's to one that put everything else second(most of the campaign anyway).
Marishas famous last words 'I'll be fine, we're gods' before turning into jam has to be the dumbest moment of that campaign 🤣 the shear amount of disbelief was hilarious.
I feel super dumb. Reading this my first thought was "Oh they named the fish Jam?" And nearly 10 minutes later I realised my mistake and am still facepalming.
Vax's goodbye is probably one of the most cinematic and perfect "deaths" in fiction. It hits even harder when you know the emotional journey that Liam went through after the passing of his own mother. Matt adding that Vax's mother was the first one to greet him just felt so much more powerful
Agreed, this is one of the VERY few scenes that has made me cry when I watched it, and the only one I can think of that I cried a second time when I went back and watched it again. Absolutely beautiful.
Can I just say, when Sam tells everyone the very first time that he was going to save Vax (quietly) I really respect Joe looking at him in surprise going "oh shit" and then nodding in respect as he takes his action.
@@cianthompson966 Joe Manganiello. He was a guest player that was playing with CR crew on that day. He's a big actor and a HUGE dungeons and Dragons fan. He was in True Blood as a werewolf, and Magic Mike as well as a few other movies. He's also married to Sophia Vergara. She was a major character on the tv sitcom Modern Family. He even has a room in his huge house built specifically for his D&D games.
Sam crying gets me, but more than that is Liam crying looking at him. That look shows how sad he is for seeing his friend hurt, and how unbelievably loved he feels at that moment. Best moment in the first campaign by far for me.
What makes this show is two wonderful things..... 1. Mercer is awesome. 2. They are all great friends and loved ones. Thats the best type of tabletop RP any one could ever have.
@@tonybradley2053 Agreed. I get so drawn in because of them playing of eachother being great friends. The Sam and Liam moment here is a great example of that. Also Laura joining in with the "oh no.....".
The second counterspell is doubly tragic, because Matt knew Scanlan was saving that 9th level slot to try and save Vax. You can see the shock on his face.
@David Campbell I am pretty sure Sam whispers I'm sorry, and then Liam goes "I'm not sorry" and Sam says I'm sorry again to which Liam says I'm not sorry again and then I think Liam says thank you.
Watching that clip of Sam absolutely wrecked when he couldn't save Vax... it just now hit me, that had to be the nugget leading to Nott/Veth's protective instinct for Caleb in C2
Right, honestly it still makes me weepy Seeing Sam get emotional got me emotional, but what made the tears flow was seeing Liam ALSO start crying Like both of them were feeling a lot of things and thinking "that's my best friend and I love him"
@@Priestofbenism The other character, Liam O'Brien's character Vax, was going to die for sure after that fight because of some deity stuff. He was saving that level 9 spell for a wish to save his friend.
The flashcards scene was the absolutely most unhinged sequence of events I've ever seen in my life. Sam & Ashley broke every single person at that table including the DM purely through improv. Absolutely masterful.
@@dumbbluejay9525 Legit tho. I love how Sam is able to give real emotions. He wasnt lying. Yeah sure they cared about him but from Scandlens view for all the wrong reason. Just the line "what's my mother's name" Holy shit
100% that moment is the real #1. Scanlan leaving is the ultimate emotional moment of the show. Liam gets weepy every other episode but Sam pulling that out, I though he was really going through stuff in his life.
This is my #1 moment in the campaign, Travis' delivery and physicality in the moment, the voice... Just a masterwork of acting. Travis really embodies the role of Grog so well, Grog is "a simple minded hulk", but Travis understands that Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence are two completely different things and that Grog, while being statistically dumb as bricks, knows exactly what he's feeling. He's never confused by his emotions (except in the animated series in one very funny scene) and he's not afraid to admit them because he doesn't have those social blocks keeping him from expressing himself because he's actually not smart enough to understand that society has certain expectations on how "The Big Guy" should behave emotionally. Travis plays on this trope by reversing it, yea he's a raging madman who will literally skewer you with a sword through the taint, but he's also a giant bag of unfiltered feelings. Grog simply expresses what he feels and how it makes him feel, and that's the beauty of the character and the genius of Travis. Sorry for the essay :D
@@nuru666 I liked it. you explained how "wearing your heart on your sleeve" Works perfectly. Like how sams characters just seem to hit ya right in the hardspot and melt ya heart. Travis often hits ya right in the soft spot and makes you steel your heart.
Travis always surprises me. When I first saw him as Grog I shallowly assigned him as a jock but that "what's your mother's name? I'm sorry I didn't know that" was amazing. What a himbo, love that to death.
Scanlan’s “what was my mother’s name” & vax’s farewell will never not make me feel. I love the campaign 2 characters but I forgot how fucking deep c1 was
Grogs “Vax, are you afraid?” Will always fucking break me. The most jovial of characters asking such a sad question is an amazing development of character
Just watching Sam going from cockyness of the counterspell to the Realisation of what that consequences are going to be....... Him starting crying and then Liam just seeing Sam breaking down, and immediately starting to cry too......... Laura's reaction... Marishas..... Oh my feelings.
@@rabbitofd00m I don't think it was ever cockyness either, he knew the risks the entire time and what it meant to counterspell that last 9th level. It was stressful for everyone the entire time.
@@rabbitofd00m i didnt catch this watching it the first time, hell i didn't even catch what it meant watching this clip for the first time, i had to watch it back after reading the comments
Sam realizing he’s used his 9th level, therefore can’t use the Wish he’d been saving for Vac and crying after he apologizes to Liam absolutely broke me. I sob every time.
@@k.whatever9046 Sam was secretly going to use his 9th level spell on a Wish to bring Vax back. It was probably the only thing that could’ve saved him, but instead he had to use it to counterspell Vecna. He was crying because he finally realised there was no saving Vax, he was gone for good after the battle 🥲
@@k.whatever9046 Sam was saving his 9th level spell to cast Wish to try and release Vax from his bondage to The Raven Queen, thus negating the contract and possibly restoring Vax to *actual* living status (Vax was a Revenant for the last bit of the campaign.)
@@abjaaksm Not a dumb question, and yea in a way it was. Matt knew better than to give Scanlan a Long Rest for story purposes, not only because he knew what Sam would try, but also because he knew Sam was going to try it anyways, they'd actually discussed it, which is why even Matt is floored when Sam uses that last 9th level slot for Counter Spell. Narratively speaking Vax *had* to die, and a God would take one look at Scanlan and read him like a book, so RQ knew what Scanlan was thinking, but also quite aware that he could actually throw a major monkey wrench into her plans, so she took Vax within a few hours of Vecna's defeat
@@doc6427 he had talked with matt beforehand about using that 9th level spell for Wish, to save Liam's character once they defeated the big bad. the moment he realized all they'd worked for would be lost if the baddy got away, and that he could stop it, but it would mean not being able to save his friend. Matt's shock when sam announced counterspell says it all. As liam and the rest of the table gradually realized what happened... and sam cried... oh my goodness...
@@jamessteckel5379 honestly the first time i watched it i didn't pick up on it because the fight still happens. Wasn't until i saw this edited version just focusing on Sam and Liam and then it hit me right in the feels
That moment is the pinnacle of roleplaying games for me. A culmination of a 5-year friendship between characters and a crucial choice being made, leading to an otherwise sarcastic and silly man weeping because this has become real to him.
Ashleys reaction to that banishment counterspell was exactly what went down with me and my friends when we watched it the first time. We were all talking about how epic it was for most the rest of the fight, and then, Scanlan does it again against the teleport. Everyone was amazing this campaign, but this fight really made appreciate what a badass Scanlan was.
Fun fact- the first CR thing I ever saw was the clip of Vax's farewell that randomly ended up in my reccomendations. I finished it, sobbing, and then immediately started watching from Kraghammer. Fully caught up, all the way through C2. Love this crew and community so much
Mine was Nott stabbing a baby manticore. 😂😂 I was like, what the fuck???? I kept seeing other random CR vids, and just had to check it out of curiosity. I've played RPG's my whole life, but I was wary of watching other people play D&D. So glad I decided to check it out, as CR is now my favourite thing ever.
alot of people goin in on scanlans " i WISH i could have done more" as the breaking point of vax's "scene", mine was when giant, loud AF, grog asked the simple question, "can i ask? are you afraid?" hit me like a freight truck...the scene was great and i was putting the respect on a sad scene, but when that line was said, my eyes started watering.
...have you SEEN any of the other fights? People died. They took on Vecna... What? Did you see the first fight without Scanlan? They nearly all died, one did, one was going to be left behind if it wasn't for Percy... What? Grogs fight against his uncle was closer.
Just might be true... simply because Matt said he had so many epic spells he wanted to use... with that mans mind who knows what would’ve happened!! It wasn’t like she died quickly after this spell.. 😳👌
After the final battle against Raishan, as it played out in the episode, Scanlon is dead. Percy only barely avoided dying. The rest of the party was badly hurt. And that was without her full complement of spells for part of the battle. Imagine if she would have been able to cast spells the entire time. Now, for the sake of this discussion, I did not see the battle against the Kraken, which was the only major fight I missed. Against Kevdak, it was a nail-biter for sure, but there was one major difference: Vox Machina could have escaped and gone into hiding somewhere in the city if they'd had to. Against Raishan, in full control of her mental faculties, in her lair? Not a chance in hell to run away. That is why I rate that fight higher.
He wasn't wrong though! I mean he did drugs in front of them, and Vex, with a passive perception of 24 didn't even ask if she noticed, cause she didn't care lol
Scanlan started out as a joke character so the other players continued to assume that his goofy/odd behaviors were setups for bigger jokes… … which, in a way, it was … (°cough°TARY°cough°)
@@Draezeth TWO whole fucking times... whoop whoop, i seriously care for this guy. 'are you alright? are you sure?'... 'ok, we good.'... yep. Point of fact not all interactions are checks some are just conversations... CRAZY, I know. Prying isnt caring.
@@sepho3070 if you think your friend is not doing well and they deceive you so well that you genuinely believe they are doing just fine despite what they’ve displayed, then exactly zero blame lies upon you. And yes, prying when it comes to drug use and poor mental health is absolutely caring. Scanlan was just so good at lying that he was able to convince everyone he was totally fine, and then blamed everyone else when they literally brought him back from death.
@@captainservoofzetasquad4509 You are absolutely correct, I was thinking of the comic. However even with 2 seasons I don't think it will go far enough to hit Grog learning the alphabet lol.
@@metalgod9897 I will be absolutely shocked if Amazon hasn't already renewed it for more seasons and they just haven't announced it yet. the first season did so well and the whole team wants more seasons
Damn it. I always hold it together until Sam, and I do mean Sam, not Scanlan, says "I wish I could have done more" The layers of emotion pouring out of him makes me ugly sob everytime. Tears, snot, the whole nine yards.
1:14:57 I think Mercer loses it here more than in any other episode before or since... it's golden to see a DM enjoying his players RP as much as this.
19:00 it’s amazing that in a game that doesn’t really matter two friends can cry tears about characters that don’t really exist. The human condition is a beautiful thing
The most incredible thing about Sam is that Scanlan is the sort of selfish character to always act like he’s the “main character” or leader of the group... but he really feels like the main character sometimes
@@scepta101 obviously I know this isn't actually like this, but aspects like that help me reinforce the headcannon that all of campaign one was really just scanlon recounting the tales of vox machina
And Sam Riegel said he never played D&D before Critical Role, but the other cast has.. Huh… I think maybe it’s how you play it, not how long have you been playing..
All through the first campaign i was iffy on how invested sam was. But he really brought it and made me love him. Scanlans daughter, the counterspell, his moment with ioun. He really is the heart and soul
Man. "It's yours"/True Loves Crit will always be one of the most special scenes to me, both because it's just a big moment for these two people, and it was also the first ever episode I watched live. This was a damn good compilation, lots of tears and laughs, it was nice going back to all these after it's been a bit (though some longer than others) and I was deeply happy to see the last one being the Hotis as Gilmore, such a fuckin top tier scene as someone who adores Vaxmore and that scene was just sooooo good and fun and tense
I love this so much but the fact that the Percy And Vax in the bathtub while Vex hides under the water moment didn't make it shocks me. That's one of my fav moments. That and when Patrick Rothfuss was guesting and Sam made the joke about Raishan looking for the third book in his trilogy but she would never find it and everyone died laughing even Patrick.
i really wasn't ready for that. Most of the time people say "aw this scene made me sad" I'm thinking "yeah I suppose so" but damn that was kinda freaking sick the way sam wasn't just the normal dramatic "you don't care about me" but freaking backed it up was like damn, damn damn damn
that whole part is so heart wrenching. That whole party are some damn fine actors cuz i know if that were me, i would have started crying after about 1 minute of that irl
Just Sam's cheer force... Feelings... Movements... Acting... The sound of his voice.... You know he's feeling it.... You know it's the truth... And just... It hits me.... It's so sad and it's so true.... And.... Ugh... I can't... I love them... It hurts....
The cast celebrating after killing Kevdak always reminds me of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie celebrating after not getting crushed to death in A New Hope
Yknow, when I see these scenes, and I see the emotion that’s put into them, it really opens my eyes to how much dnd means to people. It isn’t just: a fun role playing game you can get into. It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a lifestyle that you form families with. I’ve yet to play dnd as of this comment but I think this is amazing
Scanlan's Bard Lament speech left me in shambles and will for so many years to come! My god, Scanlan went from being my least favorite to my most in some kind of miracle. I love VM so much
I love that the one DM ruling that they were all vocally outraged at was that Grog didn't remember Pike's spelling lesson after the Fox's cunning potion wore off
The moment when Vax is reunited with his mother knowing that Liam had lost his mother just made the scene all the more I don’t wanna say sad but emotional. Then the moment with Liam and Sam with the 9th level counter spell really shows how much they both love each other. Also why a, I crying now watching these again damn it
1:15:00 is my favorite moment of the comedy in this one Sam: "Is some sort of a cultish thing, where you have to prove yourself sexually AND in battle?" Travis: (Nods with confidence)
13:10 I've been a DM since I was a kid in the 80'ies. Most of my life I've dreamed about one of my players role-playing like that. Sam REALLY raises the bloody barr here! Not only does this take skill and talent, it also takes guts! And the whole team responding to it with shame is really beautiful! This is my favorite moment in any role-playing session I've seen in a UA-cam video! But, hey - having players like this whole group would be the dream of any DM ...
"I'm going to see my mother again" Breaks me every time. It still hurts. That entire scene hurts knowing how close we got to Scanlan being able to save Vax. You know it's a sad moment when even Matt starts to choke up a little.
*Thar be spoilers in this here comment.* Though odds are you've already seen all of these.
0:09 Lady Vex'halia
0:59 Keyleth feebleminds Raishan 2:33 Druid down!
3:34 Masterful Counterspell # 1 4:37 Sarenrae serenade 5:18 8th level
6:33 Scanbo
12:34 Scanlan's departure
17:11 Vex's plea for Percy
18:52 Masterful Counterspell #2 Just watch Liam and Sam
21:39 Vax's goodbye
31:48 Scanlan finds true love
44:49 Grog goes shopping with Tary 52:43 Clang!
57:37 Tary's intro
1:07:34 Flashcards
1:20:02 Pike teaches Grog letters
1:23:57 Keyleth's clutch death save in hell 1:25:53 The roll
1:26:56 Sarenrae punches Vorugal 1:28:24 "I'll do what I can."
1:30:25 Artagan chokes Vax 1:32:47 "To the immotals."
1:34:50 Grog kills Kevdak 1:37:41 HDYWTDT
1:40:16 "FIX HIM!"
1:41:52 Goldfish 1:45:09 Splat 1:49:09 Revival
1:52:37 Hotis returns 1:55:44 Poke
The real hero, thank you
@@yourstepdads6675 Why hasn't this been pinned yet?
@@DarthSinistris Because I'm a dumb 'ol dad and did not know I could do that. Pinned it now, thank you!
@@yourstepdads6675Duly noted
Thank you so much👌👌
Nothing will ever be more emotional than watching Sam cry about the fact Scanlan chose to save the world rather than save his friend. Breaks me every goddamn time.
Oh that's what that was? I couldn't read their lips well enough and the rest of the cast was talking over it. That's HEAVY.
Sam genuinely wanted you give Liam something good, especially because of what Liam had been through but also that Critical Role exists because of Liam.
i hate how everyone in this moment proceeded with the game not realizing the gravity of this moment. Two members are crying while others are counting dmg :(
Especially since that’s Sam losing it, not scanlan
@@2o7o7dragon He was going to use his 9th level slot to cast Wish and save Vax's soul from the Raven Queen. He used it for counterspell instead. Feelsbadman.
matt's face dropping for the 9th level counterspell will never fail to hit me where it hurts because he KNOWS what that implies.
“we traveled across planes of existence so you could fix your fucking daddy issues” literally never gets old
So good!!! Also the EMOTION behind the words...breathtaking. Sam is a great actor.
Gentle reminder:
Everyone came ready that fateful day to fight a god.
Scanlan Shorthalt was willing to fight two.
And he could’ve fucking won too…
@@Theology.101 Even if he didn't, there would be some serious lasting damage.
Forget his mother's name, y'all MF's need to learn HIS.
Stolen comment
@@nicholasmercer6397 from who?
@@levantdiggerus3473 God only knows at this point, it's kind of a meme. Not comedic, but that phrase is referenced a lot.
Vex: “50,000 gold.”
Tary: “Oh, that’s nothing!”
Vex: *drops pen*
Say about the goldfish incident what you like, the fact remains that through the whole campain the only person, monster, thing or deity that managed to kill Keyleth, was Keyleth.
Keyleth really became the Icaros of Exandria in that moment.
@@Yaratoma she flew too close to the cliff
@@fallenaasimar3878 that was a perfect joke. Not one wasted word.
@@fallenaasimar3878 ...as a goldfish... per scanlans song.
When you're at the pinnacle, where do you go from there? (Apparently, the answer is that you cliff dive to your demise to the horror of your battle-forged and almost-in-law sister.)
“Did you know that her and Vax are twin brother and sister?”
“I could tell by the bone structure and contempt.”
one of The Best Lines 🤣🤣🤣🎯
Talisien looks like a proud dad after that line.
Taliesin is a king of 1 liners
But he's also had thousands of years to practice.
Sam is ok too
@@MorganBondelid nah best line is definitely "show me on the character sheet where the bad DM touched you" LMAO
@@Reblwitoutacause life needs things, to live
I love how during the "It's yours" scene everyone is crying and immersed in the scene but Travis is listening like "My wife is fucking killing this scene!"
More like "My ship is SAILING"
@@sugar-high_kitsune both? Both. Both is goof
Scanlan telling Vax "just say jenga and we'll fight her" will always be the heaviest line to me.
"Hey if you want us all to fight this God and die with you then just say the word"
Bigby’s hand, level 5, lift me up, inspire Grog. That’s it.
Gives me chills every time. What a risk he played and he knew it. You can hear it in his voice.
timestamp please?
And Marisha and the others having a go at him. Save your action etc Sam knew what he was doing.
Watching him think it through to get to that moment is AMAzing. And play it off like "Oh, well..." so the surprise worked? *chef's kiss*
@@MorganBondelid its during the 3:34 section
The look of pain on Sam's face after using his 9th level spell was so damn heartbreaking. He saved the world, but at the cost of not being able to save his friend.
And that is what made Veth/Nott so fantastic. Sam went from a character that failed to save Liam's to one that put everything else second(most of the campaign anyway).
"It was like a magic trick, it was like a fish turned into a corpse" -Liam
I read that in Caleb's voice and it was hilarious.
Marishas famous last words 'I'll be fine, we're gods' before turning into jam has to be the dumbest moment of that campaign 🤣 the shear amount of disbelief was hilarious.
I love every moment when her "ONE Xth LEVEL SPELL" Fails so miserably that she has to physically pout.
And that coming from a druid who literally nullified intellect of one of the most intellectual enemies in their campaign xD
Keyleth is my fav
I feel super dumb.
Reading this my first thought was "Oh they named the fish Jam?" And nearly 10 minutes later I realised my mistake and am still facepalming.
I don't really understand anyway, fall damage usually caps at 20d6 as per the handbook
I love it when Liam laughs so hard that he disappears for a couple seconds XD
Sasayaku A. Rehtaef he laughs so hard he stealths
The laugher zone
Vax's goodbye is probably one of the most cinematic and perfect "deaths" in fiction. It hits even harder when you know the emotional journey that Liam went through after the passing of his own mother. Matt adding that Vax's mother was the first one to greet him just felt so much more powerful
Agreed, this is one of the VERY few scenes that has made me cry when I watched it, and the only one I can think of that I cried a second time when I went back and watched it again. Absolutely beautiful.
😭🤧😭🤧😭
@@ru5h1n68 the only other scene was grog’s “fix him” after scan died
I was going through a hard time when I watched that episode, and I was a sobbing mess the entire time.
Shit, I really didn't know that's what Liam was going through at the time. Damn, now I'm even more of a crying mess watching that scene X'D
Can I just say, when Sam tells everyone the very first time that he was going to save Vax (quietly) I really respect Joe looking at him in surprise going "oh shit" and then nodding in respect as he takes his action.
Seems like that's when Joe realized how seriously some people take DnD. It's not just a game for people who play as seriously as CR does
@@yooooo8600 Are you familiar with Joe lmao
@@howarddn4499 Who the hell is Joe? *Ligma balls*
@@cianthompson966 Joe Manganiello. He was a guest player that was playing with CR crew on that day. He's a big actor and a HUGE dungeons and Dragons fan. He was in True Blood as a werewolf, and Magic Mike as well as a few other movies. He's also married to Sophia Vergara. She was a major character on the tv sitcom Modern Family. He even has a room in his huge house built specifically for his D&D games.
Bro do some research Joe plotted the theft of the Hand agonizingly in depth.
Sam crying gets me, but more than that is Liam crying looking at him. That look shows how sad he is for seeing his friend hurt, and how unbelievably loved he feels at that moment. Best moment in the first campaign by far for me.
And I would have missed it entirely if the comments hadn't alerted me, since I usually listen while doing something else.
What makes this show is two wonderful things.....
1. Mercer is awesome.
2. They are all great friends and loved ones. Thats the best type of tabletop RP any one could ever have.
@@tonybradley2053 Agreed. I get so drawn in because of them playing of eachother being great friends. The Sam and Liam moment here is a great example of that. Also Laura joining in with the "oh no.....".
The second counterspell is doubly tragic, because Matt knew Scanlan was saving that 9th level slot to try and save Vax. You can see the shock on his face.
During Vax's farewell, Scanlan says "I 'wish' I could have done more". Sam never ceases to amaze me
@David Campbell 9th level
@David Campbell I am pretty sure Sam whispers I'm sorry, and then Liam goes "I'm not sorry" and Sam says I'm sorry again to which Liam says I'm not sorry again and then I think Liam says thank you.
@@kevinadam2945 Actually, Liam says "Don't be sorry, i love you." which is more heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time
I like how Vax says how "lucky" he's been to have known all of them, maybe a reference to his luck feat.
Watching that clip of Sam absolutely wrecked when he couldn't save Vax... it just now hit me, that had to be the nugget leading to Nott/Veth's protective instinct for Caleb in C2
Seeing sam cry and liam cry at the gesture that his friend wanted to save his characater is emotional
Right, honestly it still makes me weepy
Seeing Sam get emotional got me emotional, but what made the tears flow was seeing Liam ALSO start crying
Like both of them were feeling a lot of things and thinking "that's my best friend and I love him"
Sam crying to himself like that will just never not rip my soul completely apart. Ugh.
Is that the counter spell level 9? I havent actually watched the rest as I'm just getting into critical role and I don't really understand that bit.
@@Priestofbenism The other character, Liam O'Brien's character Vax, was going to die for sure after that fight because of some deity stuff. He was saving that level 9 spell for a wish to save his friend.
and its because it dosent break scanlan, it breaks sam. Sam was trying to save him best friends character
@@rainycake Vax's farewell scene is his death because of this deity stuff?
@@kzeriar25 It would be much better if you typed the timestamp but i am assuming yes.
The flashcards scene was the absolutely most unhinged sequence of events I've ever seen in my life. Sam & Ashley broke every single person at that table including the DM purely through improv. Absolutely masterful.
Absolutely
"I'm sorry I didn't know that."
Literally knocked me off my feet. And this is number FIVE? I'm not gonna make it through the tearjerkers, am I? XD
Ngl that shit broke me.
Take Walker Catch me laughing my ass of at the mansion scene and then sobbing immediately at the sight of “What’s my mother’s name”
@@dumbbluejay9525 Legit tho. I love how Sam is able to give real emotions. He wasnt lying. Yeah sure they cared about him but from Scandlens view for all the wrong reason. Just the line "what's my mother's name" Holy shit
Disgusting furry
100% that moment is the real #1. Scanlan leaving is the ultimate emotional moment of the show. Liam gets weepy every other episode but Sam pulling that out, I though he was really going through stuff in his life.
I'm sorry but hearing travis scream "FIX HIM" makes me just imagine grog seeing it all and becoming even more angry each time
This is my #1 moment in the campaign, Travis' delivery and physicality in the moment, the voice... Just a masterwork of acting. Travis really embodies the role of Grog so well, Grog is "a simple minded hulk", but Travis understands that Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence are two completely different things and that Grog, while being statistically dumb as bricks, knows exactly what he's feeling. He's never confused by his emotions (except in the animated series in one very funny scene) and he's not afraid to admit them because he doesn't have those social blocks keeping him from expressing himself because he's actually not smart enough to understand that society has certain expectations on how "The Big Guy" should behave emotionally. Travis plays on this trope by reversing it, yea he's a raging madman who will literally skewer you with a sword through the taint, but he's also a giant bag of unfiltered feelings. Grog simply expresses what he feels and how it makes him feel, and that's the beauty of the character and the genius of Travis.
Sorry for the essay :D
@@nuru666 I liked it. you explained how "wearing your heart on your sleeve" Works perfectly. Like how sams characters just seem to hit ya right in the hardspot and melt ya heart. Travis often hits ya right in the soft spot and makes you steel your heart.
The emotional whiplash of going to Vax's final goodbye and the love potion incident...WOO...THAT SHIT HURTED!
Still hurts
My god does anyone notice Taliesen's face throughout Vax's final goodbye?!
@@lancejedrickmaniquiz7547 He was on the edge of calling in the final part of the contract to try and fight her. You can really see the struggle.
Tal's timing on his "is it so hard to believe" line is absolutely one of his epic moments.
Talisin is really good at delivering one liners/ one good moment. It is a cool style of improv for a group, someone to cap off a scene/joke.
he has a casual grace of delivery that is not predominant in improv. he sits back into what musicians might call "the pocket." it's lovely.
When was this?
Travis always surprises me. When I first saw him as Grog I shallowly assigned him as a jock but that "what's your mother's name? I'm sorry I didn't know that" was amazing. What a himbo, love that to death.
"What was your mothers name?" "Juniper" "Im sorry I didnt know that" Broke my heart a million times more than anyones death.
Bless you for including Love Potion immeditialy following Vax’s farewell. It’s exactly what I needed after bawling my eyes out
Scanlan probably went to bed crying after that event.
Enjoy knowing that!
Scanlan’s “what was my mother’s name” & vax’s farewell will never not make me feel. I love the campaign 2 characters but I forgot how fucking deep c1 was
do you know what episode is "what was my mother's name"?
@@DragonDyna2ty Episode 85
@@Pennywise128 Ah, what a ride that episode was...
C1 and C2 just have complete different energies, when in the future C3 rolls around I hope Liam is a barbarian and recreates Asura since he voiced him
Seeing the devastation on Sams face after he had to use that 9th level spell. I want to be in a campaign like that shit
Grogs “Vax, are you afraid?” Will always fucking break me. The most jovial of characters asking such a sad question is an amazing development of character
"It was a magic trick. It was like a fish turned into a corpse"
This cracks me up every time I hear this line.
Also Travis' laugh.
"Now that I'm a full-fledged member..."
Matt losing his shit for a solid 30 seconds.
1:14:50
Is there a hierarchy?
Scanlon coming onto Percy, Laura switching from laughing as herself to being outraged as Vex.
"I'm _in the bed,_ you motherfucker!"
_"are you in there?!?"_
*"We're MARRIED!"*
about @39:20
Actors, man! :D
"I was going to save Vax".
Man. The feels. Every time
Shortly after:
Sam: "I'm sorry Liam."
Liam: "It's okay. (mouthed) I love you."
Sam: *breaks down in tears*
@@JT_1103 totally
Just watching Sam going from cockyness of the counterspell to the Realisation of what that consequences are going to be....... Him starting crying and then Liam just seeing Sam breaking down, and immediately starting to cry too......... Laura's reaction... Marishas..... Oh my feelings.
@@rabbitofd00m I don't think it was ever cockyness either, he knew the risks the entire time and what it meant to counterspell that last 9th level. It was stressful for everyone the entire time.
@@rabbitofd00m i didnt catch this watching it the first time, hell i didn't even catch what it meant watching this clip for the first time, i had to watch it back after reading the comments
Sam realizing he’s used his 9th level, therefore can’t use the Wish he’d been saving for Vac and crying after he apologizes to Liam absolutely broke me. I sob every time.
Me: *sobbing all over again over Vax’s final goodbye* The video: the love potion scene. Me: OH COME ON
Haha I'm sorry... I thought I'd lift the mood a bit by putting the funny moments after the tearjerkers. It is a bit of mood whiplash I know!
Matt: You took 363 points of damage.
Marisha: You are lying.
Matt: No.
Marisha: You are lying.
"Doty, she said realism!"
...
"Really?"
Gets me every time
Artagan strangling Vax'ildan: I hope this doesnt awaken anything in me
Artagan over Vax'ildan's corpse: Oh, good
When sam was crying you can see how badly liam wanted to hug him and I love that.
why was he crying? im sorry hdjdh i couldnt read that conversation at all
@@k.whatever9046 Sam was secretly going to use his 9th level spell on a Wish to bring Vax back. It was probably the only thing that could’ve saved him, but instead he had to use it to counterspell Vecna. He was crying because he finally realised there was no saving Vax, he was gone for good after the battle 🥲
@@k.whatever9046 Sam was saving his 9th level spell to cast Wish to try and release Vax from his bondage to The Raven Queen, thus negating the contract and possibly restoring Vax to *actual* living status (Vax was a Revenant for the last bit of the campaign.)
@@nuru666 sorry for the dumb question but couldn’t scanlan just have waited a day to get his slot back? Was it time sensitive?
@@abjaaksm Not a dumb question, and yea in a way it was. Matt knew better than to give Scanlan a Long Rest for story purposes, not only because he knew what Sam would try, but also because he knew Sam was going to try it anyways, they'd actually discussed it, which is why even Matt is floored when Sam uses that last 9th level slot for Counter Spell. Narratively speaking Vax *had* to die, and a God would take one look at Scanlan and read him like a book, so RQ knew what Scanlan was thinking, but also quite aware that he could actually throw a major monkey wrench into her plans, so she took Vax within a few hours of Vecna's defeat
9th level counterspell is the #1 moment of the adventure, honestly
What even happened?
@@doc6427 he had talked with matt beforehand about using that 9th level spell for Wish, to save Liam's character once they defeated the big bad. the moment he realized all they'd worked for would be lost if the baddy got away, and that he could stop it, but it would mean not being able to save his friend. Matt's shock when sam announced counterspell says it all. As liam and the rest of the table gradually realized what happened... and sam cried... oh my goodness...
@@jamessteckel5379 honestly the first time i watched it i didn't pick up on it because the fight still happens. Wasn't until i saw this edited version just focusing on Sam and Liam and then it hit me right in the feels
That moment is the pinnacle of roleplaying games for me. A culmination of a 5-year friendship between characters and a crucial choice being made, leading to an otherwise sarcastic and silly man weeping because this has become real to him.
Vox Machina came to this fight prepared to fight a God.
Scanlan was prepared to fight 2.
"what ? You think you care about me"
"Yes asshole, yes."
For me, Liam and sam are the best duo of critical role
Ashleys reaction to that banishment counterspell was exactly what went down with me and my friends when we watched it the first time. We were all talking about how epic it was for most the rest of the fight, and then, Scanlan does it again against the teleport. Everyone was amazing this campaign, but this fight really made appreciate what a badass Scanlan was.
*That* man killed Vecna. The rest were just accessories compared to him.
"What's my mothers name?" That hurt like a butt cheek on a stick
Sam would probably say "Joke's on you. I'm into that shit."
I love how Travis and Liam move away from Laura at the "Little elf girl" from Sam.
Fun fact- the first CR thing I ever saw was the clip of Vax's farewell that randomly ended up in my reccomendations. I finished it, sobbing, and then immediately started watching from Kraghammer. Fully caught up, all the way through C2. Love this crew and community so much
Shame you kinda got spoiled for his character arc...but I guess it lead to you finding the show...but yeah...Vax's storyline is ROUGH.
@@AnxietyRat Yea it sucks that they had the end of his arc spoiled, but.... Fuck it, brought another critter into the fold, good enough for me. :D
Mine was Nott stabbing a baby manticore. 😂😂 I was like, what the fuck???? I kept seeing other random CR vids, and just had to check it out of curiosity. I've played RPG's my whole life, but I was wary of watching other people play D&D. So glad I decided to check it out, as CR is now my favourite thing ever.
alot of people goin in on scanlans " i WISH i could have done more" as the breaking point of vax's "scene", mine was when giant, loud AF, grog asked the simple question, "can i ask? are you afraid?" hit me like a freight truck...the scene was great and i was putting the respect on a sad scene, but when that line was said, my eyes started watering.
Keyleth's Feeblemind saves the party from TPK. Toughest damn fight in the entire first campaign.
...have you SEEN any of the other fights? People died. They took on Vecna... What? Did you see the first fight without Scanlan? They nearly all died, one did, one was going to be left behind if it wasn't for Percy... What? Grogs fight against his uncle was closer.
Just might be true... simply because Matt said he had so many epic spells he wanted to use... with that mans mind who knows what would’ve happened!! It wasn’t like she died quickly after this spell.. 😳👌
After the final battle against Raishan, as it played out in the episode, Scanlon is dead. Percy only barely avoided dying. The rest of the party was badly hurt. And that was without her full complement of spells for part of the battle. Imagine if she would have been able to cast spells the entire time. Now, for the sake of this discussion, I did not see the battle against the Kraken, which was the only major fight I missed. Against Kevdak, it was a nail-biter for sure, but there was one major difference: Vox Machina could have escaped and gone into hiding somewhere in the city if they'd had to. Against Raishan, in full control of her mental faculties, in her lair? Not a chance in hell to run away. That is why I rate that fight higher.
edh9999 agree..👍
@@aliince9372 Even though you are correct the vast majority of vocal critters warship Marisha. No point in trying to talk sense into them.
Scanlan taking out the house in Whitestone is one of my favorite battles. Just pure improvisation.
Scanlan going off on the whole party is the saddest thing to me.
He wasn't wrong though! I mean he did drugs in front of them, and Vex, with a passive perception of 24 didn't even ask if she noticed, cause she didn't care lol
Scanlan started out as a joke character
so the other players continued to assume that his goofy/odd behaviors were setups for bigger jokes…
… which, in a way, it was … (°cough°TARY°cough°)
@@deathwrow9652 Uh excuse me, but they *did* ask him. At least twice, and he deceived them with his massive deception checks.
@@Draezeth TWO whole fucking times... whoop whoop, i seriously care for this guy. 'are you alright? are you sure?'... 'ok, we good.'... yep. Point of fact not all interactions are checks some are just conversations... CRAZY, I know. Prying isnt caring.
@@sepho3070 if you think your friend is not doing well and they deceive you so well that you genuinely believe they are doing just fine despite what they’ve displayed, then exactly zero blame lies upon you. And yes, prying when it comes to drug use and poor mental health is absolutely caring. Scanlan was just so good at lying that he was able to convince everyone he was totally fine, and then blamed everyone else when they literally brought him back from death.
Pike teaching Grog the alphabet better make it in the animated series
"Ahhhhh? Heyyyyy"
Highly doubt it since the animated series is only going to be about stuff that happened before the stream so I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.
@@metalgod9897 You may have realized or learned this by now, but the animated series occurs during the Briarwood Arc.
@@captainservoofzetasquad4509 You are absolutely correct, I was thinking of the comic. However even with 2 seasons I don't think it will go far enough to hit Grog learning the alphabet lol.
@@metalgod9897 I will be absolutely shocked if Amazon hasn't already renewed it for more seasons and they just haven't announced it yet. the first season did so well and the whole team wants more seasons
can we talk about the pure genius of this man to start the funny bits IMMEDIATELY after Vax's farewell? I really appreciated that lol
Damn it. I always hold it together until Sam, and I do mean Sam, not Scanlan, says "I wish I could have done more" The layers of emotion pouring out of him makes me ugly sob everytime. Tears, snot, the whole nine yards.
you mean nein yards
1:14:57 I think Mercer loses it here more than in any other episode before or since... it's golden to see a DM enjoying his players RP as much as this.
"I want to lick your eyebrows" is canon in The D&D multiverse. Just want everyone to know
Yes thank you EGWM!
wdym?
@@GeeGe. The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount made the critical role universe Canon in the d&d multiverse
@@JEST3R_ oh haha sure, thanks
"Little elf girl" is always funny as hell
I love that when he shortens to LEG
19:00 it’s amazing that in a game that doesn’t really matter two friends can cry tears about characters that don’t really exist. The human condition is a beautiful thing
Grog’s FIX HIM is what I think about when I need to cry on the spot. Just gets me every damn time
I don't want to play favourites. I love these people to death. But Sam Riegel truly is the heart and soul of Critical Role.
When Sam said “I have a plan and it involves us being cows” he stole my heart and i fell in love with Vox mochina
The most incredible thing about Sam is that Scanlan is the sort of selfish character to always act like he’s the “main character” or leader of the group... but he really feels like the main character sometimes
@@scepta101 obviously I know this isn't actually like this, but aspects like that help me reinforce the headcannon that all of campaign one was really just scanlon recounting the tales of vox machina
He is... The Critical Soul
And Sam Riegel said he never played D&D before Critical Role, but the other cast has.. Huh… I think maybe it’s how you play it, not how long have you been playing..
All through the first campaign i was iffy on how invested sam was. But he really brought it and made me love him. Scanlans daughter, the counterspell, his moment with ioun. He really is the heart and soul
Man. "It's yours"/True Loves Crit will always be one of the most special scenes to me, both because it's just a big moment for these two people, and it was also the first ever episode I watched live. This was a damn good compilation, lots of tears and laughs, it was nice going back to all these after it's been a bit (though some longer than others) and I was deeply happy to see the last one being the Hotis as Gilmore, such a fuckin top tier scene as someone who adores Vaxmore and that scene was just sooooo good and fun and tense
"You are ghost white, bucket headed gnome, in a silk g-string"
And this is why D&D is wonderful
2:33 Tal when Marisha falls is priceless
I love it. He disconnects from reality for a second and when he tunes back in, Marisha's disappeared. "...holy FUCK!"
"Druid down!"
I love this so much but the fact that the Percy And Vax in the bathtub while Vex hides under the water moment didn't make it shocks me. That's one of my fav moments. That and when Patrick Rothfuss was guesting and Sam made the joke about Raishan looking for the third book in his trilogy but she would never find it and everyone died laughing even Patrick.
Why do I torture myself with re watching these emotional moments, no matter how many times I always end up crying eventually
Dude. The scene where Scanlan is saying "you don't care about me" legit got me sad.
Starting at 13:33
Great acting. Hits you like a truck.
Great acting.
i really wasn't ready for that. Most of the time people say "aw this scene made me sad" I'm thinking "yeah I suppose so" but damn that was kinda freaking sick the way sam wasn't just the normal dramatic "you don't care about me" but freaking backed it up was like damn, damn damn damn
that whole part is so heart wrenching. That whole party are some damn fine actors cuz i know if that were me, i would have started crying after about 1 minute of that irl
Just Sam's cheer force... Feelings... Movements... Acting... The sound of his voice.... You know he's feeling it.... You know it's the truth... And just... It hits me.... It's so sad and it's so true.... And.... Ugh... I can't... I love them... It hurts....
i have always loved the way laura pawed around the table to find something to throw at sam, and then settled on throwing a tissue 😂
And it just _gently_ floats past Liam.
The cast celebrating after killing Kevdak always reminds me of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie celebrating after not getting crushed to death in A New Hope
How dare you make me feel these feels again!
I did it to myself too! I may or may not have gotten my cheeks wet while editing this video.....
Yea
@@yourstepdads6675 which cheeks?
@@somerandom7063 all of them
I can’t get over how Laura yells at Liam to stop touching her dice, then proceeds to take 4 HANDFULS from in front of him.
Sam Reigel has allegedly never seen Harry Potter, yet somehow recreated Gilderoy Lockhart with Darrington almost to a tee
Man Liam made me cry alot in C1. His emotional moments were just incredible
I love the moment it hits Marisha what she's done when jumping off the cliff. Uncontrollable laughter of disbelief.
The way Liam just closes his character journal after Vax is gone...
You said it :(
Yknow, when I see these scenes, and I see the emotion that’s put into them, it really opens my eyes to how much dnd means to people. It isn’t just: a fun role playing game you can get into. It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a lifestyle that you form families with. I’ve yet to play dnd as of this comment but I think this is amazing
As someone who plays DnD regularly, you are 100% right
I'd never noticed Laura dropping her pen when Tarry calls 50,000 gold/day "nothing." So priceless.
when liam reveals his point he put into druid will never not hit me like a brick
Scanlan's Bard Lament speech left me in shambles and will for so many years to come! My god, Scanlan went from being my least favorite to my most in some kind of miracle. I love VM so much
Talesin looking down at Marisha and you just hear "That looks painful" will always have me in stitches.
I love that the one DM ruling that they were all vocally outraged at was that Grog didn't remember Pike's spelling lesson after the Fox's cunning potion wore off
The fucking WHIPLASH of going from sobbing over Liam O'Brien AGAIN to the love potion scene just about killed me.
The moment when Vax is reunited with his mother knowing that Liam had lost his mother just made the scene all the more I don’t wanna say sad but emotional. Then the moment with Liam and Sam with the 9th level counter spell really shows how much they both love each other. Also why a, I crying now watching these again damn it
No one:
Keyleth: I’M A GOLDEN GOD!
Also Keyleth: *dies horrific and very, very trivial death*
“I’d never say no to you.” Sam: blinking white guy.
1:15:00 is my favorite moment of the comedy in this one
Sam: "Is some sort of a cultish thing, where you have to prove yourself sexually AND in battle?"
Travis: (Nods with confidence)
13:10 I've been a DM since I was a kid in the 80'ies. Most of my life I've dreamed about one of my players role-playing like that. Sam REALLY raises the bloody barr here! Not only does this take skill and talent, it also takes guts! And the whole team responding to it with shame is really beautiful! This is my favorite moment in any role-playing session I've seen in a UA-cam video!
But, hey - having players like this whole group would be the dream of any DM ...
I know I am late to the party, but this is the first time I noticed Ashleys's reaction to Sam's counterspell. That was some straight up pure joy.
I would like to add; I know it was part of one of their battle royale specials, but Grog breaking out of Vex's necklace was absolutely badass.
How does he walk!?
With confidence and pride...
that interaction always make me crack up.
If you don't cry at druidcraft snowdrops, then you're broken
It got me. Got me hard.
Yeah, broken is the word
@@kohakuaiko ?
Thank you so much for following the saddest thing ever with Scanlans love potion adventure. We love an emotionally responsible highlight reel.
Shout out to Matt… he created their world and he parented em… but he held it together through the most painful moments
I adore that little smile from Matt when he was trying not to laugh at Tary saying he was an Adventurer! He knows lol
the tonal whiplash going straight from Vax's goodbye to the love potion scene is sending me
Totally amazing how fantastic Sam RPed the Prank. The setup, the execution, and the aftermath was just perfect across the board.
"I'm going to see my mother again" Breaks me every time. It still hurts. That entire scene hurts knowing how close we got to Scanlan being able to save Vax. You know it's a sad moment when even Matt starts to choke up a little.
Dude during the Goldfish part I like how even Matthew is like "I NEVER PLANNED THIS IT WAS LITERALLY YOUR DECISION!?"
Sam's 8th lvl counter spell.
That Face Was Not Matt, But Vecna Showing Sam Hate. Clutch as heck