By WorldofHiglet
So, after months of waiting, Season 3 of the award-winning webseries, The Guild, is now live on the Intertubes. Created, written by and starring Felicia Day, The Guild is about a group of MMO gamers who meet up in real life and the misadventures that befall them. It’s by gamers and about gamers, but you don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy it because at its heart it’s about people. As Codex (the main character played by Felicia Day) says: “Dumb humans!”
I will be reviewing each episode of Season 3 as it is released on MSN video, so for the next 12 weeks we’ll be keeping each other company here. Don’t be shy – I love to read comments and will answer them.
Okay then - if you haven’t yet watched The Guild Seasons 1 and 2, I would suggest you do that RIGHT NOW! Just head over to MSN Video and you can feast your eyes on them. And if it’s been a few weeks since you last watched them, then perhaps you’d like a quick refresher with these handy recaps!
(Image will take you to MSN Video)
Once you have that under your belt we can get on with the main attraction: Season 3, Episode 1.
Season 3 – Episode 1: Expansion Time
Disclaimer: this is a REVIEW and therefore will contain spoilers about this episode (and possibly previous ones). Just so we’re clear on that.
The opening scene takes us back to Codex’s bedroom and she is chatting to her webcam, as is her want. It picks up straight on from where Season 2 ended, but we have no explanation as to what happened to Codex. Did she have an out-of-body experience or something more down-to-earth? Anyway, Codex seems as together as she ever does(!) and tells us that she “barely resurrected herself” after the party (Codex’s in-game character is a healer, after all).
After recapping on the collateral damage from the disastrous party (Tink’s character wiped by Bladezz, Clara killing Vork repeatedly in-game and Codex getting dumped. Twice.), she cheers up at the thought of the new expansion pack. “The Spires of Dragonor” could be the new rally-point for her Guild.
Codex: “I allowed myself a few pints of self-pity ice-cream – Old Lady Butter Pecan FYI….most importantly – new character hairstyles!”
We then cut to an outside shot of a lineup outside GameStop. Our intrepid Guildies are at the front next to a tent. And a homeless lady. Riley and Zaboo are kissing with abandon (Zaboo on Riley’s knee since she is by far the taller of the two) while Codex sits next to them reading aloud some of the exciting new features of the new upgrade. Riley and Zaboo break for air long enough for Zaboo to be “innuendo’d”.
Riley: ‘I’m the only one who summons your familiars – right, baby?”
Bladezz wanders up in a “Cheesy Beards” tee shirt, and Zaboo is keen to impress him.
Zaboo: “This making out with actual humans is unbelievable”
Bladezz has a job now so he can pay off the money he spent on Tink and can’t stay long. And working sucks.
Bladezz: “Working is soul-crushing – I can’t believe adults live like this!”
Codex tries to distract herself from the kissing pair by asking Vork if he want to hear about the new metal-working recipes. Vork appears from within the tent and declines because he has bigger fish to fry.
Vork: “I’m making ‘found objects’ stew.”
Vork has been camped there for two as a symbolic gesture of atonement for failing The Guild and is in a somber mood. For a change. Clara then bustles up after dumping her spawn at a store with a kid’s department. Codex is horrified but Clara reassures her – she has a baby-monitor.
Clara: “I’ll buy something when I pick them up – I’m not trashy!”
She asks where Tink is. Codex gestures to the homeless baglady behind her and explains that Tink has paid the homeless lady to keep her space so she doesn’t have to be near Bladezz.
Codex works hard to keep everyone on-track an off each other’s backs as Bladezz complains about the absent Tink, Vork is completely phased by the presence of Clara, and Zaboo reminds Clara that she killed Vork’s character in-game over and over again because he didn’t give her the orb.
Codex, sensing more conflict, again tries to deflect the situation by highlighting more new features, not unlike a mother trying to keep her warring children apart by distracting them with toys and candy. As they laugh about fart jokes some dark figures pass in front of the Guildies and a voice thanks them for holding their spot.
Politely Codex explains that they are in the front of the line and as the camera pans out to reveal the threat, we have our first glimpse of the Axis of Anarchy – and they ARE cutting in.
So, we have a new expansion pack, all the Guildies at odds with each other and new Big Bad. What could possibly go wrong?
I was very happy that the story continues straight on from Season 2 and that we start with Codex in her proper place, in front of her webcam. Again, the film and sound quality is excellent and the outdoor shots are lit superbly. The pacy editing means that by the end of the 5 minutes you feel like you have seen a whole 30 minute episode of a sitcom on TV, so much has happened. The HD-quality of the film gives it a big-budget feel.
The story arcs in Seasons 1 and 2 were punchy with mini-dramas and asides within each episode and an over-arching plot that resolved at the end of the Season. Jamming a complete story into each 4-7 minute episode is a challenge but one that Ms Day is more than capable of delivering.
At the end of this episode, though, I was howling! How dare they finish it there – with only the merest glimpse of Wil Wheaton, at his sneering best, in swirling kilt and sporran! We was robbed! And so we experience the agony of waiting until next week, when we will no-doubt see much more of Wil and his gang of ne’er-do’wells. We might even find out their names.
And a great cameo appearance by the lovely Kim Evey, Producer of The Guild! Ms. Day seems to relish turning her friends into down-on-their-luck bagpeople, and Ms. Evey plays it to perfection. Season 3 is set up to be another rollercoaster for Codex and her fellow-Guildies. I can’t wait to see how this Season plays out…
You can watch The Guild on MSN Video, Xbox Live and Zune. The website is at watchtheguild.com, on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/theguild) and you can follow them on Twitter as @theguild
WorldofHiglet is a writer writing the writer’s dream – to write, always. A huge fan of Joss Whedon and Felicia Day who regularly blogs on the last geek bus home about all things geek. She has interviewed Felicia and has set her sights on Joss next. Her first novel, Turning Left at Albuquerque, is being published as an audiobook podcast on turningleft.podbean.com and her latest non-fiction book is currently being considered by agents.
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WorldofHiglet is the online persona of writer Mary R. Higgins, a born-again geek reclaiming her heritage bit by bit. A youth filled with sci-fi, horror and adventure in TV, films, computer games and books was crushed by years of office grind. Buffy brought her back into the fold after years of denial. Discovering Firefly sealed the deal. Now she geeks fulltime on her blog 
Yay! I'm so happy that my Guildies are back, and with bonus kilt-clad Wheaton.
(That to-be-continued was pretty cruel, though.)
I went back and rewatched the first two seasons last week. I've been watching 'Date My Avatar' pretty much non-stop since it was released, and have already watched the new episode twice. (Fangirl'd.) Based on the trailer they put out and Felicia's twittering, I'd say this season is going to be great. Man, I wish I had a tiny fraction of the talent that goes into making this series.
As Vork has been camping out for 2 days it's at least that long since the party,possibly longer. Perhaps we'll learn more about what happened to Codex in future episodes?
Hi Robin – "Date my Avatar" has been going round my head ever since I first heard it and I also went back and re-watched everything before S3 came out
@GrrAargh – you are right about some time having elapsed but what I meant was that they picked up the story from the last bit we saw and carried it on from there very skillfully – in lines Codex has recapped . Bladezz has a job now so a short amount of time must have gone by.
I don't know whether we'll find out what happened in the time between, or what happened to Codex, but in 25 secs she has recapped the end of Season 2 and outlined what she did about it. Ate ice-cream, of course! And do you remember Felicia talking about ice-cream flavours on Twitter a while back and saying that Butter Pecan was her favourite even if people thought it was old-fashioned? Old lady'd!
It can't have been too long. Codex refers to "the party the other night" when she's talking to Vork in the tent. I'm guessing a week or so, since Riley hasn't gotten bored of Zaboo yet.
Awww…poor Zaboo! Surely he will dump Riley for Codex in the end? Won't he?
Actually, that would be not so good for Codex…hmmm – I don't know anymore!