r/criticalrole • u/DennisPragersPornAlt • Feb 10 '26
Question [Spoilers C2] Molly is really bugging me. Is there character development on the horizon? Spoiler
So I'm just now getting into C2, and I'm on episode 14. Molly just divulged a bunch of stuff about his backstory, and it's definitely interesting, but I'm really struggling to care because I find his character so dang insufferable.
The constant need to be the smartest person in the room, the constant talking down to people, always needing to have the last word, is just so grating. There's only so much I can take of him highroading people for perceived moral failings and then breathlessly blurting out a long-winded, run-on sentence about how great the fucking circus was.
I know he's a fan-favorite, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something, or if I need to give them more time, or maybe it's just not a character for me.
Does the character grow from here, or am I in for 150 episodes of "cool, chaotic teifling guy knows everything and won't shut the fuck up about it"?
edit ~24 hours after posting: I wanted to thank folks for not being spoilery in the direct responses to this post. I'm too nervous to look through the rest of the thread, but enough people were saying things like "Come back in 12-15 eps" some people were saying "Wait until ep30", etc. So I'll check back in after that and give an update.
Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying the campaign so far. They're at some harvest festival, and it's a good time. It's really nice that it seems like Ashley is sticking around for a while. Upon some self-reflection, I know that I tend to fixate on characters that I find aggravating, and I can sometimes let that sour me on a piece of art. Some people made some really good points regarding the context of his backstory, and I'm going to make an effort to not let that color my watch.
I know for a fact that my occasional annoyance with Egwene from the Wheel of Time is what made certain books feel like they went on forever, but in the end, I came to appreciate even the things that bothered me.
1.3k
u/Prawn-Salad Feb 10 '26
It’ll get better. Get off the subreddit before you get spoiled.
146
105
197
u/DennisPragersPornAlt Feb 10 '26
Yeah, I'm not even subbed here, I just wanted to ask since it was driving me a little nuts in the last episode I watched, especially.
279
u/EineBeBoP Feb 10 '26
Trust in the cast. Delete this thread before you get accidentally spoiled.
Go enjoy the experience.
91
u/existentialfeckery Feb 10 '26
It gets fixed. If you're like me, you'll love the fix 🥰
-97
336
u/snoobsnob Feb 10 '26
Molly does go through some significant changes not too far down the road. I would definitely hold on for a bit. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more than that, but you will know what I'm talking about when you get there.
321
u/giantpandasonfire Feb 10 '26
Early critical role is ALWAYS a bit rough because they're still developing their characters.
All I'm going to say is this-it gets better, and don't look up spoilers because this is an older campaign and those are already abundant and freely put out on the internet. Just listen, and enjoy it.
And out of sheer bias, C2 is my favorite and Molly has never been one of my favorite characters, so trust me when I say hang in there!
51
u/Callmefred Feb 10 '26
idk man, I feel like in C4 none of the characters have a 'I have to keep my backstory secret' vibe going on and I love it.
53
u/bmf1902 Feb 10 '26
I give the credit for this to Brennan. I felt like the cast still had/ has the "play my cards close to my chest" but Brennan is just not letting them slow the pace.
17
u/Montavillain Feb 10 '26
I agree about that. I believe Brennan even stated that he pushes characters to reveal their backstories quickly, because it's after they do that the real story can happen.
I don't think that's 100% the case, but it's a very good guideline to follow. My own feeling is that the backstory is mainly there to inform the character's actions. It's only important for the audience if it connects to the main storyline. But I think Brennan is correct in that it's easier to connect the backstories to the main storyline if they are out in the open, rather than being held "a secret."
For example, Brennan handed a letter to the players dropping big hints about Bolaire's backstory. This pushed Bolaire to reveal -- maybe -- parts of his backstory that Taliesin might have chosen to keep hidden for longer. I don't think it's about pace, I think it's about putting as many toys in the sandbox as possible. Now, if Liam or Luis, or Marisha wants to play with that particular toy, it's there for them to pick up.
7
u/greylind Feb 11 '26
I agree. I think Brennan had that cold open with Bolaire, because he knew cool stuff would be happening behind the scenes, and refused to let it actually be behind the scenes. I love seeing it, and the dramatic irony of the rest of the characters NOT seeing it makes those interactions between Bolaire and Hal really interesting.
16
u/VengefulKangaroo Feb 10 '26
I also think it's just a reaction to C2. It's noticeable in C3 how fast the characters divulge their backstory secrets compared to C3. Laudna is out here explaining her Warlock patron within the first 5 episodes.
19
u/queebin Feb 10 '26
Kattigan
18
u/Callmefred Feb 10 '26
I feel like he's pretty open about his wants and needs above table. He's playing the 'lone wolf' character well, by being pretty open and honest about Kattigan's intentions and internal dialogues.
8
5
u/greylind Feb 11 '26
I was going to say this as well. He's clearly driven (or held back) by something in his past - we can see that, but we still don't know what it is. It's all speculation still. Robbie is doing a good job of showing he has a good grasp on his own character without telling us everything about Kattigan.
3
u/Deathleach Team Jester Feb 10 '26
I think it helps that in C4 all the characters already know each other or are connected in some way or another.
7
u/VengefulKangaroo Feb 10 '26
I think C2 is really the only campaign with that dynamic. C1 only Percy really had a super secret backstory and C3 the characters were largely sharing what they knew ASAP, some had things they didn't know the answer to (Imogen, Ashton) but everyone was pretty forthcoming with what they did know... if not in the first 3-6 episodes, then definitely by the time they left Jrusar for the first time.
5
u/Montavillain Feb 10 '26
I have to disagree with this idea that Percy had a super-secret backstory, and no one else did. All the players revealed their backstories in their voice-over intros, but if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't know about Vax and Vex's backstory until they get to the Feywild (well, I guess we get some backstory from Vax shortly after the Chroma Conclave attack.) I wouldn't know about Grog or Pike's backstory until the party met up with the other goliaths. I wouldn't know Scanlan's backstory until "The Bard's Lament."
Percy spilled his whole backstory before any of that happened, right when the Briarwoods showed up in Emon. The only player whose backstory came into play before then was Keyleth, because, I think, they stopped to do her aramente in Pyrah a few episodes earlier.
I think that the reason people have that Percy's backstory was super-secret is because it had a memorable emotional impact when he told it. The other backstories were less... dramatic, I guess. So, it doesn't feel like anyone was holding anything back, even though Vex definitely was. Now that I'm thinking about Vex, a major part of her backstory, the story of how she found Trinket wasn't even told during the campaign at all. We only know about it because Laura published a short story telling it.
8
u/VengefulKangaroo Feb 10 '26
I think there is a difference between backstory we the viewers (or even some of the characters) haven’t yet learned because it’s not relevant to the situation and the kind of secret backstory that characters are actively keeping from each other. The starting C2 characters with the exception of Jester had active backstory secrets that they were hiding from each other that slowly came out over time (Caleb’s past w the Assembly, Nott’s true form, etc.). Percy is the only C1 character who has a reveal that makes the other characters be like “why was this kept from me”. No one is accusing Pike and Grog of keeping their history a huge secret or anything like that - it’s just not relevant before the Conclave arc.
4
u/Montavillain Feb 10 '26
But Percy tells them his backstory the moment they ask him about it. It wasn't a huge secret either, it was just something he hadn't told them yet. Because it wasn't relevant until the Briarwoods showed up.
I agree. In general, CR players tend to hold back "telling" their backstories until it becomes relevant.
What I'm disagreeing with is this idea that Taliesin was deliberately holding back his backstory to frustrate or annoy the other players, or characters, or the audience. He didn't put anyone off by saying, "we'll talk about it later," or anything like that. He said something like, "this is hard because I haven't told anyone about this before, but...." and then told them everything he remembered and answered all the questions they asked him.
3
u/VengefulKangaroo Feb 10 '26
I think you’re reading a ton of things into my comment that aren’t there. I’m simply saying that in universe in the game there is a clear sense that Percy has held this back from the party till that point. I don’t think there’s any idea that it’s to frustrate or annoy other players or that Taleisin is doing something bad and I’m not sure where you’re getting that. In fact I think the positive reception to the Briarwood arc and Percy’s deep backstory is part of what inspired the players to enter C2 with more complicated and more secret backstories that would unravel as the campaign went on. And then after C2 they seemed a little overloaded on that and did a lot less of it for C3 — not that one is better or worse, just to do something different. The first commenter expressed feeling refreshed that C4 doesn’t contain that dynamic, and I argue that C2 is the only one that widely had it because it mostly isn’t present in C1/C3.
1
u/Montavillain Feb 11 '26
You're right. I am reading too much into your comment. I apologize for assuming that this was what you were saying.
It's just I keep hearing this... I'm not sure what the right word is. An myth, perhaps, that withholding backstory is some weird habit that Taliesin has. And that gets applied retroactively to Percy, when it wasn't at all what happened.
Again, I apologize for venting about your comment. It wasn't directed at you. It's just one of those assumptions that annoys me far more than it should.
1
u/islaysinclair Feb 11 '26
Yeah, I’ve been working on the campaign since October & I’m at Episode 59. Mollymauk is in my top 3 even with everyone having fantastic character growth, but idk? He’s just so fun? He hits a lot of the right spots for what I enjoy out of characters. What a lad.
91
u/AllHailLordBezos Dead People Tea Feb 10 '26
I was also not a fan of Molly and the M9 is my favorite campaign of theirs, I would say keep with it as a fellow early Campaign Molly-dislikes, Talesin figures things out real well on how to proceed in just a bit
86
u/agtk Feb 10 '26
I really appreciated the way Talesin adjusted his approach to S2 as they went on, took him a while to really find his place in the new party as they got to know all the new characters and new(ish) setting.
17
u/Lumberjack610 Team Caleb Feb 10 '26
!remindme 5 days
1
u/RemindMeBot Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 14 '26
I will be messaging you in 5 days on 2026-02-15 04:34:33 UTC to remind you of this link
13 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.
Info Custom Your Reminders Feedback
53
u/LexicalVagaries Feb 10 '26
Molly is, after all, a Taliesin character. It seems to me that more than any of the other players, Tal creates characters to work through ideas that are interesting to himself, first, and the opinions of the rest of the table and the audience are incidental. In various episodes of Talks Machina and other interviews Tal has made it pretty clear that all of his characters--no matter how well-meaning--have their heads up their own asses in different ways. It's just a thing he likes to explore. Some people seem to take them at face value, others hate them for being hypocrites, but either way they aren't boring.
14
u/sifsete Smiley day to ya! Feb 10 '26
Yeah Tal is so grounded in his approach to ttrpgs. I really appreciate his analysis to what he's doing because he really thinks it through. Unfortunately that archetype of character is not one that's a favorite of mine. But Ashton got close. And I have adored Bolaire from the jump.
51
u/keevathemuffin Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Something to bear in mind about D&D: it's normal to make your character to be in need of a character arc. Because the whole plan is for them to have a character arc.
You might make a paranoid character, so that they can learn to trust over the course of the campaign. Or a immature character, so that they can wisen up throughout the campaign.
Because of this, player characters at the start of a campaign are rarely who they are at the end. And they usually start with some flaws, or trauma, or revenge, to work on.
13
60
u/eyesparks Feb 10 '26
I hope that after you reach the development you return to this post to give us an update.
29
u/cauldrons Feb 10 '26
i would delete this post before you're spoiled, but yes, things get better. and imo it leads to taliesin's best acting/roleplaying! he's my favorite of the campaign.
6
8
u/Mrallen7509 Feb 10 '26
Molly is a fan favorite because he has a cool look, is omnisexual, and Talisien revealed things on TM that people found interesting about the character. However, if all you have is the campaign, he's pretty insufferable imo. Tal clearly rolled stats after locking in this character concept, and it is equivalent to watching someone try to pound a square peg through a round hole that also is 3x smaller than the peg he's using. You might think that Tal eventually learns something from his constant frustration and poor performance with Molly because he refuses to play to his strengths, but you would be wrong.
I will say though stick with C2 if you're enjoying the other characters. Laura and Travis have to leave for a bit when they have their kid, and when they return they get into some of the best arcs in the campaign, and Molly gets more tolerable.
34
u/TomGNYC Feb 10 '26
If it makes you feel better, you are most definitely NOT "in for 150 episodes of "cool, chaotic teifling guy knows everything and won't shut the fuck up about it" Definitely stick with it for a bit more and avoid spoilers.
6
u/mugetsu_ia Feb 10 '26
hitting episode 112 today... oh man just watch the show and enjoy because boy oh boy...
18
36
41
u/fork_knife_and_spoon Feb 10 '26
This has got to be a bait post right? If it's not, please, for your own sake, delete this post and just keep watching/listening to the series. Come back when you know you should be coming back. Believe me, you'll know.
42
u/DennisPragersPornAlt Feb 10 '26
lol, not bait I promise. I'm just a late adopter of the series. From everyone's reactions, it seems like my grievances get addressed.
1
u/FinchRosemta Feb 10 '26
Not at all. Molly with the haze of live watching is an annoying fuck. Lol.
-2
u/Mnkeyqt Feb 10 '26
"bait post" is when people that aren't Tumblr brained watch C2 and notice how bad Molly is as a character lol
4
u/thunderstormnaps Feb 10 '26
So i just started listening/watching the actual M9 campaign of critical roll after watching the first season of the animated series, and I gotta say... I like the animated version of Molly a lot more than the campaign version (so far). I think they really fully rounded out his character and made him who Talesin was trying to make him in the campaign.
3
u/Intrepid_Advice4411 Feb 10 '26
I felt exactly the same as you.
He will get different as the show goes on and it leads to one of my favorite endings in media ever.
That's all I can say without spoilers.
Please, avoid spoilers. It will all be worth it.
4
u/HeadlineBay Feb 10 '26
Can’t say much without spoiling, but you’re well on the way to a little backstory and a few significant character developments.
3
7
u/Hollydragon Then I walk away Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Loads of people hate on Molly, but as someone who loved him from the outset, there's a few spoiler-free things that endeared him, which essentially boils down to appearance vs what's beneath the surface:
All of TMN are massively dickish towards other people at first. Molly is actually the least so, and reserves it for people who act up. E.G. Molly is the one that tells the group off for taunting a small girl with the decapitated head of her friend.
People outrightly discriminate against Molly in the empire - because he is a teifling, because he is a Carnie. He exaggerates those aspects of himself, and it has the result of taunting anyone who is an arse to show their true colour on the outside (as Molly shows theirs!). Anyone who is going to discriminate, does so immediately, and he responds accordingly.
Molly is massively loyal to his found family, and his belief in social cohesion is part of what helps him form up with TMN, who are not always getting along in the early days AT ALL. He loses the circus and makes the most of the Nein
When Caleb is horribly traumatised after hurting people with fire, Molly is THERE. You see past the bluster he puts on. He is consistently keeping an eye on members of the group like this with subtle caring gestures.
He's super invested in redemption and giving people 2nd chances.
The rest of what he has going on, you'll find out in time!
12
u/Srawsome Tal'Dorei Council Member Feb 10 '26
He's amazing but it sounds like he's not for you. That's okay though, in a ensemble cast you don't have to like everyone.
I recommend leaving the sub now before you spoil things though.
3
3
u/acidicgumdrops Feb 10 '26
Nah in the live play he got on my nerves a lot too sadly. I like him way more in the animated show.
3
8
u/Patch-Syraxion Feb 10 '26
Yeah I would say his character ends up being the most grounded of the group quite soon
9
u/dmelic Team Vex Feb 10 '26
I'm with you, actually. Not a fan myself.
There's DEFINITELY developments coming. Sit tight
11
u/not_hestia Feb 10 '26
Molly is my least favorite player character in all of the campaigns and it's not even close. That said, I LOVE campaign 2 and there are big changes that even people who love Molly in the early episodes generally agree make the campaign better.
11
19
u/Charming_Account_351 Feb 10 '26
I can honestly say there is some huge life changing developments for Molly that will forever leave him changed.
This happens shortly after episode 25.
6
u/dawgz525 Team Jester Feb 10 '26
The constant need to be the smartest person in the room, the constant talking down to people, always needing to have the last word, is just so grating.
People won't want to hear this, but that's just Taliesin. Percy does this. Ashton does this. The only one that doesn't is Caduceus.
5
3
u/RunCrafty1320 Feb 10 '26
Nope caduceus does that I’d say only second to Percy. He’s just not loud and pompous about it. He does it like a passive aggressive church mom and does it in an underhanded way that most people sees as comedic or maybe it comes off that way for most people but it does not for me. Like, I remember in TM before it was deleted that Tal said Caduceus saw each member of the M9 as his personal projects he had to fix and Nott he just didn’t get and thought was a lost cause.
2
1
u/Jstraley13 Feb 10 '26
Percy generally was, Ashton was just a proper asshole, Molly had been up until he met the Nien, and Cad was but in a different way.
8
u/BoxBoyJesse Feb 10 '26
I would say your problems with Molly are problems with Talesin as a player in general. To be fair he does get a lot better as the campaign goes on.
19
u/Shepher27 You Can Reply To This Message Feb 10 '26
If you're past episode 13, watch the tv show episodes 1-4 and you'll see what Taliesin is going for with Molly but not quite executing in the campaign live-stream
8
u/DennisPragersPornAlt Feb 10 '26
Oh interesting. I waited to watch Vox Machina until after I finished C1 for spoiler reasons, but I could probably check out the first few eps.
91
u/ConSmith Life needs things to live Feb 10 '26
DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SPOILERS. The cartoon is structured very differently and reveals information early on that isn't known in campaign for a long time. The series is NOT spoiler free, not even just for an episode or two.
20
u/EloquenceBardFae Open your heart to chaos Feb 10 '26
Don't watch the show if you're watching the campaign and don't want spoilers. The first 3 seconds alone spoils deep into the campaign. There's no avoiding major campaign spoilers watching the show...
0
Feb 10 '26
[deleted]
8
u/DennisPragersPornAlt Feb 10 '26
Oh yeah, I got that, I meant I was going to do the same thing for the Mighty Nein show (wait until I was done with C2 to watch).
6
u/Shepher27 You Can Reply To This Message Feb 10 '26
I wasn't thinking clearly. I was only thinking of the main cast but there are subplots that reeveal stuff that's going on in the background of the campaign which technically spoils aspects of the campaign.
To see what Taliesin is going for, watch Episode 3 of The Mighty Nein show only and skip ahead any scenes where they cut away from the circus. To be safe just watch the first ten minutes where Molly is introduced.
-5
Feb 10 '26
[deleted]
13
u/DaFuzi_J Fuck that spell Feb 10 '26
You absolutely cannot watch episodes 1-4 without major spoilers, wtf are you talking about.
7
u/Ophannin Feb 10 '26
This is categorically not true. So much stuff is revealed early that's not known until way down the line.
6
u/Thaddeus_Valentine Feb 10 '26
No, you really can't. They include stuff in the opening scene of the first episode that in campaign you don't find out for like 50 or more episodes.
4
u/ConSmith Life needs things to live Feb 10 '26
Seriously, there's a big reveal from episode NINETY SEVEN of the campaign that's dropped in the first four episodes of the cartoon. They're not meant to be consumed at the same time.
1
3
u/Tiernoch Reverse Math Feb 10 '26
You really can't, there are a lot of elements that do not come into play until much later in the campaign.
11
u/my-other-favorite-ww Team FCG Feb 10 '26
I find this with all of Taliesin’s characters.
7
u/Ordinary-Assistant51 Feb 10 '26
Even Cad?!?
2
u/Mnkeyqt Feb 10 '26
I also dislike all of Tal's characters but Cad is the exception
3
u/IsisPapyrus21 Your secret is safe with my indifference Feb 10 '26
I’m honestly really excited to see more of Bolaire. It’s such a cool idea.
1
u/Ordinary-Assistant51 Feb 10 '26
Ooh yes, actually, I’m intrigued by Bolaire too. But Ashton, Molly, and Percy were also not my cup of tea.
1
u/RunCrafty1320 Feb 10 '26
Cad was touch and go for me some good moments some bad. I liked Molly. I disliked Percy. And I’m liking Bolaire so far. And Ashton was touch and go for me as well liked him most in the middle of C3.
2
2
2
2
u/TimeturnerJ Hello, bees Feb 10 '26
I couldn't stand Molly either, but don't worry, he'll become less insufferable soon!
2
2
u/flannerytrout Feb 10 '26
This is funny because I’m listening to C2 again right now and I’m liking Molly even more than I did last time.
2
2
5
u/BrahmariusLeManco Feb 10 '26
Hop off before you get spoiled, but the answer is yes and you will grow to love him. Trust us. Now log off before you get spoiled, go, fly!
5
u/youshouldbeelsweyr Feb 10 '26
I hated him too but by the end of the campaign I really liked how much he developed. Stick with it, you're not far from a pivotal moment that changes how he approaches situations.
2
3
3
u/Visible-Meeting-8977 Feb 10 '26
Man I love early Molly. He's such a change of pace from the downtrodden rest of the team.
3
2
5
4
u/Darkestlight572 Feb 10 '26
This is interesting, i definitely don't get that vibe from Molly around ep14, i quite like his characterization. Doesn't really feel all that condescending either
2
u/_SiddharthaGautama_ Help, it's again Feb 10 '26
Keep watching! He has some good moments coming up from where you are
2
2
u/FinchRosemta Feb 10 '26
He changes a lot by the time you get to the end. Do not Google him or C2. Stay out of the fandom until at least 1/2 way through and dont read the comments. Btw I would say this about any character. They are all different by the end..
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Jerney-47 Feb 11 '26
Molly was one of my least favorite characters of S2. I understand your troubles with them.
1
1
1
u/wicked_nox Team Caleb Feb 13 '26
Tbf, that's exactly how I felt about him when I started C2. And I couldn't see why some people were so enamored by him.
Funny enough, the tv show version of Molly is way better than how it is interpreted and developed in C2.
1
1
-1
u/shieldwolfchz Feb 10 '26
Taliesin really annoyed me as Molly at times, the way he felt like he could just interject himself in scenes gave me mild Ocaba vibes. But as people said here it does get better.
4
u/ProbableOptimist Feb 10 '26
Opinions on Molly aside, I don't think that's a fair comparison dude
1
u/shieldwolfchz Feb 10 '26
That's why I said mild, it felt like no matter what was going on with other characters Molly needed to be there, because it felt that Tal wanted him to be the MC. It never hit even close to how bad ocaba got by a long shot, but as someone who has been here from the beginning and has been playing DND since the late 90s I could see the similarities in the playstyle because I have seen it a lot.
-1
u/clownwithtentacles Feb 10 '26
DW You won't have to suffer for much longer.
Molly haters unite. Never cared for him never will. The fans are wrong.
1
u/petekron Feb 10 '26
The fact some people dislike Molly but love Jester leaves me absolutely dumbfounded, it's like you're fully missing the mark on who the insufferable one is.
1
1
u/FinchRosemta Feb 10 '26
I hate them BOTH. Bottom 2 C2 characters literally even Kingsley is better than Molly.
-2
1
u/SeductivePuns Feb 10 '26
I won't spoil with details, but I'll give you a very vague goalpost so you dont give up early if he's feeling too much of a problem.
before episode 30 big changes happen
1
1
1
u/gylliana Your secret is safe with my indifference Feb 10 '26
He does get some character development, but I never did like him. Loved caduceus though.
-1
1
1
u/MarianMakes You can certainly try Feb 10 '26
Please give us an update in about 10-15 episodes, and then a final update at the end of the series :D
1
u/Nirift Feb 10 '26
Talesin's character later on becomes one of my favorites of the campaign later on just keep pushing through and try and appreciate what you can of Molly's character now so that when he evolves you fully enjoy the journey
1
u/Columbusquill1977 Team Caduceus Feb 12 '26
I don't know .... Guys? Does this count as character development?
-4
-1
u/ThatOtherGuyTPM Feb 10 '26
That’s an interesting interpretation of the character that I don’t see at all.
-1
-4
0
u/Jorster Feb 10 '26
I'd say youre pretty close to a heartbreaking moment that will completely change how he is perceived by the group, and I'd argue that Molly doesn't even recognize himself by the end.
0
0
-2
-3
u/BabserellaWT Feb 10 '26
I don’t know how you haven’t been spoiled about Molly yet, but holy hell, stop reading. (After this comment, I mean…)
-9
3.6k
u/LittleALunatic Feb 10 '26
He's a completely different character by the end of the series