A Game of Names | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 49 

HEY, there might be some SPOILERS under the thing 1:30 Campaign slogans 2:20 Sampaign manager 7:45 Intro cinematic 9:25 Episode Starts 10:40 Never forget that chair 12:05 Recap Ends 16:25 Discussion by the river 20:20 Nott’s true backstory 35:00 Caduceus casts sobriety 40:35 Nott is the bravest 44:30 Sending strategies 46:40 Bryce has bad reception 49:10 Beau comes clean 51:20 True names 56:40 On bad people 57:35 We’re all openly in love with Jester 1:14:45 Using or relying 1:17:10 Caduceus is only kind of paying attention 1:18:00 Fjord vs. a historian 1:19:55 Master seducers 1:20:55 Wild mothers 1:29:55 A gift from the Wildmother 1:34:45 Matt should be proud of his beard 1:43:15 Really? A Columbo reference? 1:44:15 Geoff 1:47:30 Byeeeeee 1:47:45 Laura’s art 1:48:30 We can’t lose sight of the chair 1:58:30 Anything is possible 2:11:25 Break Starts (and ends) 2:20:00 Caduceus’s secret name 2:24:40 Caleb’s name is Debbie Downer 2:25:30 M9 is done trusting people 2:32:05 Exandria lore dump 2:38:45 Nott talking about Yeza 2:48:15 Jester has excellent customer service 2:49:35 You can’t just buy Crownsguard, that’s not how this works 2:52:30 Geordan and Geay 2:54:45 Non-metagaming pigeon 2:57:20 Someone please draw a Liefeld version of M9 3:04:30 Working out cart parking 3:13:10 Dammit, Gil 3:13:55 Never dig straight down 3:15:20 You’ll float too 3:23:00 Honeymoon in Tal’Dorei 3:24:35 Leveling up 3:28:25 Episode Ends Between Twitch and RU-vid, live viewership of this episode peaked around 64,000 people. The in-game start date for the episode was the 11th of Horisal 836. Sam’s flask says “The Chair Files: The Truth is out Chair” Any moments I missed? Feel free to post them here. Is it Thursday yet?

Hearing the water fears, which up to this point had been comedic relief, being revealed to have been PTSD from her prior death really fucked me up man.

Jester: what is the possibility these mean people can change memories? Caleb, in the middle of a PTSD flashback: um...pretty good

Nott is the one character from the beginning who has continuously surprised everyone. From the moment she told Fjord that Caleb and she had a mother and child relationship, where she was the mother, she has non stop surpassed everyone’s expectations of her.

"They made me everything that I thought I was: not pretty, not good, just ... Nott." ^This broke me.

Liam's nod to the crystals and him waking up screaming 'take them out!' so many episodes ago just shows terrific commitment to character. This is why when he plays someone grave and edgy it doesn't feel cringe-worthy. You see the closest thing to genuine pain Also Nott using 'Veth', 'Bren' and 'Otto' in 3 consecutive false name drops and having Nott the Brave as an anagram of Veth Brenatto makes it the Swiss army knife of names

Caleb, Beau and Fjord: Definitely have secrets Deuce: Wouldn't have a secret Jester: Can't keep a secret Nott: *HOOOOOH BOOOY*

matt staring down taliesin for wanting to talk to a furniture maker about that chair my boy didn't blink for 15 seconds.

Nott sees Caleb as a grown up version of her smart son that she never thought she’d get to see again and it’s so wholesome and sad and ahh!

"You ran, and got help, and here we are". Man, this line broke me a little bit. Taliesin truly is the king of one-liners.

Nott: This isn't my real race. Caleb: This isn't my real name. Fjord: This isn't my real accent. Beau: This isn't my real line of work. Caduceus: This isn't my real hair colour. Jester: This isn't my real heritage. Yasha: This isn't my real set of wings. Molly: That wasn't my real anything.

The expressions on almost ALL the other characters' faces as Nott tells her story are priceless. When (almost) all of them realise they've been a dick to her in some way or another (tempting with hoards of buttons, forcing her to swim, etc.).... Fjord and Beau in particular doing the "Oh SHIT", with Caleb just looking like he wants to cry.... only the two clerics are in the clear I think, and show it so clearly in their faces... just empathy. I love these guys, just 100% perfect in-character reactions.

Jester: “are you secretly in LOVE with me?!!” Beau, Caleb and Fjord: *silently panicking while trying to laugh*

Me, watching Caleb introduce himself as Caleb widogast to almost any npc they meet: damn you'd think he'd try to hide it with the most powerful wizard after him like that haha Me, during this episode: _oh_

Liam looking like he's in actual physical pain while Sam acts up a storm telling Nott's Backstory. Jesus Christ, I can't do this today.

Jester: Hey Caleb do your old pals know how to fuck with people's heads? Caleb: *was magically brainwashed into murdering his parents* Caleb: Yeah probably

M9: *revealing super serious character backstory* Editors: "The Tenets of Chairism"

Jester: "you can control water, which I can do too, I'm not that strong" Fjord: "don't minimize my new shit"

It is _insane_ how in character Liam is at all times, especially considering how different Caleb acts. There’s almost never a moment when he’s _not_ Caleb Widdogast, sadlad wizard extraordinare.

Vax'ildan: My life is sad. Caleb: Hold my ale.

Nott/Veth: Delving deep into her backstory, talking about her husband and son and how she had to leave them Me: Sobbing Ad: DOES DEODORANT REALLY WORK?????

Caleb: so yeah Trent put crystals in our bodies... Me, remembering the time he got shot by the crossbows and was screaming “TAKE THEM OUT!!”: *oh shi-*

The thing I love about Liam is that he gets so much into the acting. When his character is feeling emotionally intense, he gets all into it and acts with everything, his voice, his body language, and even when some of the other people break out of character to laugh or joke, he rarely does and is incredibly dedicated to keeping character. Maybe it's from his theater background. I've had a hard time putting my finger on why exactly he's my favorite but i think this is why. (along with the fact that i share his taste in angsty characters)

Fjord: "You ever met a bunch of really dangerous historians?" Beauregard: "Yeah... yeah I have." Fjord: "Well I dunno man, I'm a fuckin' sailor." There is just something hilariously pure about this exchange and how it seems to just boil both Fjord and Beau as characters down to their most basic elements.

I love how Nott’s personality changed once she stopped drinking. It made me realize she had been drunk for the previous 48 episodes.

I love Taliesin's ability to sit on a clever quip until the exact right moment to make the whole table laugh.

When Jester asked if there was a chance that Caleb's people could alter memories, my heart shattered for the 30th time this episode

I've never been more proud of anyone than I was of Jester when she sent the absolute best, most succinct, and to-the-point message of hope to Yeza she could. Really shows how much Jester loves and respects Nott.

Watching Travis watch people’s backstory unfold and putting the pieces together is always such a treat

Matt: "Liam, new campaign.. what do you wanna roll?" Liam: "Something SAAAADDDDDDD"

57:23 "I don't think a very bad person would care that he was very bad." I love that line

Matt is brilliant for the way he intertwines Nott and Calebs stories, such attention to the characters and their development, without making the plot implausible

22:10 Sam: and buttons... Travis: Oh shit, buttons are an emotional touchstone of her tragic backstory, and I made fun of her liking buttons for like five episodes. Fuck. *drink*

I honestly love the little detail about Caleb's real name being Bren, being very similar to the German word for burn

"this has wrenched our monkey" CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED

Jester: What is the possibility that mean people can change memories? Caleb: Pretty good. (1:50:00)

Laura’s reaction to learning Caleb isn’t Caleb’s real name is friggen *gold*. We stan Laura.

Me: Nothing in this campaign will get me as emotionally invested as the first campaign Also me: *gross crying* Nott is the best character ever and if she dies I'll lose my mind.

Caleb's immediate fear at the beginning of this ep is probably the most intense and obvious emotion I've ever seen on him, it was so jarring and heartwrenching because of that

Laim and Sam heavily RPing, while Laura and Talesin eat lollipops is a mood

You need to watch Nott talk about her backstory twice. The first to appreciate the amazing, tragic story. The second to watch Travis losing his damn mind.

Still shooketh that Caduceus Himbo Clay looked at a map of THE CONTINENT and asked if it was half the size of real life

the fact that caleb and beau fight and have disagreements and struggle to understand each other but he still literally leans on her when he needs support i'm-

Kind of makes sense that the two clerics are emotional support for everyone else

"Nott, you ran and got help, here we are..." that's when I broke, had been holding back the tears before that. OMG no wonder she drinks!!

i entirely forgot that caleb didnt even mention that he burned his parents alive to anyone in the group, except beau and nott. i feel like that was extremely important to mention.

Nott: "People in this town are taught to kill a goblin on sight, or run and get help." Caduceus: "You went and got help. Here we are." Jesus Christ, Taliesin is a treasure 😭

So this is the "Breakfast Club" episode where they're all sitting around talking honestly for once.

2:43:43 I want to call attention to this moment, because its very telling of Jester's character. Personally, i love this moment, but for one specific reason. Whenever messages are done on screen, even dire messages, jester meanders... ALOT in what she says, even while aware of the 25 word limit. But in this case, knowing how important it is to nott and thereby important to her, she is very finite and specific in the message she gets across, and while she got a bit of help in what the wording was to say, she knew the message she had to do, and i found that to be great.

I would like to state here that Episode 49 of Campaign 1 was called: "A Name is Earned".

Jester: “What’s the possibility your mean people can change memories?” Caleb: “Uhhhhh, pretty good” Holy shit, Laura, that was dark!

OMG!!!!!! No wonder Nott is terrified of water. I am so impressed. What a fantastic connection.

Do you think Caleb always introduces himself as Caleb Widogast because he thinks it's more convincing than just Caleb?

I nearly died at "I'm just a pigeon, what do you want?" Seriously, choked on my drink and everything

I cannot cope with how Caleb still kept so many secrets here, and how every time anyone said something to him you could see the guilt just. dripping from him. "I think you're a good person" "you still don't know what I did. and I can't tell you" fucking HURTS MAN IT HURTS

I'm reminded of the first arc where Nott said that she was of child-bearing age 0_o The Riegel shoe really has dropped.

The Mighty Nein, made up of 7 people. With 9 names. Just saying.

*marisha slowly lifts her pencil during backstory*

"...I've drowned." And than I remembered all the times I carelessly laughed on Nott's water phobia. "I'm not crying. It's just the rain."

"Have you met many dangerous historians?" "/yes/" Dude, that's like Beau's entire thing. Buff nerds.

At first I disliked the Caleb Beau relationship but now I think it's brilliant. I love both Beau and Caleb and their broken attempts to show they care for each other, however hard that is for both of them xD

C1 E49 is called a name is earned C2 E49 is called a game of names O:

I just noticed that in the animation, when Jester runs out of the house, Beau is blushing and looking at Yasha. Cute

Poor Jeff is not appreciated enough. Him (and his two buddies) went into a raging fire to save people, then tried to stop 4(!) armed Kryn.

I thought I'd had Nott's reveal completely spoiled for me, but I managed to avoid learning the full extent of what happened, and damnnnn

The sheer confusion in Sam's face when Liam says he's going to unwrap one of his arms SENDS me

Taliesin thinking to take Nott's booze from her in this moment of crisis speaks to his quality as a person.

A song about desperately reaching to catch up during quarantine: AAAH-WOH! We’re halfway there! AAAAH-WAOH! THE SECRET IS A CHAIR!

Fjord: “You ever met a bunch of really dangerous historians?” Beau (a member of a secret organization of warrior scholars): Yeah Me: dead

Rewatching this and only now noticed the sneaky way Liam steals Sam's chocolate at 2:17:30 ish. Real rogue meterial!

Beau saying "happy anniversary" when the occasion is neither happy nor an anniversary is so in character

Spoilers belowwwww "Your name was... Veth" "It was." "My name was..... Bren" *everyone silently loses their shit a bit*

Ah yes Chair-a-toa the most sturdy of all the elder gods.

Beau's line of "I don't think its us who has been rubbing off on you, it's you who has been rubbing off on us." Really hits different. If someone were to say that to me, I'd burst into tears.

God, I was already crying, but when Caduceus said to Nott that, “you ran and got help, and here we are,” I was fucking sobbing. Deuce is such a good fucking dude 😭😭😭

Ah, the Riegel special. Meeting his character for the first time: hahaha what a quirky and fun character! What a silly name Nott is! Buttons! How can you be afraid of water itself lol some time later: ugly crying over all of the quirks actually being part of a super detailed and depressing backstory that he explains in character seriously and with incredible earnestness

Jesus Christ Sam, that's Liam's characters levels of sadness. Wow. I knew before becauce spoilers, but still- WOW. Outdstanding job. Bravo Sir. Bravo.

2:35:03 Matt apologizes to a microphone.

Beau: do you thing Fjord’s been using us? Fjord: nods enthusiastically LOL

Absolutely obsessed that Cad's strategy for making Caleb feel safe enough to talk was to take them cruising. How else does one have a hard conversation except rolling down the road?

Jester being uncomfortable using the word “crick” and then telling her party members not to call them that is *chef’s kiss*

27:45 Beau looking at Fjord like wtf dude when Nott is tell the group the she was being drowned in the river. All fjord and Caleb ever did is make Nott to go into water and make her relive that fear. I am depressed for Nott as a character but laughing at Beau.

Fjord: “You ever met a bunch of dangerous historians?” Beau, herself a Dangerous Historian in a secret society of Dangerous Historians:”...yeah, yeah I have.” XD

every time they have an episode like this, I'm overcome with amazement about how they manage to convey so much emotion and heart, just by sitting around a table. No costumes, no script. No special effects. Just the story. Bravo!

"Do you think the Fjord was using us?" Travis nods enthusiastically.

all I could think about this entire episode was the "Secret Tunnels" episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender

I kinda want to make a monk now that follows the Way of the Chair using the tenants of the chair as a baseline, as well as in chaos being a steadying place.

3:16:16 marisha: "keep [the ball] away from fjord" travis: travis: [starts attacking marisha]

When Matt was showing the DM screen at the beggining, and everyone started making noise he looked terrified, like they saw something or he accidentally revealed something

hard to believe I've watched 49 episodes of this campaign is only a few weeks,pretty new to the show and d&d in general but man Sam and Liam and there specific back stories are so heart wrenching,my wife just came into the room to find me crying like a child who lost his/her favorite teddy Matt your skill to weave these stories with your friends is an unbelievable talent thank you for doing this show,can't wait to continue watching the rest of this campaign. regards a new Critter

Did everyone see the instant regret when Matt said “Jeff”

When they are talking to the soldiers near the sink hole, The guard says a worm creature with mouth and teeth. It made me think of the 2 episodes. The mage in the underground river tunnels near Zadash. Where they got the Magician's Judge. His journal spoke of the...uh..burrowing king? The fallen Deity that burrowed. 2nd, the temple with the Hydra. The three murals depicted the Sky deity, the sea deity(Fjord's)....and the ground one that was a giant wurm with teeth...

This just makes me think of episode 21 with Cali and how Nott said her name was Bren. Out of all of the names Sam could have picked, that was the name he picked.

This episode is so reminiscent of the starting episodes. Story heavy, deep and revealing of everyone's sensitivities. I love love it.

I love the bits that happen in the box under Matt's camera. Especially the one that blips on the screen for like 2 seconds that says, "I talked to Matt. The secret of the chair is..." and then immediately cuts to Matt's camera only. Chef's kiss to that joke timing.

"When everyone is serious, Taliesin is the comic relief." I love it.

My boy caleb looking extra sad actually breaks me

Nott wants Caleb to use Wish to restore her. Such a callback.

2:47:13 Edith "How long are we supposed to be staying?" M9: "As long as it takes, because it's pretty dangerous still, but we will be able to send word when it's safe to come home, which is good!" Horris Thrym: *In Berleben, still awaiting word for when it's safe to come home.*

Nott's backstory makes the line "child bearing age" hit so much harder