The Mighty Nein: Season 1 -

The Mighty Nein is an adult animated series based on campaign 2 of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role. Critical Role is a group of professional voice actors that get together to play D&D 5th edition. The cast own the intellectual property and have already produced a number of licensed works based on the show. A single Critical Role campaign will consist of a series of story arcs, played over multiple sessions. Between or sometimes within the major story arcs, the characters rest, resupply, or go on side quests. While each campaign centers on a different party of adventurers, the campaigns are all set on the various continents of Exandria, a world of Matt Mercer's creation.

Campaign 2 ran from January 2018 to June 2021; totaling 141 episodes with an average runtime of 3 to 4 hours per episode. It follows the adventures of the Mighty Nein party and is set primarily on the continent of Wildemount roughly 20 years after the Legend of Vox Machina. The Critical Role cast reprise their characters for the show, which consists of 8 (50 minute long) episodes.

Spoiler Warning: I am going to give a synopsis of each episode and my opinions at the very end.

Episode 1: Mote of Possibility

The Kryn Dynasty (also known as the "Xhorhas Empire") is a place kept shaded in near-perpetual night by powerful magic due to most of the population being dark elves who cannot handle the light. One of their "Luxon Beacons" - which the Dynasty's religion is based around - is stolen by a human group known as the "Volstruckers" – consisting of Astrid Becke, Eadwulf Grieve and Dain, acting under the orders of Archmage Trent Ikithon. Dain dies in the escape and has his soul absorbed by the Beacon. In response to the theft, the Kryn's Bright Queen warns the Dwendalian Empire's king Bertrand to return the beacon or face war. Bertrand is ignorant of the theft and so believes Ikithon's theory that the whole thing is a ruse by the queen to initiate a war.

Elsewhere, two "Cobalt Soul" monks investigate an explosion at the Rockguard Garrison. The field supervisor Ruzimir blames the event on an assault by Kryn "savages", but trainee Beauregard Lionett (human) can only find five sets of tracks and evidence that time was manipulated. She discovers a green residuum crystal fragment that amplifies magic, which is then confiscated by Archivist Adon Zeenoth (elf). Zeenoth dismisses Beau's theory that someone made off with a weapon at the garrison, prompting Beauregard to grow suspicious of Zeenoth. Beau tails Zeenoth to a meeting with Owelia, another Volstrucker, where Zeenoth returns the residuum crystal to Owelia. Owelia discovers Beau, and after an altercation, leaves her for dead. Expositor Dairon (elf) rescues Beau and enlists her help in investigating corruption within the Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly.

"You're right. You are a nobody and I know that's what makes you dangerous. They'll never see you coming." - Expositor Dairon

A homeless man named Caleb Widogast (human) struggles to break into a pet shop. A thief called Nott the Brave (goblin) offers to get him inside in exchange for alcohol - something she struggles to acquire herself because most people will not to do business with her race. Inside the shop, Nott finds a wanted poster for Caleb, who is accused of murder. Originally planning to betray Caleb for money, Nott changes her mind after watching him perform a cat-summoning ritual.

Episode 2: Who Will You Be?

Aboard a ship, crew member Fjord (half-orc) is sparring with his Captain Vandran (human) when an unexpected storm hits. Fellow crew member Sabian (half-elf) stabs Fjord and sets off explosives, destroying the ship. An otherworldly voice tells Fjord to "breathe" and he awakens on the shore with no injuries. Vandran's falchion is discovered not far away in the sand. Fjord travels a great distance to reach the nearest settlement - Nicodranas, but is refused entry. A wave of magic from Vandran's falchion forces the guards to grant him entry.

At the Lavish Chateau in Nicodranas, Jester Lavorre (tiefling) converses with her mother, Marion (tiefling), a prominent courtesan. Upset that Lord Sharpe (human) has been enlisting her mother's services, Jester sabotages his pro-war speech. While fleeing, she bumps into Fjord who unwittingly aggravates the situation with his newfound magic. Jester takes Fjord to her room and tells him about her god, the Traveler, whom only she seems to be able to see and hear. Lord Sharpe follows her and tortures Bluud (minotaur) the Chateau's bodyguard, demanding to know where Jester has gone. Knowing that she will be unable to keep Jester safe, Marion asks Fjord to escort Jester to Zadash where a friend will take her in.

"I've known for a long time that I was being selfish, keeping you locked up in this place with me. But safety is not life. Go, see the world. It deserves you, as much as you deserve it." - Marion Lavorre

Beau learns of her first mission as an "Expositor" and sets off. While spending the night at an inn, a noise alerts her to Caleb and Nott, who had been sleeping in the stable but were forced to flee upon discovery, freeing the horses in the process. Caleb and Nott travel towards a circus that they believe will have rare components that Caleb needs for his magic. Along the way, Caleb learns that Nott has aquaphobia and knew about the price on his head.

The Bright Queen (dark elf) tasks Essek Thelyss (dark elf) with recovering the lost Beacon, and General Verrat (orc) with war preparations. The Dynasty's people have their souls stored in the Beacon upon death and through it are reborn to random families within its range. Until it is recovered, all deaths in the Dynasty will be permanent. Essek visits his mother Deirta (dark elf), who has a neurodegenerative disease known as "typhros" that torments her with visions of her past lives. If it were discovered, the Bright Queen would have Deirta executed. Essek then teleports to Ikithon, his secret ally, to assist with analyzing the Beacon on a scientific level.

Episode 3: The Fletching & Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities

Ringmaster Gustav Fletching (half-elf) is worried that his circus will have to close down if they can't get enough seats filled, but Mollymauk Tealeaf (tiefling) reassures Gustav that Toya (dwarf), a new act, and her Devil-Toad will bring in the crowds. When Toya's caravan arrives, Nott and Caleb attempt to steal her lumino beetles, but Caleb is scared away at the sight of Owelia in the crowd. Beau meets with Dairon's contact Dead-Eye and receives a message stone. She sees and confronts Nott about her missing horse. At which point Caleb makes a fuss about a "strange women" harming his "daughter". Mollymauk, who had performed a tarot card reading for Beau earlier, tells her that she must leave for harming the guests.

Molly originally had a highly distinctive coat with gaudy colors and patterns. It was impractical to animate and so was not replicated in the show.

Fjord and Jester get tickets to the show, during which Toya uses her beetles and voice to get the Devil-Toad to perform tricks. Outside, Nott and Caleb successfully steal the lumino beetles. Beauregard, once again, attacks Nott, this time for pick-pocketing her message stone. During the fight the beetles escape, causing Toya to lose control of the toad, which transforms the audience into monstrous thralls, including Gustav. The toad swallows the stone while attempting to eat Beau, and Caleb loses control of a fire spell after Fjord bumps into him, igniting the tent. Guards then arrive to arrest everyone as the toad flees with Toya.

Gustav Fletching survived the massacre in the tabletop game. He was ordered to pay a fine and after being released was never seen or heard from again.

Episode 4: The Mighty Nein

Fjord, Jester, Nott, Caleb, Beauregard and Mollymauk are blamed for the circus attack and jailed. To clear their name they all agree to break out to hunt down the monstrous toad. At the scene of the attack, Caleb collects components for his magic and Nott searches for alcohol while Jester tries to convince her that the Traveler is a real god. Mollymauk uses his blood magic to track the Devil-Toad to a cave. Inside, they find that the toad has possessed Toya to use as a mouthpiece. Together they defeat the toad but are unable to save Toya.

"I always say, leave a place better than you found it. I'm not sure we did that today, but we did our best. Our hearts are uncertain, angry, scarred. The thing about scars is, try as you may, they don't heal. You can cover them up, but you always know they're there." -Mollymauk Tealeaf

Beau retrieves her stone from the toad's corpse and Molly discovers a dimensional rift that the toad was trying to use to cross into another realm. The rift looks familiar to Molly but he doesn't understand why that is. At the city gates, when asked for a party name, the guards mistake Caleb's reply of "nein" (no) for the number nine; and Jester declares that they are "The Mighty Nein". Shortly after they are ambushed by Owelia.

Episode 5: Little Spark

Owelia poisons Fjord and breaks Caleb's amulet, which protected him from arcane spying. Together the Mighty Nein apprehend Owelia and interrogate her in an abandoned cabin while Nott works to cure Fjord. Owelia uses the group's distrust to sow discord, revealing that Caleb was once a Volstrucker. She uses the distraction to escape, but Caleb pursues her alone and incinerates her.

In flashbacks, Trent Ikithon found a young Caleb (real name Bren) working on a farm and took an interest in his magical abilities. At the Soltryce Academy, Ikithon indoctrinated Caleb, Astrid and Eadwulf; all of whom were in a polyamorous relationship. As Volstruckers they ruthlessly killed anyone who opposed the empire. When Caleb was forced to kill his parents and cat by burning them to death, he broke.

Episode 6: Many Gifts

In Zadash, Beauregard gives the message stone to Dairon, which implicates Ikithon. Curator Tasha of the Cobalt Soul then arrests Ikithon for treason, but he convinces King Bertrand to allow him to use the Beacon against the Kryn Dynasty. Upon finding the Beacon missing, Essek rushes to save his friend Verrat from the front-lines. This action makes Verrat aware that Essek is the traitor in the Dynasty.

The Mighty Nein party meets with an underworld boss called the Gentleman (genasi / genie), whom Mollymauk has familiarity with. Before the meeting, the Gentleman's assistant, Cree (tabaxi / cat), recognizes Mollymauk as "Lucien" and talks about a spell gone awry. Molly plays along but doesn't remember Cree. Impressed by Jester's "Tusk Love" book, the Gentleman agrees to replace Caleb's concealment amulet in exchange for an arcane compass located in a guarded pirate's treasure horde. The group sneaks into the ruins containing the compass, but struggle to trust each other while navigating the various puzzles and traps inside.

"Well... at least one of you has taste." -Gentleman

They eventually reach the treasure room where the compass is retrieved and a mysterious voice leads Fjord to an eye-shaped crystal in an underwater trove. Dwendalian soldiers become aware of the group's presence and accidentally trigger stone guardians, which allows the group to escape.

Episode 7: Belonging

The group splits up now that their obligations to each other are fulfilled. Dairon advises Beau to lie low. Fjord drops Jester off at her destination and then seeks guidance on communing with the gods from a Dawnfather priest. He uses this knowledge to speak with his god in a bathhouse thanks to the presence of water - his god's favorite element. Beau shows up at the same bathhouse and the two bond.

Originally the temple was dedicated to the Platinum Dragon. Jester and Nott vandalized the Platinum Dragon statue by giving it a mustache and painting it in rainbow colors.

Molly follows Cree to an abandoned home with a blood-soaked shrine containing his image and multiple red eyes. Caleb abandons Nott to pursue Ikithon, but is intercepted by Astrid and Eadwulf. They spare his life with a warning. Jester becomes frustrated that the Traveler will not respond to her prayers. In an attempt to gain his favor she, along with a drunken Nott whom she found wandering the streets, vandalize the Dawnfather temple. Caleb then reunites with Nott and the Mighty Nein and suggests leaving the Empire for their safety. However, Nott suggests that they accept a job from the Gentleman to steal a Beacon.

King Bertrand has Curator Tasha publicly executed for "perjury and Ikithon's false arrest", and arranges to have the Beacon shown off at a gala. The Gentleman gives the pirate compass to Vess DeRogna in secret. In combination with a book in her possession, Vess gains red eyes similar to Molly's.

In the Dynasty, Verrat gives Essek's a day to confess his betrayal. Deirta overhears their conversation and confesses to the Bright Queen - her friend - that she has typhros. She is executed by the Bright Queen. Devastated, Essek frames Verrat for the theft of the Beacon. The Queen then executes Verrat and orders Essek to recover the Beacon.

"Your son is brilliant, but his lack of faith concerns me. A devotee of the Luxom would never have misled his queen." -Bright Queen

Episode 8: The Zadash Job

The Mighty Nein accept the Gentleman's job to steal the Beacon, which will be on display at a gala at the Soltryce Academy. To gain entry they steal an enchanted invitation from Lord Sutan, who never attends the events. Jester volunteers to be the "man on the inside" but because Lord Sharpe is one of the guests in attendance, Beauregard has to take her place. With the Traveler's help, Jester sets off fireworks to force Ikithon into returning the Beacon to its tower.

Vess recognizes Mollymauk as "Lucien" - someone she killed in order to become the new "Nonagon". She tries to kill him again, but Mollymauk's eye tattoos activate, overpowering her. Nott and Caleb reach the tower but are discovered by Ikithon and forced to flee; escaping with the rest of the gang into the sewers. Kryn agents storm the tower and seize the Beacon then also flee into the sewers. Ikithon subdues one of the more powerful agents, who turns out to be Essek. In the sewers, Fjord follows the instructions of his god to absorb the eye-crystal, giving him the power needed to overcome the Kryn agents. The final Kryn though, is beheaded by Yasha Nydoorin (aasimar) who begs the group for help after the Beacon disables her neck sigil.

Thoughts:

Unlike the previous series - Vox Machina, which stuck closely to the tabletop adventures, the Mighty Nein takes significantly more liberties with the story. In the tabletop game, the group met at a tavern where they were invited to the circus. From there, they meandered a lot, making their adventures hard to follow at times. I like that the show fleshed out each character's backstory and preexisting friendships before having them all came together. It made for a cleaner, more coherent narrative. Some characters, such as Gustav Fletching, who survived in the game, were killed off in the animated series to create a more emotional arc for the cast. They also put off the appearance of one major character - Yasha, in order to make her more of an outcast within the group, whereas in the table game she was originally a guard at the circus and friends with Molly.

Not all the changes were great. I was a bit disappointed that they gave away who Caleb murdered in flashbacks. Originally it was Nott who accidentally let Caleb's secret slip while experiencing alcohol withdrawals. It was an unexpected moment for something like "my friend murdered his parents" to come out, and happens without additional context. It was a much more interesting and shocking way for that information to surface. I also didn't like that they revealed all of Essek's backstory upfront. At the table it was something the Mighty Nein discovered on their own after befriending him. It was actually during a session before a live audience when the Mighty Nein uncovered who the Dynasty traitor was, and everyone in the audience audibly grasped at the reveal. You don't get that with the animated series.

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