Three new characters from the Nein get introduced in this episode. Also, a god, sort of, and magical sex toys.
Oh, let's put these masks on, there's nothing left to fear, the secrets that you keep from me, no one has to know, oh...
This series is taking the long route to introduce us to its characters, which is fine by me: there are so many side things to learn about in the process. The episode title, "Who Will You Be?", is a theme impacting every scene in this episode, from beginning to end, as well as a song.
Oh, who will you be, a pauper or bourgeoisie?
Who will you be when you're lost in the reverie?
We start with an introduction to one of the new characters, Fjord Stone. Fjord is a sailor colored blue and green with incredible hair who seems to have been taken under the wing of a fairly dashing older Captain, Vandran, who clearly is invested in his future. Fjord, unfortunately, is fairly inexperienced and – his Captain thinks – someone who hangs out with the wrong crowd. The truth of the Captain's concerns becomes quickly apparent as one of that crowd, Sabian, sneaks into the lower decks and is caught by Fjord setting fire to the ship. Fjord gets stabbed by his supposed friend, and, dying, manages to get to the upper decks to warn the Captain – but not before the ship explodes. Fjord and the ship both die in the sea.
And then a voice the closed captions label Uk'otoa says: breathe. And suddenly Fjord is washed up on the shore, breathing and amazingly whole, and very surprised to be there. He finds the hat and sword of the Captain, and holds a sort of funeral for the man who tried to grow him. While walking away, however, a flash of light comes from the sword, speeds through the ocean, and hits a dark space in the sea – Uk'otoa again – and this time it says: grow.
That's not the end of the weirdness. Fjord travels to a nearby city, Nicodranas, and begs to be let in. When the guards refuse, he doesn't give up (he really doesn't seem like a coward to me) and in his passion, his eyes glow, and more energy bursts from the sword.
I really, really liked this introduction. Fjord has such awesome potential as a character, and losing his entire world in the ship accident makes me wonder how he'll use it, and that magical sword. We'll have to see how and if this character has room to grow once he jumps into the world of The Mighty Nein.
You're my woman, you're my daddy, what's your fantasy?
We cut to a scene that is honestly a very nice introduction for another of the new characters, but before we meet her, we're treated to basically what amounts to a bordello show in a fantasy world. Jester, our newest of the Nein, is first seen with her pointy tail wrapped around a large pink dildo. Jester is the child of Mama Marion, a quite nice mistress, singer, and all-round sexualized being who quite enjoys the stage and has a team of friends singing and moaning along. Unfortunately, Jester seems to have a dangerous sense of humor, and an imaginary friend named the Traveler. When Mama's attention has to be given to a local politician, Lord Sharpe, who apparently rents out the entire Chateau at once, Jester decides to take sweet pranky revenge. Sharpe ends up being mocked by the populace, which is never a good thing from a leadership perspective. Suiting deeds to his name, he begins stabbing Mama's people – which is just about when Fjord Stone shows up in town and accidentally casts a powerful spell to overcome the town guards. Jester quickly takes to him, showing invisible-friend-Traveler healing magic in the process - and Mama asks him to help her daughter flee. I love the family in the Chateau and am sorry Jester has to leave them - but at least she hasn't lost everyone, like Fjord.
We also meet a third new character in the Kryn Dynasty, a floating Dunamancer named Essek. Dunamancy seems to have something to do with the Beacon and seems to be far more innate than the magic being used by Caleb, which requires external items, or Fjord, who seems to have magic mostly through the glowing sword he's inherited. In the Dynasty, the Kryn Queen is furious about the Beacon that was stolen in the first episode, almost unreasonably so. She tasks both Essek and General Verrat with finding it - and with preparing the army should it not be found, although souls will be lost instead of saved by the Beacon as a result.
Essek and General Verrat seem to be friends, and they gossip that the Queen is hunting Dunamancers, because those are the only magicians able to use the Beacon. Verrat asks Essek about his mother, and gives Essek a gift to pass on, a stone from Eiselcross. We soon learn Essek's somewhat untrustworthy - his mother Dierta (Anjelica Huston of Addams Family fame) is right here at home terribly ill with a disease called Typhros, which he has so far been unable to heal. Essek gives the stone to her as a gift from himself, saying nothing about Verrat. We get to see the true impact of the disease as his mother moves through different lives and finds herself lost among them, with a nosebleed ensuing (never a good thing in any movie or television show.) Essek makes comments which imply he doesn't take the Beacon as seriously as others in the Dynasty, and it soon turns out he works with the Volstrucker, and in particular with Ikithon, and is ready to betray his own Dynasty in exchange for the possibility his mother may be cured. I mean, that's pretty horrible, isn't it? Sacrificing so many thousands, maybe millions of souls for one. Or maybe it's just love.
Baby, who will you, who will you be?
The episode doesn't ignore our previously-met friends. Beau is training with her rescuer Dairon, who seems to think she can best help Beau reach her potential by assigning her to hunt for the name of the leader of the Volstrucker, a highly trained magical assassin organization that the clearly unpowered-if-athletic Beau has just learned about which had handily beaten her to an inch of her life.
Does anyone else think Dairon is something of a jerk? Beau is all agog at the mission, however, and ready to get her own back. She agrees to go to Trostenwald with a mysterious sigil to hunt for the mysterious Dead Eye, riding on a chestnut. So much mystery, especially with Dairon staring after Beau as she leaves and hunting her on her journey. Beau's story is slowly getting more interesting to me because of how handily she seems to be letting herself be used, both by the Cobalt Soul and the Volstrucker, and wondering about her background.
Caleb and Nott are back in action as well, sheltering in a barn. Nott happens to steal a pillow and some other items, and they get attacked by the locals. Caleb is really resourceful in this episode, and shows the potential of his magical powers. They manage to escape. Nott, like in the last episode, sees her reflection and is again horrified. There's something weird about that, and I hope to figure that out in the next couple of episodes because Nott is quickly becoming my favorite of the Nein.
Who will you be?
The episode closes with a flashback: Fjord Stone, floating down through the water, bleeding to death. That eye - Uk'otoa? - opens, Fjord's wounds heal, and Fjord's eyes open. A word echoes. Become.
Who will you be?
Mighty Funny
This is more funny-weird than funny-hilarious, but I am still trying to figure out the Beacon and how the Kryn Dynasty works. I mean, if babies like Essek can be born with souls of their own, what does the Beacon really do - push other souls out of bodies and replace them with older souls? If so, there's something very evil-seeming about that.
The illusion-posters Jester creates are truly funny, and reminiscent of some art I've seen lately also criticizing tyrannical leaders.
Overall
This episode gets a 9 out of 10 from me, especially after Mama Marion's musical.
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