**Spoliers For “The Mighty Nein” Episode 2**
“The Mighty Nein” kicks off with a bang in the three-episode premiere. Every member of the Nein has been introduced. Fjord Stone’s story began with the tragedy that wiped out his crew and sparked his magic. Pulled straight from the pages of his “Mighty Nein Origins” comic, it showed a side of Fjord that wasn’t fully explored in Campaign 2.
One of the biggest surprises for Critical Role fans with Fjord was his voice. During Campaign 2 audiences had only seen him with his deeper Texan voice. However, this is later revealed to be a voice he put on to honor Vandrin. By revealing this in his introduction, it shifts the story. “The Mighty Nein is an opportunity to experience Fjord’s story as Travis Willingham did. It could shift the perspective of many major story beats from the campaign and shed new light on Fjord’s character growth.
In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek, Willingham explained why they wanted to show Fjord’s backstory. While the voice was a surprise in the campaign, audiences see Fjord in a different light. He also explained some of the pillars that help an audience more deeply understand a character.
Travis Willingham Explains Why Fjord’s Backstory Is Revealed Earlier In Mighty Nein
Travis Willingham
“I think it just gives the audience a chance for more of a buy-in, right? They have the ability to see what it meant to Fjord, also form their own opinions of who Fjord was then, what kind of circumstances was he in, instead of just sort of hearing it secondhand or using a flashback while the story has been going on and then go, “Oh yeah, also, this stuff happened to me way back when,” right? It feels a little after the fact.
So, we really took advantage of that fresh start where you could see all these people from where they’re coming from at a particular point in time. Certainly not all of the secrets are revealed, but I think it’s always nice just to have a good underlayer of who they were, where they’re coming from, and maybe what they’re trying to achieve or who they might be trying to impress in their past.”
Revealing Fjord’s time on the ship and his decision to change his voice fundamentally alters how longtime fans can experience his story. It highlights the shame and survivor’s guilt he lives with. It also shows what sparked his decision to mimic Vandran’s voice. He is inspired not just by Vandran’s words of wisdom and belief in him, but also by Vandran’s confidence and strength.
Vandran saw something in Fjord that he didn’t and still hasn’t seen in himself. However, by channeling his captain’s strength, it seems Fjord is hoping to find his courage and become the man Vandran believed he could. How the Mighty Nein play into this journey will be interesting, especially given Vandran specifically told Fjord he could be a leader. Perhaps Fjord grows into a leader for the group, or they help him build up his confidence outside of a leadership role.
“The Mighty Nein” is approaching the story of Campaign 2 differently. The series is more thoroughly exploring the larger world. They are focusing on the conflict between the Kryn Dynasty and the Dwendalian Empire. Even the Mighty Nein was brought together in a slightly different way. However, the heart remains the same. Fjord’s story may not be identical to what fans experienced the first time. But Willingham is sharing a peek into his own journey with this character like never before.
The first three episodes of “The Mighty Nein” are available on Prime Video now
