Hodor, Portable Holes, Philip K. Dick (with Kristian Nairn) 

Um, actually, strange women laying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

I like how Matt deliberately lets Becca and Jon take stabs at a statement before buzzing in. Such a gentleman.

This has probably been said at length, but if there’s new episodes, we need Brennan and Matt really duking it out

I was personally under the impression the sword pulled from the stone was Caliburn, a blade of fine quality and maybe magic, then after a time it broke in battle and Arthur was like "Ah fuck. Does this mean I'm not king anymore? What do i do with this shit? Mount it on the wall?" And then Merlin rocked up amd was like "Yeet that bitch into the lake!" And Arthur, respecting the drip, did indeed yeet that bitch into the lake. Then at a later time Arthur needed a good sword and Merlin was like "You remember that shit you threw in the lake? Go get that bitch." And Arthur having no choice but to respect Merlin's mad drip went to go get that bitch, except he found an actual bitch with real mad drip. And she was like "Remember that shit you yeeted into my fuckin house? Well I fixed that shit AND gave it baller magic powers. BEHOLD EXCALIBUR!" And then shit got wild.

This episode really drives home the lesson of "more people need to read Ursula K. LeGuin"

It is kinda amazing that they had 3 sci fi fantasy types in a room and none or them had read about Earthsea

Um actually, Burger King has a kid's meal, but Happy Meals are McDonald's.

I already love this game, but "Lovecraft or Welsh" absolutely killed me. Well f*ckin done you absolute legends.

As a welsh person who speaks welsh, that elder god went right over my head

Becca's awestruck rivalry with Matt in this episode is great

"I got excited about a thing and then I looked at Matt." Best line of the episode.

I've only ever heard of Matt Mercer by reputation, I've never actually watched or heard anything with him in. Happy to see he's a really nice, chill guy, and HOLY HELL is he handsome. Dayumm.

Um, Actually, Um Actually, Slippy is both a fighter pilot AND a mechanic. He's just a better mechanic than he is a fighter pilot.

Absolutely love to Becca Scott ginger specific answer of sunscreen being a complete necessity for doing anything outdoors

Okay, this was such a good literary episode. Multiple Ursula K LeGuin and Wheel of Time refs, even an Octavia Butler callout.

Becca is honestly stunning, like literally kind of overwhelming to look at in this outfit, in a sort of fine art way.

Two Ursula K. LeGuin references in one episode! I call that a win for everyone

There are few things I love more than watching Matt Mercer or Brennan Lee Mulligan get on a game show and leave nothing but wanton destruction in their wake.

Becca Scott really is like a ray of sunshine. Always brightens up my day 😊

Matt, Gutes and Brennan would be the most impressive showing of nerd prowess on the internet.

Um actually, playing D&D alone is just writing a book.

They should do a shiny question with Pokémon and their shiny versions but one is the wrong color

I'm not ashamed to admit that while having no familiarity with Oryx and Crake, I *did* get the question right because of my familiarity with the Wuzzles (never watched the show, but we did have two of the books that someone gave us, that we used to read to our kids)

Why is mercer the only contestant NOT showing leg.

Um Actually the question about Atwood's book is not a "sci fi book question," because Atwood refuses to describe her work as sci-fi or dystopian. Which is pretty pretentious but she's allowed because she's a Canadian national treasure and a genius.

DM idea... If you're players start making holding hole arrow bombs Then make it a plot point. Using them continuously causes the fabric of reality to start to fray and bad stuff happens and they have to stop it

I want to see Mercer vs Brandon vs Amy Vorpahl in a D&D exclusive episode

So Arthurian Lore got brought up and that's my cue. What I would point out is that A) Clarent isn't necessarily supposed to be intimidating as a sword and wouldn't have traditionally been used in combat anyways. That's the point of it being a ceremonial sword in some ways regarded as the sword of peace, the symbol of the king's authority during times of peace. Thus making it a further twist of irony when Mordred is sometimes portrayed as having stolen it and used it to deal the fatal blow to Arthur. B ) You mentioned it, but I'll further clarify, the sword Arthur is thought to have taken from the stone that is not Excalibur is generally referred to as Caliburn for clarity's sake. Both share a same root etymologically, coming originally from Caledfwch (apologies on the spelling, I'm bad with Welsh), which is also similar to the other Celtic sword Caladbolg. All of them, I believe, meaning something to the effect of "Hard cleft", though I think I've seen that Caladbolg might mean "Hard Lightning" which is super cool, which generally circles back to more being a title for any kind of good sword. Caliburn and Excalibur are usually seen as distinct because Arthur gets the latter after the former breaks in a fight against either Pellam or Pelleas (I always get the two confused). C) In a huge move that I feel matches with the spirit of Um, Actually, *technically* Callandor could be considered to be King Arthur's sword. Many of the characters and themes of the Wheel of Time are inspired by real world mythology. Of the three main protagonists, Perrin has some Thor inspiration from his eventual hammer which I'm not going to bother trying to spell but sounds like Mjollnir and Mat has Odin inspiration from his raven motif, one eye, Ashandrei, and having been hung from a tree in exchange for knowledge. But Rand, is very heavily inspired by King Arthur. It is worth note that most of Andor is pretty heavily Arthurian, with Gawain, Galad, Elayne, and Morgase being directly named from Arthur and sharing some aspects with their respective figures while Two Rivers, which is kind of part of Andor but also not, has Nynaeve, Egwene Al'vere (which is pronounce similarly to Guinevere) and of course, Rand Al'thor ("Rand Arthur"). There are some other not Andorran / Two Rivers folk that have Arthurian inspiration, like Moiraine (depending on interpretation), Lan (like Lancelot), and Thom Merrilin, but that's aside from the point. Back to Rand though, not only does his last name sound like Arthur and he has the title of "The Dragon", like Arthur Pendragon, but he eventually becomes the king of more than one nation (I think), making him King Al'Thor, including (kind of, temporarily, he was in command for a bit but maybe not actually king), Tear. And how did he get this position in Tear? By taking Callandor from its place within a fortress known as the Stone of Tear, or pulling the sword from the stone. So from a certain point of view, Callandor is one of King Arthur's weapons, particularly within the frame of reference of the Wheel of Time in which Rand is that setting's version of king Arthur, the inspiration for the figure when the Wheel of Time turns and modern history comes back again, remembering the events of the series in vague myths and legends. Also, D) Callandor isn't technically a sword at all. While it's been used as a sword, it's referred to as "The Sword that's not a sword" because it is in fact a Sa'angrael (another reference to the Grail quest of Arthur lore, amongst other things), or a magically created construct used to channel Saidin, the male version of magic in the Wheel of Time series, and the True Power, though we'll just ignore that for now. Also, also, E) when you brought up the map from the Wheel of Time earlier in the episode, that was a real jerk move since the setting has never actually received a name. Strictly speaking it is regarded as similar to Earth based on how the Wheel of Time's setting and history works, but there's no real name for it or the continent the story takes place on. Fans have sometimes taken to calling it "Randland" for lack of a better name, much like how the home of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn is sometimes referred to as "Finnland", since it was never given a name and nerds often like puns.

Trapp if you’re reading this, you nailed the opening. Perfect.

I don’t believe for a second that Matt Mercer didn’t know those boom titles. He was just giving away the point since he had 7.

My husband has literally made the “but wheel of time gets good at book 7” comment

Man, I love it when they have Matt on. He's just so charismatic.

Anyone else surprised that Matt didn’t know about Earthsea?

It took me reading the book first in a sci-fi literature course to enjoy the film. Having my professor walk us through the book allowed me to understand it, something I definitely couldn't have done on my own lol. I'm very grateful for this

Um actually, per Tom Scott, they aren't public domain films MST 3000 licenses each film they use to avoid any copyright issues.

I'm procrastinating wheel of time to binge watch this stuff, Stormlight Archive is literally BAE. This show rules, Trapp.

Um actually the wheel of Time gets good at book 3, then dips for a bit after 7, then at 11 it picks up and stays awesome.

Wow that skirt Becca is wearing is a genius creation!

These three are the best contestants

Is there a gallery of all the slightly-off set decor? It's such a brilliant idea from the art department / set designers, bravo to them.

Has there been a matt mercer vs. Brennan episode? Because I'd LOVE to see that. I fear it doesn't exist, because they need Brennan to make the questions hard enough for matthew, but here's hoping ;)

Um Actually, Jon Gabrus said he went to Burger King and had "Happy Meals" to get pokemon figurines, but Happy Meals are sold by McDonald's.

I did not expect a butt shower to appear as the middle ad, but it did.

I honestly surprised myself with the lighting speed with which I named the maps. Including Wind in the Willows, which I have never actually read (or watched). This game always reminds me that I am not so much a 'nerd' in general as I am specifically a speculative fiction nerd. I typically nail all the book stuff (not the Cthulhu Mythos one, admittedly) and can muster reasonable guessed for, like, 25% of anything else.

Um actually, Callandor isn't a sword. It's a sword shaped Sa'angreal.

I hate how long it took me to realize that the nerdy items on the walls of the set are “wrong.” God damn it.

The only questions I consistently get right when watching this show are the Ursula K. Le Guin ones so I'm thankful to whoever writes those

*Sees Matt Mercer appear without being in the thumbnail* "A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one"

Um actually, despite the MST3K theme song's mantra, some episodes have stated that the mads will cut off the oxygen if they refuse to watch the movie.

Am I the only one to realize that Becca Scott is not the same height as the other 2 contestants?. . . she is sitting so far forward on the couch that it only looks like they are the same height. . . cool

This episode was a BREATH OF FRESH AIR compared to the last one

Matt getting The Eye of the World and it being the first book in the Wheel of Time is too good.

I really love the Wheel of Time books!!😁 Another way to get through them, which in some ways I like better, is to listen to the audio book version. The two readers(narrators?) are very talented and really give the characters life!

Oh my god that comedian burn with the alt right line lmao that was so good and so true.

Um actually, Trapp got bobobo bobobobo's name completely right. That never happens.

Um, Actually, while mixing Portable Holes and Bags of Holding is generally bad, in (at least) 1st through 3rd editions, the order DOES matter, contrary to what Matt said. According to the 1st edition Dungeon Masters Guide, "If a bag of holding is placed within a portable hole, a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in the space, and the bag and the cloth are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to another plane, and the hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10' radius are drawn to the plane, the portable hole and bag of holding being destroyed in the process."

I truly hope I’m keeping the lights on with the 57 unskippabe ads I watched

Final question: Um actually, never put dish soap on your windows. It can cause streaking. Um actually, pull straight across the window, edge to edge if at all possible and only drop the squeegee on the last line. And yes, don't clean in the sun.

The problem with the theatrical release of Blade Runner was that too much was cut out for the story to make sense. When the Directors Cut came out it flowed better, closed a lot of confusing moments and was a much better experience. Chances are if you didn't like it the first time you watched it but liked it later you watched the original first then liked the Director's Cut

Clarent is also the sword that Mordred uses to mortally wound him at the Battle of Camlann.

Um actually, Burger King don't sell Happy Meals.

Um, actually, While not normally a dragon type, Charizard does get the dragon typing in his X Mega Evolution

you should get multiple youtubers who focus specifically on one fandom, and have like a mega episode for different fandoms.

Matthew sounded so cool shouting "I got one!" He should try voice acting

I’m a simple gay, I see Becca Scott I click

I knew the Wuzzles reference IMMEDIATELY!! Let's GOOOOOO!!!

Jon Gabrus provides insight into a world in which the billion side "jokes" in between questions are actually funny

um actually callandor is the name of my homebrew weapon that tells you the date

Umm, actually, not in all editions did a portable hole contain more space. In 4e it actually was just a hole, that would create a hole in whatever it was placed on, like in a Road Runner cartoon.

I'd like to see a champion's round where contestants who won 7+ points in one show duke it out.

Man I’ve been binging this show. I got the first 2 episodes recommended on my feed after watching the entire last 2 years. This show has come a long ways!

22:53 Um actually, “Ble’mae’rtybach” is just the Nonogon from Critical Role before it got its last two eyes.

Brilliant strategy to say “Um actually” and then, now that the pressure is off, take a minute to think through the answer 😂

Um Actually, Tingle isn't just a weird little man, he like many other Tingles (there is a female Tingle and a Tingle dog), have been cursed by Uncle Rupee, an evil wizard who's goal is to get all the rupees in Hyrule and achieve his final goal of... being rich? Becoming currency?

I kind of find it a missed opportunity in that nobody pointed out that Callandor was kept at a place called Stone of Tear. So basically Rand "pulled the sword in the stone" when he took it.

Um actually, dragon types are also weak to fairy which was introduced in generation 6

Obligatory comment about Beccas attire and she being drop dead gorgeous, besides being super smart. If only Matt Mercer was’t next to ger so I could focus on her more instead of his glorious hair.

Knowing this was filmed a long time ago, I wonder if this led to Matt reading The Stormlight Archive, as I'm pretty sure he;s dropped easter eggs to it in Critical Role via the form of names.

Brennan, Matt, and Griffin McElroy would be the ultimate trio

6:17 happens because Matt suddenly remembers that Tingle reminds him of Sam Riegel sometimes

I love the OCD triggering props in the back

i fall in love with becca every time i see her

I just want to see an episode between Matt Mercer and Brennan

Never heard WOT referenced on anything before!!! Woot!! Robert Jordan is amazing!!!

Um actually, Dragon's are also weak to Fairy type attacks

I love the progression from shorts to pants in this episode

Becca Scott!

Hahahahaha, I think it’s hilarious that the hello tushy company thought who should we get to advertise our product, and you are the one who came to mind.

Holy legs Batman, Becca Scott wow. Matt Mercer is great and Jon Gabrus is hilarious, love him on comedy bang bang.

Um, actually, a lot of MST3K movies weren't public domain. That's why they had such a hard time releasing the episodes on VHS, because they'd only licensed the movies for airing on television.

Um, Actually, Callandor is misspelled in the subtitles as "Callendor"

Um actually, Becca's scoreboard displays 4 points before she is awarded her 4th point (we see it at 4 in one shot then a cut to Trapp then a cut back to it going from 3 up to 4)

Um, actually if I remember my Arthurian legend, Mordred steals Clarent and wields it against Arthur, being the sword that mortally wounds King Arthur

I would've loved someone to buzz in before the game started and say "Um, actually, a battle royale is an ELIMINATION competition."

Time for everyone's new favorite game: Lovecraft Name or Welsh

Um actually, you don't need to wear sunscreen more on sunny days. Light cloud cover lets most of the UV in and scatters it so that you simply bake more evenly unless protected.

Matt retaining his geek card. Also, Gabrus is always funny no matter what medium

I just noticed the wrong merchandise in the background. The Poke-cube, the 21 sided die, the poor attempt at a Vulcan gesture of long life and prosperity... And were those shoes supposed to be from Back to the Future II? It hurts! It's brilliant.

Becca Scott is so beautiful

Um, Actually, the novel titled _Blade Runner_ by Alan E. Nourse isn't about doctors stealing organs. It's about doctors providing medical care and surgeries to people who have been deemed _ineligible_ for health care. Blade Runners are their assistants that smuggle the surgical and medical instruments from the hospitals for the elite to the doctors who need them in the field.