Critical Hit for Gold! “the web series that does double damage”

Gold is an illustration of how obsessive we (gamers) can be, especially in a slightly different reality where there are professional RPG leagues with championships.  It is a well-acted, strongly written, authentic and earnest work that deserves the many accolades it has received: Streamy Awards Nominee 2010, New York Television Festival 2009, Independent Television Festival 2010, etc.

The Gold Season 1 DVD assembles the series’ six web episodes into a 75 minute ride in a world where there are RPG league championships.   The series centers on the U.S. gaming group that has won the silver award for the past three years.  Due to an incident not fully revealed until near the end of season one, the group changes its captain.

The new captain, Richard,  is obsessed with running the group his way particularly regarding a player switching classes and learning to effectively play the new class.  The other gamers in the group are obsessed with practicing, at least until things blow up.  Jonathan, the former captain is obsessed with an injury he received in the previous year’s finals. Midway into the series we meet Oliver, the captain of the British team (and gold champions).   He is obsessed with two things: obtaining superior training and learning more about the new “wild-card” U.S. captain (Richard) of the silver winners.

I didn’t know what to expect when I agreed to review Gold‘s 1st season, which was recently released to DVD.  But I found that I truly couldn’t stop.  Like a good novel with cliffhanger endings for each chapter, I kept on watching “just one more” episode.  The final episode didn’t end the way I thought it would, but it sets up nicely for a second season, of course!