Mighty Nein Episodes 1-3: Where Magic and Mayhem Intersect

It’s time to return to Exandria, Critters. After the smashing success of The Legend of Vox Machina, Prime Video’s The Mighty Nein is finally gracing our screens for its inaugural season.

The Critical Role crew has done it again – created an adaptation of their mega-hit campaign that captures the spirit of said campaign while taking us on an immersive, whirlwind adventure. It provides escapism in spades while telling a story of massive scope and scale.

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Introducing Our Key Players

While The Mighty Nein’s first three episodes do a solid job of introducing the core characters who will inevitably become our titular merry group of misfits, it can be confusing to keep track of who’s who if you’re unfamiliar with Critical Role. And a lot of good stuff happens. So, let’s break down the main crew:

Caleb Widogast is a Zemnian (the Exandrian equivalent of German) human spellcaster racked with grief, trying to revive his dearly departed familiar, Frumpkin. He befriends Nott the Brave, a female goblin with a predilection for imbibing. Together, they raid a magical pet shop to steal ingredients to bring back Frumpkin.

Beauregard Lionett is a Cobalt Soul martial artist who starts digging into the explosion at the border of Wildemount (as a result of those Dwendalian mages stealing the Luxon Beacon). After discovering that her mentor isn’t who he says he is, Beau joins forces with Dairon, an elven Cobalt Soul expositor, to uncover the corruption and get to the bottom of the Luxon Beacon theft.

Fjord is a half-orc sailor reeling in the aftermath of his mentor Vandran’s death and the destruction of his ship. He obtains magical abilities from Uk’otoa, an evil deity imprisoned under the sea. Fjord eventually crosses paths with Jester Lavorre, a devilkin and follower of The Traveler, an invisible god. After pissing off Lord Sharpe, Jester’s mother, Marion, urges Fjord to escort Jester to Zadash for her safety.

Then, there’s Mollymauk Tealeaf, the devilkin master of ceremonies (and expert tarot reader) of The Fletching & Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities. With the circus potentially on its last legs, Molly and the circus’s proprietor, Gustav, incorporate Toya the Vivid Voice into their act to hopefully attract more patrons.

Lastly, but certainly not least, we have Yasha Nydoorin, a celestial warrior. She only appears briefly at the end of episode one to exact a bloodbath before demanding to know the Beacon’s location. It’s a delightful tease of a formidable character.

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Action and Animation and Humor, Oh My

If you’re a fan of The Legend of Vox Machina, you can expect the same style of animation for The Mighty Nein. As an animation girlie, I love it. There’s something very old school – like ‘90s old school – and clean cut about this particular style. It’s reminiscent of X-Men: ’97 (not a ‘90s series, but still). The attention to detail is pitch-perfect, from the character design to the environment.

The color palette is utilized to great effect to set the stage of this unique world. When the characters perform magic or use their powers, we see vibrant pops of color. It shakes up the formula. Outside of the depiction of magic, the scheme is muted and dark, which fits the more mature tone of this series compared to its predecessor. This is a darker, grittier story despite being in the same universe as Vox Machina.

As for the action, The Mighty Nein doesn’t pull any punches. “Mote of Possibility,” “Who Will You Be?”, and “The Fletching & Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities” deftly balance those high-octane moments with the slower, character-driven story beats.

There’s also gore aplenty, but not on the level of, say, Invincible, another Prime Video animated series. However, the violence never feels gratuitous – it serves a purpose in the plot.

While episode one is more somber in tone, the second outing provides much-needed levity with Critical Role’s signature style of adult humor. It’s the characters that really sell the comedy, primarily the dynamics between opposite personalities like Caleb and Nott the Brave (no comma), and Fjord and Jester. The Mighty Nein is, wait for it, mighty fun because of this.

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Themes, Character Work, and Vocal Performances

Thematically, the triple-episode premiere implements a tried-and-true trope: the underdogs rising to the occasion to save the day. Sure, our crew isn’t quite a team yet, but at the end of episode three, most of them are together in the wake of the Devil Toad’s deadly rampage. The Mighty Nein does a great job of laying the groundwork for their inevitable team-up. Their paths organically converge in episodes two and three.

Speaking of episodes two and three, the Powers That Be really focus on fleshing out these fascinating characters.

In addition to exploring themes of belonging and empowerment, the series reminds us not to let our past define us. Fjord’s past, in particular, is an albatross he can’t escape, try as he might.

Dark ledger aside, we see examples of strangers mistreating Fjord, mocking him because he’s not stereotypically masculine. He even imitates the voice of his late mentor after meeting Jester to give himself a confidence boost. Thankfully, in episode three, Jester helps Fjord let loose and shows him kindness like he’s never known.

Caleb’s grief hangs over him from the moment we meet him. It’s palpable. He’s struggling to take care of himself. He’s also very nonchalant about falling into a wagon full of excrement. I know a depressed person when I see one. Nott the Brave is an enigma, but her excessive drinking tells me that something haunts her.

Jester flips the script somewhat. She seems to have lived a sheltered life, even among courtesans. Beau’s incessant anger is clearly masking something painful, traitorous former mentor aside. There’s an undercurrent of sadness within Molly. He’s always “on” with the people around him, ever the charming performer, but that melancholy bubbles to the surface. I’m excited to dig into more backstories this season.

The vocal performances are strong across the board in The Mighty Nein’s first three episodes. However, my favorites include Laura Bailey as Jester, Liam O’Brien as Caleb, Travis Willingham as Fjord, Marisha Ray as Beau, and Taliesin Jaffe as Molly.

Bailey’s Jester is playful, cheeky, and irreverent. She infuses the character with so much life and is often a bright spot that breaks up some of the heaviness in the narrative. Willingham delivers nuanced work as Fjord and showcases his vocal versatility, giving us Fjord’s real voice before putting on an imitation of Vandran. There’s a depth of feeling to his performance, and that also applies to O’Brien. His Caleb is a tortured soul.

Jaffe is a charismatic force of nature as Molly, but again, he adds layers to his vocal work. Molly is a multifaceted character, after all. Ray’s performance is reminiscent of Stephanie Beatriz as Vaggie from Hazbin Hotel and Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and that’s not a bad thing. It really works for this character.

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The Mighty Nein takes a beat to kick things into high gear, but when that shift occurs, it’s full-steam-ahead. It’s a delightful mixture of magic and mayhem with a dash of dark humor. Brace yourselves, Critters. We’re in for a wild ride in Wildemount and beyond.

What did you love most about The Mighty Nein triple-episode premiere? Share your thoughts with other Critters in the Sideshow Social Network or at side.show/geekgroup. As always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!