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TAZ has two themes that span the entire podcast that r both equally important and cannot exist without each other

Griffin (and co) have talked about the idea of "do good recklessly" and how you should try and do the right thing no matter what, and how sometimes that means breaking rules and taking risks.

I think, however, the theme of "arms outstretched" and what that implies is equally as important. The idea of reaching out and not stopping, trying again and again to save those who might not even want saving. But no matter what you keep on trying to save them.

Merle trying to talk Gundren down despite being physically hurt and Gundren screaming at him to leave him alone.

Tres Horny Bois trying their darndest to stop Sloane from using the Gaia Sash throughout all of PttM, despite knowing at that point that the power of the relics corrupts entirely.

Taako trying to think of a way to save Hurley from the poison and being genuinely angry when he couldn't do anything.

Magnus's repeated attempts to try and save Lucas even after he betrayed the team, doing what he can to save his life because even if Lucas was a shitty person he still is a person worthy of saving.

The boys looping over and over again in refuge and never giving up, even after dying again and again and again.

The infamous "arms outstretched" scene we all know and love.

Merle's never ending attempts to save John and to treat him with a kindness he was not shown in return. Merle taking Arms Outstretched so literally his last choice he made with John was to reach out and try to pull him from The Hunger by wrapping his arms around him in a hug. John's last conscious thought before his humanity was ripped away was that Merle was giving him a hug.

Despite the way she betrayed all of them, Tres Horny Bois reaching out to Lucretia to help her. Because love means you keep trying.

And the final moment. Taako, arm outstretched casting the spell to end The Hunger, Magnus with his hand on his shoulder, Merle at his side, Taako with the immovable rod; "I'm not going fucking anywhere."

Because you can do good recklessly, you can be as good as you want. But it's the act of trying, of never letting yourself stop trying. You have to understand both ideals to really comprehend the characters in that series.

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It's so interesting to me how vastly different tres horny bois are in terms of how they're played, and I think that adds to the appeal of the Balance arc overall. Especially with Merle.

Travis plays Magnus like the big hero, the main character. He's loud and confident and boastful, he's incredibly talented and has plot armor out the ass that keeps him alive through everything. He's equipped with a tragic backstory, the loss of his home and wife and yet through everything he tries his best to be a good person.

Taako is the comedic side character. He starts as the joke character beginning with the name. He's Taako! The magical chef from TV! I assume Justin didn't truly expect TAZ to take off as much as it did so he made a silly guy for the one off episode they planned. But then TAZ just kept going. And of course he does get his own tragic story with the loss of his sister, the poisoning at Glamor Springs, and everything else. But that underlying silliness is always somewhat there!

But then there's Merle! Merle is the most human of the three. He's messy and he's relatable in some ways, and he's done bad things. He abandoned his wife and his children to go adventure. He's a deadbeat dad and he's not there for his family emotionally. His faith is loose and he's cynical. But at the same time? He's down to earth, he's a comforting figure and he knows how to help. He's trying his best to be there for his kids and to fix his mistakes, and he ADORES his kids. He wants to be a better father, a better man. And he does! He grows and learns and even though he fucks up he keeps trying. Merle's inherent caring nature shines through so well especially in regards to his children, and that's 100% Clint McElroy's influence.

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As the world's number 1 Lucretia enjoyer I think the TAZ ending is infinitely more interesting if Taako doesn't forgive her, and I think it makes more sense.

Lucretia thinks she was right. She hated every single second of what she did and felt so much indescribable grief over losing everyone she loved in an instant. But to her? There was no other choice. She had to do it to protect them, to protect the Light of Creation, to protect the planes of existence.

But she still stole Lup from him. His lifeline. Half of his heart, the one who was there for him through ANYTHING. He always had her to rely on. Taako and Lup, together no matter what. Completely inseparable. Then... she was ripped away from him unceremoniously. He had no time to prepare, no time to mourn the loss. Maybe he felt the loss, knew the whole time there was something or someone missing. He kept the others at arms length, knowing in his heart there was a missing piece of his story. He gets his memories back, and then he remembers her! How could he forget Lup? All the fond memories of her on the ship, helping her become a lich, and even past that to them as children.

But then something else rushes back to him. She's gone. He doesn't yet know that the very umbrella he's pointing at Lucretia houses his sister, in this very moment he's remembered a hundred years of his life that were ripped from him, and even further still he remembers the sister he lost.

Even in the aftermath forgiveness wouldn't come easy, if at all. He got Lup back sure, and she's encouraging him to forgive, but... How could he? He lost her. He lost the one person he cared most for in this world and wasn't even given the dignity to be able to mourn her loss.

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Baldur's Gate 3 + The Adventure Zone fans, are there any TAZ references in BG3? I feel like TAZ was a pretty influential piece of dnd media (in my heart and soul it was at least) and the only two things I could think of were when Halsin says he likes carving wooden ducks, or the Light of Creation halberd in the underdark. Can anyone think of any others? A party consisting of an elf, human, and dwarf maybe? A lich with a particular affinity for fire based magic? Or maybe a reference to a different story arc in the overall podcast??

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Thinking about how fucking heartbroken Lucretia must have been when Lucas supposedly died

The Miller family helped found the Bureau. They invented the technology to make the moon base float. She taught them about the planes. They had to have been close!

To me Lucas was a young adult, maybe in his early 20s. So imagining Lucretia meeting him when he's like 18 or 19, bonding with this kid who's just trying to get out of his grandpa's shadow. And he does! He kind of becomes a prick, but Lucretia still cares for him. He insists he's an adult, but having lived for over a century, Lucretia feels like he's so young.

And then. She hears Magnus's voice finally, after having received signal again. He tells her Lucas has died.

That kid, the scrawny teen who was helping his mother invent things, who grew into his own person, who had huge dreams for the future. His life ripped away from him. As far as she knows.