Yeesh, that cursor is staring me in the face, just blinking. It’s been a HOT minute since I last gave you all a little update on what I’m enjoying in my personal time these days (it feels like I add some kind of qualifier for how long it’s been every time I post one of these, but so it goes) but I’ve found my latest obsession, and it’s all consuming. If you follow me on Twitter (subtle plug, I know), you’ll have seen a feature I wrote earlier in the week for The Mary Sue about Dimension 20: Dungeons and Drag Queens, a 4-episode TTRPG event starring RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Bob the Drag Queen, Alaska, Jujubee, and Monét X Change.
I, seeing three of my favorite queens, unknowingly tuned in to what would become the subject of virtually every moment of my free time these days: Dimension 20, a long running tv series created by Dungeons and Dragons DM (dungeon master)/improv comedian Brennan Lee Mulligan. I realize this is a bit of a hard sell if you aren’t already drinking the kool-aid, but the entire conceit of the series is that you watch a group of six players play anywhere from an hour to two hour’s worth of dungeons and dragons per episode. Seasons range anywhere from four to twenty episodes, with each season following a new campaign cooked up by Mulligan.
How he has the mental capacity for sixteen season’s worth and hundreds of hours in unique, original campaigns (that will branch around player actions, no less) I don’t know, but his utterly mesmerizing ability to storytelling/DM makes Dimension 20 a very addictive watch. For the uninitiated (me, a week ago) this genre of role-playing/acting/tabletop gaming is called “actual play”, and I’ve got a feeling there are quite a bit of new shows/podcasts in my future.
Though Dungeons and Drag Queens was the gateway drug, I quickly consulted with the experts (Tumblr) and landed on my first proper (non celebrity newbie contestants) season: A Court of Fey and Flowers. In hindsight, it might not have been the best jumping off point in terms of getting a sense for what Dimension 20 is conventionally like: for starters, this season isn’t run by Mulligan, and is instead spearheaded by frequent player Aabria Iyengar.
Under her deft guidance, A Court of Fey and Flowers unfolds as not so much a Dungeons and Dragons adventure but a sweeping romantic regency drama, set during the “Bloom”, a time of intense passion and magic among the noble fae. The lavish set decoration (a stark contrast to the typical bare-bones decor) sets the perfect tone for the laid back, indulgent nature of the season: ACOFAF feels almost like a guilty pleasure in how much fun it makes for a viewing experience.
Recurring players Lou Wilson and Emily Axford (who have been with Mulligan/Dimension 20 since season one) are hysterical scene-stealers as the conniving cousins Lady Chirp and Lord Squawk—the Lords of the Wing (or more accurately, Wilson and Oxford) have the rest of the table in stitches with every other word.
It’s also fascinating to see Mulligan slide into the role of player as opposed to dungeon master—even moreso when his character ends up one half of a sweeping slow burn romance that does right by the regency name. Alongside Oscar Montoya (that’s Richie the photographer, for any Minx fans) as the ultra-glamorous but endearingly vulnerable Delloso De La Rue, the romance at the heart of ACOFAF gives the season a lasting emotional impact far beyond a conventional D&D season.
As for where I’m diving in next, I’m writing this as I finish the season finale of Dungeons and Drag Queens. I’m also about halfway through Fantasy High (D20’s first season) and Misfits and Magic, a mini six-episode season also DM’d by Aabria. So that’s where I’ve been lately—in between working at Hollywood Studios in Disney World and my critic writing/watching, Dimension 20 has become a full-scale escape from stress and an indulgent new binge-watch.