I really enjoy seeing peoples’ reaction to the Kill Box, and yours is my favourite yet! I love that you were saying “where does your strength come from” before it actually came up again 😂 and the sheer joy when the rest of VM show up 😁
These reactions and discussions fill me with a childlike joy, seeing someone else so in love with a show and its characters that I genuinely cannot wait to see what you’ll think of season 3 whenever you begin watching it. You’ve got to be doing something right because I almost never have anything nice to say with these reaction channels.
Which is hilarious, because if anything the show's version of Believe it or Not over here is actually more pleasant than that human-supremacist thing that game Ripley had which is easy to forget about.
There are few things as joyful as watching a new critter bask in the glory of this story and characters. I love your reactions. YES! DO THE TABLE TO SCREEN REACTION, you'll love it.
We only really see young Grog killing armed people who are basically already attacking him, meanwhile Wilhand is unarmed. An interesting thing I've seen a lot of people miss out on though, is that it's Wilhand's necklace that catches Grog off guard, specifically the light reflecting off it is what draws his attention first. We already know Pike worships the Everlight, but Wilhand does too. The Everlight who yes, is a subdeity of light, but whose primary concern is redemption, so while the picture itself clearly has an effect on Grog, the light drawing his attention to it could be assumed to be the Everlight giving Grog a chance for redemption.
Commented about this before I realised you already had, but yeah, this! Also the large Everlight rug on the floor is framed deliberately in the shot as well, and Wilhand being in the beam of light like he is. Pretty sure this is meant to be interpreted that way. :)
It's an interesting if charitable read. Personally I kinda wish they'd just used the cold open of the episode to show something closer to the original backstory. Just open with Grog being lost in the frozen forest, Willhand saving him and the two escaping the forest together. Then Grog could leave and reunite with his herd after that encounter. Then have the flashback of Grog breaking into Willhands home during the raid and realizing who he is just as they did in the episode. That would have been a much stronger set up for his turn away from the Herd. As it stands the story beat of grog turning because some random old man begged for his life was a little weak.
@@troikas3353it’s not made clear in the show, but this is Grog’s FIRST raid. Wilhand probably was the first person to beg for his life and say “I have a family.” With only the herd around, Grog probably never even thought about the families of the people they killed. Until that moment.
@@troikas3353 How is that closer to the original though? "He objected to the killing of an innocent life. A creature of impulse, Grog felt only pity for this terrified little thing. And his disobedience cost him dearly." He didnt even really do any rescuing or protecting like in the show, just speaking out was enough for him to be beaten and banished. The problem is the show contradicts itself, if its supposed to be Grogs first raid, why in the present does he go on and on about how guilty he feels about all the bad things he did, all the people he let die? If his own assessment is true, then yeah theres no proper reason given for why Wilhand was different if Grog had killed other innocent people with families just like him.
@@hhylobates4098 Having Grog meet Willhand first and establishing even a small relationship before the raid makes the turn feel less random. It's just a weak character beat without first doing that set up.
I think you are the only reactor that verbalized the mirroring of what Pike says to Grog "But what if I need you?" to what Grog says to her in the first season. I love that moment and a lot of the YT reactors missed the significance of it.
to be fair to other youtubers, lots didn't get the chance to binge the whole 2 seasons in 3 weeks. but yeah, its one of my favorite bits of dialogue in the show and nearly no-one catches it!
During the campaign the group was really worried about this fight so much that they called in the deity level powers to save them. Wil Wheaton was filming his own tabletop show earlier so they called him over to touch Matt's dice and table. This is because Wil has incredibly bad luck with dice rolling and they hoped some of that luck would transfer to Matt just for the fight.
In the campaign Pike and Grog actually did meet this way and then he and Pike have been friends for years, Wilhand basically raised them both together. He joined Vox Machina before Pike did, then she joins them in the comics.
@@Raysa1208 In the campaign she always knew, its plainly in her character bio/backstory: "She lived a peaceful life, quiet and simple, until one day, Wilhand was captured and almost killed by a group of goliath barbarians."
1:06:32 Table-to-screen videos are awesome, but you can’t miss the “Legend of the Legend of…” video series (playlist below) either. It’s a video series that looks behind-the-scenes of the making of the first season (about the adaptation writing process, the art design, the music, the character design, the voice acting, etc.) ua-cam.com/play/PL1tiwbzkOjQwJdoNetaNJE1zZVOE7xi8u.html&si=AkAjYyIhPfjtrOZT If you didn’t know how much of a passion project this was just from the story of how it was made (the crowdfunding, etc) you will get a far better appreciation by knowing all the other wonderful people that make this show happen.
With Kaylie showing up you are ready to hear about one of the biggest coincidences in the original stream. Originally the characters were just made for a Birthday One-Shot for Liam (Vax), but they continued playing afterwards. Scanlan Shorthalt was loosely based on Eminem (Marshall Mathers) and he was part of Dr. Dranzel's Traveling Troupe (Inspired by Dr Dre). Eminem also has a daughter named Hailie. HOWEVER, Matt Mercer was not aware that Scanlan was inspired by Eminem when naming Scanlan's daughter Kaylie, creating this additional parallel purely by accident.
Welcome to one of the most legendary fights in Critical Role history! Honestly, most of the things they’ve shown in the show actually happened in the actual play as well and it was legitimately a perfect adaptation (and it was just as epic in the campaign) god I love the Killbox so much
One thing missing from this fight that added *a lot* of tension was the civilians being used as sheilds. But I can see that would be just a bit too much extra chaos for the show...and also its clear they want to make the herd look "better" as well.
Prime's UA-cam channel will be having the first and second series completely for free right up until the release of series 3. Just thought I would add this in case anyone else out there has only seen the reaction channels but has never seen the original.
Something that the show didn't get a chance to tell us is that Scanlon is 69 years old (nice). Gnomes can live for hundreds of years & age far slower, so Kaylee being his daughter whilst looking the same age as him makes more sense
I completely agree, The Killbox is an amazing roller-coaster of an episode. And, the recollection of the "What if I need you" was PERFECT! Also, you can bet your cursed sentient sword that I'll watch the "Table to Screen" reaction, if you decide to do it too. ❤
Several episodes back you said the line my strength comes from my friends almost word-for-word and like my jaw just dropped. Obviously I couldn't say anything at the time it's too huge of a spoiler, but I got to think at this point that your predictions for this series have been at least in the 70% range. I may have to go back and just make a score list.
Personally, I love your non-intro intros. Long intros are fairly common for reactors. Short intros even more-so but NO intro is exceedingly rare. You be you, KT!
You are right, in the comics and campaign pike knew that grog saved wilhand and was left to die by his uncle. She did save him in both as well. They did it this way so we have a reason for him to explain it to Pike so viewers can learn it at the same time. For the drama
This is how Pike and Grog met in the campaign according to the original stream character intros. The comics take place after this, during the pre-stream game and Pike meets the rest of the team after Grog goes missing. That part is altered since Scanlan introduces himself to Wilhand for the first time when they show up at his door.
Grog and Pike are the best! In the campaign Vox Machina actually had an option of going to Westruun earlier and fighting Kevdak, but Ashley/Pike wasn't there, and Travis/Grog didn't want to confront his uncle unless Pike was with him so they held off until she could join them. I love those two so much!
Here’s the thing about Grog… his intelligence may be REALLY low, but his wisdom is actually fair to middling, if not a bit above average. Stuff from the heart makes a lot of sense to him.
@@magp1001 Eeeeh, that's something that depends on how you define 'weak-minded', because it's also pretty well established that he's difficult to academically educate... but regardless of where he is on 'stupid vs smart', he's on solid footing on the issue of 'foolish vs wise'. He might not be able to make much of the inside of a book, but if you ask him what's inside people's hearts he'll get it in a snap.
@@caffeinedelusions I completely agree with you. Just as an example of what I mean...if you don't learn how to speak before you get too old, you'll never learn how to speak properly; I figure it's the same kind of thing with Grog -- no formal education when it mattered so no point in trying now.
0:00:15 “The last two episodes were incredible, to say the least, so I have really high expectations going into the rest of the season.” Everyone here who remembers episode 10: 😏
I’m definitely interested in the table-to-screen reactions! As someone who’s only watched the other campaigns, I knew next to nothing about the events in the series, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them transpire in real time as they played them on the table… and I think you would too!
So I think she wanted to humiliate Scanlan as well. It is a lot less of an awkward situation if you’re going in expecting him to be like that and explicitly trying to punish him for that. Especially since (in your head) he’s nothing but a creep who ruined your Mother’s life.
It's so good, because he IS a creep who messed with her mom. But he is ALSO a person trying to do better. And it is just such brilliant storytelling! The full body cringing around the table when it first happened is hilarious.
@@mayaenglish5424 exactly! He’s more than *just* the creep who ruined her mom’s life, he’s also the member of VM who is most capable of thinking differently, and the loneliest (at the moment anyway), and the guy responsible for hyping them all up. I’m curious how far they’ll take his story over the show, I’ve been really enjoying their adaptations honestly.
A bit of a late reply to this, but I’ve just caught up on these reactions. You’ve quickly become one of my favorite TLOVM reactors ever. I love how you can get in depth discussing story themes and character motivations, but you’re also not afraid to just fangirl out, especially when it comes to your ships. You also really seem to “get” the characters. A lot of reactors seem quick to put characters into “boxes” as a means of defining them, but one of my favorite things about this series and these characters is how they aren’t one-dimensional, even if they may seem it at first glance. They all have flaws and they all have moments of doubt, but they also have a lot of character growth. This is obviously explored much more deeply in the original campaign, but I think the show still does a good job of highlighting it. I’m so glad you can see it too. Since you’re a big shipper (which, same), I have a couple of pieces of cute real life couple lore to share. I haven’t read through all the comments, so forgive me if either of these has been mentioned before, but I thought you might appreciate them: As others have stated, the tabletop version of the Kevdak fight was translated pretty faithfully here. The moment when Vex put Grog in the locket was obviously an amazingly cool and unconventional battle tactic, but it was also an act of love. Laura wanted to give Travis that moment of glory. She didn’t know for sure how it would work out, but she really wanted her husband to have that opportunity to do something spectacular. The fact that Travis rolled a Nat 20 just made it that much sweeter. I also caught the Avatar quote reference, which was fitting in more ways than one. “That’s rough, buddy” is Matt and Marisha’s way of showing love and support to each other when one of them is having a bad time. Matt has talked about it before in an interview how, when you love someone, it’s not always about fixing their problems. Sometimes it’s about acknowledging their struggles and just being there for them. That’s how he describes their relationship, the two of them seeing each other as complete people with flaws and insecurities and loving each other through it all. Again, love your reactions and I’d love to see you cover lots of table to screen and behind the scenes content in the future. And let’s all brace ourselves for Season 3!
Bathtub is a great moment to look forward to, but don't let people spoil it for you. Table to screen I think would be great, it helps assign the emotions of the actual table game to the clearer visual depiction from the show and you get to see the things they kept because they were important.
Theres music made about each character by Chase Noseworthy you should check out, the one about grog "born to be a killer" captures his struggles perfectly, that are all great and make me tear up
They really stayed faithful to the CR campaign episode with the same title. "The Killbox" was one of those moments where the almighty Dice Gods really wanted poetic justice. They should have lost this fight. The Herd of Storms was no joke and Vox Machina was surrounded. If anyone but Grog killed Kevdak, the herd would've kept fighting until the end. But Vex put Grog in the pokeball and Grog rolled a Nat 20 on that divebomb to kill Kevdak, and the herd immediately surrendered. They somehow made that moment even better in the animated series. P.S. Let's not think about the dozen or so young bards out there looking for their gnomish father. Scanlan already beefed it with the one kid that we know about. One is enough to think about😂
did him rolling a nat 20 on the divebomb have them all screaming? i would have been screaming. but i guess that's in the table to screen? i have to watch that, definitely!!
@@kyratries They sure were! I'se seen two people do comparision videos fro that moment, "The Kevdak fight conclusion" shows the full table, "Grog Vs Kevdak" is zoomed in particular people so take your pick
"She's finally made progress on her Aramente so she can do it" - I think after Kashaw, she realized that she doesn't have to ignore her feelings for the sake of her duty, but can do both.
Funnily enough, the session of the campaign that is actually titled “The Kill Box” didn’t even have a break. The battle pretty much took up the entirety of the session lol So… yeah… what a way for Scanlan to find out that he’s got a kid. And poor Kiki, she had enough of a nerve to finally make a move, only for it to be bad timing. But now, only two episodes remain. And just one week away from Season 3.
you pretty much had the standard reaction to the Kill Box. Its intense gets your heart pumping and you can watch it over and over again and see something new. Honestly this type of combat is one of the reasons I liked The Marvel Avengers movie. The combat was unique for each character.
The last attack on Kevdak was the most epic finisher. Travis’ rolled with advantage (roll twice take highest) and got a 1 and a 20. It needed to be Grog to kill Kevdak. Otherwise the herd have shown no mercy.
Told you, it gets even way better, but Kaylee had a plan to get him tied up for a reason. You will see why in episode 11. Now you know why many of us love Grog and Pike, their story is incredible. The Kill box is one of my favorites of this season. Well 11 and 12 were amazing to. It's hard to decide, since they are all different and exciting. I'm just so excited for a season 3. We are only weeks away for that.
All of us long-time critters love seeing someone coming into this show cold and growing to love the characters as much as we do! I would so watch you react to table-to-screen moments. Have you ever seen Travis Willingham's (Grog) Spooktacular?? "Is this gonna be violent?" she says...You're 20 episodes into this show...what do you think?? I'm pretty sure this spot in ep10 is the first time the phrase, "VOX MACHINA! FUCK! SHIT!! UP!!!" was coined in the original campaign. Considering how good your predictions and understanding of this show can be, I'm surprised that Kaylie's identity took you by surprise! I hope you'll take this the right way when I say that your reaction made me LOL!
In regards to the Herd, you are very astute: As the Barbarian warlord with a few more brain cells once said: "NO. It's loot, pillage and THEN burn. The order is important."
Kaylie was 'proving' what 'scum' Scanlan was in her mind, in part, and humiliating him, I think. Also best way to get him away from powerful allies and even tied up, considering she couldn't take VM, possibly even Scanlan on, fairly.
In the original, Kaylie honestly doesn't flirt with Scanlan at all really. Sam, Scanlan's player, hams up the Horny Bard trope for comedic effect by trying to play the ladies man and seduce her and she pretty much just lets Scanlan dig his own grave. I kinda wish they'd kept that for the show as I think changing it to having her return the flirting even a little to trap him kinda undercuts the point a bit.
@@hhylobates4098 Kaylie absolutely intended to kill him. Scanlan's stats by the time this encounter happened just made it borderline impossible for him to fail persuasion checks and he managed to "convince" her not to attack him.
@@troikas3353 "[Her face is hardened and still as she stares at you, as you see a slight tremble in her hand.] "This day, Scanlan Shorthalt, I beat you at your own song. Now I come to take your dignity. Now take up your sword."" Take your dignity, not life. And she demanded he pick up his own blade. If the plan was for Scanlan to avoid being killed then his words don't really match that script either "If you're here to fight me, I'm afraid you're going to be terribly disappointed, because I will just let you kill me, if that's what it takes. [...] Stab me right here, if you'd like, and I will not resist. You've earned it."
@@hhylobates4098 words are often imprecise in improv. She didn't go into combat with him because he passed the persuasion check. Had he failed it would have initiated combat.
This is random but you should consider watching the "making of Vox Machina" videos. It lets you get to know the creators behind Vox Machina -- after of course the new season.
Something I think I lot of people missed. If in the Fey realm 3 days equals 3 weeks in Tal-Dori then that means Grog, Scanlan and Pike were together 3 weeks, not a few days.
I love how much you hate Ripley. To be fair, she is _the wooooorrrsssttt_. Grog and Pike's friendship is everything to me, and I love that he finds his strength in his friends and connections. That moment with the remainder of Vox Machina sneaking on the rooftops in the background? Chills. And then the fight scene is absolutely peak, especially after the tension of the one-on-one battle. Love the amount of synergy they all have together. What a team!! Scanlan and Kaylie ARE a lot alike, maybe more than she would prefer. I also love her character design, which echoes Scanlan's so well-- you can really see the family resemblance coming through. I'm so excited for you to get to the end of this season and then for season 3. So much more excellent stuff to come!! Also, echoing that it would be so excellent to see some table to screen videos! All of the ones that have been posted thus far have been moments from seasons 1 & 2, so you should be safe to avoid spoilers with them. If you like, there is also a Perc'ahlia supercut of a bunch of their moments from the campaign. If you watch it, don't watch beyond 44:15 to avoid any possible Season 3 content.
Ooh okay I have a ship name now! I hadn't looked it up so I wouldn't see spoiler-y fanart or something! Perc'ahlia. Grog and Pike are going to kill me one day. I mean, they're all killing me slowly, but Grog and Pike will be a large contributing factor. Why does Ripley always show up when I don't want her ugh ugh ugh she's like Beetlejuice but you just have to THINK about her.
I hope you do find the table to screen videos! Some of them are great and really show how things progressed IRL if you will. So, don't listen to people talking about the bathtub. It is a spoiler for something funny that happens in the future, but will spoil something that you don't want to know ahead of time. Something interesting about the Vax arc right here. When they were playing through the game, around the time that Vex 'died' Liam (Vax's player/actor) lost his father. He was definitely going through some things and has said since then that the Raven Queen arc was therapeutic for him and working through that loss and mourning.
I have had so many quotes from you I would have liked to post for the last 4 episodes... but, I instead will just say, that I liked you using the verb for atonement. Until 3rd season hits, I would recommend to you reacting to the Intimate History of Exandria (which Matt put on YT) or The Legend of the Legend of Vox Machina clips... or, at some time, as long as you do not get spoiled for this otherwise: Exandria Unlimited: Calamity! (but this would surely need to be shortened to put on YT, I guess)
Yes, your outro was giddily dignified. And yes, the Tabletop to Screen vids are highly recommended. They really show that this series wasn't scripted in any way that consumers would recognize. Almost everything is improvised. And much of it was just as dramatic at the table as it was in the show. Now, the big question: With everything in these two episodes had, raising the bar, how much would you put on the table to bet that the next two are EVEN BETTER!
The whole seduction thing between kayle and scanlan isnt just for the ew factor... which is there in spades, i think one of the bigger reasons for it is bc scanlan is very cavalier with who he beds, now everytime he does he has to think "could this be another child of mine?"
Darling, I just have to vent a bit. I have no one to watch these kinda things with so I watch a lot of reation videos, it gives a connection somehow. I just LOVE your emotionand reactions to these. LOVE watching them with you. Stay true and keep going 😅
this wasn't too far off from the campaign - Grog spoke his backstory: "In his early years, armed with his two-handed great axe, Grog often enjoyed proving his might amongst the ranks of his family's wandering herd. But after coming upon an unsuspecting elderly gnome in the woods, he objected to the killing of such an innocent life. A creature of impulse, Grog felt only pity for this terrified little thing. His disobedience cost him dearly. Beaten bloody and banished by the herd leader, his uncle Kevdak, Grog was abandoned and left to die. "Exiled from his herd, it was then that the relative of the very gnome he fought to save, saved him. It was the kindness of a gnome cleric named Pike that healed Grog, bringing him back from death's edge. And they have remained close friends ever since."
It's always a delight to see that you've uploaded another reaction! We've been spoiled, it's going to be sad when the season ends :D I laughed at the title, calling in dead to work 🤣 The running theory about Grog taking a moment to reflect when he meets Wilhand is that the Everlight intervened in a small way, the light catching the necklace drew Grog's attention. But also, before this we don't see Grog really on his own, he's surrounded by the herd, and just caught up in the energy of the raid. It's implied later that this is his first, or at least one of his first raids. (Something else to note, we only see him attack people who are fighting back. While the others are attacking everyone, Grog targets those with weapons. It could be read as him already having a few qualms about things. He just needs a little more space to think than perhaps someone else might.) The Everlight is the goddess of redemption and second chances. When Grog takes a second to think, on his own and away from the momentum of the raid, we get to see who he actually is. It just takes a little longer for him to get there. It's easy to be caught up in a moment and not stop to think, this broke him out of that energy and let him pause. Once he does, and his mind is given space to process, he goes against the only life he's ever known without a second thought, turning his back on all of it to save Wilhand. And he never wavers, even when faced with his cousin, and his uncle calling him a traitor. I think it speaks to Grog's true heart and personality that once he's started down that path he never looks back. It costs him everything he ever knew, but he gained a new family. And when we cut back to Grog and Pike talking, they're sitting in the beam of sunlight again. I keep thinking of Pike's scene with the Everlight, "any path can be a holy one". "I don't wanna deal with her this episode" *Anna Ripley has entered the chat * hahaha your reaction is perfect. Ripley is dangerously clever, she's picked the only dragon who could be manipulated this way. Scanlan once again coming in clutch when NOBODY in the party can see him. In the moment Grog breaks the stake in his hands, we see a tiny lightning flash, no gauntlets. If you remember, Earthbreaker Groon was found in the temple of the Stormlord. I wonder if more than the Everlight has eyes on this little corner of Exandria. I think it's significant that the first thing Grog uses the power of the gauntlets for is to break Zanror's shackles. "build a better mousetrap for the dragon" LOL I love that you phrased it this way, I'm pretty sure that's what Taliesin said during the stream at one point. Excuse me, these are my emotional support goobers. 🤣 Such a mood. I would love to see table to screen videos! There are some excellent ones.
Pike: But.....what if I need you?" PIKE .... JESUS......Im feeling things .... on the inside......scuse me, somebodys cuttin' onions! Love that callback to Seaon 1 when Pike had to go off to do her own thing .... and now it's Grog's moment! Also that reveal with Kaylee and Scnalan, your reaction was PRICELESS! STAY TUNED. AT DAWN WE PLAN ..... uh, wait......AT DAWN WE REACT! Oh, wait, no we don't .... YOU react.....and not at dawn. We're on your schedule, of course.....heh. .........kay, bye!
Oh, drunk Keyleth is the best. I hope they keep the Sandkeg's Hide. 😁It's hilarious to watch in the campaign. The bathtub... oof. You thought dragons and doors were a threat - nothing compares to the dreaded bathtub. 😜 And you have to go back and relisten to the song Scanlan and Kalie sang. Especially after finding out who she is - it makes it even more wrong 🤣.
This might be reaching a bit... but in a world where we know that people have threads of fate connecting them (ala Vex/Vax), I imagine it was the invisible thread from Grog to the picture of Pike in the locket that stopped him dead rather than anything Wilhand said.
Grog cannonically has a soft spot for small cute things, gnomes included. 😂 But in terms of morality, when the herd went on raids, Grog was fighting people who were fighting back, and he's not exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Killing an unarmed tiny old man is waaaaaay different than killing someone who is actively fighting him. The question of, hey wait, should we be attacking these people? Didn't really crop up until later.
I understand why they changed it, as it was kind of sexist, but I do miss Grog's original insult towards Kevdak. In the campaign, instead of the "shriveled nutsack" comment, he said "I've grown. I've learned. I've also watched as dragons took the mighty Kevdak, wielder of the Titanstone Knuckles, and made him bend the knee. I was wondering...do you also squat when you piss now?"
I really enjoy seeing peoples’ reaction to the Kill Box, and yours is my favourite yet! I love that you were saying “where does your strength come from” before it actually came up again 😂 and the sheer joy when the rest of VM show up 😁
These reactions and discussions fill me with a childlike joy, seeing someone else so in love with a show and its characters that I genuinely cannot wait to see what you’ll think of season 3 whenever you begin watching it. You’ve got to be doing something right because I almost never have anything nice to say with these reaction channels.
The way Ripley sets you off is both endearing and hilarious. I fully support your annoyance.
Which is hilarious, because if anything the show's version of Believe it or Not over here is actually more pleasant than that human-supremacist thing that game Ripley had which is easy to forget about.
There are few things as joyful as watching a new critter bask in the glory of this story and characters. I love your reactions. YES! DO THE TABLE TO SCREEN REACTION, you'll love it.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
We only really see young Grog killing armed people who are basically already attacking him, meanwhile Wilhand is unarmed.
An interesting thing I've seen a lot of people miss out on though, is that it's Wilhand's necklace that catches Grog off guard, specifically the light reflecting off it is what draws his attention first. We already know Pike worships the Everlight, but Wilhand does too.
The Everlight who yes, is a subdeity of light, but whose primary concern is redemption, so while the picture itself clearly has an effect on Grog, the light drawing his attention to it could be assumed to be the Everlight giving Grog a chance for redemption.
Commented about this before I realised you already had, but yeah, this! Also the large Everlight rug on the floor is framed deliberately in the shot as well, and Wilhand being in the beam of light like he is. Pretty sure this is meant to be interpreted that way. :)
It's an interesting if charitable read. Personally I kinda wish they'd just used the cold open of the episode to show something closer to the original backstory. Just open with Grog being lost in the frozen forest, Willhand saving him and the two escaping the forest together. Then Grog could leave and reunite with his herd after that encounter. Then have the flashback of Grog breaking into Willhands home during the raid and realizing who he is just as they did in the episode. That would have been a much stronger set up for his turn away from the Herd. As it stands the story beat of grog turning because some random old man begged for his life was a little weak.
@@troikas3353it’s not made clear in the show, but this is Grog’s FIRST raid. Wilhand probably was the first person to beg for his life and say “I have a family.”
With only the herd around, Grog probably never even thought about the families of the people they killed. Until that moment.
@@troikas3353 How is that closer to the original though? "He objected to the killing of an innocent life. A creature of impulse, Grog felt only pity for this terrified little thing. And his disobedience cost him dearly." He didnt even really do any rescuing or protecting like in the show, just speaking out was enough for him to be beaten and banished.
The problem is the show contradicts itself, if its supposed to be Grogs first raid, why in the present does he go on and on about how guilty he feels about all the bad things he did, all the people he let die? If his own assessment is true, then yeah theres no proper reason given for why Wilhand was different if Grog had killed other innocent people with families just like him.
@@hhylobates4098 Having Grog meet Willhand first and establishing even a small relationship before the raid makes the turn feel less random. It's just a weak character beat without first doing that set up.
I think you are the only reactor that verbalized the mirroring of what Pike says to Grog "But what if I need you?" to what Grog says to her in the first season. I love that moment and a lot of the YT reactors missed the significance of it.
to be fair to other youtubers, lots didn't get the chance to binge the whole 2 seasons in 3 weeks. but yeah, its one of my favorite bits of dialogue in the show and nearly no-one catches it!
Been waiting on this one.
Vex's "Show him who you are!" still gives me chills every time I see it
It’s sooo cool!
During the campaign the group was really worried about this fight so much that they called in the deity level powers to save them. Wil Wheaton was filming his own tabletop show earlier so they called him over to touch Matt's dice and table. This is because Wil has incredibly bad luck with dice rolling and they hoped some of that luck would transfer to Matt just for the fight.
In the campaign Pike and Grog actually did meet this way and then he and Pike have been friends for years, Wilhand basically raised them both together. He joined Vox Machina before Pike did, then she joins them in the comics.
Yes, Pike knew Grog saved Wilhand, but she didn't knew that the reason Willhand nedded to be rescued was Grog's heard.
Yes, she seemed to mistake their reunion in the comics as their first meeting.
@@Raysa1208 In the campaign she always knew, its plainly in her character bio/backstory: "She lived a peaceful life, quiet and simple, until one day, Wilhand was captured and almost killed by a group of goliath barbarians."
The Kill Box was such an amazing fight encounter & the show did a perfect adaptation from the 1v1 combat into the full on VM fight vs the Herd
Season 2, Episode 10 is by far and away my favourite of the entire series to date. Glad to see your reactions to it, they've been amazing
1:06:32 Table-to-screen videos are awesome, but you can’t miss the “Legend of the Legend of…” video series (playlist below) either. It’s a video series that looks behind-the-scenes of the making of the first season (about the adaptation writing process, the art design, the music, the character design, the voice acting, etc.)
ua-cam.com/play/PL1tiwbzkOjQwJdoNetaNJE1zZVOE7xi8u.html&si=AkAjYyIhPfjtrOZT
If you didn’t know how much of a passion project this was just from the story of how it was made (the crowdfunding, etc) you will get a far better appreciation by knowing all the other wonderful people that make this show happen.
With Kaylie showing up you are ready to hear about one of the biggest coincidences in the original stream. Originally the characters were just made for a Birthday One-Shot for Liam (Vax), but they continued playing afterwards. Scanlan Shorthalt was loosely based on Eminem (Marshall Mathers) and he was part of Dr. Dranzel's Traveling Troupe (Inspired by Dr Dre). Eminem also has a daughter named Hailie. HOWEVER, Matt Mercer was not aware that Scanlan was inspired by Eminem when naming Scanlan's daughter Kaylie, creating this additional parallel purely by accident.
Yessss! The table to screen compilations are so good! Would love a reaction to those!
I love Grog's shout at the end of episode 9. The best call out to throw down.
Pike knew Grog saved Wilhand. She didn't know he was a member of the attacking marauders who had a change of heart.
Welcome to one of the most legendary fights in Critical Role history! Honestly, most of the things they’ve shown in the show actually happened in the actual play as well and it was legitimately a perfect adaptation (and it was just as epic in the campaign) god I love the Killbox so much
One thing missing from this fight that added *a lot* of tension was the civilians being used as sheilds. But I can see that would be just a bit too much extra chaos for the show...and also its clear they want to make the herd look "better" as well.
Last time I was this early Chroma Conclave had 5 members.
Beat me to it lol 😂
Oh hi there ghurcb 👋
@@DawdlingTwiddle 👋
Prime's UA-cam channel will be having the first and second series completely for free right up until the release of series 3. Just thought I would add this in case anyone else out there has only seen the reaction channels but has never seen the original.
Something that the show didn't get a chance to tell us is that Scanlon is 69 years old (nice). Gnomes can live for hundreds of years & age far slower, so Kaylee being his daughter whilst looking the same age as him makes more sense
19:09
...."I hope Anna Ripley isnt around" ..... intense frustration ensues
😅😂
WHY? Am I accidentally doing a summoning ritual? WHY????
It's not mentioned in the show, but the main reason Grog wanted Craven Edge was that he was afraid to run into Kevdak.
I completely agree, The Killbox is an amazing roller-coaster of an episode. And, the recollection of the "What if I need you" was PERFECT! Also, you can bet your cursed sentient sword that I'll watch the "Table to Screen" reaction, if you decide to do it too. ❤
Several episodes back you said the line my strength comes from my friends almost word-for-word and like my jaw just dropped. Obviously I couldn't say anything at the time it's too huge of a spoiler, but I got to think at this point that your predictions for this series have been at least in the 70% range. I may have to go back and just make a score list.
Scanlan and Kaylie are both bards. This confrontation could only happen when the reveal was most dramatic!
Personally, I love your non-intro intros. Long intros are fairly common for reactors. Short intros even more-so but NO intro is exceedingly rare. You be you, KT!
You are right, in the comics and campaign pike knew that grog saved wilhand and was left to die by his uncle. She did save him in both as well. They did it this way so we have a reason for him to explain it to Pike so viewers can learn it at the same time. For the drama
This is how Pike and Grog met in the campaign according to the original stream character intros. The comics take place after this, during the pre-stream game and Pike meets the rest of the team after Grog goes missing. That part is altered since Scanlan introduces himself to Wilhand for the first time when they show up at his door.
Grog and Pike are the best! In the campaign Vox Machina actually had an option of going to Westruun earlier and fighting Kevdak, but Ashley/Pike wasn't there, and Travis/Grog didn't want to confront his uncle unless Pike was with him so they held off until she could join them. I love those two so much!
Here’s the thing about Grog… his intelligence may be REALLY low, but his wisdom is actually fair to middling, if not a bit above average. Stuff from the heart makes a lot of sense to him.
That's what I keep saying; he's not weak-minded, just uneducated!
@@magp1001 Eeeeh, that's something that depends on how you define 'weak-minded', because it's also pretty well established that he's difficult to academically educate... but regardless of where he is on 'stupid vs smart', he's on solid footing on the issue of 'foolish vs wise'. He might not be able to make much of the inside of a book, but if you ask him what's inside people's hearts he'll get it in a snap.
@@caffeinedelusions I completely agree with you.
Just as an example of what I mean...if you don't learn how to speak before you get too old, you'll never learn how to speak properly; I figure it's the same kind of thing with Grog -- no formal education when it mattered so no point in trying now.
"I would have pulled the sword out much sooner"
"That's what she said...."
0:00:15 “The last two episodes were incredible, to say the least, so I have really high expectations going into the rest of the season.”
Everyone here who remembers episode 10: 😏
I’m definitely interested in the table-to-screen reactions! As someone who’s only watched the other campaigns, I knew next to nothing about the events in the series, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them transpire in real time as they played them on the table… and I think you would too!
So I think she wanted to humiliate Scanlan as well. It is a lot less of an awkward situation if you’re going in expecting him to be like that and explicitly trying to punish him for that. Especially since (in your head) he’s nothing but a creep who ruined your Mother’s life.
It's so good, because he IS a creep who messed with her mom. But he is ALSO a person trying to do better. And it is just such brilliant storytelling! The full body cringing around the table when it first happened is hilarious.
@@mayaenglish5424 exactly! He’s more than *just* the creep who ruined her mom’s life, he’s also the member of VM who is most capable of thinking differently, and the loneliest (at the moment anyway), and the guy responsible for hyping them all up. I’m curious how far they’ll take his story over the show, I’ve been really enjoying their adaptations honestly.
A bit of a late reply to this, but I’ve just caught up on these reactions. You’ve quickly become one of my favorite TLOVM reactors ever. I love how you can get in depth discussing story themes and character motivations, but you’re also not afraid to just fangirl out, especially when it comes to your ships. You also really seem to “get” the characters. A lot of reactors seem quick to put characters into “boxes” as a means of defining them, but one of my favorite things about this series and these characters is how they aren’t one-dimensional, even if they may seem it at first glance. They all have flaws and they all have moments of doubt, but they also have a lot of character growth. This is obviously explored much more deeply in the original campaign, but I think the show still does a good job of highlighting it. I’m so glad you can see it too.
Since you’re a big shipper (which, same), I have a couple of pieces of cute real life couple lore to share. I haven’t read through all the comments, so forgive me if either of these has been mentioned before, but I thought you might appreciate them:
As others have stated, the tabletop version of the Kevdak fight was translated pretty faithfully here. The moment when Vex put Grog in the locket was obviously an amazingly cool and unconventional battle tactic, but it was also an act of love. Laura wanted to give Travis that moment of glory. She didn’t know for sure how it would work out, but she really wanted her husband to have that opportunity to do something spectacular. The fact that Travis rolled a Nat 20 just made it that much sweeter.
I also caught the Avatar quote reference, which was fitting in more ways than one. “That’s rough, buddy” is Matt and Marisha’s way of showing love and support to each other when one of them is having a bad time. Matt has talked about it before in an interview how, when you love someone, it’s not always about fixing their problems. Sometimes it’s about acknowledging their struggles and just being there for them. That’s how he describes their relationship, the two of them seeing each other as complete people with flaws and insecurities and loving each other through it all.
Again, love your reactions and I’d love to see you cover lots of table to screen and behind the scenes content in the future. And let’s all brace ourselves for Season 3!
Bathtub is a great moment to look forward to, but don't let people spoil it for you. Table to screen I think would be great, it helps assign the emotions of the actual table game to the clearer visual depiction from the show and you get to see the things they kept because they were important.
Just for the record: the sphynx's name isn't Odessa, it's Osysa
Theres music made about each character by Chase Noseworthy you should check out, the one about grog "born to be a killer" captures his struggles perfectly, that are all great and make me tear up
They really stayed faithful to the CR campaign episode with the same title. "The Killbox" was one of those moments where the almighty Dice Gods really wanted poetic justice. They should have lost this fight. The Herd of Storms was no joke and Vox Machina was surrounded. If anyone but Grog killed Kevdak, the herd would've kept fighting until the end. But Vex put Grog in the pokeball and Grog rolled a Nat 20 on that divebomb to kill Kevdak, and the herd immediately surrendered. They somehow made that moment even better in the animated series.
P.S. Let's not think about the dozen or so young bards out there looking for their gnomish father. Scanlan already beefed it with the one kid that we know about. One is enough to think about😂
did him rolling a nat 20 on the divebomb have them all screaming? i would have been screaming. but i guess that's in the table to screen? i have to watch that, definitely!!
@@kyratries They sure were! I'se seen two people do comparision videos fro that moment, "The Kevdak fight conclusion" shows the full table, "Grog Vs Kevdak" is zoomed in particular people so take your pick
"She's finally made progress on her Aramente so she can do it" - I think after Kashaw, she realized that she doesn't have to ignore her feelings for the sake of her duty, but can do both.
Yeaaaah, my favorite episode is here!
And yes, I'm down to watch you reacting to table to screen videos!
Funnily enough, the session of the campaign that is actually titled “The Kill Box” didn’t even have a break. The battle pretty much took up the entirety of the session lol
So… yeah… what a way for Scanlan to find out that he’s got a kid. And poor Kiki, she had enough of a nerve to finally make a move, only for it to be bad timing.
But now, only two episodes remain. And just one week away from Season 3.
you pretty much had the standard reaction to the Kill Box. Its intense gets your heart pumping and you can watch it over and over again and see something new. Honestly this type of combat is one of the reasons I liked The Marvel Avengers movie. The combat was unique for each character.
Best outro ever!!! So excited for next season!
Gnomes... Scanlan could be anywhere from 30 to 300 Years old looking like this.
He is 69 because of course he is.
@@JRDickens20 Spoilers ;P
Yeah I know, but a long time in the Campaign everyone was wondering how old he is, so I didn't want to just say it
43:00 my single most favorite frame of this season 🎉
56:27 These song lyrics are surely something when I finally understood the metaphor (with the full song during the credits) lol.
*FOOOOOOR... STRONGJAW!!!!*
Critters! We reached THE episode 😁
The last attack on Kevdak was the most epic finisher. Travis’ rolled with advantage (roll twice take highest) and got a 1 and a 20.
It needed to be Grog to kill Kevdak. Otherwise the herd have shown no mercy.
Would love to see you react to both "the legend of the legend of" VM behind the scenes series, and the Table to Screen stuff
the "VM f*** s*** up!" is so hype I simply cannot
"Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!"
"Avengers ... Assemble!"
"A Red Day. A Sword Day. ERE THE SUN RISES!"
Told you, it gets even way better, but Kaylee had a plan to get him tied up for a reason. You will see why in episode 11. Now you know why many of us love Grog and Pike, their story is incredible. The Kill box is one of my favorites of this season. Well 11 and 12 were amazing to. It's hard to decide, since they are all different and exciting. I'm just so excited for a season 3. We are only weeks away for that.
Scanlon with Kaylie:
"Look."
"It's the consequences of your actions."
1:00:50 the best father reveal since Star Wars the empire strikes back.
Grog's episodes are my favorite this season, and that's high praise.
All of us long-time critters love seeing someone coming into this show cold and growing to love the characters as much as we do! I would so watch you react to table-to-screen moments. Have you ever seen Travis Willingham's (Grog) Spooktacular??
"Is this gonna be violent?" she says...You're 20 episodes into this show...what do you think??
I'm pretty sure this spot in ep10 is the first time the phrase, "VOX MACHINA! FUCK! SHIT!! UP!!!" was coined in the original campaign.
Considering how good your predictions and understanding of this show can be, I'm surprised that Kaylie's identity took you by surprise! I hope you'll take this the right way when I say that your reaction made me LOL!
You should be yourself! Never annoying!
In regards to the Herd, you are very astute:
As the Barbarian warlord with a few more brain cells once said:
"NO. It's loot, pillage and THEN burn. The order is important."
Table to Screen: Definitely watch the Sunken Tomb and Kill Box moments.
Shimmy-i-shimmy-i-o
Kaylie was 'proving' what 'scum' Scanlan was in her mind, in part, and humiliating him, I think. Also best way to get him away from powerful allies and even tied up, considering she couldn't take VM, possibly even Scanlan on, fairly.
No emotional support animal for an episode called the Killbox? Very impressive! Enjoy the finale!
Yes, my favourite episode, RAGE RAGE RAGE
IF THEY KEEP THE BATHTUB SCENE, and I hope they do (it was PERFECT), it should be in season 3.
I'm just happy they brought in Minxy-Keyleth. I love Minxy.
In the original, Kaylie honestly doesn't flirt with Scanlan at all really. Sam, Scanlan's player, hams up the Horny Bard trope for comedic effect by trying to play the ladies man and seduce her and she pretty much just lets Scanlan dig his own grave. I kinda wish they'd kept that for the show as I think changing it to having her return the flirting even a little to trap him kinda undercuts the point a bit.
Yes, she was just flirty enough to get him alone, so she could challenge him to a duel and win to humiliate him. Not actually execute him
@@hhylobates4098 Kaylie absolutely intended to kill him. Scanlan's stats by the time this encounter happened just made it borderline impossible for him to fail persuasion checks and he managed to "convince" her not to attack him.
@@troikas3353 "[Her face is hardened and still as she stares at you, as you see a slight tremble in her hand.] "This day, Scanlan Shorthalt, I beat you at your own song. Now I come to take your dignity. Now take up your sword.""
Take your dignity, not life. And she demanded he pick up his own blade.
If the plan was for Scanlan to avoid being killed then his words don't really match that script either "If you're here to fight me, I'm afraid you're going to be terribly disappointed, because I will just let you kill me, if that's what it takes. [...] Stab me right here, if you'd like, and I will not resist. You've earned it."
@@hhylobates4098 words are often imprecise in improv. She didn't go into combat with him because he passed the persuasion check. Had he failed it would have initiated combat.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the animation may actually be more true to the campaign than the comics when it comes to Pike and Grog first meeting.
This is random but you should consider watching the "making of Vox Machina" videos. It lets you get to know the creators behind Vox Machina -- after of course the new season.
Your reaction was wonderful
55:17 We all love season 2 Percy being a goofball
There's definitely a bathtub involved, but it hasn't happened yet on the show. It's way too iconic to not show up eventually, though.
You have to admit, though, that is one banger of a folk song about masturbation.
"I would have pulled the sword out much sooner"
Not as easy as Women think ;P
Something I think I lot of people missed. If in the Fey realm 3 days equals 3 weeks in Tal-Dori then that means Grog, Scanlan and Pike were together 3 weeks, not a few days.
Which makes sense for the distance they had to travel.
that wasn't pike that healed grog, it was pike's great great grandfathers wife
It's even more awkward when you actually listen to the lyrics of the song they were singing together
I just wanna say, the way you hate Ripley gives me a huge amount of joy.
Yes the Kaylee episode is here!
Your reactions to Ripley give me life! She's the worst.
I love how much you hate Ripley. To be fair, she is _the wooooorrrsssttt_.
Grog and Pike's friendship is everything to me, and I love that he finds his strength in his friends and connections. That moment with the remainder of Vox Machina sneaking on the rooftops in the background? Chills. And then the fight scene is absolutely peak, especially after the tension of the one-on-one battle. Love the amount of synergy they all have together. What a team!!
Scanlan and Kaylie ARE a lot alike, maybe more than she would prefer. I also love her character design, which echoes Scanlan's so well-- you can really see the family resemblance coming through.
I'm so excited for you to get to the end of this season and then for season 3. So much more excellent stuff to come!!
Also, echoing that it would be so excellent to see some table to screen videos! All of the ones that have been posted thus far have been moments from seasons 1 & 2, so you should be safe to avoid spoilers with them. If you like, there is also a Perc'ahlia supercut of a bunch of their moments from the campaign. If you watch it, don't watch beyond 44:15 to avoid any possible Season 3 content.
Ooh okay I have a ship name now! I hadn't looked it up so I wouldn't see spoiler-y fanart or something! Perc'ahlia.
Grog and Pike are going to kill me one day. I mean, they're all killing me slowly, but Grog and Pike will be a large contributing factor.
Why does Ripley always show up when I don't want her ugh ugh ugh she's like Beetlejuice but you just have to THINK about her.
@@kyratries Other ship names are Bad News Bears and Hunter's Hex!
I hope you do find the table to screen videos! Some of them are great and really show how things progressed IRL if you will.
So, don't listen to people talking about the bathtub. It is a spoiler for something funny that happens in the future, but will spoil something that you don't want to know ahead of time.
Something interesting about the Vax arc right here. When they were playing through the game, around the time that Vex 'died' Liam (Vax's player/actor) lost his father. He was definitely going through some things and has said since then that the Raven Queen arc was therapeutic for him and working through that loss and mourning.
I have had so many quotes from you I would have liked to post for the last 4 episodes... but, I instead will just say, that I liked you using the verb for atonement.
Until 3rd season hits, I would recommend to you reacting to the Intimate History of Exandria (which Matt put on YT) or The Legend of the Legend of Vox Machina clips... or, at some time, as long as you do not get spoiled for this otherwise:
Exandria Unlimited: Calamity! (but this would surely need to be shortened to put on YT, I guess)
Yes, your outro was giddily dignified. And yes, the Tabletop to Screen vids are highly recommended. They really show that this series wasn't scripted in any way that consumers would recognize. Almost everything is improvised. And much of it was just as dramatic at the table as it was in the show.
Now, the big question: With everything in these two episodes had, raising the bar, how much would you put on the table to bet that the next two are EVEN BETTER!
The whole seduction thing between kayle and scanlan isnt just for the ew factor... which is there in spades, i think one of the bigger reasons for it is bc scanlan is very cavalier with who he beds, now everytime he does he has to think "could this be another child of mine?"
Darling, I just have to vent a bit. I have no one to watch these kinda things with so I watch a lot of reation videos, it gives a connection somehow. I just LOVE your emotionand reactions to these. LOVE watching them with you. Stay true and keep going 😅
this wasn't too far off from the campaign - Grog spoke his backstory: "In his early years, armed with his two-handed great axe, Grog often enjoyed proving his might amongst the ranks of his family's wandering herd. But after coming upon an unsuspecting elderly gnome in the woods, he objected to the killing of such an innocent life. A creature of impulse, Grog felt only pity for this terrified little thing. His disobedience cost him dearly. Beaten bloody and banished by the herd leader, his uncle Kevdak, Grog was abandoned and left to die.
"Exiled from his herd, it was then that the relative of the very gnome he fought to save, saved him. It was the kindness of a gnome cleric named Pike that healed Grog, bringing him back from death's edge. And they have remained close friends ever since."
Suggestion: don't put text in the bottom right of thumbnails. UA-cam puts crap over it and hides it.
It's always a delight to see that you've uploaded another reaction! We've been spoiled, it's going to be sad when the season ends :D
I laughed at the title, calling in dead to work 🤣
The running theory about Grog taking a moment to reflect when he meets Wilhand is that the Everlight intervened in a small way, the light catching the necklace drew Grog's attention. But also, before this we don't see Grog really on his own, he's surrounded by the herd, and just caught up in the energy of the raid. It's implied later that this is his first, or at least one of his first raids. (Something else to note, we only see him attack people who are fighting back. While the others are attacking everyone, Grog targets those with weapons. It could be read as him already having a few qualms about things. He just needs a little more space to think than perhaps someone else might.)
The Everlight is the goddess of redemption and second chances. When Grog takes a second to think, on his own and away from the momentum of the raid, we get to see who he actually is. It just takes a little longer for him to get there. It's easy to be caught up in a moment and not stop to think, this broke him out of that energy and let him pause. Once he does, and his mind is given space to process, he goes against the only life he's ever known without a second thought, turning his back on all of it to save Wilhand. And he never wavers, even when faced with his cousin, and his uncle calling him a traitor. I think it speaks to Grog's true heart and personality that once he's started down that path he never looks back. It costs him everything he ever knew, but he gained a new family.
And when we cut back to Grog and Pike talking, they're sitting in the beam of sunlight again. I keep thinking of Pike's scene with the Everlight, "any path can be a holy one".
"I don't wanna deal with her this episode" *Anna Ripley has entered the chat * hahaha your reaction is perfect. Ripley is dangerously clever, she's picked the only dragon who could be manipulated this way.
Scanlan once again coming in clutch when NOBODY in the party can see him.
In the moment Grog breaks the stake in his hands, we see a tiny lightning flash, no gauntlets. If you remember, Earthbreaker Groon was found in the temple of the Stormlord. I wonder if more than the Everlight has eyes on this little corner of Exandria.
I think it's significant that the first thing Grog uses the power of the gauntlets for is to break Zanror's shackles.
"build a better mousetrap for the dragon" LOL I love that you phrased it this way, I'm pretty sure that's what Taliesin said during the stream at one point.
Excuse me, these are my emotional support goobers. 🤣 Such a mood.
I would love to see table to screen videos! There are some excellent ones.
*Brinskype
Pike: But.....what if I need you?"
PIKE .... JESUS......Im feeling things .... on the inside......scuse me, somebodys cuttin' onions!
Love that callback to Seaon 1 when Pike had to go off to do her own thing .... and now it's Grog's moment!
Also that reveal with Kaylee and Scnalan, your reaction was PRICELESS!
STAY TUNED. AT DAWN WE PLAN ..... uh, wait......AT DAWN WE REACT!
Oh, wait, no we don't .... YOU react.....and not at dawn. We're on your schedule, of course.....heh.
.........kay, bye!
Oh, drunk Keyleth is the best. I hope they keep the Sandkeg's Hide. 😁It's hilarious to watch in the campaign.
The bathtub... oof. You thought dragons and doors were a threat - nothing compares to the dreaded bathtub. 😜
And you have to go back and relisten to the song Scanlan and Kalie sang. Especially after finding out who she is - it makes it even more wrong 🤣.
This might be reaching a bit... but in a world where we know that people have threads of fate connecting them (ala Vex/Vax), I imagine it was the invisible thread from Grog to the picture of Pike in the locket that stopped him dead rather than anything Wilhand said.
hu
Grog cannonically has a soft spot for small cute things, gnomes included. 😂 But in terms of morality, when the herd went on raids, Grog was fighting people who were fighting back, and he's not exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Killing an unarmed tiny old man is waaaaaay different than killing someone who is actively fighting him. The question of, hey wait, should we be attacking these people? Didn't really crop up until later.
I understand why they changed it, as it was kind of sexist, but I do miss Grog's original insult towards Kevdak. In the campaign, instead of the "shriveled nutsack" comment, he said "I've grown. I've learned. I've also watched as dragons took the mighty Kevdak, wielder of the Titanstone Knuckles, and made him bend the knee. I was wondering...do you also squat when you piss now?"
It's also a bit of an odd insult when the Herd clearly has plenty of female warriors.