Is Critical Role overhyped?

Critical Role got me into Dungeons and Dragons and pen-and-paper back in the day. I stumbled across a stream on Twitch by chance and was quickly enthralled by this new magical world that opened up to me. The mixture of improv theater and dice game captivated me. The actors from Critical Role, their humor and their acting talent were also particularly charming. But over the years, I have followed Critical Role less and less. But why is that? I would like to summarize my thoughts on this below.

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What is Critical Role anyway?

Critical Role is a popular web show format that was originally launched in March 2015. The show features a group of professional voice actors who play „Dungeons and Dragons“ every Thursday. Members of the group Ashley Johnson, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, and Sam Riegel, take on the roles of their DnD characters and dive into adventures led by Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master.

The show is known for its high quality, professional roleplaying, dedicated and passionate fanbase and has been instrumental in popularizing Dungeons and Dragons and the hobby of roleplaying. On Twitch, Critical Role is consistently one of the most subscribed channels. While many viewers love the show and get carried away by the creativity and emotional moments, I think there are reasons why Critical Role is now overhyped.

Why Critical Role is overhyped

1. Raises unrealistic expectations of Dungeons and Dragons in viewers: One of my criticisms of Critical Role is that it can raise unrealistic expectations of the D&D game. The players in the show are all experienced actors and improv artists who can embody their characters masterfully. Matthew Mercer is one of the best Dungeon Masters in the world and spends hours each week preparing for the sessions. Their dialogue is fluid and humorous, and they act in impressively crafted role-playing worlds. This can lead viewers to think that every D&D gaming table should be similar, which is often not the case in reality. New players may be disappointed if their own role-playing experiences are not as epic and perfectly staged as in Critical Role. Because what Critical Role streams is by no means the average experience at the role-playing table. Here, normal people meet, not actors, and the game master rarely has the time, experience or skill of Matthew Mercer. Over time, this distorted perception has even acquired its own vocabulary: The Matthew Mercer Effect.
2. Episodes are too long and the story doesn’t move fast enough: Another criticism relates to the length of Critical Role’s episodes. The show is often streamed live or made available as video-on-demand, and each session can last up to 5 hours. This can be a hurdle for some viewers, as they may not have enough time to watch the episodes in their entirety. Personally, I don’t have that much time in the week for a single show. I also feel that the story in the show often progresses slowly as the actors spend a lot of time on social interactions and character development. This is frustrating for viewers hoping for a fast-paced and action-packed plot. I don’t need 5-hour episodes in which nothing more happens than characters sitting together in a tavern. I wouldn’t need them in my game rounds either, because then the players would also run away from me.
3. Critical Role is now too commercialized: What originally began as a simple D&D game among friends has developed into a veritable media empire. Critical Role has launched a variety of merchandise such as T-shirts, action figures, dice, and more. In addition, the show has expanded in partnership with various companies, including its own TV series, books and comics. Critics rightly accuse the production of being too commercially oriented and losing its original charm. Especially as some of the products, such as the Critical Role book “Kith and Kin” 🛒, have received very poor reviews. I enjoy reading books about the world and characters of CR, but not when they are written by nameless ghostwriters with no passion or skill. This feels like heartless profiteering.
4. Toxic fan culture: Unfortunately, the popularity of Critical Role has also led to a toxic fan culture. There is always hostility between different groups of fans in the fandom. In my opinion, the hardcore critters often overdo it. Every merch product from the series has to be bought and every criticism of the show or the actors is shouted down. In a community that claims to be tolerant and open, this is hypocritical. Fan expectations can also be overly critical and overbearing, leading to unnecessary pressure and stress for those involved. For example, in the past, sponsored content such as an oneshot for the burger joint Wendy’s had to be taken offline because fans saw Wendy’s as an enemy of the LGBTQIA+ scene. The money raised was donated. In the past, I think Critical Role took more risks and didn’t feel so slick.
   

   Also, actors have publicly reported harassment and bullying based on fans who had their own ideas about what the characters and stories should look like. Marisha Ray in particular has often been criticized for her acting style, and Matt Mercer has to defend virtually every interpretation of his rules. For a series that wants to capture the spirit of the home D&D round, this is a huge burden that sucks the fun and spontaneity out of the rounds. There are many great critters who enjoy their show, support their idols, or even create fan art, but unfortunately, there is also a loud minority who make the slogan „Don’t forget to love each other“ a meaningless phrase.

Critical Role Hype: My Conclusion

While Critical Role has undoubtedly helped bring Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing games to a wider audience and inspired many people, it’s important that we don’t over-hype the show or hold it to unrealistic standards. It remains a fun and unique experience for those who enjoy role-playing, but it’s also important to accept that not every D&D round needs to be as epic and perfectly staged as the show. Likewise, we should be respectful of the actors and their time without encouraging toxic expectations or behavior. I will continue to follow the evolution of the show because it has done a lot for our hobby. I will also probably watch relevant highlights on YouTube. But I don’t count myself among the hardcore critters. Not anymore. And I probably won’t watch all of the new and old episodes either. Nevertheless, it is important to me at this point that I do not condemn anyone for loving Critical Role with all their heart. Just please make sure to respect other fans and the actors. One last note: If you feel similarly to me, you might find your community on /r/fansofcriticalrole/ rather than /r/criticalrole/.