i feel like people often equate spice tolerance with spice enjoyment. Like not being able to exactly handle spicy foods does NOT mean i won't continue to seek them out. I will simply suffer for my enjoyment of food.
It's kind of a shame that the "anti-filler" mentality has reached a point where a lot of writers (and fans) assume that if a show isnt constantly moving the plot forward and establishing lore, its basically filler and wasting space. Personally I think its good, if not necessary for a show to slow down and just have characters hang out, or deal with smaller conflicts.
It feels like a lot of stories just want to rush to the emotional scenes with barely any build up to really make it feel earned and satisfying. I've seen fans pester creators to rush the story along and reach the next big set piece rather than take the time to really know and appreciate the characters.
Why should I care about the emotional stakes in episode 2 when I barely know a character's likes and dislikes? how they handle conflict, their approach to relationships both platonic and romantic. etc,
Can I just say, I really appreciate how Critical Role plays the Devil trope straight. There's been this phenomena in a lot of modern media (I'm not going to mention specifics but I'm sure a few examples pop up in people's minds) where Hell and the Devil aren't scary or malevolent forces. Hell is portrayed as being basically the same as our world just "edgier", and the Devil is a pretty decent guy actually. Heaven are secretly the real bad guys!
But Critical Role doesn't do that. In Exandria, Asmodeus *feels* like the Devil. He's malevolent and manipulative and terrifyingly powerful and he hates you, personally. We never see that type of portrayal anymore! And it's amazing! And he still manages to be sympathetic and tragic without losing his edge!
And the "Good Gods" are portrayed as flawed without being secretly evil or something! Like, actual nuance? In my Heaven/Hell dichotomy? What!?
It's just such a breath of fresh air after so many "The Devil was right, actually" stories. So props to Matt and Brennan and the cast.
Danny was having a shit day. The kind of day you would wake up and just know things would go so wrong that just rolling over and continuing to sleep would make it somehow better. Alas Danny had gotten up, which to be fair sleeping in the rafters of an abandoned warehouse didn't give much choice, and his day had gone down hill from there.
Which was why he was currently laying in an dirty alley one leg over a tumbled over trash bin his other on some trash bags that did not cushion his fall. His elbow tingled with that weird pain when you hit a nerve and he was pretty sure he had now more than just a cracked rip. Seriously, he hated that he had lost his transformation midair and crashed down because the damned GIW somehow got their hands on Vlads taser technology.
But the weird part was that wasn't even the worst or best part.
Danny dizzily stared at the old man that stood between him in all his fallen glory and the GIW agents. The old man stood there straight well mannered a paper bag, his apparent shopping in one arm and a hand gun -an actual hand gun, Danny had to do a double take to used to the laser guns from his parents and the GIW- pointed at the agents.
The old man said something about having different morals and that he wouldn't hesitate to shot as well as regretting not having his shotgun right now, but honeslty Danny was kind of too shocked to really listen to what the old man was saying.
Seriously, maybe Danny should still have just rolled over and continued to sleep in the warehouse rafters. But he had to admit the old man was kind of badass.
Etho immediately choosing Decked Out 2 (+Tango's reaction)
xBCrafted's Season 10 Episode 17 Hermit Q&A
xB: So, question number three. What has been your favourite project, build, and/or event since joining HermitCraft?
Etho: That I did? Or that other people did?
xB: Uh, just, whatever. Whatever you...y'know, your favourite. Just, whatever.
Etho: Oh, that's gotta be Decked Out 2, then.
xB: Okay. (laughs)
Etho: (laughs) Easy answer!
xB: I mean, you only played it a little, though...
Etho: Ahh, it was a few months. A few months of my life, there. Got a little bit involved.
xB: (laughs) A couple minutes, here and there, you know.
Etho: Yeah.
xB: I know how you are. No. (laughs)
----
xB: I feel like your answer is gonna be the same as Etho's.
Tango: Oh, did he say Decked Out?
xB: Yes he did. (laughs)
Tango: Ohhhh, my hero! Yeah, Decked Out is definitely my answer. Slam dunk.
xB: I was like, 'Yeah, what do you mean? You only played, like, a little bit...'
(both laugh)
Tango: Well, that -- Honestly, the fact that he said that, means -- means everything to me. That's great, that he values it that high. That's great. That's great.
xB: Oh, yeah, yeah. He was like, he was like, 'That's easy. Decked Out 2.' I was like, 'Okay!' (laughs)
Tango: (laughs) Fantastic. Good! Good!