Critical Recap: Critical Role C2E141 “Fond Farewells”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our finale recap of Critical Role Episode 141 Fond Farewells!

A LONG-AWAITED REST

The Mighty Nein return to the Blooming Grove where they are greeted by the Clays, who are happy to see them all safe and sound. The Nein re-attune to their anti-scrying amulets and decide to rest at the Grove for a week before they deal with the Empire. Caleb releases Frumpkin’s bond to him, thanking him for their time together, and Jester tries to jog Molly’s memory with tarot cards, but the tiefling is still Empty.

Beau and Yasha discuss whether or not he’ll still be Molly or if he’ll be different. Where does their influence come in? They want to take care of their friend and do this right. As everyone sleeps, Jester tells Fjord she loves him, but panics and tells him to go back to sleep before he can really respond. Veth takes a moonlight dip in the pond by herself, quietly at peace in the water.

In the morning, Jester awakens Molly with a greater restoration spell. He was dreaming of a woman in a red coat, of a sad angel, of feeling kingly. But he doesn’t recognize the Nein. They explain that he is Mollymauk Tealeaf, showing him the tarot cards and Caleb’s programmed image showing the circus, but the memories do not return. He is definitely not Lucien, and shares traits similar to Molly, but he is different from both. He decides to treat Mollymauk as a brother, taking on the name Kingsley Tealeaf, and the Nein accept him as he is.

REUNIONS

Caleb teleports himself, Jester, and Veth to the Gentleman’s hideout in the Evening Nip so that they can retrieve their family members. Jester discovers that Marion and the Gentleman have been spending quality time together, but Marion makes it very clear that the two of them are still working things out. Jester understands that their lives are very different now. Whatever this is, it needs to go slow, but for now, Marion will stay at the Evening Nip until she can return home.

Veth is reunited with Luc and Yeza, who are overjoyed to have her back and eager to leave the bar. Jester talks with the Gentleman, who tells her that Jester has turned his very controlled world upside down, but he likes it. Caleb, Jester, and the Brenattos return to the Blooming Grove and Jester excitedly tells everyone that things are complicated between her parents.

As talk shifts to the Assembly, Caleb hears a voice in his ear – Trent has found him at last. Trent asks to parley with Caleb outside. The Nein begin to smell smoke and realize that Trent has trapped them in the now burning house by putting stone walls in front of the windows and door. Jester uses stoneshape to make an exit and Fjord casts arcane gate into the woods to get the Clays and Brenatto’s to safety as the Nein prepare to face Trent Ikithon.

WIZARD’S CHESS

Caleb steps out the front door to find Trent floating in the air above the garden. Trent is here to erase his failure and casts time stop. When time catches up to the Nein, they see Trent surrounded by an arcane shield, with seven points of light circling his head. An assault begins as Astrid and Eadwulf reveal themselves to be assisting Trent as well. Nothing seems to hurt Trent until Caleb and Jester begin dispelling his multiple shields. Counterspells and dispels fly through the air as the Nein slowly convince Astrid and Eadwulf to switch sides.

With Trent’s focus on Caleb, Beau pulls out the silence collar, having Veth coat it in sovereign glue. Veth takes out the wind fan and Beau climbs a tree, leaping into the gust of wind to grapple Trent and attach the collar around his neck. Caleb dispels his flying boots, causing Trent and Beau to tumble to the ground. Everyone surrounds Trent as Caleb tries and fails to activate the collar’s power. It is Astrid who reaches in and successfully triggers the collar, silencing Trent at last.

Jester paints a sovereign glue dick on Trent’s palms, attaching his hands together. Though Astrid desperately wants to kill the man that tortured them, Caleb wants to keep him alive so that he can face judgment for his crimes. Beau, Fjord, and Caleb manage to convince Astrid to leave Trent alive, but she and Eadwulf leave the Grove in anguish.

STORIES AND GARDENING

Beau will take Caleb’s story down and they will give Trent to the Cobalt Soul. Caduceus and Fjord work on putting out the fire in the temple and in the falling rain, Fjord tells Jester that he loves her, too. Caduceus burns through his spell slots as he tries to command Trent to empathize, but Trent continually saves against it. Caleb finally just puts the mage to sleep with the Manacles of Stasis.

Over the next few days, the Nein work on restoring the Blooming Grove to its glory through the hard work of gardening. Eventually, Astrid and Eadwulf return, agreeing to give their stories to Beau, but they only implicate Trent in their tales, leaving the rest of the (still very powerful) Cerberus Assembly out of their story. Beau writes out a proper deposition to give to the Cobalt Soul, and the Nein decide to tell the truth about what happened with Vess. They didn’t kill her.

THE FIRST GOODBYES

While Kingsley is eager to see the world with the Nein, both Caduceus and Veth are done traveling for now. Caduceus is ready to return to his work at the Grove and Veth wants to be with her family in Nicodranas. She and Yeza plan to open up an apothecary. The Nein decide to take the Brenattos to Nicodranas, but it is time to say goodbye for now to Caduceus and Essek.

Hugs and thank yous are exchanged from the Nein to Caduceus. Fjord especially thanks Cad for everything he did for him, while Cad tells him that Fjord earned everything he has. Yasha asks for a few seeds, which Cad gives happily. As for Essek, he has no desire to return to either the Empire or the Dynasty. He’ll go back to the Vurmas Outpost and his responsibilities there, maybe spend some time in Uthodurn. Essek thanks the Mighty Nein for their kindness. He doesn’t know who he would have become without them. Caleb gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, telling Essek to be kind to himself as he leaves.

THE FUTURE AWAITS

The Nein teleport to Nicodranas and visit Yussa. The mage is safe and healthy and they spend the rest of the evening celebrating with him. Though most will not know of their heroism, their deeds will not go unnoticed by Yussa’s powerful colleagues. Caleb and Yussa make arrangements to study the Happy Fun Ball together and Veth thanks Wensforth for all his help.

Jester and Fjord sneak out so that Jester can show him the water tower she used to climb to watch the sea and dream of traveling the world. Fjord wants to find Vandran and return to the ocean and possibly Darktow and he asks Jester to go there with him. Jester happily agrees and the two decide to make Nicodranas their port and to find a place in the city together.

Veth begins her goodbyes to the Nein. She pulls Caleb aside to tell him how proud she is of him and Caleb thanks her for being his best friend. Veth’s wish for Caleb is that he step away from the regrets of his past and realize how good and loved he is. To be happy. Caleb knows that he has to walk through that door himself, but thanks Veth and the Nein for getting him to this point.

Meanwhile, Kingsley talks with Captain Fjord, explaining his desires to be a pirate. He asks to join Fjord and Jester on the sea and the two happily invite him along. King wants Yasha to eventually tell him about her friend and Beau gives him her first notebook, which contains their adventures with Molly. He plans to read it after some time has passed and he knows himself better. Kingsley will stay here to meet the crew of the Nein Heroez.

TRIALS

With Trent in tow, the remaining five of the Nein go to the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum. Beau presents the silenced and chained archmage to Yudala Fon and explains everything to them about his misdeeds, as well as what Beau has uncovered within the Cerberus Assembly. It’s time to break the cycle. Over time, Yudala puts together a taskforce of investigators to begin the slow process of dismantling the Cerberus Assembly.

Soon, Trent is tried and imprisoned in a dungeon, where he is left silenced and unable to move his hands. Later, the Martinet approaches Caleb and invites him to join the Cerberus Assembly. Caleb declines and Master Astrid Beck takes the eighth seat of the Cerberus Assembly. Finally, Archivist Zeenoth’s trial arrives and Beau testifies, telling the court what he and her father put her through. Thoreau Lionett is fined and jailed for a brief period of time. Archivist Zeenoth’s assets are seized, he is jailed for 35 years, and he is barred from holding office in the Empire.

THE HIGH SEAS

Jester and Artagan discuss their time together and his desire to see more of Exandria. He’s ready to indulge his wanderlust. Artagan knows that Jester never truly needed him and apologizes for not being the god she wanted. But Jester never wanted him to be a god – she wanted him to be her friend. Artagan may be around less, but they will both have adventures, together and apart.

Fjord eventually locates Vandran’s island. He reunites with his mentor, who explains his past with Uk’otoa. Vandran was a smuggler for the Revelry who fell in love with Avantika. They took the Cloven Crystal from another member and Vandran accepted the offerings that came in his dreams. Eventually, he began to feel like a puppet and Avantika tried to sacrifice him. Vandran escaped to Port Damali and purchased the Tide’s Breath, taking in Fjord and Sabien.

Fjord invites Vandran to sail with him on the Nein Heroez and Vandran accepts, but only for a short time, so they can catch up. He warns Fjord that Uk’otoa is hungry and that his power is a dangerous thing. Fjord holds onto the Cloven Crystal for now, but plans to give it to the Cobalt Soul once he has found the third temple. Jester would like all these bad guys to stop attacking their ship, so they hasten those plans.

XHORHASIAN SUNSET

Beau plans to continue her work with the Cobalt Soul and Yasha wants to support her as a housewife, putting away her sword and finally resting. But first, they take a trip to Xhorhas so that Yasha can find Zuala’s grave. They locate the Dolorav Tribe, but their recognition of Yasha causes the Dolorav to attack. Yasha bamfs out her wings and kneels as a bolt of lightning strikes. The new Skyspear points her to Zuala’s grave and demands Yasha leave and not come back. It is revealed that Yasha is responsible for the death of the previous Skyspear.

They find Zuala’s grave and Yasha takes a moment to go through the book of flowers and leave it with Zuala. Yasha is so sorry and wishes that she hadn’t been a coward. She wishes Zuala had been able to live her life and be here with her. She introduces Zuala to Beau, who thanks Zuala and suggests they plant one of the seeds from the Blooming Grove here. As they leave, they receive a message from Jester talking about the sea and planning their next adventure.

WIZARDLY PURSUITS

Veth happily spends her time with her family, doing their thing. She eventually starts a summer camp for little adventurers, which Caleb helps her with. Before that, though, Caleb returns to Eiselcross to see Essek. He asks him to join him back in Aeor and study and retrace their steps. There is nothing else Essek would rather do.

They return to Aeor and forge an even stronger connection as they traverse the dangers of the magical city. Eventually they re-find the T-Dock Project. Essek spent his life wanting to control his future, which led to selfish pursuits. If he had found this room before he met Caleb, he likely would have pursued this path. But he accepts the mistakes of his past and doesn’t want to change a thing.

As for Caleb, he has thought about this for so long. His plan to save his parents, which he knows would work. He would disguise himself and go to his parents. He would leave two dead bodies in their home and invisibly wait for his younger self to set fire to the house. He would use an illusion to make the sounds of his dying parents. He would take his parents to Tal’dorei, give them gems, and tell them to return to that spot in 20 years and they would find him. He knows it would work. Caleb disintegrates everything in the room, to Essek’s pride.

Caleb and Essek spend a long time together as a couple. Eventually, Caleb will grow old and Essek will be Essek. They maintain a close friendship with this knowledge and are grateful for the time they had together. Essek builds a life away from the Dynasty, using magic and disguise and staying in close contact with the Nein.

Caleb returns to Blumenthal and finds his parents’ graves. He takes out the book of letters that he has been writing since he woke up and teleports it between their graves. Caleb will spend his life trying to be the man they wanted him to be. He returns to the Soltryce Academy to teach Transmutation and to instill a sense of responsibility in the young wizards that he trains. He also makes sure to push the envelope on treason, whenever he can.

LONG LIVE THE KING

Caduceus spends his time working in the Blooming Grove, his life’s work. Every once in a while, he leaves to adventure with the Nein or just to travel with his sister, Calliope, and see the world outside his garden. But he is deeply content with his work.

Kingsley occasionally has nightmares of his time in Cognouza and of broken black chains that once wove through the city, of the terrible cry that echoed when those chains shattered. King eventually reads Beau’s notebook and learns more about who he once was. A ship attacks the Nein Heroez and is soundly beaten and Kingsley takes it over, naming it the Mollymauk. Eventually he absconds with the ship and leaves a grateful letter for Fjord, promising to be his humble servant. He goes to Darktow and becomes a pirate, but not the worst.

The tale of the Mighty Nein lives on. Maybe one day we’ll see them again. Let’s do it again.

That is it for Episode 141 and Campaign 2 of Critical Role!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Thank you to every single Critter who watched the show and read these recaps! I hope they were helpful to you in some way or form. You have all my love.
• What a beautiful ending for all the members of the Mighty Nein. Not an ending. A ‘so long for now.’
• Until next time, Oh Mighty Nein.