i've had similar interactions with people i play with. being in a group that is able to bounce off each other well makes little moments like this far more pointed since it's more likely they'll catch on to the more subtle inferences
at first i thought he meant that as, “it’s better that i remember what i have to do even if i have to remember my past” but now i see it as “it’s better that i’m racked with this guilt as a punishment for the terrible things I’ve done”
Jester: “Hi Caleb, how are you doing today?” Caleb: :D “Doing so-“ and then the spell hits, and all of his pain comes rushing back like a tidal wave. You can see the weight of it in his shoulders and in his eyes. Very well animated, thank you.
Not gonna lie, I was ... somewhat ticked-off when Caleb was "restored" immediately. Maybe it was for the best, to rip that band-aid off asap but at the same time. He's the only one who I can imagine could REALLY use some good ol' amnesia. Why couldn't they leave him like that ? (This is in no way meant as a jab towards the others characters, and even less so their players. They are more than amazing at what they do, I just want our sad wizard boi to catch an ACTUAL break)
@@timvanrijn8239 well the spell reinforced brainwashing for only Ickithon knows how long, 10 years in a sanitarium and then 2 years on the run before meeting the Nein. Caleb really doesn't like things messing with his head.
Caleb: "I don't know what's wrong, but I'm here with my friends, I'm useful and I feel like I'm a big help to the party. I'm feeling pretty good about myself Greater Restoration Caleb: "Oh right, I'm worthless and a murderer" shoulder slump "it's better this way....?"
Impostor Caleb pointing at real Caleb: Shoot him! He's the impostor! The Might Nein pointing all their attacks at the impostor: The real Caleb would *_never_* pass up a chance to die!
Man, I love how much Liam is trying to keep Caleb "Normal". He's not a leader, he's not the best student at the academy, he's not even tall. He's just one of the more level-headed of the Nein, and a bit talented and pushed to his limits, and is just average height yet skinny enough that if he stood up straight he'd look a little tall. His insistance on keeping the group grounded when they're dealing with massive sums of money ("that's more money than my parents ever made in their entire lives") is far out of the ordinary too; at least for a DnD party, who are usually rolling in it yet don't really spare a thought for the fact that tipping an extra gold to some could mean they can pay their rent for months. Not special, not some mystical chosen one; just a smart magic dude doing his best with his friends, trying to make the world a better place.
@@PalleRasmussen Yes, but not THE best. According to Liam, that's Astrid. There's also much significance to be placed on being tutored by an archmage and implanted with magic crystals, in terms of his abilities relative to regular students.
@@danniemiesse4643 I just checked, episode 110 at the dinner Trent says Bren was the best. th-cam.com/video/5T0Lp7JE7do/w-d-xo.html 01:34 ”as the prodigy, I always knew he was” 01:58 “Historically the most talented mages, has always walked this path” (Brenn’s path) “For the greatest ambitions come from them, who has endured the dark and crawled their way back” 02:35 “I have always had a fondness for you three. Eadwulf and Astrith are skilled at so much, and everything one could seemingly want in disciples and… associates. But, and I mean this with all due respect to both of them, their potential is… limited. Unlike you Brenn (or I like you Brenn - PR), you have the eventual makings, of an assembly member yourself.”
@@PalleRasmussen A few things: One: none of this specifies that Caleb is the best right now. The first quote does not specify superiority; only general quality. The second quote has no bearing at all on how powerful Caleb is; it's an observation about powerful mages from the past, and notably does not account for the many, many mages who also dealt with trouble in their times yet did NOT become legendary archmages. The last quote speaks only of potential (aka "talent"); which is some real elitist nonsense that has little to no accuracy and has much less to do with how someone turns out than the hard work and circumstances in which they can improve. Two: these are all said by Trent; an abusive manipulative fuck who wants to get in Caleb's head and make him predictable by appealing to his ego, just as he did when Caleb was a child. Three; those are all said by a character played by Matt- by an *antagonist* played by Matt (meaning; their purposes and intents are opposite to the protagonists'). Liam, as I said, always emphasizes that Caleb does not think or act as if he's the best.
@@danniemiesse4643 Matt also does not think or act like he is the best GM, and deserves accolades. He still is though, self-loathing does that to you. Something from which Caleb suffers massively. I shall be happy to come back and say "I told you so", in a few years when the campaign is done and we know the stats.
This moment made me realize that because of Calebs "keen mind" he probably remembers every detail of his parents death and the years he spent in the asylum. Not only has he been through more pain than anyone else in the party, but he can't even forget it if he wanted to.
All Matt said was Caleb felt a little off, he remembered all his friends but not why they were there. Liam took it farther and watching the episode you realize when he made that decision as he straightened up in his chair and smiling told his friends he felt a little off but good. If it was any other character with any other background that wouldn't have set off any red flags. But because Liam has always acted Caleb, even when not speaking, the emotional impact becomes devastating as the scene plays out.
People being like "Oh, Caleb was happy! I wish he didn't have to remember!" as if he didn't lose ten years of his life to not remembering courtesy of good ol' Trent
In those ten years he remembered what he had done. It was severe enough that the contrast between the parents he loved and the parents that were spies caused cracks in his mind, and the act of killing them shattered it. He was fully aware of what he had done to his parents, but catatonic because he was disgusted with himself. He was simultaneously despondent that he murdered his parents and ashamed of himself for not being able to be the loyal empire boy who didn't feel anything for killing traitors, regardless of relations. The woman who cleared his mind didn't restore his memories or sanity, she removed the false memories. Once he realised that the empire (Trent) had betrayed him and lied to him, it gave him purpose. The transformation of broken Bren to vengeance fueled Caleb was not a restoral, it was simply giving his mind a goal to work towards. It was no longer entirely his fault, there was someone to blame, and he could further incentivize himself by insisting he needed to save others from his own fate. So in this case, removing those bad memories wouldn't return him to who he was in the asylum, he had to have those memories to be catatonic. Removing those memories would however remove his drive to get stronger to defeat Trent.
@@Lreclusa Trent Ikithon canonically Feebleminded him, Charles. The woman cast Greater Restoration on him, which removed the Modify Memory *and* the Feebleminded. Trent says as much (albeit not in the same words) in the episode where they have dinner w/ him.
@@silas8772 That doesn't make sense. First, I don't remember him saying that. He says he put him in the asylum and sent the woman to restore him and the guard to die so he could escape, but I would need to listen again to see if there's anything about a feeblemind. Second, Caleb's own words state that when he killed his parents, something broke in him. At that point, before he showed any remorse, there would have been no reason for Trent to feeblemind him. If you said he used feeblemind to keep him docile after his mind broke, at least until he wanted to restore him, that would make sense. But Bren/Caleb would have had to give him a reason for the feeblemind. Third, several of the cast/characters made comments that they suspected Trent was full of it and was trying to take credit to make himself out to be the architect of everything Caleb is. Matt neither confirmed nor denied it. My view is that if the restoration also cleared a feeblemind, then Caleb would have known there was more than memory manipulation at play. He instead pointed to his own psyche breaking. As far as I'm concerned, even if Trent did admit to a feeblemind, it was either a containment measure after the fact, or a lie.
Caleb's face at the end when Fjord immediately says "yes" after he comments it's better that he's unhappy hurts my very soul. I want him to be happy so badly
This is so depressing when you think about it. When he lost his memories, he was happy. The man had the weight of the world pulled from his shoulders, and stood straight for the first time in years. All the f'd up shit in his life was taken away, and he felt... bliss. Only for it all to come back a moment later. Really glad Caleb got the last hit in. If they ever animate campaign two like they are doing with campaign one, then I hope this gets to be a plot point.
I think it's adorable how Caleb has no idea of what's going on but still goes "eins, zwei, drei" when he realizes they're playing bolder parchment cheers
probably the only good thing Vokodo ever did, for a few seconds Caleb had the weight of his past lifted from his shoulders and phrasing it like that almost makes returning his memories cruel
It isn't? Why not ask him beforehand which he would prefer? I mean, he is stuck in the past completely self guilty and depressed about it, how is that not considered a curse in its own right? As someone with plenty of issues, being able to effectively move on and not being stuck in eternal rut would in fact be preferred. Then later, when he has had time to grow a bit more, then maybe, just maybe, remove this status effect from him if he so asks for it.
@@Elmithian The problem there is that he isn't in the right mind to make that decision, because he doesn't know he did anything, or that there was anything to forget in the first place. If he had expressed earlier when he is in a complete state that he wished he couldn't remember it, than that's different. But as far as I can tell, he may be stuck in the past but he doesn't want to forget. He wants a way to make it right. Stopping him from having his memories both good and bad would be the worst curse, especially for an individual like Caleb.
@@FreePheoniix Ah, would you say that people with depression and survivor's guilt should suffer forever because their low self esteem prevents them from seeking out help? The world isn't perfect. People are far from perfect. Sometimes an intervention is needed. This might honestly be one of those cases. But we will never know since they didn't allow him to grow a bit stronger mentally while in that state before removing the effects. Of course I would prefer persuasion rather than force 10 out of 10 times, but as I said previously, the world is rarely that black and white. I am also not fond of taking away people's agency, in fact, i detest it, but what action can be done when people are being prisoners of their own minds? Is that lack of agency any better? It is certainly not self willing agency as depression is abnormality in a person's brain to send and form right signals. And survivor's guilt is often abnormal levels of guilt that cannot readily be dealt with due to the person suffering from it _wanting_ to be miserable.
@@Elmithian I think he should be allowed to make that decision himself. Otherwise, even though we have good intentions, our actions would still be no different from Ikathorn Trent.
@@JohnYoo39 But he isn't allowed to make the decision when he is in happier and more stable state of mind? You should be able to see the contradiction here no? Instead they, just like with actual intervention, took his autonomy and acted in what they believed to be his best interest. How is what they did in *any* way better?
I like this response to Caleb because to me he always seemed like the kind of guy that would rather live with his sins resting on his shoulders than to forget them.
I read a meta about how Caleb could have gotten into alcohol like Nott did, but instead chose to continue to punish himself with his guilt by staying, for the most part, sober.
a year late, but yeah, that guilt drives him. imo his guilt defines him as a character. without it there wouldn't be caleb. we'd just have a lanky ginger wizard dude.
This hits very similar to Liam as Caleb when he turns into less intelligent animals and plays them as much more light-hearted and playful. Intelligence and knowledge are more of a curse than a blessing for Caleb.
But that's not what he forgot. Quite literally the only thing Matt said he forgot was the reason the group was there on the island. Yasha, by contrast, rolled a 7 and forgot Molly, her wife, and some other things. Caleb only missed the dc by 1.
@@DrM1nd3nd3r Matt also only explicitly said he remembered his friends' names, so if we're drawing inferences from that description he doesn't remember Astrid or Trent or his parents' names. I don't think we should take the quick explanation of a phenomenon we already understand as literal. I think Matt just didn't want to have to spend 5 minutes detailing what exactly Caleb remembers and what he forgot so he left it open-ended.
i didnt think about it until i saw this lovely animatic, but this moment reminds be of the fic where the travelor switches everyone’s bodies and caleb gets molly’s amnesia? and how molly feels so bad about switching back bc caleb got a time of reprieve from his heavy guilt and sadness. idk, i guess i never expected to see amnesia so specific like that in canon? its really cool. tysm for posting this op!! its so friendly and soft, i just keep rewatching it :)
@@annsmalley9039 this is going to be the first CR fic I’ve read, dunno how I never thought of it, but MAN that made me so excited for it. Just wanted to say thank you 🥰
0:38 - So cute! Caleb's just "What I do?" because he's in such a nice mood! Why hasn't he done this more often? Whatever it is? Feels so nice! And then... Greater Restoration.
With the most recent episode, we never saw Calebs room and I have a sneaking suspiscion its just a rotting wood cell with an unlit fireplace, a broken piece of stained glass, and a moldy grass blanket
Total grad student room. No furniture, a single candle (in place of a naked lightbulb), a pile of books in a corner...he sleeps on the couch and covers himself in throw pillows for warmth.
so conflicted on this, how quickly they jumped to 'correct' him because just for a few minutes he'd forgotten his past and was happy, i kinda wish they didnt restore him , well that or my personal fan theory was that 'caleb' is a modified memory and the greater restoration returned him to being Bren
I think Caleb would prefer for them to restore his memories, but partially for bad reasons. Like obviously he has a thing about memory alteration because of what happened and wouldn't want it to happen again, but he's also been purposely making himself miserable for years to punish himself for what he did. That "it's better this way" line I think was in reference to that. Even if it might have been nicer just to let him be happy for a while, I think in a terrible way he really did prefer that they restore his memory.
This animatic is one of the main ones that inspired me to start watching Campaign 2 in full, there were others of course but something about the art and the audio and the editing in this one was really intriguing, and I decided needed to know what was going on, and who these people were. This animatic sparked my love of Caleb before I knew much of anything about him! I’ve only just now, just today, caught up to this episode, and I still have so much more to watch! so I just wanted to thank you! 💛💛💛
For a moment he didn't remember the past. He didn't remember being tortured. He didn't remember being tricked into killing his parents. He didn't remember going mad and being sent to the sanitarium. He didn't remember all the years of being in hiding. He was with his friends, and while he didn't know what he was doing there, he knew that he could be helpful. And then it all came back. "Better this way..." All of this also shows whenever he polymorphs into a creature with low intelligence, he's suddenly playful and silly, because he isn't smart enough to remember.
@@spectralumbra1568 I can definitely see that. Caleb and Veth holding hands and smiling, an homage to Caleb and Nott at the beginning of campaign - gazing towards the sunset. The campaign ends with the two characters that started it, only this time both are changed for the better.
@@spectralumbra1568 All I can imagine is Caleb as Thanos, sitting in a cabin, smiling into the sunset after having destroyed the empire and brutally murdered Trent, maybe gone a bit evil along the way, but smiling.
@@lowkeylonely4265 That was legitimately the vibe I had when I wrote my reply and I couldn't place what I was thinking about. Definitely Thanos. That has some pretty bad implications about what might happen to Veth though.
So, I think that regardless of whether Caleb is happy with it or not, he would probably MUCH rather have all his memories intact, that lose the few that make him so... miserable. I mean, it can only remind him of the time he regained his memories in the asylum, right? A time where he was actively manipulated into someone he isn't anymore. Even so, seeing my favorite wizard just... deflate, hurts too.
I watched this animatic way back when I first started listening to critical role, and I've finally caught up to the point where this actually makes sense. I love the way you draw all of them! Happy Caleb is so sweet
Yo! I found you. I saw this video awhile back and was trying to subscribe when my internet crashed! But I saw your new animatic. (Great work by the way sounds effects are still killer.)
I love the idea that Caleb is actually a bit tall but always seemed short because of his bad posture due to depression
This was literally me when I was 16
Do you mean slouching?
Yeah depression is a heavy load to carry
At least he seems to be getting a little bit better each session. Killing Trent will probably help too.
Oscar Brazil
Yes.. that’s what bad posture is
The fact that Caleb being happy is so uncommon that everyone is worried is really sad.
i've had similar interactions with people i play with.
being in a group that is able to bounce off each other well makes little moments like this far more pointed since it's more likely they'll catch on to the more subtle inferences
That's a shame, honestly, he has a nice smile
If someone with depression is suddenly happy that’s a sign that they might kill them self soon
@@sleepytimetaquito Your not wrong but Jesus that really hit hard in this context
In the latest episode, he got so excited he forgot to show Jester her room...
Even with the Keen Mind feat!
This shouldn't be sad.... right?
Right... Yes! Definitely! ... Right?
"Better this way... (./?)"
Goes to show how well Liam stays in Caleb's mindset of *never going a moment without thinking about what he was manipulated into doing*
@@Verbose_Mode ..........yes
@@slipperyfish I mean he has Keen Mind... I don't know that he could stop thinking about it if he wanted to...
Caleb saying “Eins, zwei, drei!” was adorable
I knoooowwwwwww, it was soooooooooooo cute!
hey that reminds me of the deino family from pokemon
Honestly Caleb's adorable for the whole scene.
@@iananderson4754
That’s where the names came from. dEINo, ZWEILous, hyDREIgon
"Its better this way"
I forgot the quote existed and it hit me like a freight train
You know what got me was Fjord's "...Yes. Period. Right?"
at first i thought he meant that as, “it’s better that i remember what i have to do even if i have to remember my past” but now i see it as “it’s better that i’m racked with this guilt as a punishment for the terrible things I’ve done”
@aduckinlingerie I think Caduceus thought the first way and Caleb the second way
@aduckinlingerie whoa! Thank you for commenting, that way of thinking makes this scene thematically even better( and more somber ).
Jester: “Hi Caleb, how are you doing today?” Caleb: :D “Doing so-“ and then the spell hits, and all of his pain comes rushing back like a tidal wave. You can see the weight of it in his shoulders and in his eyes. Very well animated, thank you.
Not gonna lie, I was ... somewhat ticked-off when Caleb was "restored" immediately. Maybe it was for the best, to rip that band-aid off asap but at the same time. He's the only one who I can imagine could REALLY use some good ol' amnesia. Why couldn't they leave him like that ?
(This is in no way meant as a jab towards the others characters, and even less so their players. They are more than amazing at what they do, I just want our sad wizard boi to catch an ACTUAL break)
++
@@kimberleylannou3424 well the man was suffering fron amnesia/insanity for like 8 years. Proably doesnt wanne go round 2
@@timvanrijn8239 well the spell reinforced brainwashing for only Ickithon knows how long, 10 years in a sanitarium and then 2 years on the run before meeting the Nein. Caleb really doesn't like things messing with his head.
@@timvanrijn8239 you misspelled Ickythong. Might wanna double check your spellcheck, friend
Caleb: "I don't know what's wrong, but I'm here with my friends, I'm useful and I feel like I'm a big help to the party. I'm feeling pretty good about myself
Greater Restoration
Caleb: "Oh right, I'm worthless and a murderer" shoulder slump "it's better this way....?"
When your perma depressed friend is feeling good. "He's the imposter!"
Did you just...
Idk Razgriz227 looking kinda sus
@@resdamalos im voting rag
Impostor Caleb pointing at real Caleb: Shoot him! He's the impostor!
The Might Nein pointing all their attacks at the impostor: The real Caleb would *_never_* pass up a chance to die!
@@Me-ss2gq bruh
Man, I love how much Liam is trying to keep Caleb "Normal". He's not a leader, he's not the best student at the academy, he's not even tall. He's just one of the more level-headed of the Nein, and a bit talented and pushed to his limits, and is just average height yet skinny enough that if he stood up straight he'd look a little tall. His insistance on keeping the group grounded when they're dealing with massive sums of money ("that's more money than my parents ever made in their entire lives") is far out of the ordinary too; at least for a DnD party, who are usually rolling in it yet don't really spare a thought for the fact that tipping an extra gold to some could mean they can pay their rent for months. Not special, not some mystical chosen one; just a smart magic dude doing his best with his friends, trying to make the world a better place.
He was one of the best students at the academy though. Astrid says that in one of their interactions.
@@PalleRasmussen Yes, but not THE best. According to Liam, that's Astrid. There's also much significance to be placed on being tutored by an archmage and implanted with magic crystals, in terms of his abilities relative to regular students.
@@danniemiesse4643 I just checked, episode 110 at the dinner Trent says Bren was the best.
th-cam.com/video/5T0Lp7JE7do/w-d-xo.html
01:34 ”as the prodigy, I always knew he was”
01:58 “Historically the most talented mages, has always walked this path” (Brenn’s path) “For the greatest ambitions come from them, who has endured the dark and crawled their way back”
02:35 “I have always had a fondness for you three. Eadwulf and Astrith are skilled at so much, and everything one could seemingly want in disciples and… associates. But, and I mean this with all due respect to both of them, their potential is… limited. Unlike you Brenn (or I like you Brenn - PR), you have the eventual makings, of an assembly member yourself.”
@@PalleRasmussen A few things:
One: none of this specifies that Caleb is the best right now. The first quote does not specify superiority; only general quality. The second quote has no bearing at all on how powerful Caleb is; it's an observation about powerful mages from the past, and notably does not account for the many, many mages who also dealt with trouble in their times yet did NOT become legendary archmages. The last quote speaks only of potential (aka "talent"); which is some real elitist nonsense that has little to no accuracy and has much less to do with how someone turns out than the hard work and circumstances in which they can improve.
Two: these are all said by Trent; an abusive manipulative fuck who wants to get in Caleb's head and make him predictable by appealing to his ego, just as he did when Caleb was a child.
Three; those are all said by a character played by Matt- by an *antagonist* played by Matt (meaning; their purposes and intents are opposite to the protagonists'). Liam, as I said, always emphasizes that Caleb does not think or act as if he's the best.
@@danniemiesse4643 Matt also does not think or act like he is the best GM, and deserves accolades. He still is though, self-loathing does that to you. Something from which Caleb suffers massively. I shall be happy to come back and say "I told you so", in a few years when the campaign is done and we know the stats.
Smiling Caleb is baby and must be protected
But its not the caleb we came to love
@@isekaistation3682 Eventually the Caleb we came to love will be smiling. And I look forward to it 😊
Or possessed again and should be run away from!
Fjord's "Tackle him!" chibi animation though 😂👌 pure comedy. I played it over and over
I won't lie, I almost cried at this. How dare Liam, honestly.
i did cry bro. catch me crying because of liam again
@@alycias7345 every damn week
WolfgirlAidan every damn week.
@@alycias7345 we can cry together over this awkward, dirty wizard.
WolfgirlAidan i live for his character development
This moment made me realize that because of Calebs "keen mind" he probably remembers every detail of his parents death and the years he spent in the asylum. Not only has he been through more pain than anyone else in the party, but he can't even forget it if he wanted to.
That _shift_ in Caleb’s voice when he regains his memories- Liam is so damn good.
And THIS IS SO WELL DONE- the *details* - the *ambiance*
It was so good I wondered for a moment if Caleb lost his accent but I realized I've never heard his voice that light
All Matt said was Caleb felt a little off, he remembered all his friends but not why they were there.
Liam took it farther and watching the episode you realize when he made that decision as he straightened up in his chair and smiling told his friends he felt a little off but good.
If it was any other character with any other background that wouldn't have set off any red flags. But because Liam has always acted Caleb, even when not speaking, the emotional impact becomes devastating as the scene plays out.
People being like "Oh, Caleb was happy! I wish he didn't have to remember!" as if he didn't lose ten years of his life to not remembering courtesy of good ol' Trent
In those ten years he remembered what he had done. It was severe enough that the contrast between the parents he loved and the parents that were spies caused cracks in his mind, and the act of killing them shattered it. He was fully aware of what he had done to his parents, but catatonic because he was disgusted with himself. He was simultaneously despondent that he murdered his parents and ashamed of himself for not being able to be the loyal empire boy who didn't feel anything for killing traitors, regardless of relations. The woman who cleared his mind didn't restore his memories or sanity, she removed the false memories. Once he realised that the empire (Trent) had betrayed him and lied to him, it gave him purpose.
The transformation of broken Bren to vengeance fueled Caleb was not a restoral, it was simply giving his mind a goal to work towards. It was no longer entirely his fault, there was someone to blame, and he could further incentivize himself by insisting he needed to save others from his own fate. So in this case, removing those bad memories wouldn't return him to who he was in the asylum, he had to have those memories to be catatonic. Removing those memories would however remove his drive to get stronger to defeat Trent.
@@Lreclusa Trent Ikithon canonically Feebleminded him, Charles. The woman cast Greater Restoration on him, which removed the Modify Memory *and* the Feebleminded. Trent says as much (albeit not in the same words) in the episode where they have dinner w/ him.
@@silas8772 That doesn't make sense. First, I don't remember him saying that. He says he put him in the asylum and sent the woman to restore him and the guard to die so he could escape, but I would need to listen again to see if there's anything about a feeblemind.
Second, Caleb's own words state that when he killed his parents, something broke in him. At that point, before he showed any remorse, there would have been no reason for Trent to feeblemind him. If you said he used feeblemind to keep him docile after his mind broke, at least until he wanted to restore him, that would make sense. But Bren/Caleb would have had to give him a reason for the feeblemind.
Third, several of the cast/characters made comments that they suspected Trent was full of it and was trying to take credit to make himself out to be the architect of everything Caleb is. Matt neither confirmed nor denied it. My view is that if the restoration also cleared a feeblemind, then Caleb would have known there was more than memory manipulation at play. He instead pointed to his own psyche breaking. As far as I'm concerned, even if Trent did admit to a feeblemind, it was either a containment measure after the fact, or a lie.
Caleb's face at the end when Fjord immediately says "yes" after he comments it's better that he's unhappy hurts my very soul. I want him to be happy so badly
This is so depressing when you think about it. When he lost his memories, he was happy.
The man had the weight of the world pulled from his shoulders, and stood straight for the first time in years.
All the f'd up shit in his life was taken away, and he felt... bliss.
Only for it all to come back a moment later.
Really glad Caleb got the last hit in.
If they ever animate campaign two like they are doing with campaign one, then I hope this gets to be a plot point.
Boy, do I have news for you…
@@svndve Yo dude... it's actually happening!
[screaming screaming screaming crying]
I think it's adorable how Caleb has no idea of what's going on but still goes "eins, zwei, drei" when he realizes they're playing bolder parchment cheers
the sound effects 😳 and the DRAWINGS are so good!!
Im glad you like em!!
the waves and the birds, so peaceful, I loved it
the interaction with matt's description...! oh my!
My only wish is for the volume on the sound effects to be like halved so I can actually hear what people are saying :)
probably the only good thing Vokodo ever did, for a few seconds Caleb had the weight of his past lifted from his shoulders
and phrasing it like that almost makes returning his memories cruel
It isn't? Why not ask him beforehand which he would prefer?
I mean, he is stuck in the past completely self guilty and depressed about it, how is that not considered a curse in its own right?
As someone with plenty of issues, being able to effectively move on and not being stuck in eternal rut would in fact be preferred.
Then later, when he has had time to grow a bit more, then maybe, just maybe, remove this status effect from him if he so asks for it.
@@Elmithian The problem there is that he isn't in the right mind to make that decision, because he doesn't know he did anything, or that there was anything to forget in the first place. If he had expressed earlier when he is in a complete state that he wished he couldn't remember it, than that's different. But as far as I can tell, he may be stuck in the past but he doesn't want to forget. He wants a way to make it right. Stopping him from having his memories both good and bad would be the worst curse, especially for an individual like Caleb.
@@FreePheoniix Ah, would you say that people with depression and survivor's guilt should suffer forever because their low self esteem prevents them from seeking out help?
The world isn't perfect. People are far from perfect. Sometimes an intervention is needed. This might honestly be one of those cases.
But we will never know since they didn't allow him to grow a bit stronger mentally while in that state before removing the effects.
Of course I would prefer persuasion rather than force 10 out of 10 times, but as I said previously, the world is rarely that black and white. I am also not fond of taking away people's agency, in fact, i detest it, but what action can be done when people are being prisoners of their own minds?
Is that lack of agency any better? It is certainly not self willing agency as depression is abnormality in a person's brain to send and form right signals. And survivor's guilt is often abnormal levels of guilt that cannot readily be dealt with due to the person suffering from it _wanting_ to be miserable.
@@Elmithian I think he should be allowed to make that decision himself. Otherwise, even though we have good intentions, our actions would still be no different from Ikathorn Trent.
@@JohnYoo39 But he isn't allowed to make the decision when he is in happier and more stable state of mind? You should be able to see the contradiction here no?
Instead they, just like with actual intervention, took his autonomy and acted in what they believed to be his best interest. How is what they did in *any* way better?
Caleb can have a little happiness, as a treat.
I like this response to Caleb because to me he always seemed like the kind of guy that would rather live with his sins resting on his shoulders than to forget them.
I read a meta about how Caleb could have gotten into alcohol like Nott did, but instead chose to continue to punish himself with his guilt by staying, for the most part, sober.
a year late, but yeah, that guilt drives him. imo his guilt defines him as a character. without it there wouldn't be caleb. we'd just have a lanky ginger wizard dude.
So cute. Every expression: so cute.
0:15 It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it?
No i mean why are we out here in the sun when we could be in the shade down there - Caboose (not sure if Its correct but f*** IT)
This hits very similar to Liam as Caleb when he turns into less intelligent animals and plays them as much more light-hearted and playful. Intelligence and knowledge are more of a curse than a blessing for Caleb.
Yeah...that broke my heart. He'd be better off if he did forget that trauma.
Would he tho? His mind would forget but his heart would still ache
but then it won't be him
But that's not what he forgot. Quite literally the only thing Matt said he forgot was the reason the group was there on the island. Yasha, by contrast, rolled a 7 and forgot Molly, her wife, and some other things. Caleb only missed the dc by 1.
@@DrM1nd3nd3r Matt also only explicitly said he remembered his friends' names, so if we're drawing inferences from that description he doesn't remember Astrid or Trent or his parents' names. I don't think we should take the quick explanation of a phenomenon we already understand as literal. I think Matt just didn't want to have to spend 5 minutes detailing what exactly Caleb remembers and what he forgot so he left it open-ended.
@@kinosaga21 modify memory it away and replace it with an emotionally sanitized sort of version that he could process better.
1:12 That height perspective though. >_> 👌
Underappreciated
Cad is huge
"I'm... I'm a little bit off. I'm in a good mood though."
why was that so cute
Interesting choice to make Jester green (like the Traveler, I assume) instead of her usual blue.
i didnt think about it until i saw this lovely animatic, but this moment reminds be of the fic where the travelor switches everyone’s bodies and caleb gets molly’s amnesia? and how molly feels so bad about switching back bc caleb got a time of reprieve from his heavy guilt and sadness. idk, i guess i never expected to see amnesia so specific like that in canon? its really cool. tysm for posting this op!! its so friendly and soft, i just keep rewatching it :)
Ooo that’s sounds interesting. Do you remember what the fic was called??
I was going to comment "OP where is the fic?"
This sounds good!
@@annsmalley9039 this is going to be the first CR fic I’ve read, dunno how I never thought of it, but MAN that made me so excited for it. Just wanted to say thank you 🥰
0:38 - So cute! Caleb's just "What I do?" because he's in such a nice mood! Why hasn't he done this more often? Whatever it is? Feels so nice! And then... Greater Restoration.
With the most recent episode, we never saw Calebs room and I have a sneaking suspiscion its just a rotting wood cell with an unlit fireplace, a broken piece of stained glass, and a moldy grass blanket
Total grad student room. No furniture, a single candle (in place of a naked lightbulb), a pile of books in a corner...he sleeps on the couch and covers himself in throw pillows for warmth.
Har you seen the latest? Because the 8th and 9th floor is described somewhere in there.
this part was kinda funny but also really sad. my poor son :’(
Really sucks when you can understand the feeling of all that trauma hitting at once, the wave of memories engulfing you. PTSD is a real bitch.
I love how you used empty space. Made it feel elegiac. Then the sounds supporting the atmosphere. Excellent job
THE EYES. just a slight shift of the eye lids hurt so much. great job.
I like how you added the ambiance, makes it seem real natural!
I hate sound design but comments like this makes it worth the extra work!
I like how they are such good friends that when they see Caleb happ, their solution is too immediately make him unhappy
*Happy
"Was meinst du?" :D
That cut from sound to silence at the beginning actually makes that scene so much more surreal.
so conflicted on this, how quickly they jumped to 'correct' him because just for a few minutes he'd forgotten his past and was happy, i kinda wish they didnt restore him , well that or my personal fan theory was that 'caleb' is a modified memory and the greater restoration returned him to being Bren
I think Caleb would prefer for them to restore his memories, but partially for bad reasons. Like obviously he has a thing about memory alteration because of what happened and wouldn't want it to happen again, but he's also been purposely making himself miserable for years to punish himself for what he did. That "it's better this way" line I think was in reference to that. Even if it might have been nicer just to let him be happy for a while, I think in a terrible way he really did prefer that they restore his memory.
That fan theory can’t be true because she used greater restoration to give him those bad memories back
@@BrianHall33 that's why i said that's what my theory 'was'
zeriul09 you’re right, missed that, sorry
@@BrianHall33 np
I love how greater restoration makes Caleb depressed
This animatic is one of the main ones that inspired me to start watching Campaign 2 in full, there were others of course but something about the art and the audio and the editing in this one was really intriguing, and I decided needed to know what was going on, and who these people were. This animatic sparked my love of Caleb before I knew much of anything about him! I’ve only just now, just today, caught up to this episode, and I still have so much more to watch! so I just wanted to thank you! 💛💛💛
ONE OF US, ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
This is actually the cruelest thing any of the members had done to each other. I kinda wish they didn't have to bring that pain back.
Caleb counting to three in Zamnian along to their game is adorable
god, it's like gaara smiling for the first time
fitting
I mean, technically that's exactly what it is in a round-about way.
@@spectralumbra1568 exactly my point. liam's characters all need love
Didn't Liam voice Gaara in the dub?
@@The_Great_Wrennicles_the_IV Exactly. He is the master of depressed characters.
For a moment he didn't remember the past.
He didn't remember being tortured.
He didn't remember being tricked into killing his parents.
He didn't remember going mad and being sent to the sanitarium.
He didn't remember all the years of being in hiding.
He was with his friends, and while he didn't know what he was doing there, he knew that he could be helpful.
And then it all came back.
"Better this way..."
All of this also shows whenever he polymorphs into a creature with low intelligence, he's suddenly playful and silly, because he isn't smart enough to remember.
Dude the way he plays Caleb is fucking fantastic like everyone does a great job playing the part but I fucking love how Caleb is portrayed
The end goal of Campaign 2 is to not just leave the world a better place than they found it, but also make it so that Caleb can be genuinely happy. :)
I would love it if campaign 2 could end on a scene of Caleb just looking out towards the sunset and smiling.
@@spectralumbra1568 I can definitely see that. Caleb and Veth holding hands and smiling, an homage to Caleb and Nott at the beginning of campaign - gazing towards the sunset. The campaign ends with the two characters that started it, only this time both are changed for the better.
My boy better get Jester before that mama's boy half orc takes the whole plate.
@@spectralumbra1568 All I can imagine is Caleb as Thanos, sitting in a cabin, smiling into the sunset after having destroyed the empire and brutally murdered Trent, maybe gone a bit evil along the way, but smiling.
@@lowkeylonely4265 That was legitimately the vibe I had when I wrote my reply and I couldn't place what I was thinking about. Definitely Thanos. That has some pretty bad implications about what might happen to Veth though.
the smile on caleb's face? stunning, fantastic, 10/10 would love to see it more. great animatic!!
I can't explain it, but I like the way Laura/Jester said "How are you doing today" and "You were happy."
As a Caleb I can vouch for the mistrust/suspicion in feeling good
Caleb? Happy? NOT IN MY GOOD WILDMOTHER MINECRAFT SERVER!
Jesters little "how are you doing today?" Just gets me everytime.
Clean Xhorhas Caleb so handsome. But, anyways, well done! I really enjoyed how you timed and edited the intro-- very dramatic pacing!
Caleb: its better when I'm sad
Fjord: yes
Hug your wizard today (and every day TBH)
“TACKLE HIM”!!!
I find this funny because the last time Caleb was in a good mood he almost did a TPK
keep rewatching. you drew and edited this masterfully.
So, I think that regardless of whether Caleb is happy with it or not, he would probably MUCH rather have all his memories intact, that lose the few that make him so... miserable. I mean, it can only remind him of the time he regained his memories in the asylum, right? A time where he was actively manipulated into someone he isn't anymore.
Even so, seeing my favorite wizard just... deflate, hurts too.
Caleb can have a moment of amnesia. As a treat.
The look of when he remembered his parents death. Really good art
I love this so much! All of your animation are awesome, but this one really captures the group vibe. Your Veth is beautiful too!
"Caleb, you're smiling."
"Hmm. Guess I'm just in a good mood :)"
*"DON'T WORRY I'LL SAVE YOU!"*
I watched this animatic way back when I first started listening to critical role, and I've finally caught up to the point where this actually makes sense. I love the way you draw all of them! Happy Caleb is so sweet
Seeing this drawn-out makes it a little bit more painful
this was actually awesome. i loved every bit of this, thank you for doing such an impeccable job
Jester: "I can help you forget Caleb..."
Caleb-idan: "I AM MY SCARS!"
ExACTly. Also brought up during the Necrolord covenant campaign - memories as Mograine's strength as opposed to memories as Uther's burden.
My heart 😭 I wish Caleb could hold onto that happiness
this bit really made me laugh and bawl at the same time amazing how you captured that cuteness in caleb, added sound of the sea
This is lowkey the saddest moment in the entire campaign.
Aw, this is so sweet, oddly enough.
Yo! I found you. I saw this video awhile back and was trying to subscribe when my internet crashed! But I saw your new animatic. (Great work by the way sounds effects are still killer.)
The little "was meinst du?" When Caleb doesn't understand what Fjord is doing is so underrated. I'm so in love with it. Cutiepie Caleb.
I love your sound editing! Great job
I love thats Cad's staff looks like a hand holding a phone. And that he is so much taller than everyone
I love that most recently in C3 we saw him be actually happy and that be the new norm :)
The way you animated “Tackle him!” got me.
"was meinst du?" floating infront of caleb :D
("what do you mean?")
This animation is great, love it :D
Creepiest thing is learning that he’s naturally happy
this is great sound design and everything
I keep coming back to this clip because I just love Veth's facial expression when she says, "you're in a good mood?"
Caleb needs a hug.
the way this scene is both hilarious and heartbreaking every time i watch it :)))
thank you for the “was meinst du”! us zemnian speakers appreciate it!
I love this so much. It's a nice funny moment in the group
I adore how you drew Jester!!!
You drew Fjord like an anime hotboi in that one frame and I am living for it
I'm beginning to get addicted to these.
Yes~ come~ join us ~
Lol the over the shoulder Caduceus shot where hes towering over Caleb
Fjord looks so gooooood!
They all look so good!
Love the art ❤️
Thanks you for the love~
Can you imagine what he forgot? This is so heartbreaking...
When it’s animated it makes it more heartbreaking but I still loved it
MUST PROTECT THE SMILING CALEB!!!
0:45 is the best
I love when I can finally watch animatics from episodes I just catched up watching #catchupteam
I love the art in this
I clicked the like for the animation, even tho the moment made me sad again :(
CALEB LET THEM IIIIINNNNNNNN :sob emoji: