Some viewers might say it’s too soon to pass judgment on Critical Role Campaign 4, but I’m already having a wonderful time watching it. That said, the premiere left me with plenty of questions. The world-building here is expansive — layered with mysteries and sudden revelations about major events like the Shapers’ War — and it drops several intriguing threads right away. Who is Thjazi Fang, and what led to his grim end beneath the hangman’s noose?
If you’re feeling equally curious or a bit disoriented, you’re not alone. According to Campaign 4’s Dungeon Master and acclaimed storyteller, Brennan Lee Mulligan, that sense of bewilderment was deliberate.
[Ed. note: Spoilers follow for the ending of Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 1.]On the cast’s post-episode discussion show Cooldown, Mulligan explained why he chose not to pause the episode for a long exposition dump about Aramán’s history and factions. He said he took inspiration from a beloved TV drama that also trusts its audience to catch up as the story unfolds.
Image: Critical Role
Mulligan specifically mentioned The Wire as a model: “One of my favorite TV shows of all time is The Wire, where the first watch-through of it, you’re watching the first four episodes and you’re like, ‘Huh?! What?! What?!’ And then you’re like, ‘This is fucking awesome,’” he said.
The Wire is often praised as one of the great TV dramas — a show that slowly reveals its world and rewards patient viewers with tightly drawn characters and moral complexity. Like that series, Campaign 4 jumps straight into the action and trusts the audience to sort things out as the plot progresses. There’s little time for hand-holding; the narrative moves briskly and expects you to keep pace.
On my first viewing of the episode, plenty slipped past me: what exactly was the War of Axe and Vine, who are the Crow Keepers, and why does Julien Davinos (portrayed by Matthew Mercer, who previously served as DM) behave the way he does?
Still, what gripped me most was the opening’s raw emotional core — Halandil (Liam O’Brien) standing by his brother Thjazi as the execution approaches — and the genuine anguish shown by the players in that moment.
Image: Critical Role
Mulligan summed up his aim succinctly: at the end of the day, “you’re watching a man die.” He pointed to a small, human detail — “He goes, ‘You have to tell Thimble not to be scared’” — as the emotional anchor that makes audiences invest in a fictional world.
I recognize that this style — one that withholds exposition and slowly unfurls its mysteries — can feel frustrating in an era of tight, rapid storytelling. But with the running time and format Critical Role enjoys, the show can breathe; it can afford to be a slow burn, and I appreciate that approach.
Right now, it’s natural to feel a little lost about Aramán’s history and players — that uncertainty is part of the appeal. If Campaign 4 continues to make me care about its characters, I’ll gladly stay along for the journey.
Critical Role Campaign 4 airs weekly on Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon.
Source: Polygon
