First Impressions:
Since it was the show's first season, I made an effort not to compare it too much with the richly intricate worlds in the "Dragon Age" games that inspired it. Regardless, watching this series made me nostalgic for the games.
It was fun, funny, captivating, thrilling, dramatic, romantic, and intriguing, so don't let some naysayers and critics tell you otherwise.
Though it didn't cover the full range and scope of this IP - not yet, at least - season 1 of "Dragon Age: Absolution" was off to a fine start.
The Crew: Directors Ki-Yong Bae (who handled every episode except for the last) and Mairghread Scott did amazing work.
Mae Catt and Mairghread Scott wrote an amazing screenplay. Granted, it didn't quite reach the mark I expected for this adaptation but, as I said, this was just the start and they did great on that account.
Penka Kouneva's musical scoring was outstanding and made a lasting impression.
The sound effects team did great work.
The animation crew did justice to the show and its characters.
The Voicecast: Kimberly Brooks as Miriam was great.
Matthew Mercer as Fairbanks was remarkable.
Ashly Burch as Qwydion was quite good.
Keston John as Lacklon was memorable.
Miranda Raison as Cassandra Pentaghast was noteworthy.
Phil LaMarr as Roland was superb.
Sumalee Montano as Hira was amazing.
Zehra Fazal as Tassia was great.
Josh Keaton as Rezaren Ammosine was admirable.
Plot Summary & Analysis: The story was set in the Tevinter Empire, which will sound familiar to those who've played the games. It is the oldest human nation in Thedas where multi-racial and multi-species fantasy characters lived and moved.
A bunch of misfit mercenaries teamed up to perform a heist that, as expected, went terribly wrong and painted targets on their backs. The squad were unwittingly sent to steal a blood magic artifact called the Circulum Infinitus.
This was a major highlight in the show because the group were veritably stealing an object of great magical importance that was located in the northern region of Thedas, which was governed by a powerful cabal of magic-wielders called the Tevinter Imperium. The mages had quite successfully been subjugating and enslaving all of southern Thedas for years.
The magisters' deplorable caste system was also given due attention in the series. Racial discrimination was layered into the plot as well. Suffice to say, the series went to some dark places with admirable aplomb.
The complex villain at the heart of the plot was a mage named Rezaren Ammosine who performed blood magic of the human-sacrifice kind. The showrunners wrapped a surprising level of empathy around this character, which made his role in season 1 as relevant as it was pivotal. The way they wove both compassion and corruption around Rezaren added to the show's awe factor.
I also admired how well they captured Miriam's accumulated trauma and created such effective pathos around it. This made her one of the most memorable characters in the show. Her trusted friend and lover Hira brought even more depth, mystery, and promise to the series.
"Dragon Age: Absolution" captured ancient Thedas in a compelling light. The story was set in the aftermath of events in the "Dragon Age: Inquisition" game, which I adored playing and am (like so many others) waiting for the next instalment.
It was nice to see "Absolution" make some key references to "Inquisition". Part of me was glad they didn't spoil whatever may be coming in "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf". In fact, the events in "Absolution" season 1 stopped before anything about to come in "Dreadwolf".
Even halfway through episode 1, I was already gripped to the plot and wanted to know more. My only real complaint was that I couldn't keep from spotting a few similarities between this show and "The Legend of Vox Machina" (2022 animated series). Regardless, "Absolution" managed to hold its own regardless.
"Dragon Age: Absolution" contained plenty of great moments, not to forget nostalgic ones. Its characters could have been more branched out, but this being the first season I let that lingering desire drop.
On that note, knowing a little bit more about these characters will help new viewers understand their contextual relevance. So, here's a simple character overview: A former Tevinter slave turned elven mercenary, Miriam.
Miriam's warrior friend and ally, Roland.
A jovial Qunari elemental mage, Qwydion.
A freedom fighter, Fairbanks (he played a small part in the "Inquisition" game too).
An ex-member of the Inquisition, a human mage, and Miriam's love interest, Hira.
A dwarf warrior and self-titled 'Lord of Fortune', Lacklon.
A Tevinter magister who safeguarded and studied the Circulum and had a dark agenda in mind for its use, Rezaren Ammosine.
A Knight-Commander of the Templar Order and Rezaren's lover, Tassia.
A former Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, Meredith.
A core member of the Seekers of Truth and a former companion to the Inquisitor, Cassandra Pentaghast.
Some of these names will be recognizable to those who played the games. Characters like Meredith and Cassandra will sound even more familiar, because the original voice artists reprised their game-roles in the series.
Final Notes: The comedy, magic, and action sequences - not to forget some deadly "Dragon Age" demons and a full-grown dragon, to boot - were all great to watch. They didn't skimp on brutalities and betrayals, either. Speaking of, the betrayal in question was dark and cut deep - it truly sold the plot.
On a side note, the show was not new-viewer friendly. Many of the moments, relationships, and references in it will be more familiar to fans of the games than anyone else. On a related note, the inter-relationships among the main characters was another major highlight in the series. After all, the game itself is popular for it.
Only six episodes notwithstanding, the series left a positive mark. The tale was well told and the animation quality was engaging. The ending left plenty of space for more high-octane entertainment in "Dragon Age: Absolution" season 2.
As an initial start, this season gained as much gravitas as needed to go above and beyond in future instalments. The games are legendary and have an immense fan base; I count myself among them. So, let me conclude by saying that Netflix's "Dragon Age: Absolution" was on the right path.
It was fun, funny, captivating, thrilling, dramatic, romantic, and intriguing, so don't let some naysayers and critics tell you otherwise.
Though it didn't cover the full range and scope of this IP - not yet, at least - season 1 of "Dragon Age: Absolution" was off to a fine start.
The Crew: Directors Ki-Yong Bae (who handled every episode except for the last) and Mairghread Scott did amazing work.
Mae Catt and Mairghread Scott wrote an amazing screenplay. Granted, it didn't quite reach the mark I expected for this adaptation but, as I said, this was just the start and they did great on that account.
Penka Kouneva's musical scoring was outstanding and made a lasting impression.
The sound effects team did great work.
The animation crew did justice to the show and its characters.
The Voicecast: Kimberly Brooks as Miriam was great.
Matthew Mercer as Fairbanks was remarkable.
Ashly Burch as Qwydion was quite good.
Keston John as Lacklon was memorable.
Miranda Raison as Cassandra Pentaghast was noteworthy.
Phil LaMarr as Roland was superb.
Sumalee Montano as Hira was amazing.
Zehra Fazal as Tassia was great.
Josh Keaton as Rezaren Ammosine was admirable.
Plot Summary & Analysis: The story was set in the Tevinter Empire, which will sound familiar to those who've played the games. It is the oldest human nation in Thedas where multi-racial and multi-species fantasy characters lived and moved.
A bunch of misfit mercenaries teamed up to perform a heist that, as expected, went terribly wrong and painted targets on their backs. The squad were unwittingly sent to steal a blood magic artifact called the Circulum Infinitus.
This was a major highlight in the show because the group were veritably stealing an object of great magical importance that was located in the northern region of Thedas, which was governed by a powerful cabal of magic-wielders called the Tevinter Imperium. The mages had quite successfully been subjugating and enslaving all of southern Thedas for years.
The magisters' deplorable caste system was also given due attention in the series. Racial discrimination was layered into the plot as well. Suffice to say, the series went to some dark places with admirable aplomb.
The complex villain at the heart of the plot was a mage named Rezaren Ammosine who performed blood magic of the human-sacrifice kind. The showrunners wrapped a surprising level of empathy around this character, which made his role in season 1 as relevant as it was pivotal. The way they wove both compassion and corruption around Rezaren added to the show's awe factor.
I also admired how well they captured Miriam's accumulated trauma and created such effective pathos around it. This made her one of the most memorable characters in the show. Her trusted friend and lover Hira brought even more depth, mystery, and promise to the series.
"Dragon Age: Absolution" captured ancient Thedas in a compelling light. The story was set in the aftermath of events in the "Dragon Age: Inquisition" game, which I adored playing and am (like so many others) waiting for the next instalment.
It was nice to see "Absolution" make some key references to "Inquisition". Part of me was glad they didn't spoil whatever may be coming in "Dragon Age: Dreadwolf". In fact, the events in "Absolution" season 1 stopped before anything about to come in "Dreadwolf".
Even halfway through episode 1, I was already gripped to the plot and wanted to know more. My only real complaint was that I couldn't keep from spotting a few similarities between this show and "The Legend of Vox Machina" (2022 animated series). Regardless, "Absolution" managed to hold its own regardless.
"Dragon Age: Absolution" contained plenty of great moments, not to forget nostalgic ones. Its characters could have been more branched out, but this being the first season I let that lingering desire drop.
On that note, knowing a little bit more about these characters will help new viewers understand their contextual relevance. So, here's a simple character overview: A former Tevinter slave turned elven mercenary, Miriam.
Miriam's warrior friend and ally, Roland.
A jovial Qunari elemental mage, Qwydion.
A freedom fighter, Fairbanks (he played a small part in the "Inquisition" game too).
An ex-member of the Inquisition, a human mage, and Miriam's love interest, Hira.
A dwarf warrior and self-titled 'Lord of Fortune', Lacklon.
A Tevinter magister who safeguarded and studied the Circulum and had a dark agenda in mind for its use, Rezaren Ammosine.
A Knight-Commander of the Templar Order and Rezaren's lover, Tassia.
A former Knight-Commander of Kirkwall, Meredith.
A core member of the Seekers of Truth and a former companion to the Inquisitor, Cassandra Pentaghast.
Some of these names will be recognizable to those who played the games. Characters like Meredith and Cassandra will sound even more familiar, because the original voice artists reprised their game-roles in the series.
Final Notes: The comedy, magic, and action sequences - not to forget some deadly "Dragon Age" demons and a full-grown dragon, to boot - were all great to watch. They didn't skimp on brutalities and betrayals, either. Speaking of, the betrayal in question was dark and cut deep - it truly sold the plot.
On a side note, the show was not new-viewer friendly. Many of the moments, relationships, and references in it will be more familiar to fans of the games than anyone else. On a related note, the inter-relationships among the main characters was another major highlight in the series. After all, the game itself is popular for it.
Only six episodes notwithstanding, the series left a positive mark. The tale was well told and the animation quality was engaging. The ending left plenty of space for more high-octane entertainment in "Dragon Age: Absolution" season 2.
As an initial start, this season gained as much gravitas as needed to go above and beyond in future instalments. The games are legendary and have an immense fan base; I count myself among them. So, let me conclude by saying that Netflix's "Dragon Age: Absolution" was on the right path.