Tara McCauley

Los Angeles

Strategic Content Writer at The Escapist

she/her | tabletop enjoyer, professional television addict and nerd writer at large

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Articles

Smosh's Shayne Topp Takes on the Internet One Reddit Post at Time (Interview)

1 month ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

On March 8th, 2025, fans got their pancakes out in Los Angeles to celebrate the one-hundredth episode of Smosh Reads Reddit Stories. The Escapist sat down with host Shayne Topp before the podcast’s milestone episode to swap social media horror stories and discuss what it means to be a YouTuber. The Escapist: Congrats on one hundred episodes of Smosh Reads Reddit Stories and a sold-out show [at Dynasty Typewriter]! Shayne Topp: It’s unbelievable.
Titmouse's Churp Puts an Exclusive Animated Twist on Subscription Box Services

1 month ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

There exists a novel period of human history between the fall of physical video stores and the rise of streaming where receiving a DVD in the mail provided a small, simple thrill. Churp, a brand-new subscription service from Titmouse, modernizes that nostalgic joy. Titmouse, the animation studio behind Big Mouth, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, unveiled the subscription box/fan club hybrid Churp at SXSW as a part of the studio’s 25-anniversary celebration.
All Cast and Characters in Exandria Unlimited: Divergence

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

The following contains spoilers for Exandria Unlimited: Divergence, Episode 1: “Give and Take”. Brennan Lee Mulligan takes audiences inside the grim walls of the Strife Emperor’s prison, Rybad-Kol, in the premiere episode of his Critical Role prequel series, Exandria Unlimited: Divergence.
Matthew Mercer Accidentally Reveals Critical Role's Upcoming Daggerheart Miniseries

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

Swept up in the excitement of showing off Daggerheart’s core rulebook, Critical Role Game Master Matthew Mercer accidentally let details of an unannounced miniseries slip during his recent Fireside Chat Q&A on Beacon. Mercer shares that the forthcoming Critical Role adventure will utilize Daggerheart’s Age of Umbra campaign frame and coincide with the fantasy system’s May 20 release.
Severance Fan Theory Finds a Hidden Message in Irving B.'s Final Words

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

The following contains spoilers for Severance Season 2, Episode 4: “Woe’s Hollow”. Season 2 of Severance continues to take no prisoners, with the latest episode, “Woe’s Hollow,” resulting in the tragic termination of John Turturro’s Irving B. A fan theory posits that the Macrodata Refiner commits one last act of subtle rebellion by nesting a hidden message in his final words to the team. In “Woe’s Hollow,” Irving B.
Who Is the Chained Oblivion in Critical Role?

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

The events of Critical Role‘s super-sized Campaign 3 finale have altered the fates of Exandria’s pantheon, with the stipulation that one Betrayer God remains banished in the Abyss. Here’s who Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion is in Critical Role. Similarly to Predathos, Tharizdun is considered a threat to the gods of Exandria. The Chained Oblivion is thus named for the gods’ two known attempts to seal it away, once around the Founding and most recently in a significant battle during the Calamity.
All Guest Appearances in Critical Role's Campaign 3 Finale

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

The following contains spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3, Episode 121: “A New Age Begins”. Player characters from Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells were not the only ones to make appearances inCritical Role‘s super-sized Campaign 3 finale, “A New Age Begins”. Bell Hells’ scattered allies and friends reconvened at the table to help draw this chapter of Exandrian storytelling to a close. Here’s a look at all the guest play characters who contributed to Campaign 3’s final adventure.
What Happens to Vax'ildan in Critical Role's Campaign 3 Finale?

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

The following contains spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3, Episode 121: “A New Age Begins”. In its record-breaking eight-and-a-half-hour finale, Critical Role closed not just Bells Hells’ adventure but an entire decade’s worth of Exandrian storytelling. Threads of fate from all three campaigns were explored in “A New Age Begins”, including that of Vox Machina’s long-departed Vax’ildan. Here’s what happens to Liam O’Brien’s rogue in Critical Role‘s monumental finale.
Who Plays Ava's Dad on Abbott Elementary?

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

From Jacob’s younger brother Caleb to Melissa’s racist Uncle Archie, Season 4 of Abbott Elementary has expanded on the familial relationships of the elementary school’s staff, including a surprising reveal about Principal Ava Coleman’s father. Here’s a look at the legendary actor stepping into the role of Ava’s estranged father Frank.
Clean Slate Reflects on Norman Lear's Legacy of the Laughter That Brings Us Together [Review]

2 months ago | escapistmagazine.com | Tara McCauley

In Clean Slate, Laverne Cox’s Desiree Slate returns to Mobile, Alabama to reconnect with her estranged father Harry, and collect herself after a combination career/relationship setback in New York City.