Transcript Ep72 2:57:19 Anything can happen in the woods
Tags: #critical role #transcript #Ep72 #critical role transcript #critical role ep 72
My key points in this scene:
1) 2:57:40 Percy was trying to tell Vex what happened when he died. He was trying to open up to her when he was very closed and evasive to everyone else. She cut him off and he hasn’t brought it up at all since.
2) 2:59:04 Percy, “I tend to think that many people tend to exalt the exact opposite of what they are.” This line is very interesting. Percy clearly exalts law, the sanctity of deals, self-discipline, order, and hierarchy. But his actions have repeatedly shown a natural tendency towards chaos and moral relativism (Taliesin even mistakenly gave his alignment as Chaotic Good in an early QA). He refers to himself multiple times previously as a broken person who needs fixing.
3) Most of the conversation is about forgiveness. Vex, clearly inspired by Percy, working on forgiving herself, and urging Percy to forgive himself. Percy forgiving Ripley, trying to forgive himself, immediately demonstrating that he still deeply blames himself, and then trying for forgiveness again. We can see him struggling with it. We can see Vex defending him from himself, and how grateful he is for that. Vex herself is still struggling to fight with forgiveness instead of vengeance. Which Laura discussed in Talks Machina Ep5 Twitch 1:13:13 while talking about this scene. They’re both positively enabling each other and this is the scene where they really make that clear to each other.
4) They both open up to each other far more than they ever have before. Vex tells Percy more about her inner life than we’ve heard her tell anyone at all. Percy has only really had conversations like this with Vax before, possibly because Vax is the only one who asked before.
5) Percy was heavily reading the situation. Their openness, the nervous giggling from both of them, but also the terrain. I do think it’s important that he made his move in her favored terrain, where she feels most comfortable and has the advantage. In the scene, Taliesin makes the kiss sound brief. But Laura refers to it as making out in Machina Ep5 Twitch 1:13:13, and Taliesin agrees with a laugh. Vex and Percy were described as a slow burn, but it may have been more of a long fuse. They hit this relationship hard, under immense stress, and increasingly certain they were going to die. The long-term implications could be interesting.
Scene runs: 2:57:19 to 3:05:05
Laura: “As soon as the cube comes out,”
Vex: “Can I- talk to you, stepping away?”
Travis: “With the cube out, or what?”
Liam: “Who’re you talking to?”
Sam: “You’re talking to me?”
Laura: “No, not you.” She points to Taliesin.
Percy, rubbing his eyes: “Um, sure. I’m just going to do nothing but stare at that bloody ship if I don’t, so sure.”
Vex: “How are you, after dying?”
2:57:40 Percy: “Um… I’m trying really hard not to think about it, actually. Uh…” He sighs. “I don’t know, honestly.” He laughs anxiously. “There hasn’t been a lot of time to process.”
Vex: “No, there hasn’t. It’s a lot in a few days.”
Percy: “I would say it would be nice to be going home, except I know what we’re going home to. So there’s going to be no relief.”
Vex: “No, not for a while, I don’t think.”
Percy: “That creature… hanging around.”
Vex: “Yes.”
Percy: “Yeah, death was not pleasant.”
Vex: “No.”
Percy, looking like he’s struggling to tell her more: “It was, uh…”
2:58:28 Vex, suddenly: “I have to tell you something.”
Percy, thrown: “Alright.”
Vex: “Do you know what Fenthris means?”
Percy: “I don’t, actually.”
Vex: “It comes from the Elvish words–I’m surprised–‘Growth’ and ‘protection.'”
Percy: “I would have eventually looked it up.” Vex laughs. “Just- it’s the sort of a terribly boring thing that I will do.”
Vex: “It’s kind of odd that Saundor had it for so long, since he was quite the opposite of that, don’t you think.”
2:59:04 Percy, looking at her sadly: “I tend to think that many people tend to exalt the exact opposite of what they are.”
2:59:11 Vex: “Yes. I think… I don’t know, I think he focused for so long on the betrayal of his love, on all of the horrible things within himself that caused that, that he became the physical embodiment of it. And I think- he was trying to do the same thing to me. I mean, even though I refused him, I could feel those seeds being planted. Self-doubt, and loathing, echoing in my mind every night. Reliving every wrong that people have done to me, and everything I’ve done.” She sighs.
3:00:06 Percy: “I’ve recently, I will say before death, had a bit of an epiphany,” Vex smiles, “and have been trying, not always succeeding, but trying, not to dwell on such things.”
3:00:19 Vex: “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Percy gives a small laugh. “In the fight with Ripley-“
Percy: “Yes.”
Vex: “Your last words to her were, ‘I forgive you.'”
Percy: “Yes.”
Vex: “It was such a surprise.”
Percy, laughing: “Yes.”
3:00:37 Laura: “I pull out Fenthris, and I show him what I’ve carved onto it, it’s ‘Sineath.'”
Vex: “Do you know that word?”
Taliesin: “How common is that word?”
Matt: “You know the word.”
Taliesin: “I would know the word.”
3:00:47 Laura: “It’s ‘forgive.'”
Percy: “Oh.”
3:00:52 Vex: “I carved this on Fenthras because… that’s the key, isn’t it? It’s the only way to really grow.”
3:01:03 Percy: “I think so. I’ve- I’m trying. It’s the only thing I’ve tried that’s made any sense so far. And it felt… very liberating. It felt good. It felt… It felt perfect. And it wasn’t about her, and it wasn’t- it was just about me, honestly. That was really the thing that I noticed, was it wasn’t- I didn’t say it to make her feel better. I didn’t say it to give her any peace. And I came to that feeling before running into her. I didn’t- I didn’t know if it would be true when I saw her. But… I… feel like so much of… my energy had been such a waste. And worse than a waste, had been- twisted in the wrong direction. And it’s too late for a lot of things. There are things I cannot take back, and things that I have done that will forever be terrible.”
Vex: “Percy-!”
Percy: “But that’s not the point, though, I suppose.”
Vex: “It isn’t.”
Percy: “And I know that.”
3:02:19 Vex: “Whoever that boy was, that created those things, that suffered such horrors that he felt they were… they were justified, you have to forgive him, too.” Percy nods. “Because everything you suffered, and endured, and created in that time has made you into the person that you are now. And you have a brilliant mind. And any darkness that might cloud your vision on occasion, the fact that you found it within yourself to forgive her, means it will never overtake you.”
3:03:01 Percy: “Thank you. I would like to think we’re all better than we think we are. Except maybe your brother, I think he’s just a mess.”
Vex: “He’s terrible, isn’t he?”
Percy: “He’s the worst.”
Vex: “Just the worst.”
Percy: “Is he in here?” Percy looks around, searching.
Vex: “Maybe. Probably hiding somewhere.”
Percy: “Shouldn’t have given him that ring.”
Vex laughs.
3:03:24 Percy: “Thank you. I know. I know I have to forgive myself. I’ve not quite there yet, but I can see a path. And I like where we are and what we’re doing. And I think that we’re… the right people, in the right place, in the right time.”
3:03:49 Vex: “I agree. And this,” points to carved Sineath, “this engraving is a reminder that every time I attack, it’s not out of vengeance.”
Percy: “I would be horrified if you were taking yourself too seriously.”
Vex: “Never. Did you see the bear that I carved on the tree? It’s quite lovely.”
Percy, fondly: “It was quite lovely. I don’t know if the tree is quite as happy with it,” both smile and laugh, “but I was quite impressed.”
Percy sighs, staring at her with a grin.
Vex: “Thank you.”
Percy sighs softly again: “Thank you.”
They both stare at each other grinning for a couple seconds, then laugh and look away.
Vex: “That’s all.”
Taliesin, impishly glancing at Matt, then Laura: “What room are we in, out of curiosity?”
Laura: “No room. We’re in the woods.”
Taliesin: “Oh? No room we’re in the woods?”
Laura: “Mmhm.”
3:04:48 Taliesin: “Alright. And as I walk away, I walk up, I kiss her.”
Percy: “So we’ll talk later.”
Taliesin: “And I walk away.”
3:05:05
Liam: ♪Anything can happen♪ Taliesin joining ♪in the woods!♪
Travis, quietly, very high pitched, into his soda can, “Oh shit!”
Matt: “And it’s ten o’clock. We’re going to go ahead and end today’s session there.”
Taliesin, emphasizing with forward points: “BAM Motherfuckers! BAM! BAM!” Drops a handful of pens on the table like a mic.”
Matt: “You can’t- yeah, you can’t-“
Laura claps her hands in a, ‘all done’ gesture.
Taliesin shoots her with his fingers.
Travis: ♪Go on then kiss the girl!♪
Taliesin cackles.
Laura: “Oh man, oh man, oh man!”
3:05:27
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Critical Analysis 