WesternAnimation More like- Dragon Age: Absolutely terrible
Haha, gottem.
But seriously, This show sucks.
The pacing is absolutely terrible for a mini series. The protagonists are all introduced in a short series of barely connected scenes which contain lies and double crosses and all do nothing to get you invested. Some of them have prior relationships with drama that plays out to no emotional impact to the viewer, as if this is a continuation of something that never existed. The main character tries to resist the call to action, only to immediately fold and agree to join up as if simply to waste precious time.
And yet, other aspects of the show are horribly rushed. Big moments happen in relatively ho hum manner and character arcs, most especially the main villain’s, all happen at the drop of a hat. It doesn’t so much feel like any character progresses as much as completely switches gears to suit the plot.
The characters themselves are also a big negative. With the slight exception of Tassia, everyone is some variation of boring, unsympathetic, or both. While intended to be morally ambiguous, there’s very little about them to get you invested. They all just crack lame jokes or get angry while displaying no character depth to help you get past how shitty they are as people.
I’m new to writing reviews so I’m sorry if this isn’t well structured. All in all, Dragon Age Absolution is pretty miserable from start to finish. If you think it’ll be important for the next Dragon Age game, just read a synopsis somewhere.
WesternAnimation They call it a midquel because everything about it is mid (spoilers)
The plot? MID.
The tiring cliche "broody badass" "heroine"? MID.
The cast of mostly forgettable characters? MID.
The "reveal" at the end that doesn't actually make much sense? Muh-muh-muh-MIIIIIID.
OK, so I don't know if the show actually qualifies as a "midquel" since Dreadwolf isn't out yet. Still, this show is just...average. It's not bad, and there are some good bits. Tassia is easily the standout, and Rezaren's shift from a supposedly "good Tevinter" into an entitled asshole is pretty well handled. Qwydion is above-average in comic relief, and it's nice to see a silly/comical character who isn't an utter moron. Her shrill shrieks can get on the nerves though, and she overdoes it at times.
That said, the rest of it isn't particularly memorable or enjoyable. Miriam sucks. She's just a by-the-numbers hypercompetent, broody, boring protagonist who belongs in an obscure Hunger Games ripoff. Hira is terrible, both as a person and a character. I think Roland's speech about her Missing Steps Plan at the end was just a desperate attempt at Lampshade Hanging for the writers to cover their asses about a plot point that made no sense from a writing point of view. Roland and Lacklon are...fine, I guess. Remember, mid's the name of the game...er, show, here.
As for the Meredith reveal...I just don't understand why they're doing it, and even accepting it as a premise, it's flawed in execution. She wants to destroy Tevinter, right? So why is she working with the Red Templars, who work for the Venatori? And what in the Maker's name could she possibly want with the Circulum, an artifact that uses blood magic to bring people back from the dead? There may be good answers to these questions, but in the show it's just a Shocking Swerve that doesn't long survive the initial "BRO WHAT?!?!" reaction.
Final review: mid/10