TV Review: The Guild (2007 - 2013)

Since the folks over at Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have decided that they’re going to take a break this week, it looks like I’ve got to find something else to talk about.  So what better than to use this as an excuse to sell my readers on what I consider to be one of the best series ever made - The Guild.  Though technically this is a web series, it ran for many years and encompassed six seasons, each totaling about as much time as your average movie.  I have to warn you, however, that if you get hooked on The Guild, it’s one of those shows where you’ll be staying up until 3am whispering to yourself “Just one more episode… then I’ll go to bed…” (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?).

The basic story revolves around the six main characters (along with the occasional series regular), each one of them a member of an online MMO guild called The Knights of Good.  One fine day, a member of the guild - Zaboo - visits another member - Codex - and insists that he’s moving in with her and that they are both madly in love.  In order to alleviate the extreme discomfort, Codex decides that all the members should meet in person, a social adventure that they have not yet experienced.  From there, the fun ensues in both real life and in the online world.

As the show goes through each season, the group must face various obstacles and challenges, from dating actual human beings to fighting against their rivals to braving the chaos of a major gaming convention.  And, of course, along the way they all become closer friends.

The main strength of The Guild is that it is written very intelligently to appeal to gamers, particularly those of us that have experienced an online connection or two.  The jokes are very much rooted in the culture of MMOs and gaming in general, though even those that haven’t spent half their lives playing World of Warcraft will still get much of what they have to say.  If you do happen to be a serious gamer, then The Guild is something you can go back and rewatch again and again, always catching something new.

By the end of a few seasons, you’ll love each of the ridiculous characters in a special way, even the ones that seem to be less than human.  They’re pretty much all Internet stereotypes and you’re bound to recognize at least a few of them from your own experiences (or be able to identify with one way too much).  And though the series dries out a bit during the final season, it is, overall, one of the best shows I have ever watched, online or otherwise.

To begin your glorious adventure, head over to The Guild’s official website and watch some of the episodes.  It’s best to start with the first season, however, or you’ll definitely miss something along the way.

Photo Credits -           

The Guild courtesy of fanpop.com