Somebody Take Dragon Age: Absolution Away From Me

[Update: So I literally just posted this but immediately afterward, I heard that Bioware, the studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect, shut down. While their projects weren’t as close to my heart as they were to my friends and peers, I was nevertheless shocked by the news. This is a tragedy for the games industry, whose death is proceeding more depressingly than ever with each passing day. Fuck EA, fuck Andrew Wilson, and fuck every single corporation that has profited off the hard work of this industry’s best and brightest without ever showing them, their art, or the players to whom that art resonated a single ounce of respect. I wish them nothing but the maggots that will eat their corpses.]

I’ve been starting way too many projects over the last year and I’ve barely finished any of them, so it may seem like the height of counterintuition to start another, but in my defense, Cyberpunk Edgerunners II just came out. You think I’m gonna miss that shit? And I know what you’re thinking – Matthew, you dumb slut – that’s not what the title says. Well, I promised my friend that I would wait to watch it with him and sure, maybe I didn’t promise him that verbally, but I felt the promise in my soul and that matters about as much (probably). So instead I’m gonna talk about a completely different Netflix animated series that came out nearly four years ago and that has lived in my head rent free ever since, mostly as an excuse to finally create something and chip away at my writer’s block… huzzah.

From Korean animation studio Red Dog Culture House, director Ki-Yong Bae, and creator Mairghread Scott, Dragon Age: Absolution is a six-episode animated series based on the Dragon Age video game series created by Bioware. It follows from the conclusion of 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and follows a group of mercenaries tasked with infiltrating the Tevinter Imperium to steal the Circulum Infinitus, a powerful artifact fueled by blood magic. When their heist goes wrong, the mercenaries find themselves surrounded by overwhelming forces, confronted by betrayal, and haunted by their pasts.

My First Exposure to Dragon Age

First and foremost, I want to make it clear that I have never played a Dragon Age game in its entirety. The most I’ve done is play the opening hour or so of Origins at a friend’s place and that was mostly dicking around. I am aware that the creative direction of the series changed considerably after the first game, which has resulted in most of the subsequent entries being somewhat divisive but overall popular. In particular, I’ve always heard that Inquisition was either pretty fun or mid depending on you ask, and more recently, Veilguard was the latest recipient of a targeted and probably overblown hate campaign (although some criticism was warranted, supposedly). Otherwise, I had no frame of reference for this franchise before Absolution, and I went in with rather low expectations.

Not because of the franchise’s reputation, mind you, but rather that of Netflix. You know how the saturation of Netflix Originals has created this kind of label for their brand? An expectation of disappointment? Video game adaptations have historically been branded in a similar manner, but the shortcomings of NETFLIX video game adaptations are especially interesting to me, because for every hit like Castlevania, you might get something less inspired like the Dragon’s Dogma show. In the worst cases though, I think the real issue is that it’s often hard for people who aren’t already fans of the games to get into it.

The Premise of Absolution Keeps Things Simple

Our main character is Miriam, an elven mercenary who long ago escaped from a life of slavery at the hands of the Tevinter Imperium, a past that has haunted her ever since. When the show opens, she and her friend Roland are working a small job that turns out to be a test to see if Miriam has what it takes to help with an even bigger job. She’s reunited with her old flame Hira, but their reunion isn’t an entirely happy one. They already split on not-so-great terms when Hira left her long ago to join the Inquisition, a decision that, in Miriam’s eyes, didn’t make a difference. “People like us don’t change the world,” she shouts, to which Hira replies, “Only because people like you never try!” Ouch… Not a promising start to a new adventure, and Miriam is even less excited when she learns what the job entails.

She is being asked to go right back into the heart of the land that enslaved her for a cause she doesn’t believe in, at the request of a former lover who – in her eyes – abandoned her on a fool’s errand. Miriam is a very cynical person, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand her apprehension. It’s through that apprehension, and the trauma explored beneath, that we learn about the world she inhabits and come to understand Tevinter as an antagonistic force. The team doesn’t just need her skillset, but her lived experience as someone who lost everything within the very walls they mean to penetrate. Within barely 10 minutes, there’s some juicy drama here, paired nicely with a well-rounded, charismatic party, and even a slightly toxic lesbian romance. What could be better?

Breaking the Six-Episode Curse

There was a moment in the early 2020s where it felt like every limited series was doing six episodes, especially Marvel’s Disney+ shows. It didn’t take long for that episode count to feel like a limitation as opposed to a carefully considered parameter of screenwriting. Sometimes a show can feel super rushed like it needed way more episodes and other times it can feel like even six episodes was too much for a story that may as well have been tight 90. In Absolution‘s case, I used to consider it a bit rushed, because my god does it speedrun the heist plot. All of the research, intel gathering, purchasing of supplies, etc. – all of that is handled so quickly that by the time the heist begins, and furthermore goes tits up, there’s still half a show left. The thing is, the more I’ve reflected on this show, the more I’ve realized that this isn’t a flaw but rather Absolution‘s most generous feature.

In most heist stories, the recruitment, planning, and all that jazz are fertile soil for character building, establishment of stakes, and laying the groundwork for unforeseen complications. By rushing those elements and presenting them rather plainly/matter-of-factly, one might say Absolution lacks creativity, but to that, I would counter that Absolution is not actually a heist show. Realistically, the heist is itself the setup for what the show is really about, and I have plenty to say about the show’s deeper meaning, but for now, I’m talking about how this show explores every side of its cast really well.

A Closed Crash Course in Magic, Monsters, and Evil Empires

By the end of Episode 1, the heist has more or less been initiated but Episode 2 immediately switches perspectives to the opposing side. Specifically, Rezaren Ammosine, the Tevinter magister who is researching the dangerous artifact our heroes are tasked with stealing. Voiced by the talented Josh Keaton, Rezaren steals the show and is by far one of the most interesting characters, almost entirely because of how the audience’s perception of him changes over such a short series. At the beginning, he oozes the charisma of a Disney ingénue whilst expressing an academic obsession with uncovering the secrets of the Circulum, hoping he can find a way to use it to bring the dead back exactly as they were.

Tassia, the Knight Commander of the Templars, with whom Rezaren shares a strong bond, urges caution in the face of such a dangerous artifact. Nevertheless, she resolves to stand with him. Their relationship is immediately compelling and humanizes them. Even more interesting, Rezaren doesn’t want to kill anyone to make the Circulum work. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all. The story jumps between our heroes’ heist and Rezaren’s continued research, up until the moment that both stories collide, and then, everything changes. The threads tying the two stories tangle into a chaotic knot and the whole show gets even more interesting.

Even the already impressive animation gets an upgrade, which turns the fight at the beginning of Episode 4 into one of the most gorgeous animated battles of 2022. Emotions run high beyond this point, even more than before, and that passion bleeds in every frame of animation. Where previously Miriam’s reservations were just a tantalizing hook to fuel her motivations, Absolution‘s latter half spares none of the ugly truth behind why she fought so hard to escape her past and why people like Rezaren, no matter their intentions, can’t easily escape their complicity in cruelty.

The Meaning of Absolution

I’m trying my best not to spoil the story too much here, but the title of this series really says it all when it comes to the themes. Absolution means to be forgiven for one’s sins, but what sins are to be forgiven and why? The answers to those questions are a big part of what makes this show’s resolution so cathartic. Here, the titular absolution belongs solely to Miriam. She escaped slavery, but she left behind a lot more than we are initially told, and the villains are constantly trying to use that against her; shame her for running away and ignoring her sins – her transgressions. Even people like Hira tell her from the jump that she has to face her past, and in a way, that is true, but she is also guilty of manipulating Miriam.

Ultimately, Miriam’s absolution is about forgiving herself, and in confronting her trauma, finding the strength to be more than just a victim, but a hero to those who were chained like her. It effectively amounts to giving a big middle finger to the assholes who robbed her of basic dignity and expected nothing but complacency in return. It is an extremely cathartic story and Kimberly Brooks’ performance as Miriam – much like the rest of the cast – was a big reason why. Watching her growth as a character was an utter joy and I hope fans of the games celebrate her as much as she deserves to be.

Peak Comfort Show Material

For a show with so much bloody violence, it feels funny to call this my comfort show, but it really is. I make a point of trying to rewatch it every year or two and every time I do, I find new reasons to like it. It feels like the D&D campaign of my dreams. It’s chaotic, colorful, things never go according to plan, but most of all though, when all the pieces come together, it leads to some unforgettable moments. This show has a little bit of everything I want from a fantasy series. It might not be a masterpiece, but it accomplishes nearly every objective it sets out to and does so in serious style with incredible animation and even better voice work. Seriously, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn does not get enough credit for being one of the most talented actors and directors in voice acting.

Miriam kinda dominated most of what I had to say about the story and everything else that I’m dying to talk about is kinda spoilery, but the rest assured, the supporting cast are great. Almost everyone in the main party gets their time in the spotlight, and while they might not all bare their souls in the way Miriam does, they have some satisfying little character arcs. I’m especially biased towards Roland and Lacklon’s arc together because it’s gay as hell, but Hira’s character arc was also very interesting to watch as – just like Rezaren – she has a lot more going on than we’re first shown. There’s also Qwydion, a Qunari mage voiced by Ashly Burch… I’ll be honest, she doesn’t develop much or have a real arc, but holy shit she is so fun. I love her dearly.

The worst thing about Dragon Age: Absolution is that they were absolutely setting up a second season and it just never came, but I think the ending is satisfying enough to make up for that. Besides, sometimes it’s best to leave things on a high note. So before I watch the second season of another show that arguably didn’t need a sequel, I’m glad I got to reflect on a short but sweet series that’s very near to my heart, and I hope I’ve convinced at least a few of you to check it out… Damn did I somehow tie the ending of this review back to that dumb Edgerunners joke I made at the start? Shit, I’m kinda good at writing sometimes. I should like… post more…Edgerunners joke I made at the start? Shit, I’m kinda good at writing sometimes. I should like… post more…

Dragon Age: Absolution is available to stream on Netflix.

Hey there, been a minute.

As I alluded to at the start, my drive to write has been divided between my fiction writing and some larger essay-type projects I’ve been starting. Truth be told, transitioning from writing multiple articles every week like I did back at Game Rant to not being on that kind of schedule has made me realize that I was burning myself out bad. The thing is, I sorta came to like the burn, because even when I was sacrificing my work/life balance, I was putting out stuff that I was passionate about. Over a year later, I feel like it’s hard to find the energy to write like I did before, which sucks because I love writing, and I want to do it more. But that’s just the thing, I have been writing and continue to do so. The only difference is that I struggle to finish projects.

I have a huge essay about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for my other blog, Sakura/Shuffle, that I meant to finish in early Summer, but it’s still not done.

I have a novel that I’m writing, the first act of which I’ve already published to my fiction blog, Breach Fiction, but I’ve been struck with sever writer’s block and I seriously don’t know if I’ll be able to continue it for years.

Besides that, I have tons of smaller blog post ideas or short stories, but it’s hard to decide what to spend my time on. What can I finish in a reasonable amount of time? Which projects would I be most satisfied with? It’s tough, guys. I’m fixating too much on putting myself on time limits rather than just enjoying the process, and I want to fix that.

That’s a big reason why I wrote this. I had some things to say, and I had fun sharing them. That’s what’s most important. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading.

As always, stay healthy, stay safe, and I’ll see you next time.