I need all the help I can get. I'm really interested in starting to play, but I don't know anything about the game. Help?

It's all good, dndbeyond is your one-stop-shop for all things D&D. And of course, they've got you covered with a New Player Guide https://www.dndbeyond.com/how-to-play-dnd. Open up that link and work you way top to bottom. Disregard the portions directed at dungeon masters (DM) and how to create your own campaign (after becoming more familiar with the flow of a campaign, you can come back to those sections)

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

Watching a few streams of one-shots might be a good idea as well, to see how the game flows and how it plays out so far as turns, combat, and so forth.  I suggest random one shots just to gain a bit of understanding of table mechanics.  The link provided is an excellent method of reviewing and familiarizing yourself with the rules and how the game is played as well, and if you read all that and watch a game played (not even the whole game, just a few activities where the players are rolling to accomplish things, it will set a reasonable expectation for how it will be at the table(s) you join.

Definitely experience different DMs' games to get a feel for what kind of game you like.  That can be podcasts or being a player in the games.  The big thing to remember is that your game won't look like a professionally produced show with a substantial budget like Critical Role has... and that this is perfectly fine.

I, myself, played in games from 5 different DMs before I took over running games for one of my groups.

The good news is that if you are familiar with fantasy themes (Lord of the Rings, etc.) at all, then you already have a good sense of the flavor of things.  You can pick up the rules and nuances as you go along, as part of this cooperative story telling experience that is D&D.  If you feel safe these days doing so, find a local game via a game store, local gaming convention, D&D Adventurers League, your library, college student union, etc.  They often have intro experiences geared for new players, or other events where more experienced players can show you the ropes.  

There are also a number of options for online play, from real time games using virtual table tops (VTTs) to slower-paced play by post games.  You can find groups organizing these right here in the general forums, or on the D&D discord server:  https://www.dndbeyond.com/linkout?remoteUrl=https%3a%2f%2fdiscord.gg%2fdnd

Any of those options will help you start figuring out what style of D&D appeals to you, be it role-play heavy story telling, roll-play heavy tactical crunch, or some mix.  Hopefully you’ll meet some new friends along the way.  Good luck, and have fun!

Well here's the absolute basic premise of the game:

D&D is a bit like writing a book by playing a board game. The DM (Dungeon Master) is the narrator, and the players are the protagonists. The DM describes a situation, you describe what you want to try to do, and you roll a 20 sided dice. The DM uses stat blocks and intuition to determine how high of a number you need to roll to succeed, and your character sheet has modifiers that change the outcome of the roll.

Your characters can talk to each other and to NPCs (Non-Player Characters controlled by the DM), have character arcs and backstories, and work together both in and out of game to tell a meaningful story.

In combat, players and monsters take turns, describing their actions in great detail. A single round (One loop around the table) lasts 6 seconds in-game, and you can take a couple of actions on your turn to advance the battle (Make an attack, cast a spell, etc.).

There's a lot more to it than that, but that should give you the basic idea of how the game works. If you want to play D&D, you need to find some friends who also want to play, or find a group online or at your local game store. If you end up being the DM, I recommend using the STARTER SET and/or the ESSENTIALS KIT for your first game.

Quote from MadArkitekt >>

It's all good, dndbeyond is your one-stop-shop for all things D&D. And of course, they've got you covered with a New Player Guide https://www.dndbeyond.com/how-to-play-dnd. Open up that link and work you way top to bottom. Disregard the portions directed at dungeon masters (DM) and how to create your own campaign (after becoming more familiar with the flow of a campaign, you can come back to those sections)

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

 Don't mean to be insulting but who says the thread maker doesn't have what it takes to be a DM right off the bat? I suggest they watch some people play and gets used to the way it works then decides if they want to be a DM a player or both. As a DM all they have to work with is their imagination and reading off the guide in the content books. Though as a player you get to do a lot more roleplaying depending on the type of campaign. When it comes down to it, the only person who can give you help is yourself after you see what role you fit into most within the game. You like creating stories? Be a DM. You like roleplaying stories set out for by others? Be a player. You can also roleplay as the DM to, but in my opinion it's a little less fun unless your playing heavy homebrew where the DM is basically another player who just seems pretty OP, but that kinda setting is more for those who just want to make a joke out of the game (I don't mean that in an insulting way, i mean that in the way of turning the game into something of a comedic parody of fantasy life.) Also I have noticed that a lot of people recommend buying your own kit, but I would wait until you actually become a solid member of a group first as they might already have stuff and you would just be wasting money, though in the end it's up to you, I just speak form experience.