Warning: The following contains spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3, Episode 62
Critical Role's Marisha Ray inadvertently cast Power Word Stun over an entire fandom during the Dungeons & Dragons actual play's most recent episode when her character Laudna referred to her separated ally Imogen as a "sister from another mister."
Laura Bailey's Imogen Temult and Laudna entered Critical Role's third campaign as preestablished friends and travel companions, a deep connection in which enterprising fans saw a fertile foundation for future flirtation. Many instances throughout the Bells Hells apocalyptic journey have supported the popular notion that Imogen and Laudna have been building a slow-burn romance. While Laudna's use of the word sister does not discount the theory that something amorous could happen between the witches, its use has already been wielded against vocal supporters of the duo. Discourse and discussion surrounding this single line of dialogue dominated the Critter community after Team Issylra's latest outing.
Bells Hells' Laudna Calls Imogen a Sister
A scrying session in Episode 61 left Imodna fans optimistic about the sorceresses' forthcoming reunion, and Utkarsh Ambudkar's Bor'Dor Dog'Son capitalized on this momentum. Prior to the Bells Hells party split, Imogen and Laudna had experienced two notable periods of separation, one caused by a Delilah Briarwood-induced betrayal and the other by Laudna's second death. These previous occasions created a wealth of role-playing moments that became foundational building blocks for popularizing their ship among viewers. When Bor'Dor noted that one figure of Team Wildemount appeared more critical to Laudna than the rest, fans felt queued up for another routine instance of Imodna separation angst. Unfortunately, many fans felt the wind blown out of their collective sails when Laudna reached for the word "sister" to describe their relationship with Bor'Dor.
Though no large fanbase exists without its problematic outliers, Critical Role's history of queer storytelling has granted the show an established foothold in the LQBTQIA+ community. While Laudna's sister comment awoke a handful of homophobic detractors and those with an anti-ship approach to fandom, the largest impact was felt within the preestablished Imodna camp. The reactions ranged from self-deprecation to defensiveness, though others took the comment in stride. Sapphic fans in particular found Laudna's comment relatable to lived experiences and cited AppleTV+'s Dickinson and Rent as pop culture instances in which romances ascribed the label sister to their dynamic. As with any major Critical Role role-playing moment, memes abound regarding the sister comment, and this time Sam Reigel's ad -ead provided fans additional formats in which to express their range of reactions to sister-gate.
Team Issylra continues their journey to reunite with their separated companions on Thursdays at 7 PM PT on Critical Role's Twitch and YouTube channel.
Source: Twitter