The final episode of this season is an action-packed joyride that ends on an enticing cliffhanger. Season 2 cannot come soon enough.
Be warned: spoilers ahead.
We open with a flash to the mysterious soldier we’ve been following throughout the series. We know little about this character aside from the fact that she weilds a longsword, has some type of magical ability, and is a skilled fighter. This is a flashback to before her magical prowess. She is in a field with her girlfriend when a voice, similar to the one Fjord hears, tells her to remember why she has her powers. As this flashback melts away, a tear runs down this mysterious soldier’s face.
After the credits roll, the Mighty Nein gang reunites after the emotional split in the last episode. The merchant is briefing them on how to steal the beacon from Trent Icathon. Each team member has a specific role. Beau is going to scale a tower to cause a distraction, Nott is going to steal the beacon, Fjord and Jester will attend an extravagant gala and be the eyes on the inside, Molly is the getaway driver, and Caleb will deal with enchantments and spells.
In prepping for the gala, Jester realizes that someone at the gala could recognize her, so the plan is already in shambles. Jester and Beau switch roles, meaning that Jester will have to scale the tower and Beau will have to act prim and proper at the gala. Jester is upset because she can’t attend the gala with Fjord and because the Traveler hasn’t been returning her calls. Fjord cheers her up and promises to attend a party with her after they complete the mission.
Molly drops Fjord and Beau off at the gala, Jester off at the tower, and Nott at the sewers. Nott must sneak through the sewer system to retrieve the beacon, but is hesitant because she is afraid of water. Nonetheless, she goes in. While driving to the getaway point, Molly passes by Councilwoman Vess. Vess seems to recognize Molly and stops her carriage to find out more.
In the gala, Beau and Fjord miss their first chance to get to Trent, but come up with another plan. Beau flirts with one of Caleb’s Volstruker friends, seemingly to no success. At the same time, Caleb communicates with Trent and the other Volstrukers, informing them that he won’t stop until they’re all destroyed. Caleb appears at the other side of the room. Trent captures Caleb and forces him to talk as he sends the other Volstrukers to hide the beacon in his tower– exactly according to plan. Trent realizes that Fjord is actually under a spell, disguising himself as Caleb.
Jester climbs the tower to create a distraction. When she’s about to fall, the long-lost Traveler appears, saving her from certain death. He tells Jester that he’s been with her for the entire journey, and will always be there to help out. Jester finally gets to the top of the tower and is able to launch the fireworks, successfully distracting the attendees and saving Fjord from Trent’s wrath.
Vess catches Molly, using her powers to push Molly against a wall. Vess calls Molly by the name “Lucien”, and says that she assumed she killed him long ago. Her wrists glow in similar patterns as the one Molly saw in the previous episode. Before Vess has the chance to kill him, Molly summons a powerful red blast, shooting Vess far away.
Nott overcomes her fear of water and sneaks into Trent’s tower where the beacon is hidden. There, the real Caleb meets her and helps to de-spell the room and obtain the beacon. Right when they’re about to reach the beacon, Trent enters, and throws Nott to the side, knocking her out. Trent tempts Caleb, offering to team up and discover the secrets of the beacon. Before Caleb is about to accept this offer, Nott awakens and a purple bolt blasts through the tower, knocking everyone out.
The purple attackers are Kryn Guards. They successfully take the beacon back, and Trent chases after them. Caleb brings Nott out of the tower and reunites with the rest of the group. They realize that they have not succeeded in obtaining the beacon and must escape Trent before he kills all of them. While fighting Kryn soldiers, Trent knocks one of them into his tower and removes the opponent’s helmet. This opponent was Essek, an old ally of Trent.
The Mighty Nein escape to the sewers where Fjord hears the mysterious voice coming from a glowing eye calling for him to “consume”. Suddenly, three Kryn guardsmen wielding the beacon emerge from the darkness and blind our heroes. Just before the guard can kill Jester, Fjord listens to the voice, pushing the magical eye into his chest. His eyes glow yellow and he violently attacks the guards, saving the Jester and the rest of the crew.
With the crew now beaten, more Kryn soldiers approach. Sure that all hope is lost, the Mighty Nein prepare for one more fight. This is stopped, however, when the mysterious soldier from the beginning of the episode emerges and quickly kills the Kryn guard. She grabs the beacon, then falls to the floor, begging the Mighty Nein for help. Then, the episode ends.
“The Zadash Job” was a thrilling conclusion to this high fantasy D&D-based season of television. Though much of the corny, on-the-nose dialogue got in the way of some significant emotional beats, the main action was enticing enough to keep watching. A lot remains unanswered for the next season such as: who is Lucien? Or this mysterious soldier? What are the limits of Fjord’s new powers? And what will happen with the beacon?
Rating: 9/10