Amac Productions

This episode left me super triggered and I honestly should seen it coming, but I did not.

Also, this is not a dig against the episode by any means! It was incredibly well done and well written. A perfectly traumatizing episode.

For those who have not seen the article on my site earlier this year, I lost my home in a fire. My beloved cat was lost. And my grandfather died two days later.

As you can see, well, this episode hit me a little hard.

I’ve been dreading writing this up, so you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a bit brief with this episode because it was too much at the end. In fact, I made my girlfriend pause it and skip over the rest of the fire because I just could not do it.

As for the rest of the episode, Liam O’Brien is just horrible. Like dude, you did not need to go that hard with Caleb’s backstory. Nor did they need to animate it so painfully. Thank you to everyone for this wonderfully detailed, fully fleshed out, and amazing storyline that hits too close to home for me.

Honestly, should have seen that coming.

I mean, not that… Nevermind.

Overall, Caleb’s backstory falls pretty into line with what we knew from the Campaign. With perhaps one minor change. I’m pretty sure that there was no throuple in the campaign.

But I’m here for it.

It’s a pretty awesome change and lends to an entirely new dynamic. One that could slot into the campaign even now. Maybe it was hinted at and I missed it.

He was definitely with Astrid, but I like the third with Eadwulf.

Regardless, it adds a new level to the dynamic. Especially considering that they helped murder his entire family. So many layers to this story, to Caleb, and those involved.

I also can’t help but feel for his family. They only wanted what was best for him. To see him succeed. And ultimately, that success led to their death.

It’s also interesting to me that Caleb is seemingly portrayed as the cruelest or casually cruelest of the group.

He’s the one who suggested turning the traitors into an example.

He’s pretty cold until the moment he kills them. Able to withstand great pain and killing anyone who gets in his way. Willing to help only his friends and let the other students suffer. Even pull them back to succeed.

However, from the side of someone who has seen the campaign and knows a lot of details and facets that Caleb doesn’t. I can see all the ways he’s being manipulated. The half-truths from Trent. The misinformation.

The Cobalt Soul may have some corruption, but it is far less evil than Trent and his minions are.

It hurts to watch. The entirety of Caleb’s storyline hurts to watch.

You know it doesn’t end well. Like watching Anakin Skywalker fall to the Dark Side. You know it happens, but every time you hope for a different outcome. That he’ll choose the right thing this time.

Yet…

Caleb is lost.

And his past haunts his present as he and Beau attempt to gather information.

It’s funny because I started that scene saying that Beau wouldn’t hurt Caleb and then it turned out weird. In the campaign, I loved the moment when Beau has given Caleb a secret and she wants one in return promising she’ll take him to the library for it. She asks why he is afraid of fire.

Caleb tells her his awful backstory.

Liam even asks the rest of the players to exit the room so no one would know, even out of character. And there’s a perfect moment while he’s explaining that Beau/Marisha appears to realize she has asked for too much. The weight of her secret combined with taking him to the library does not match what he’s telling her.

From then on, she sort of reacts differently to Caleb. She doesn’t allow others to question his weirdness about fire. When he loses himself because of using his fire spells, she pulls him from the group. She leaps in front of him trying to catch arrows and eventually taking the hit herself.

She becomes a barrier between him and the rest of the group prying into his secret. She hides it. Becomes a confidant. And tells no one anything.

In fact, it’s Nott who lets the info slip before Beau ever does. And I assume both Liam and Caleb thought for sure that would not be the case.

Even after multiple episodes of her knowing and never letting on to the group, Caleb offers his spells up to her. Giving her haste when she mock fights with Jester. Powering her up during battles. He says, ‘You’ve scratched my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ Forming what appeared to be an unlikely friendship. Linked even further when they both realize they are Empire Kids who wish to make their home better.

Less corrupt.

I did not expect the angle we got in the episode.

But it does work for them given the context. I just truly hope we don’t lose all of that bond between them, because Caleb needed Beau.

Beau doesn’t enable him like Nott does. She just tells him when he’s being stupid or when he’s not. They’re always research buddies and interested in books. They go shopping for one another and are ‘best friends’ who put mirrors above beds for each other.

I f*cking love this relationship.

You can see the connection that Liam and Marisha forged in campaign one as a romantic duo. However, they bring the platonic friends to the max in campaign two and I just love it.

Fjord survives! Thanks to Nott and her alchemical knowledge.

Jester is worried that the Traveler is upset with her or no longer likes her because he hasn’t been around. However, she ultimately concludes he sent Fjord so she wouldn’t be alone.

No one buys Fjord’s accent.

I’m still wondering where the hell Yasha is and why she isn’t friends with Molly yet.

Caleb freaks, freezes everyone, and turns the crazy chick into charcoal.

And I’m not mad about it.

She had it coming.

The Mighty Nein politely ask Caleb what the hell happened with him and he explains. Hence the backstory – that I do not want to talk about.

Overall, this episode is truly excellent and my traumatic experience aside, I cannot commend everyone behind the scenes enough for the wonder that is this show. It truly feels like a living breathing thing. And while, I do compare the differences between the campaign and the show, I’m never really upset about the changes.

They still make perfect sense to me for the characters.

With the way things worked out here, Beau’s reaction is exactly in character as is Caleb’s. Events unfolded differently in the campaign changing how the same people reacted. They had more time together in the campaign. Everything is happening much faster in show, but the core of the characters hasn’t changed.

I love that.

I love this series and now that I’m past this episode and hopefully never need to watch Caleb’s backstory again. Maybe I’ll get to enjoy the rest of the series!

Onto the next!

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