The Mighty Nein Episode 1 Review: Begins With a Bold Heist and Explosions
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Look, I didn’t know anything about ‘Critical Role,’ the Dungeons & Dragons show, and ended up watching episode one of ‘The Mighty Nein,’ which is based on Critical Role’s second D&D campaign, because its live premiere showed up on my home page. But it turned out to be an entertaining impromptu watch and I am going to follow this dark fantasy show!
Titled ‘Mote of Possibility’, the pilot episode of ‘The Mighty Nein’ kicks off with the dramatic death of a royal and a daring heist of a precious relic called ‘the beacon’. The theft leads to a violent chase, and sets the stage for an imminent war between two Kingdoms.
A mysterious explosion along the border, and a bunch of brutally mangled bodies at the scene offer few clues into what might’ve happened. Powerful magicians, wicked wizards, scheming thieves, and a whole bunch of misfits and mysterious characters are introduced in the pilot.
The animation is engaging, though a wider color palette and brighter daytime scenes could have made it feel even more visually vivid. A goblin character called ‘Nott the Brave’ reminded me of Best Boy from Teen Titans, while Caleb Widogast, an asocial wizard voiced by Liam O’Brien, sounded a lot like Trevor Belmont from Castlevania.
Overall, the first episode of ‘Mighty Nein’ is fast-paced, packed with action, and filled with so many events that it’s hard to make out what the primary conflict is based on the first half. But toward the second half of the chapter, a clearer plot emerges: the stolen ‘beacon’ is a powerful relic that can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.
In just one episode, wars are triggered, political conspiracies and traitors uncovered, and a few new interesting alliances formed. How the main characters fit into the scheme of things will only become clearer in the coming episodes. Even if you haven’t seen ‘Critical Role’, but are a fan of ‘Dungeons & Dragons’, this animated show promises to be a wild ride.
Watch ‘The Mighty Nein’ on Prime Video. Episode 1 is available on YouTube.
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