Critical Role’s Campaign 4 Is Designed Like The Wire — DM Brennan Lee Mulligan Explains Why the Confusing Start Is On Purpose

Critical Role Campaign 4’s Dungeon Master, Brennan Lee Mulligan, says he intentionally left early episodes full of unexplained details because he was inspired by the TV show The Wire. Mulligan compared the audience experience to watching the first episodes of that series: confusing at first, but compelling enough to keep you watching.

1. DM inspiration: The Wire
2. Why confusion was intentional
3. Opening scene and emotional focus
4. Where to watch Campaign 4

DM inspiration: The Wire

Brennan Lee Mulligan told the cast on Cooldown that one of his favorite shows, The Wire, shaped how he presented the start of Campaign 4. He said the early episodes of The Wire leave viewers asking questions, and that same feeling is what he wanted for Aramán.

In Mulligan’s words: One of my favorite TV shows of all time is The Wire, where the first watch-through of it, you’re watching the first four episodes and you’re like, ‘Huh?! What?! What?!’ And then you’re like, ‘This is fucking awesome,’ which he used as a direct model for pacing and reveal.

For context on how critics view that show, see this list on Rolling Stone that includes The Wire among highly regarded TV series.

Why confusion was intentional

Mulligan said he avoided long expository monologues. Instead, he layered world details into scenes and character moments. As a result, viewers get many quick hints about big events—like the Shapers’ War—without a single, full explanation up front.

Consequently, the storytelling choice makes the plot feel denser at first. However, Mulligan’s goal was to make the audience want to keep watching so pieces fall into place over time.

Opening scene and emotional focus

Critics and viewers noted that while some lore was hard to parse, the emotional opening landed clearly. The episode begins with Halandil (Liam O’Brien) watching his brother Thjazi’s execution. That moment centers player and viewer attention on human stakes rather than backstory dumps.

Mulligan emphasized that emotional clarity was deliberate. He said, He goes, ‘You have to tell Thimble not to be scared.’ To me, that’s what makes people care about a world. So, despite unanswered questions, the show prioritizes character connection.

Where to watch Campaign 4

Critical Role Campaign 4 airs weekly on Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern. You can watch live on Critical Role’s Twitch channel, stream the uploads on YouTube, or follow episodes on Beacon.

Summary: Mulligan used The Wire as a pacing model, intentionally started Campaign 4 with limited exposition, and focused early moments on emotional impact to draw viewers into Aramán.