The Mighty Nein: Season 1 TV Review – Critical Role’s bloody animated adventure is a compelling character-driven campaign of greatness
Plot: After an evil wizard steals an ancient device capable of mass destruction, it’s up to a ragtag group of unlikely heroes to steal it back.
Review: While my IRL Dungeons & Dragons crew remains on hiatus, it sure is nice for Critical Role to give me everything I need to scratch my adventuring itch with The Mighty Nein, a mature-rated epic that never skimps on excitement, meaningful character development, and blood. Oh, so much blood.
Much like Marvel’s Thunderbolts, The Mighty Nein assembles a group of misfit “losers” to achieve an impossible task: steal an ancient relic capable of untold power before an evil wizard, Trent Ikithon, can corrupt its magic for his own wicked ends. While the Thunderbolts don’t deal in magic, the similarities shine through when focusing on the character-driven narrative. Yes, there’s plenty of mischief and magic to go around in The Mighty Nein, but the manner in which the group comes together, and by extension, learns to trust one another, is the real stuff of legend.
The Mighty Nein introduces us, essentially, to six members of the group: Caleb Widogast, a tortured pyromancer capable of much more, whose ties to the central villain complicate the mission in unexpected ways; Nott the Brave, no comma, a child Goblin who has alcoholism and a general distrust for anyone and anything; Mollymauk “Molly” Tealeaf, a traveling seer with a dark and mysterious past; Beauregard “Beau” Lionett, a foul-mouthed monk with a lone wolf complex, Fjord Stone, an imposter Captain searching for meaning and a new crew; and my absolute favorite of the bunch, Jester Lavorre, a spritely conjurer whose happy-go-lucky demanor serves as a shining light in the group’s overall darkness.
The best part about The Mighty Nein, aside from the familiar yet thrilling story, is how the writers delve into each character and flesh out their flaws to significant effect. Almost anyone can write a character with trust issues, but there’s something about the group dynamic that casts a spell of sadness over The Mighty Nein. Fate may have brought them together, but it’s common ground that brings them closer, as each member steadily discovers that survival is far more likely when friends are there to back you up.
In addition to being exciting, violent, and charming, The Might Nein is funny. The show effortlessly weaves humor into the mix, with Jester and, surprisingly, Beauregard being excellent sources of chuckles throughout the adventure. While not every character’s journey had me on the edge of my seat – I generally found Fjord’s storyline rather ho-hum until later episodes – two characters in particular caught my heart. Nott the Brave is a fascinating character to follow. We don’t learn too much about her backstory, but there’s a sadness to her that I find compelling. Her alcoholism is a significant sticking point throughout the show, making for some of The Mighty Nein‘s most heartfelt and somber emotional beats. “Don’t like… need,” Nott the Brave says about her addiction at one point in the show, a deep and abiding sadness tainting her words.
Meanwhile, Jester Lavorre is far more than smiles, dirty jokes, and a delightful accent. She believes in an entity called The Traveler, an invisible god whose absence constantly brings their existence into question. Throughout the show, Jester struggles with her faith as she’s denied confirmation of the Travel’s aid time and again. Her frustration taps into something primal when it comes to questions of faith, and though it sounds cruel to say, Jester’s struggle is some of the show’s best drama.
As of the writing of this review, I’ve only seen the first eight episodes of The Mighty Nein, so I’m keeping this report relatively spoiler-free. Suffice it to say, if you’ve ever played Dungeons & Dragons or simply enjoy compelling characters in a fantasy setting, you’ll enjoy the hell out of The Mighty Nein. The show is packed with personality, will quench your bloodlust, and puts a new, uncomplicated spin on familiar story beats we’ve heard in many fantasy narratives.
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