The Mighty Nein Season 1 Episode 4 Review

The Mighty Nein

Prime Video

Season 1 Episode 4

The Mighty Nein

Framed for the carnival massacre, the Mighty Nein must come together to rescue a young girl and clear their names – if they don’t kill each other first. Meanwhile, Essek and Trent Ikithon begin their Beacon experiments. Trent is thrilled by the implications, leaving Essek to reconsider his choices.

The Mighty Nein have been arrested by the guards of the city and the opening of the episode has some wonderfully fun and funny moments for each character as they are interrogated. I loved the moments because it showcases each of the character’s personalities. Their personalities continue to collide as the group is put into the same cell and their weapons and items taken. I like the tension of that moment as Caleb (O’Brien) panics at the loss of one item in particular.

Inside the cell, tension mounts and there is a wonderful balance of emotions with Jester (Bailey) breaking the tension in fun ways before Molly (Jaffe) breaks his usual light-hearted charm to give the group a piece of his mind. It’s a fantastic moment that shows the weight of the loss of his found family on him amidst all the interpersonal conflict. At the same time, Essek (Mercer) is instructing Trent (Strong) about the Luxon Beacon as the audience learns more about the process and perils of the device before they begin their experiments.

I really enjoyed this moment and how it showcases how ruthless Trent is in gaining the power that he wants. It also shows how Essek is in over his head when it comes to his new alliance. The sequence is beautifully animated. The Nein find a way to escape the prison and, as a lifelong spell caster in my D&D games, I continue to love seeing Caleb forced to gather components for his spells. It’s a wonderful visual moment and nod to fans of the medium this series is based on.

The nascent members of the party begin to learn more about each other as they try to learn about the whereabouts of Toya and the Devil Toad. I really like seeing the flashes of Molly’s powers and what they not only reveal about him, but what they tease about his character arc. Their investigation leads them into the swamp searching for the toad. Eventually they find their way into their first dungeon crawl and first battle as a team. There are some interesting hints at the character individual journeys throughout the episode and the action is visually thrilling moment after moment as the group starts working as a team.

Episode 4 brings the group together while also showcasing their inherent flaws and interpersonal conflicts. The episode features beautiful character designs, glorious action and wonderful world building and heart. While the previous episodes focused on building the relationships and conflicts between these characters, this one pushes them out front and center and sets them on their journey. It’s an action packed, beautifully paced and intense episode that makes me excited to everything to come next.