Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyThe Mighty Nein
Prime Video
Season 1 Episode 2
Who Will You Be?
After surviving a shipwreck, Fjord Stone discovers he suddenly has magical powers. In Nicodranus, Jester Lavorre’s phallic pranks get her into trouble. Meanwhile, Nott’s sticky fingers nearly get her and Caleb killed, as Beau’s investigation heads south.
A new character is introduced in the form of the half-orc Fjord played by Travis Willingham. He is being trained by his captain and mentor Vandran (Tim McGraw). One of the things I have enjoyed about this first season has been the character backstories and how those stories bring this group together in new and interesting ways. The opening of this episode with Fjord’s backstory does that brilliantly with drama, tension and moments of terror.
The introduction of Jester, played by Laura Bailey, is the perfect contrast to Fjord’s dark prologue. Not only does it include a musical sequence sung by the iconic Anika Noni Rose as Jester’s mother Marion, but it is stunning in its colors and light in its tone. It is a wonderfully magical sequence that leads to a great exchange between the two. This is another great contrasting scene in tone between Jester and her mother that mirrors Fjord’s scene with his surrogate father-figure Vandran.
The party begins to come together in this episode as Caleb and Nott have an unfortunate run in with Beau on the road before the episode introduces a new character in the form of Essek Thelyss, played by Matthew Mercer. Essek has been tasked by the Bright Queen (Lucy Liu) with returning the Beacon. Essek is a complicated character and that complexity comes through in Mercer’s performance especially when circumstances reveal a connection to the theft of the beacon and Essek’s hand in it. It adds an interesting layer to the story while also making Essek a more interesting character.
Fjord and Jester finally meet in the city as Fjord begins to discover that he has powers he doesn’t understand and Jester uses her powers to pull a prank on a powerful local leader. The two are forced to escape back to Jester’s home and Marion is forced to tell her daughter that she must leave Nicodranus if she wants to survive. This sets the pair on their journey and is a great way of showing the converging group as they all seem to be heading in the same direction.
The second episode of The Mighty Nein is a wonderful contrast in tone and pacing to the first. While the first episode established the stakes for the world of the characters and the various political machinations they are dealing with, this episode focuses on the characters themselves and how they come together. There are definite session zero vibes throughout the episode, but that works for both the story and the audience.
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