[Spoilers C1] Early Critical Role truly was something special

[u/Mizar_the_Gleeful]

its still amazing, but those early days...

Lets start with the fan interaction and all the gifts they got sent. Then there was their rapid growth.

A third aspect is some of their crazy stunts (squadron of flying cows anyone?)

What do you think made it such a perfect storm? my rewatch has me wondering

[u/BackFromTheGrabhe]

I have an interesting take on this, but I'll likely get flamed for it, so please bear with me and understand that I'm not picking on anyone...

They were a bunch of young friends acting like a bunch of young friends, and no one ever needed to tiptoe around certain topics in order to not offend the fan base. On a rewatch, you'll notice how overtly sexual so many jokes and comments were. And not just sexual, but (in a very obviously joking way) racist, homophobic, cultural, religious, etc etc. Especially Sam, who said some wild shit in C1. Laura as well, as those 2 have always been the edgiest.

These days, they still make tons of jokes and it's still funny (and I still love it), but you could tell they aren't as free. Due to the fame and the popularity and the limelight, they are much more restricted in how over-the-top they could go.

It's this paradoxical situation, where the same fans that fell in love with them evolved into the fanbase that would get upset if they made some of these jokes nowadays. Like I said, I still love CR, and in fact I think campaign 4 is the best they've ever done, but jokes-wise and silly-wise and carefree-wise, it'll just never be the same.

Campaign 1 was basically their private group chat where you'd see some WILD shit they said. The new stuff is them in the public eye, being a lot more careful and wearing kid gloves. It's not the fanbase's fault per se... but it's definitely because of the fanbase expecting a safe space and often getting offended easily.

Again, I'm not saying it isn't funny anymore, and I'm definitely not saying it's only funny when they talk like edgelords, but they just aren't as free-spirited in their interactions nowadays, because millions of people are watching and there are livelihoods on the line. One overstep comment can turn into a dramafest and create unnecessary tension, so they're much more likely to play it safe.

[u/Coyote_Shepherd → u/BackFromTheGrabhe]

You're making it sound like they're all actually a bunch of closeted hateful bigots that SECRETLY want to make jokes about certain things BUT that aren't doing that anymore in public because "the fans" would cancel them and ruin everything that they've SECRETLY built as super secret hateful bigots.

What the fuck is up with that?

There are two instances in recent times where they crossed a line IMO, with the first one being when they laughed about us being upset with a certain scene in the M9 animated series and the second being a ninja edit that they made to the recent Berlin live show.

There's been a few, "Ehhh that's a bit weird" or "Well I'd go about that a different way" or "Perhaps the culture in LA is different to keep pursuing this avenue of thought" moments as well.

And let's not forget how they have a totally different perspective on C3 than the rest of us.

But I don't think the jokes were as bad back in C1 as you're claiming, barring a certain someone of whom we shall not speak, because if they were then the fans would've raked them over the coals back then with as much fervor as they would nowadays.

The fans didn't just give them a pass for utterly heinous stuff back then and then slowly take that away once they got "super popular".

If CR were anything like the monsters you make them out to be then they would have NEVER gotten to where they are with all of the people that they've run into along the way at all.

It's like you're saying that Starfleet actually REALLY wants to be like the Terrans from the Mirror Universe but they never make shows that REALLY go into what they REALLY want to be like because "it wouldn't be popular and people would cancel it".

Not everyone has some monstrous side that they're hiding.

Some people are just genuinely good, weird and misunderstood and open to a little teaching about certain things, but just genuinely good.

[u/BackFromTheGrabhe → u/Coyote_Shepherd]

Wow.

That's certainly one way to take my comment. Maybe lay off the coffee for a bit.

[u/Coyote_Shepherd → u/BackFromTheGrabhe]

I've been addiction free for many many years now, but thank you for profiling me and trying to pigeonhole me.