The Mighty Nein Season 1 Episode 1 Review

The Mighty Nein

Prime Video

Season 1 Episode 1

Mote of Possibility

After an explosion at the border, Wildemount is on the brink of war. Beauregard Lionett investigates the scene of an explosion, uncovering a sinister scheme lurking in the shadows. Meanwhile, Caleb Widowgast teams up with an unlikely ally to break into a magical pet stop.

From the first establishing shot of the mysterious beacon and the first manifestation of its power to the action-packed moments of its theft, the first episode of Critical Role’s newest series promises surprises, thrills and the unexpected. The opening chase sequence establishes a lot about not only the power of the people stealing the beacon, but the resolve of those willing to die and kill to defend it. It’s a great way of showing the audience the conflict rather than getting into lengthy exposition to establish this world or its politics. It’s also just a beautifully shot and animated sequence.

As the story shifts we get our first member of the Mighty Nein, Caleb Widowgast voiced by Liam O’Brian. Caleb is definitely a character that has hit rock bottom both physically and emotionally and that is conveyed through his mannerisms and circumstances, but his introduction also has its moments of levity and charm. His needs are relatively simple, but they require him to do some unsavory things to fulfill them. Things get worse for him when his component pouch is easily stolen by a fleet footed and nimble goblin girl named Nott the Brave voiced by Sam Riegel.

Caleb and Nott’s relationship is one of the things that engaged me as a viewer because they don’t become fast friends or buddies. There is a level of mistrust that they hold, but they need one another for reasons neither is willing to admit to and the dialogue between them is fantastic. They are opposed in personality, but that works for them in establishing a bond. One of the many villains of the series is established in a lesson from Trent Ikithon (Mark Strong) who shows casual cruelty throughout his lesson to his students showcasing how the audience should feel about him. Those feelings are amplified when he is called in by the king and there is another great establishing moment as the politics of the region are discussed among his counselors.

Beauregard Lionett, played by Marisha Ray, is investigating the aftermath of the explosion on the border and the scene showcases not only her prickly personality, but also her skills. Each episode of the series is double the length of a standard animated episode and I appreciate that extra time giving moments to breathe. It would be easy to have Beau discover things right away, but the episode takes its time to not only give her character depth in the moment, but also to give the viewer more insight into the world of these characters.

Both Beau and Caleb’s stories take interesting turns as Caleb’s inner turmoil and vulnerability are shown to Nott giving her the ability to empathize with him while Beau takes the initiative to investigate corruption within the ranks of her own order. A scene that reveals some great easter eggs for viewers familiar with the world of this series as well as showcasing the awesome supporting cast. Jonathan Frakes as Zeenoth is an awesome choice and I loved his take on the character as well as Ming Na Wen as fellow Cobalt Soul monk Dairon.

The episode ends with a scene of intense violence as another member of the Nein is introduced but this character has a darker, more dangerous edge and a mission that is mysterious.

The first episode of The Mighty Nein creates brilliant drama, awesome action and engaging mysteries both with the characters and their world. The writers and creators do a fantastic job of establishing a lot without losing the character focus and deftly draw you into the world through the characters and the amazing animation style.