Summary
Some new dynamics are explored in both the present-day and flashbacks, with the relationships between the key players become clearer.
This recap of the Netflix anime Dragon Age: Absolution season 1, episode 4, “Those Who Falsely Dream”, contains spoilers.
Siblings often have pretty intense rivalries, but there’s certainly no love lost between Razaren and Miriam. This episode opens with a fight; Miriam battles Neb while Razaren quite handily battles back the others. However, this is sneakily a character moment. When Miriam unmasks Nev, she recognizes him instantly – he’s her brother, and not the kind of brother Razaren claimed to be. Neb is an elf, like her, has the same facial marking, and looks just like her. When she says “brother”, she means it in the traditional sense.
Dragon Age: Absolution season 1, episode 4 recap – how are Miriam and Razaren connected?
Razaren claims to be trying to bring Neb back – to “undo her mistake”, as he puts it, which is character drama better saved for later. In the meantime, the gang is able to flee into the tunnel.
We get some more backstory involving Razaren and Miriam when the former explains to Tassia what their relationship is. He sees her as his sister, but she was trained to be his personal assassin, right-hand, servant, or really whatever he wanted. It isn’t difficult to see Miriam’s problem here. This isn’t a real sibling relationship, but a privileged boy becoming attached to something that was technically his property. Still, at least it provides some context to those earlier flashbacks.
Unfortunately, Miriam took an arrow during the escape and is on the brink of death. Lacklon still doesn’t trust her, either. While she’s out, Razaren, taking another risk, uses blood magic to communicate with her in her dreams. Since she’s Neb’s twin, he needs her to complete the ritual that’ll bring Neb back. He also needs the Circulum for that. There are an abundance of important flashbacks here, so buckle up.
The simplified version is this. Razaren’s mother was kind of awful. As part of their coming-of-age process, young mages complete a trial known as a Harrowing, and Razaren was in danger of failing his. This, given the family’s high social standing, was unacceptable, so his mother sacrificed Neb during the process. Seeing this, Miriam lashed out and killed both Razaren’s mother and then a possessed Neb. She was forced to flee in disgrace, while Razaren worked on his magic and never lost sight of his desire to become the next Divine and, he explains to Miriam, rule with both her and Neb by his side. He claims to want to make Tevinter a better, fairer place, but she would rather die than become “a thing” again, understandably.
Through the blood magic connection, Razaren heals Miriam, but at a cost. With no other option, he threatens to harm Hira if Miriam doesn’t return the Circulum to Nessum.
You can stream Dragon Age: Absolution season 1, episode 4, “Those Who Falsely Dream” exclusively on Netflix.
Additional reading:
- Dragon Age: Absolution season 1, episode 3 recap.
- Dragon Age: Absolution season 1, episode 5 recap.
- Dragon Age: Absolution season 1 review.
- What is Dragon Age: Absolution based on?
- 10 anime shows like Dragon Age: Absolution
- Top 26 Best Animated Shows on Netflix of all Time
