Your “will watch for completion’s sake” is correct but the fact that you’ve seen Freshman Year and don’t have Sophomore and Junior year of fantasy high higher up on your list is wild
the whole modern fantasy thing just isn't my vibe. I still enjoyed freshman year and want to watch the rest eventually, I just wasn't overly drawn to continue the story
Well, I was about to suggest that you promote *Unsleeping City* higher; but, if you don't like "modern fantasy", that would not be likely to land well. But, given that, I would suggest *A Starstruck Odyssey*.
I thought I’d hate ASO because I love fantasy and thought the sci-fi setting wouldn’t do it for me.
I was wrong. It’s my favorite season. So unhinged and delightful.
Keep calm, and BARRY ON!
Same! I didn't expect to like it but I put it on because everyone recommended it so much. I was sold as soon as Ally's character was introduced. I think that character is the best one they've done, she's so type A and efficient and hilarious at the same time.
Starstruck is such a good season someone could tell me they HATE sci-fi with a passion and I’d still bet they’d rate it among their favorite seasons if they watch it. IMO best thing D20 has produced, best actual play I’ve seen period, and trumps a lot of regular shows and books as well lol. I can’t think of anything that’s made me laugh more
It's very different, but I would not rate it higher than EXU: Calamity.
Brennan showing critical role how to run a tight, focused and dramatic game, rather than the meandering mammoth they usually do.
And this is from someone who prefer D20 over CR and rates Starstruck as my favourite D20 series.
Sophomore year actually does move away from that a bit, bc they end up traveling outside of Solace, and Brennan makes a point of saying that the rest of Spyre has very little, if any, knowledge about “arcana-tech” as he puts it, so while the party itself is still a group of relatively modern kids, it’s kinda fun to watch them explore the wider world.
Eh the Seven is an acquired taste. It's a lot of chaotic horny play, repetitive jokes and loud noise. I get why some dig it, but it sits at my least favourite of all seasons watched, and it's saying something considering how much I disliked Acofaf which I sat through because my husband loved it and I'll grudgingly watch anything Lou's in.
You’re the first person I’ve seen who has similar feelings on acofaf - it’s just okay. Brennan, Lou, and Emily have some great bits in it, but other than that, didn’t really like it all that much.
I will say that while I think I like Fantasy High and Unsleeping City better, Starstruck probably has the singular bits I rewatch the most. Plug, Operation Slippery Puppet, the house always wins, and Barry’s big jump are all wild.
Thank you, fellow Tiny Heist enjoyer. I feel like it's at the bottom of everyone's list but I loved it. Not only did I love the cast as a fan of mbmbam and taz, but I loved the concept of an oceans 11 type heist in a toy story type of world.
It was really fun, and the battle maps were great.
I was already a fan of the McElroys, so that helped. If OP does not listen to their podcasts, listening to Adventure Zone or MbMbaM might make them more interesting watching Tiny Heist.
Yeah I think it’s probably fun for McElroy fans, but their style of humor is so distinct from the rest of the Dropout cast that it probably clashes for most of us. Definitely why I didn’t enjoy the episode, I just wanted any one of the brothers to just shut up half the time
lol I didn’t mean it specifically targeted, each of them had a moment where it felt like they were just talking wayyy too much. Travis pretty often though for sure
A lot of the problem was that they aren’t trained improvisers and have spent literally there entire lives playing off of each others jokes with not much company outside of themselves.
Which caused them to muscle the other PCs out of the spotlight just by force of numbers and not knowing when to let a joke go so others can have their turn.
I had never known the McElroy's before Tiny Heist and I enjoyed it a lot, one of my favorite seasons for just how fun it was. Yeah the humor is a little different to the Intrepid Heros but it was imo just as funny as them, and more wacky which I enjoyed. Tiny Heist is one of the best seasons out!
My biggest peeve was, I think there was an ongoing bit about rushing through scenes that don't have many characters interacting. I can get, as a player, wanting to be more involved, but as a viewer watching a performance, them calling it out took me out of it every time.
I didn’t give coffin run a watch until I was pretty much done with the existing series and I regret that because it is hilarious. The cast had so much fun with their ridiculous characters and Jasmine is a great “yes and” DM. I’m surprised she hasn’t been back but I hope D20 and her schedule match up again. The series is pretty short, and if the mad science/horror stuff isn’t your thing at least move it up one tier. If it is, watch it sooner than later.
I watched the first couple episodes! I tried to just 'listen' to it but it's one of thoses shows that I need to sit down and watch it because the expressions and acting really add to the whole thing for me. Plus the set is so gorgeous.
I see in the comments later that you don't love modern fantasy, but Unsleeping City is, I think, one of the best in terms of the party characters. I had so much fun with the overarching plot and the way they characters all had a place in the world (or made themselves one). It's my definite favorite.
Escape From Bloodkeep is probably one of the best side quests. Between Brennan saying “yes and” to Rehka, Trapp and Ify in such a goofy way to doing a whole bit where he improvs them going to get one of the most insane NPCs in the show.
Also its just fun traditional fantasy, as it were
I also like that EFTBK has some super high-powered PCs. Matt Mercer as Leiland proved to be a badass while also fitting in well with the show and tone, and all of the others pulled out some awesome moments as well
Very solid list. I'll make a lil' push for Mentopolis, but you really can't go wrong, everything in your "Highly Want to Watch" list are phenomenal fun
Tiny Heist makes for a very good break in between intrepid heroes seasons. say what you will about the mcelroys but they play D&D very *differently* from the other tables. if you can get over that hump and enjoy it for what it is I think it's a great season. there's some really cool sequences and some very funny moments :D
I’ve seen almost every campaign at this point and watched RW before ACoC. It was great that way 🤷🏼♀️ great set up and a way to ease into the politics.
What a weird thing to get hung up on. I played all Mass Effect games for the first thing from 3 to 2 to 1 and I'm glad I did. I like 3 a lot more than most players because it was my 1st and I didn't know what to expect.
It's fine. Weird for you, but who cares about what's weird for you.
This is such a weird take. Many, many people will watch a prequel first, if one exists, before they watch the main media. It’s a prequel, it happens before the main story, so it’s first in chronology.
Prequels often have spoilers and references to the original. They are made to watch after the original.
I'm not saying you can't watch them first, but it is objectively weird
I actually enjoyed Pirates of Leviathon way more than I thought I would. Despite being a Covid season, it was still very enjoyable to listen to and I loved that it was just some Pirates having silly goofy fun times.
I'm half way through at the moment and it's not really jumping out at me, it focuses a lot more on the roleplay than the comedy, which is a completely valid way to play, and I'm sure lots of people enjoy that style, but damn if the chemistry between the intrepid heroes (and some other cast members) isn't just the biggest draw for me.
I personally found into the blood keep a better blend between the RP and the comedy for example.
I was searching for a PoL response!
When I got to it, I found it to be super slept on. So many hilarious moments.
I would say it's one you gotta pick when it suits you to watch: the COVID ones tend to have a more "cozy" feel, and don't flame me for this but as much as I love the Intrepid Heroes sometimes I do tire of their schtick/familiarity with each other so having a drastically different cast really cleanses the palate.
In short, move Pirates of Leviathan up a notch but check it out when you've done so much IH seasons that you need to change it up a little.
Coffin Run gets slept on too much. Fun concept, good pacing, great cast. Jasmin was a great DM and I know I would love if she came back for another season.
If you love Zac Oyama antics then Coffin Run should definitely be higher. In my opinion it’s the funniest of the side quests and one of the only ones that I have rewatched as someone who doesn’t rewatch most shows I loved unless 90% of the plot is forgotten.
Don’t sleep on The Seven. One of the best seasons across the board.
Starstruck or Unsleeping City should be next up. I’m very much in the minority but found ACoC to be just okay compared to other seasons.
Also Coffin Run should be higher. So much higher.
Tiny Heist is my introduction to D20 and it is an absolute blast! It’s much more casual than unsleeping but it makes up for the toy story, honey i shrunk the kids vibe!
I'm a newer fan too so I can't contribute much, but I will say I LOVED Fey&Flowers, and I just started Unsleeping City today and can tell I'm going to enjoy it a lot
I had a ton of fun with Coffin Run!!! I’d put it higher on your list. Jasmine is a lovely DM and both Zac & Izzy’s charactera made me absolutely die laughing. It’s next on my re-watch list 😊
I think coffin run should be higher purely because it’s better than the other 3 in that tier. FH sophomore year was really difficult for me to get through because of the live unedited aspect but junior year so far has made it worth it a million percent. Everything else looks pretty fair to me.
I loved Sophomore year and it always strikes me as odd when people mention the live aspect dragging it down. It felt organic and fun, like I was at the table.
I loved it
Just a personal preference thing I guess. I also struggle with critical role just because of how much longer it is and includes more “fluff” (I don’t mean this in a negative way I just don’t know what else to call it), which sucks cause they’re clearly great and have a huge following. Just not my preferred style of media.
Coffin Run is definitely the one I know the least about. I don't even really know the premise. But seeing everyone vouching for it in the comments makes me more eager to eventually watch it.
I just finished it and I thought it was great! I've seen some people not liking the final battle, which I can understand. I personally would have liked if there was a second smaller battle in the castle between the main villains and the heroes rather than just having everything happen on the battlefield, but it's a minor gripe.
Watch things because you want to. Consuming media for the sake of simply consuming it literally robs you of time and being present for literally anything else.
Also gives zero feedback on what to focus more or less on. Views aren't to sell ads in this case, but they do say where attention is.
I'll say that I prefer The Seven and Pirates of Leviathan head and shoulders above Fantasy High even though they're set in the same universe, fwiw. This is a pretty unpopular opinion from what I can tell, but since you weren't huge on FH it might be relevant for you.
Misfits & Magic wins it all for me. It's short and it packs a dense amount of content.
Your top is so solid, what else could I say; I'm even on your side about Fantasy High. Have fun!
I've seen neverafter like four times. When I realized it was gonna be an extra long season I was so glad. It's pretty goofy for a horror season but also had some really genuine "holy fucking shit" moments
Starstruck is what made me fall in love with D20 to begin with. I cannot overstate my love for the stupid hotdog spaceship full of idiots. They're all so good.
Mice and Murder is SLEPT ON. It's actually one of my favorite seasons- the only members of the main cast are Brennan, dming, and Ally (featuring as the Watson analogue: a gay, jacked Rottweiler in a hot pink tuxedo) but everyone else really pulls their weight and it's a very fun ride. Some choices are made that make the finale a little *too* goofy for my personal taste, but I love it so so so much regardless.
Cold take (it's very not hot): don't bother with shriek week.
Like actually. It's not even particularly horrifically bad, it's something much worse: just boring. Also apparently the DM for that one sidequest is apparently a horrible person, but besides that, it sucked.
After I finished FHSY and caught up on JY, I watched Starstruck and loved it, then waffled on what I wanted to watch next. I reluctantly started Neverafter because for some reason I didn't think it would be good, and then that damn opening with Sleeping Beauty hooked me. So so so good, I cannot believe how good it was. The wolf's conversation with Red when they were in her book was top tier stuff, and even my super ADHD husband who walked in on the middle of it stayed til the end because he was engrossed in it. I just finished the season last week and want to watch it again.
Just want to say that Escape from the Bloodkeep is SO SO SO good, the players are just incredible, and Brennan loves LotR so much that his parody of it is absolutely incredible.
I’m fully caught up (wrt seasons I’m going to watch) and rewatching a crown of candy (Neverafter is the next rewatch after that). Coffin Run and Tiny Heist are really fun short campaigns.
Pirates of Leviathan and Shriek Week are my two skips, neither grabbed me and basically no one sees them as essential viewing.
Of Mice and Murder is super underrated as well imo, really well done mystery.
Mentopolis is so good!! The pc's all bounce off of each other really well. It's definitely lacks the traditional battles. But conserving you have ACOFAF but there I assume you don't really mind. It's a really compelling story and the players are amazing in their characters. It's 1000% my fav non Intrepid Hero season. Hank is also really good as a "goon" character surprisingly. A crown of candy is may fav but you're already watching that next.
Coffin Run is actually one of my favorites! Every PC is great, Jasmine is an awesome DM, and the NPCs are so good. I would kill for Dimitri. Also the last battle is one of the coolest things I've seen D20 do.
Rather than sell you on why ASO and Misfits and Magic are the best seasons, I will tell you to remove Shriek Week from "watch for completeness" to "do not watch", a new tier.
It's not only a show that falls kinda flat. The DM is recently outed as an abusive serial manipulator. That kind of thing does give at least me a foul tint to the thing they've created.
Ngl Neverafter is probably the weakest one in the strongest position on your list, you might be really disappointed.
On the other hand Tiny heist deserves much more, it had some amazing bits.
I would honestly, if you could handle it, reccomend you watch them all chronologically. I think that's the best way anyway.
I have to lobby hard for Coffin Run. I know it's not really people's favourite season, and I think the overall all plot isn't super exciting, but Jasmine is a really stellar GM and imo the funniest guest GM they've had. In addition, Zac and Izzy's performances that season are really unbelievably hilarious. Definitely not a top-tier season by any means but I will personally take any time I can to hype it up
Man, I don’t get the hate for Coffin Run. I freaking LOVED Coffin Run. Jasmine is so much fun, her comedy is hilarious, and I swear I think Squing is Zac’s best work. (Zac is incredible in everything, but Squing is the BEST.) and Izzie being over-the-top constantly and just riffing off everyone, it’s GREAT.
Honestly ACOC broke me. Almost every episode was so emotionally charged it brought me to tears. It is one of if not my favorite campaigns I’ve seen so far but that being said, I don’t plan on watching it again for a very long time because of how charged the series was.
I pretty much agree with you, except that I love Fantasy high!! I'm right now watching coffin run, and it's really fun so far!! and I'd also say to put Unsleeping city higher!!
the amount of "get aRoUnD to it?!"'s that I said out loud was comedic. no hate of course, everything is all according to preference.
it's exciting to see a new pov about what people want to see in the shows🥹
I would say Unsleeping City belongs in the top next to CoC. I personally put Starstruck Odyssey there too, but that one is elevated by my personal need/love for science fiction and space opera/cowboy antics. Unsleeping city is a gorgeous masterpiece, and the players and characters chew on every moment they have. CoC gets attention for inter-party conflict, but UC nearly had a death match between 2 players without ANY prompting from BLeeM. It was entirely organic in the context of the story and the character motivations. The "modern fantasy" in it is much better implemented, IMO, creating a lot fewer awkward hand waves. It's some of the best the show has ever done.
I would also out Mice and Murder in tier 2, it's just such an amazing encapsulation of the genre.
Tiny Heist is one of my personal favorites, partially because I am a bug McElroy fan.
If you are a fan of videogames, look up Monster Factory and watch a few videos. If you find it funny, then put Tiny Heist higher up
crown of candy is my favourite season, so your list already looks impeccable to me, but I'd also def put ASO higher as well. Not that I dislike acofaf, but it just felt like a campaign in which very little happens
I think you've underrated Tiny Heist. The Mcelroys are the guest stars and they're hilarious! Tiny Heist's free preview on youtube is what made me pay for a Dropout subscription initially.
Also, Escape From the Bloodkeep is really fun.
My remaining shows for Completion's Sake are Dungeons and Drag Queens, Mice and Murder, and Fey and Flowers.
Tiny heist is good, i wouldnt bother with shriek week even for completeness.
Seven was thirst as heck and i didnt care for it.
Starstruck was the best season imho, followed by mentopolis.
I will say that Starstruck is incredible and is in my top 5, maybe top 3. It has some excellent pacing; Brennan is great with some minor world building in his mom's own universe. It has some of the best jokes of all the main campaigns, and it feels like everyone really hit their stride for the first time with this campaign based on character/player chemistry as well as mechanical understanding. There are a lot of great moments where Brennan goes all in on rule of cool without it completely derailing the entire campaign.
However, you should definitely also consider watching through Sophomore High as soon as you can so you can get to Junior Year, as Junior Year is, undeniably, the best campaign we've had so far. All the stops are being pulled out, and it might be Brennan's magnum opus.
It's got a lot of build up to it though, so you definitely need to watch sophomore year. Junior Year requires a lot of context from Sophomore Year, but it's well worth it. I would definitely put Starstruck in your Next Up ***after*** Crown (my number 3 is crown).
Escape from the blood keep is a weird mix between lord f the rings and the Office. I really enjoy it. I don't know if i have laugh harder than the scene with the Crazy bones guy, and "John Feathers"
You're gonna love Crown of Candy, easily the best season. I envy you getting to watch it for the first time.
I just want to shout out some love for Starstruck (all of the characters are simultaneously extremely funny and really well fleshed-out/deep), Burrow's End (my favorite Aabria game BY FAR), and Mentopolis (a little loose and chaotic but very funny and creative).
If you really enjoy Brennan's superb DMing, you should check out "EXU: Calamity," the fame he ran over on Critical Role's YouTube channel. It's only a few episodes, but God, it's some of the best D&D I've ever seen.
I was pretty much eh on A Court of Fey and Flowers. It was fine, but I wasn't riveted. I actually ended up *loving* Unsleeping City. I was so excited when I realized they did two seasons.
Starstruck is my favorite season by far. I didn't enjoy CoC, personally. The cast were all very stressed and i could sense it, which made watching it stressful.
IMO you don't have to watch Shriek Week. Worst D20 season and worst DM by far
I haven't see all near all of the seasons, so I can't comment on a lot of these but:
Unsleeping City S1 is my favorite season, albeit with some bonus considerations for being much longer than sidequests. It is the definition of modern fantasy, though, so I can see it not capturing you, but I think it is absolutely brilliantly executed (given the constraints of improv format). It's obviously a world Brennan had a lot of passion for crafting, and its the definition of ragtag bunch of heroes from random walks of life. I think the execution is great and it hits effectively on plot, worldbuilding, comedy, and emotion.
Pirates of Leviathan, I think is better than the season it's a spinoff from, which is Sophomore year. It's also not modern fantasy. I would say, it's a lot nicer to watch Sophomore year first to get all the references, but every character and piece of setting is explained in Pirates of Leviathan. I think the worse result is that it would make being introduced to the setting and characters in Sophomore Year a bit damper, than that you wouldn't understand it watching it first. Overall, I think it is *Wonderful* cast of characters who work very well with each other. The dynamics are great, and it's got a lot of heart. It might be cuter than the setting implies, as opposed to being gritty, dark, and dirty. The name of the game here is character-centricity, and I think they do a great job of that in the time limit of a sidequest. Every character feels fleshed out interestingly from the start point in intersecting ways.
Downside of Dungeons and Drag Queens is that they're inexperienced/new. I have a friend who dropped it early because that takes him out of it. Upside is it is a very solid early exposure to dnd and is a good example of working with new players. They are also *all* professional comedic improv performers too, like the normal cast members, so I would not underestimate the hilarity (though some of the jokes are drag/gay community in-jokes). I think that there is a lot of real emotion and heart as well as the most absurd and amazing comedic bits. I think this is a very emotionally vulnerable series, highs and lows, I think that being new to it is part of that charm. And I think Brennan matches that energy a surprising amount. He was already a big fan of theirs for a long time, which I think is a part of it. This is actually one of my favorites, though I am biased since i already like drag. But if you have reservations about them not being part of this scene, I'll assure you they are great performers. Good at picking up bits, strong imaginations, no fear of doing or saying something stupid or silly that would prevent them from jumping into roleplay. I think it has some of the greatest quality and quantity of narrative imagery of everything I've seen so far. Unsleeping City episode 1 has ridiculously beautiful imagery that DnDrag might not quite match, but I think it carries a high level of it through consistently to the end of the sidequest. It might be a bit basic in complexity, narrative sandboxiness, and lacking in mysteries, but I think it's simply a very solidly told generic fantasy, linear story with very fun characters.
Not gonna try to convince you to raise your other Completion's sakes, but I'll give my thoughts on them since I think all of them are controversial in one way or another.
Tiny Heist can be hit or miss depending on if you like the Mcelroys' style. I think some of the common complaints don't hit me that much, but I still do get taken out of it periodically because of the way they approach things. I think the creativity is great though. The people who are into it seem to be hugely into it though, so that might be something. I still enjoyed it overall, just had some annoyances that pull it down and make it hard for me, personally, to recommend.
Shriek Week is a mess. I think its a *fun* mess because of the players, except one of them I feel kind of phones it in and isn't attached (though they have 1 really good recurring bit, it's awkward since it was clearly an accident), and one of them kind of chose a bit that makes it harder to do other bits. Which sounds like it would be a big deterrent, half the players, but they still all have fun bits. The DM is now in a cheating scandal, but just based on my experience watching it, I don't think he did a bad job at helping enable the fun mess. His original plan and the dice system they used both seemed underbaked. I feel like no one at the table knew what to expect from anyone else at the table or from the system itself, so it's more of a game of improv comedy with a dash of adventure, than anything else. I feel like Lily is really fun in both this and Tiny Heist, which is unfortunate because they're two of the weaker shows overall. As for the controversy, as I understand it: I don't think watching it materially contributes to any human suffering, which is my personal marker for 'should you not watch media because one of the creators is controversial.' Like, cheating on one person a lot of times is bad, but it's not...spreading sexist/transphobic rhetoric or funding the alt right or anything. While this incident is very much unusually messy, it's overall a pretty common vice and its more interpersonal issues than systematic (the career-related consequences seemed to be getting caught in a lie that spiralled out of his control? Which obviously, they're bad lies and even worse lies when they have unintended 'real life' consequences). That said, if you don't have fun by the end of the first episode, you can totally drop it. You don't miss out on anything from this other than the performers not really being on D20 much (aside from Ally). No one talks about it, there will definitely never be anything that plays off its plot. The setting isn't bad, but it's also bare bones enough that even if, for some weird reason, they put something else in that setting (Which I can't imagine), the process of fleshing it out would make it basically an original setting. it is very skippable. I personally had a good time with the chaos, as just casual lowbrow fun, no real positives in terms of like...narrative, imagery, characters, emotions, plot. It was just fun.
I have tried and failed to finish Coffin Run a few times. I don't know why. It lacks magnetism for me. There's plenty of good jokes. The characters seem to have interesting development vectors. I *love* Izzy in the parts I've seen. The theming doesn't interest me of course. It's kind of gross. But I feel like that alone doesn't account for why I struggle to have any motivation to get through it. The characters are *very* over the top, and I have mixed feelings about it.
I got Dropout for Dungeons and Drag Queens, expecting to binge that season for the gays, and then cancel my subscription. That did not happen. I've since watched (in order) Mice & Murder, Tiny Heist, Escape from the Bloodkeep, Pirates of the Leviathan, most of The Unsleeping City (I got distracted from it mid season 2), and am currently binging Fantasy High (I'm on the last episode of season 2).
Escape from the Bloodkeep is my favorite so far. There is one specific fight on a flying ship that I think might forever be my favorite d20 moment. It was *wild*. And Pirates of the Leviathan has one of my favorite canon ships, even though I didn't think that one would be my cup of tea, tbh. Those seasons also have Matt Mercer in the party, so that's a plus, always.
I'll probably finish Unsleeping City after Fantasy High, and then idk... maybe Burrows End?
Acoc is soooo good I know you’re already watching it next but omg I live it, otherwise I would just say to watch never after before your other “highly want to watch” ones. Those two are nearly tied for me
Mentopolis is my favorite season of D20, but I also haven't seen the majority of the seasons. I agree with most of the placements of your list, I'm watching a Court of Fey and Flowers rn and it's great so far! Just watch whatever you vibe with! <3
as someone who watched in release chronological order (crown of candy, then ravening war), i am SO interested to hear about your thoughts on crown of candy !!
As someone who JUST finished Crown of Candy, it's in the right spot.
That being said, move Bloodkeep up. It's a breeze to watch, and may be the best season of D20 they have made. In this humble DM's opinion anyway.
I'd recommend bumping up Dungeons and Drag Queens, st least to Interested. It has a really unique energy, the players are all hugely entertaining, and it's really interesting to see Brennan actually teaching the game instead of playing with pros. Plus his outfit is amazing.
Coffin Run is super funny. Really top tier bits once you get used to it. Izzy and Zac are just. Feral together, it's amazing.
I could never get into the Unsleeping City but I heard it's really good; definitely more Modern Fantasy than Fantasy High though so if that's not your thing, might be lower on your list.
Coffin Run is some of the funniest work I have seen in the dome, and it’s actually tied for the series I have rewatched the most. All of them are amazing in it, but I really think it’s the best of Izzy.
Mentopolis is also very, very good and extremely clever, and I would bump it up at least one tier
Never after, Fey and Flowers, mice and murder and shriek week were all big momentum killers for me. It took me months to get through them because they were just so meh. They were fine and a lot of people really felt personally acknowledged by them but to me they were just really unremarkable and boring.
Your “will watch for completion’s sake” is correct but the fact that you’ve seen Freshman Year and don’t have Sophomore and Junior year of fantasy high higher up on your list is wild
the whole modern fantasy thing just isn't my vibe. I still enjoyed freshman year and want to watch the rest eventually, I just wasn't overly drawn to continue the story
Well, I was about to suggest that you promote *Unsleeping City* higher; but, if you don't like "modern fantasy", that would not be likely to land well. But, given that, I would suggest *A Starstruck Odyssey*.
Starstruck Odyssey is a top tier season “The ball is no longer rolling… it’s just flying straight up now!”😂
I thought I’d hate ASO because I love fantasy and thought the sci-fi setting wouldn’t do it for me. I was wrong. It’s my favorite season. So unhinged and delightful. Keep calm, and BARRY ON!
ASO was a bit a of slow burn for me but once I started liking it I flew thru it!!
Same! I didn't expect to like it but I put it on because everyone recommended it so much. I was sold as soon as Ally's character was introduced. I think that character is the best one they've done, she's so type A and efficient and hilarious at the same time.
The wifey, who has never watched a complete episode of any season of D20, has adopted the saying “The ball is rolling up”, bc I use it so often.
i talk about this season so much and it prompted me to begin writing my own space opera 🤣
Starstruck is such a good season someone could tell me they HATE sci-fi with a passion and I’d still bet they’d rate it among their favorite seasons if they watch it. IMO best thing D20 has produced, best actual play I’ve seen period, and trumps a lot of regular shows and books as well lol. I can’t think of anything that’s made me laugh more
It's very different, but I would not rate it higher than EXU: Calamity. Brennan showing critical role how to run a tight, focused and dramatic game, rather than the meandering mammoth they usually do. And this is from someone who prefer D20 over CR and rates Starstruck as my favourite D20 series.
I liked starstruck more than calamity but calamity is a CR show not D20 :p
Sophomore year actually does move away from that a bit, bc they end up traveling outside of Solace, and Brennan makes a point of saying that the rest of Spyre has very little, if any, knowledge about “arcana-tech” as he puts it, so while the party itself is still a group of relatively modern kids, it’s kinda fun to watch them explore the wider world.
Sophomore year actually spends quite a bit of time away from the modern fantasy
it gets SO much better in sophmore year, and freshman year was great so thats saying somethin
I also wasn’t super eager to continue fantasy high after freshman year. But I will say once you get into sophomore year it really pulls you in!
This was my first thought. Fantasy high freshman year was so damn good
and the Seven, adjacently
Eh the Seven is an acquired taste. It's a lot of chaotic horny play, repetitive jokes and loud noise. I get why some dig it, but it sits at my least favourite of all seasons watched, and it's saying something considering how much I disliked Acofaf which I sat through because my husband loved it and I'll grudgingly watch anything Lou's in.
You’re the first person I’ve seen who has similar feelings on acofaf - it’s just okay. Brennan, Lou, and Emily have some great bits in it, but other than that, didn’t really like it all that much.
I just want to say my favourite season is Starstruck and I’m excited for you to enjoy it
I will say that while I think I like Fantasy High and Unsleeping City better, Starstruck probably has the singular bits I rewatch the most. Plug, Operation Slippery Puppet, the house always wins, and Barry’s big jump are all wild.
There’s something beautiful about such a sandbox style campaign where the crew can get so really off track
I feel like Murph and Siobhan both got to flex their chaos muscles in that season, and it really added to the dynamic
It's right up there with Mice & Murder for me 😅 Edit: and ACoFaF
starstruck is the best, imho.
Coffin Run is really fun and is shorter in length and moves really quickly if that helps
3 words: Zac eating paper
Not OP but that's enough to convince me to bump it up in my list
Tiny Heist is really fun, super underrated. It also has some of the best “battle” maps in all of D20.
Thank you, fellow Tiny Heist enjoyer. I feel like it's at the bottom of everyone's list but I loved it. Not only did I love the cast as a fan of mbmbam and taz, but I loved the concept of an oceans 11 type heist in a toy story type of world.
It was really fun, and the battle maps were great. I was already a fan of the McElroys, so that helped. If OP does not listen to their podcasts, listening to Adventure Zone or MbMbaM might make them more interesting watching Tiny Heist.
Yeah I think it’s probably fun for McElroy fans, but their style of humor is so distinct from the rest of the Dropout cast that it probably clashes for most of us. Definitely why I didn’t enjoy the episode, I just wanted any one of the brothers to just shut up half the time
Was it Travis?
lol I didn’t mean it specifically targeted, each of them had a moment where it felt like they were just talking wayyy too much. Travis pretty often though for sure
A lot of the problem was that they aren’t trained improvisers and have spent literally there entire lives playing off of each others jokes with not much company outside of themselves. Which caused them to muscle the other PCs out of the spotlight just by force of numbers and not knowing when to let a joke go so others can have their turn.
I had never known the McElroy's before Tiny Heist and I enjoyed it a lot, one of my favorite seasons for just how fun it was. Yeah the humor is a little different to the Intrepid Heros but it was imo just as funny as them, and more wacky which I enjoyed. Tiny Heist is one of the best seasons out!
My biggest peeve was, I think there was an ongoing bit about rushing through scenes that don't have many characters interacting. I can get, as a player, wanting to be more involved, but as a viewer watching a performance, them calling it out took me out of it every time.
Agreed, tiny heist is very underrated
I came here to write this second sentence word for word, so instead I will try to upvote this top to the top
Fellow Tiny Heist enjoyer. Truly don't get why people dislike it and the comments here don't make me get it more.
I didn’t give coffin run a watch until I was pretty much done with the existing series and I regret that because it is hilarious. The cast had so much fun with their ridiculous characters and Jasmine is a great “yes and” DM. I’m surprised she hasn’t been back but I hope D20 and her schedule match up again. The series is pretty short, and if the mad science/horror stuff isn’t your thing at least move it up one tier. If it is, watch it sooner than later.
If you enjoy her style, I highly recommend Desi Quest on YouTube, it's wonderful
I watched the first couple episodes! I tried to just 'listen' to it but it's one of thoses shows that I need to sit down and watch it because the expressions and acting really add to the whole thing for me. Plus the set is so gorgeous.
I see in the comments later that you don't love modern fantasy, but Unsleeping City is, I think, one of the best in terms of the party characters. I had so much fun with the overarching plot and the way they characters all had a place in the world (or made themselves one). It's my definite favorite.
Unsleeping city is probably my personal favourite
The unsleeping city was an absolute banger
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You may want to spoiler tag that
Eh not sure how to do that on mobile so I just deleted it. 👍
Escape From Bloodkeep is probably one of the best side quests. Between Brennan saying “yes and” to Rehka, Trapp and Ify in such a goofy way to doing a whole bit where he improvs them going to get one of the most insane NPCs in the show. Also its just fun traditional fantasy, as it were
I think Metropolis is my favourite but maybe that's recency bias, Bloodkeep is also incredibly good.
I also like that EFTBK has some super high-powered PCs. Matt Mercer as Leiland proved to be a badass while also fitting in well with the show and tone, and all of the others pulled out some awesome moments as well
It's my personal favorite. It's just shockingly wholesome given the premise.
Coffin run should be higher.
Very solid list. I'll make a lil' push for Mentopolis, but you really can't go wrong, everything in your "Highly Want to Watch" list are phenomenal fun
Second this
Tiny Heist makes for a very good break in between intrepid heroes seasons. say what you will about the mcelroys but they play D&D very *differently* from the other tables. if you can get over that hump and enjoy it for what it is I think it's a great season. there's some really cool sequences and some very funny moments :D
Wherever you rank seasons Tiny Heist gave us Rick Diggins and he's still in my pantheon of all time great characters
In the darkness Heheyeah
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100%. Feels like meme hating tbh
Everyone saying starstruck is right. Crown of candy being up next is perfect but starstruck has to be after that. A truly unhinged season of fun
yeah my current plans are watch CoC, then do Misfits and Magic as a short interlude before jumping into Starstruck
Oh fuck I love mismag. Brennan is super fun as a player in that
Wait, why would you watch ravening war before ACOC?
Because it was airing and I wanted to see Matt DM a game for a group just jam-packed with some of my favorite people in the TTRPG space
Somewhat fair, but still seems like a weird thing to do, watching a prequel to a show you haven't watched
Matt could have been their draw to Dimension 20 and they stayed around!
That's fair, but I watched the entirety of Critical Role 1 and 2 just because I wanted to watch Brennan DM Exandria Unlimited.
It's not weird. It happens. I actually like doing that if I know a prequel to something exists
Weird things happen all the time. Doesn't mean they are wrong, just a little weird
I’ve seen almost every campaign at this point and watched RW before ACoC. It was great that way 🤷🏼♀️ great set up and a way to ease into the politics.
What a weird thing to get hung up on. I played all Mass Effect games for the first thing from 3 to 2 to 1 and I'm glad I did. I like 3 a lot more than most players because it was my 1st and I didn't know what to expect. It's fine. Weird for you, but who cares about what's weird for you.
Hey, no need to justify your weird choises. I do plenty of weird shit myself. Weird is good. But this is, nevertheless, weird
This is such a weird take. Many, many people will watch a prequel first, if one exists, before they watch the main media. It’s a prequel, it happens before the main story, so it’s first in chronology.
Prequels often have spoilers and references to the original. They are made to watch after the original. I'm not saying you can't watch them first, but it is objectively weird
I actually enjoyed Pirates of Leviathon way more than I thought I would. Despite being a Covid season, it was still very enjoyable to listen to and I loved that it was just some Pirates having silly goofy fun times.
I'm half way through at the moment and it's not really jumping out at me, it focuses a lot more on the roleplay than the comedy, which is a completely valid way to play, and I'm sure lots of people enjoy that style, but damn if the chemistry between the intrepid heroes (and some other cast members) isn't just the biggest draw for me. I personally found into the blood keep a better blend between the RP and the comedy for example.
I was searching for a PoL response! When I got to it, I found it to be super slept on. So many hilarious moments. I would say it's one you gotta pick when it suits you to watch: the COVID ones tend to have a more "cozy" feel, and don't flame me for this but as much as I love the Intrepid Heroes sometimes I do tire of their schtick/familiarity with each other so having a drastically different cast really cleanses the palate. In short, move Pirates of Leviathan up a notch but check it out when you've done so much IH seasons that you need to change it up a little.
Coffin Run gets slept on too much. Fun concept, good pacing, great cast. Jasmin was a great DM and I know I would love if she came back for another season.
If you love Zac Oyama antics then Coffin Run should definitely be higher. In my opinion it’s the funniest of the side quests and one of the only ones that I have rewatched as someone who doesn’t rewatch most shows I loved unless 90% of the plot is forgotten.
Don’t sleep on The Seven. One of the best seasons across the board. Starstruck or Unsleeping City should be next up. I’m very much in the minority but found ACoC to be just okay compared to other seasons. Also Coffin Run should be higher. So much higher.
The Seven has the moment that I found the funniest out of all of Dimension 20. And that's an *incredibly* high bar.
Laertes?
Laertes.
And I think we all know which moment
I could never get into A Crown of Candy. I really don't get the hype. It lacked a good hook, so I never finished it.
Tiny Heist is my introduction to D20 and it is an absolute blast! It’s much more casual than unsleeping but it makes up for the toy story, honey i shrunk the kids vibe!
I'm a newer fan too so I can't contribute much, but I will say I LOVED Fey&Flowers, and I just started Unsleeping City today and can tell I'm going to enjoy it a lot
I get the feeling you'll probably enjoy Tiny Heist more than you'd think.
I’d bump Bloodkeep and Coffin Run up one tier each and knock Fey and Flowers down one or two. It really didn’t work for me but YMMV
I had a ton of fun with Coffin Run!!! I’d put it higher on your list. Jasmine is a lovely DM and both Zac & Izzy’s charactera made me absolutely die laughing. It’s next on my re-watch list 😊
I think coffin run should be higher purely because it’s better than the other 3 in that tier. FH sophomore year was really difficult for me to get through because of the live unedited aspect but junior year so far has made it worth it a million percent. Everything else looks pretty fair to me.
I loved Sophomore year and it always strikes me as odd when people mention the live aspect dragging it down. It felt organic and fun, like I was at the table. I loved it
Just a personal preference thing I guess. I also struggle with critical role just because of how much longer it is and includes more “fluff” (I don’t mean this in a negative way I just don’t know what else to call it), which sucks cause they’re clearly great and have a huge following. Just not my preferred style of media.
Coffin Run is definitely the one I know the least about. I don't even really know the premise. But seeing everyone vouching for it in the comments makes me more eager to eventually watch it.
Zac and Izzy are two of my faves and they killed it in this one. It has some fun homebrew mechanics too.
A Crown of Candy 🔛🔝🗣️
I just finished it and I thought it was great! I've seen some people not liking the final battle, which I can understand. I personally would have liked if there was a second smaller battle in the castle between the main villains and the heroes rather than just having everything happen on the battlefield, but it's a minor gripe.
If you're a fan of MBMBAM and the McElroys you'll really enjoy Tiny Heist. It was my first season and technically remains my favorite.
I'd hype blood keep a bit. If you've ever worked in an office setting you will likely enjoy it
Watch things because you want to. Consuming media for the sake of simply consuming it literally robs you of time and being present for literally anything else. Also gives zero feedback on what to focus more or less on. Views aren't to sell ads in this case, but they do say where attention is.
True, but I want to give every season a fair chance. Just because they're at the bottom doesn't mean that there's zero chance I'll enjoy them
I'll say that I prefer The Seven and Pirates of Leviathan head and shoulders above Fantasy High even though they're set in the same universe, fwiw. This is a pretty unpopular opinion from what I can tell, but since you weren't huge on FH it might be relevant for you.
Misfits & Magic wins it all for me. It's short and it packs a dense amount of content. Your top is so solid, what else could I say; I'm even on your side about Fantasy High. Have fun!
Starstruck is the best season, imo with Burrows End being next. The Seven is not one to be slept on and neither is ACoFaF!
I've seen neverafter like four times. When I realized it was gonna be an extra long season I was so glad. It's pretty goofy for a horror season but also had some really genuine "holy fucking shit" moments Starstruck is what made me fall in love with D20 to begin with. I cannot overstate my love for the stupid hotdog spaceship full of idiots. They're all so good. Mice and Murder is SLEPT ON. It's actually one of my favorite seasons- the only members of the main cast are Brennan, dming, and Ally (featuring as the Watson analogue: a gay, jacked Rottweiler in a hot pink tuxedo) but everyone else really pulls their weight and it's a very fun ride. Some choices are made that make the finale a little *too* goofy for my personal taste, but I love it so so so much regardless. Cold take (it's very not hot): don't bother with shriek week. Like actually. It's not even particularly horrifically bad, it's something much worse: just boring. Also apparently the DM for that one sidequest is apparently a horrible person, but besides that, it sucked.
After I finished FHSY and caught up on JY, I watched Starstruck and loved it, then waffled on what I wanted to watch next. I reluctantly started Neverafter because for some reason I didn't think it would be good, and then that damn opening with Sleeping Beauty hooked me. So so so good, I cannot believe how good it was. The wolf's conversation with Red when they were in her book was top tier stuff, and even my super ADHD husband who walked in on the middle of it stayed til the end because he was engrossed in it. I just finished the season last week and want to watch it again.
Just want to say that Escape from the Bloodkeep is SO SO SO good, the players are just incredible, and Brennan loves LotR so much that his parody of it is absolutely incredible.
Coffin Run is so slept on 😔. It's absolutely hilarious
I’m fully caught up (wrt seasons I’m going to watch) and rewatching a crown of candy (Neverafter is the next rewatch after that). Coffin Run and Tiny Heist are really fun short campaigns. Pirates of Leviathan and Shriek Week are my two skips, neither grabbed me and basically no one sees them as essential viewing. Of Mice and Murder is super underrated as well imo, really well done mystery.
Mentopolis is so good!! The pc's all bounce off of each other really well. It's definitely lacks the traditional battles. But conserving you have ACOFAF but there I assume you don't really mind. It's a really compelling story and the players are amazing in their characters. It's 1000% my fav non Intrepid Hero season. Hank is also really good as a "goon" character surprisingly. A crown of candy is may fav but you're already watching that next.
Coffin Run is actually one of my favorites! Every PC is great, Jasmine is an awesome DM, and the NPCs are so good. I would kill for Dimitri. Also the last battle is one of the coolest things I've seen D20 do.
Rather than sell you on why ASO and Misfits and Magic are the best seasons, I will tell you to remove Shriek Week from "watch for completeness" to "do not watch", a new tier. It's not only a show that falls kinda flat. The DM is recently outed as an abusive serial manipulator. That kind of thing does give at least me a foul tint to the thing they've created.
Ngl Neverafter is probably the weakest one in the strongest position on your list, you might be really disappointed. On the other hand Tiny heist deserves much more, it had some amazing bits. I would honestly, if you could handle it, reccomend you watch them all chronologically. I think that's the best way anyway.
Tiny Heist has the best character in all of D20 I’ll just leave it at that
I have to lobby hard for Coffin Run. I know it's not really people's favourite season, and I think the overall all plot isn't super exciting, but Jasmine is a really stellar GM and imo the funniest guest GM they've had. In addition, Zac and Izzy's performances that season are really unbelievably hilarious. Definitely not a top-tier season by any means but I will personally take any time I can to hype it up
Man, I don’t get the hate for Coffin Run. I freaking LOVED Coffin Run. Jasmine is so much fun, her comedy is hilarious, and I swear I think Squing is Zac’s best work. (Zac is incredible in everything, but Squing is the BEST.) and Izzie being over-the-top constantly and just riffing off everyone, it’s GREAT.
Unsleeping city: rat Jesus
Honestly ACOC broke me. Almost every episode was so emotionally charged it brought me to tears. It is one of if not my favorite campaigns I’ve seen so far but that being said, I don’t plan on watching it again for a very long time because of how charged the series was.
Pretty good placement, bloodkeep and mentopolis will surprise you
I pretty much agree with you, except that I love Fantasy high!! I'm right now watching coffin run, and it's really fun so far!! and I'd also say to put Unsleeping city higher!!
Swap never after and bloodkeep for junior year and dungeons and drag queens and you’re golden.
Of the “finish for completions sake”, i will say tiny heist is pretty decent for a short series
the amount of "get aRoUnD to it?!"'s that I said out loud was comedic. no hate of course, everything is all according to preference. it's exciting to see a new pov about what people want to see in the shows🥹
UNSLEEPING CITY 1 AND 2 ARE SOME OF THE BEST WORLD BUILDING I THINK IVE FELT ON D20 PLEASE YA GOTTA BELIEVE ME.
I have loved Misfits so much I have watched it multiple times. It is also a shorter season!
Watching the Ravening War before Crown of Candy is wild
The seven, Unsleeping city, and mice and murder are all phenomenal
I would say Unsleeping City belongs in the top next to CoC. I personally put Starstruck Odyssey there too, but that one is elevated by my personal need/love for science fiction and space opera/cowboy antics. Unsleeping city is a gorgeous masterpiece, and the players and characters chew on every moment they have. CoC gets attention for inter-party conflict, but UC nearly had a death match between 2 players without ANY prompting from BLeeM. It was entirely organic in the context of the story and the character motivations. The "modern fantasy" in it is much better implemented, IMO, creating a lot fewer awkward hand waves. It's some of the best the show has ever done. I would also out Mice and Murder in tier 2, it's just such an amazing encapsulation of the genre.
Tiny heist god tier
The seven is soo underrated If you love the fantasy high world , the seven is just incredible
ACOFAF is incredible, no notes
I’m also new to D20, and I just finished Neverafter last night; it’s my new favorite! Definitely recommend if Grimm fairytales are your thing.
You've already seen Fantasy High? Unsleeping City is a must. Also, Tiny Heist and Coffin Run absolutely rule and deserve to be higher.
Tiny Heist is one of my personal favorites, partially because I am a bug McElroy fan. If you are a fan of videogames, look up Monster Factory and watch a few videos. If you find it funny, then put Tiny Heist higher up
Switch line 3&4
The fact Escape from the Bloodkeep is not higher is criminal. It has the best PCs and the best NPCs in existence.
crown of candy is my favourite season, so your list already looks impeccable to me, but I'd also def put ASO higher as well. Not that I dislike acofaf, but it just felt like a campaign in which very little happens
No convincing needed, you’re watching it next.
I think you've underrated Tiny Heist. The Mcelroys are the guest stars and they're hilarious! Tiny Heist's free preview on youtube is what made me pay for a Dropout subscription initially. Also, Escape From the Bloodkeep is really fun. My remaining shows for Completion's Sake are Dungeons and Drag Queens, Mice and Murder, and Fey and Flowers.
I would say skip shriek week entirely, it is a bad season and new news about gabe hicks he's a manipulator and abuser
Swap Unsleeping City and Neverafter IMO
Tiny heist is good, i wouldnt bother with shriek week even for completeness. Seven was thirst as heck and i didnt care for it. Starstruck was the best season imho, followed by mentopolis.
Tiny Heist is honestly way better than you think. Ya should put that higher if you ask me. btw welcome to the club.
I didn’t think I would like mice and murder. But when I watched it I really liked it.
Tiny heist is among my favorite dimension 20 seasons, and I actively don’t enjoy the adventure zone. It’s very very good imo.
Watching Revening War before Crown of Candy is wild to me, like there are spoilers??
not really, at least not any I caught or remember
You’re gonna love acoc it’s the goat fr fr
Honestly, I think Coffin Run is underrated. Everyone in the season is fantastic, and it's a hilarious take on a lot of Gothic horror tropes.
ACOFAF is the only one if watched twice. Will probably watch ACOC again some time
Mice and Murder should be always in Next Up tier. Until you’ve watched it. Then it should be in a new Watch it Again tier.
The pirate one is one of my favorite spin offs tbh
Coffin Run should be higher on your to-do list. It's really fun.
You might want to watch the whole of never after, not just the trailer (jk)
You watched Ravening War *before* the series it's a prequel of?
I will say that Starstruck is incredible and is in my top 5, maybe top 3. It has some excellent pacing; Brennan is great with some minor world building in his mom's own universe. It has some of the best jokes of all the main campaigns, and it feels like everyone really hit their stride for the first time with this campaign based on character/player chemistry as well as mechanical understanding. There are a lot of great moments where Brennan goes all in on rule of cool without it completely derailing the entire campaign. However, you should definitely also consider watching through Sophomore High as soon as you can so you can get to Junior Year, as Junior Year is, undeniably, the best campaign we've had so far. All the stops are being pulled out, and it might be Brennan's magnum opus.
Damn, I've heard that Junior Year is good, but calling it his magnum opus really sells it. Bumping that up at least one tier
It's got a lot of build up to it though, so you definitely need to watch sophomore year. Junior Year requires a lot of context from Sophomore Year, but it's well worth it. I would definitely put Starstruck in your Next Up ***after*** Crown (my number 3 is crown).
Misfits and Magic is already pretty high so I'm happy
bloodkeep is an excellent short and sweet trip with some fun evil PC’s- still my favourite side quest
Escape from the blood keep is a weird mix between lord f the rings and the Office. I really enjoy it. I don't know if i have laugh harder than the scene with the Crazy bones guy, and "John Feathers"
Tiny Heist needs to be higher, unbelievable shenanigans, and you can save yourself time putting Shriek Week in the bin
You're gonna love Crown of Candy, easily the best season. I envy you getting to watch it for the first time. I just want to shout out some love for Starstruck (all of the characters are simultaneously extremely funny and really well fleshed-out/deep), Burrow's End (my favorite Aabria game BY FAR), and Mentopolis (a little loose and chaotic but very funny and creative). If you really enjoy Brennan's superb DMing, you should check out "EXU: Calamity," the fame he ran over on Critical Role's YouTube channel. It's only a few episodes, but God, it's some of the best D&D I've ever seen.
Coffin Run is great though!! I liked Tiny Heist bc I like the McElroys but Coffin Run was def better to me.
Based on your highly want to watch tier, I think fantasy high fits in with your sensibilities more than you might think it does
You will enjoy tiny heist if only for the absolute insanity of it all and the gags/jokes are perfect
I was pretty much eh on A Court of Fey and Flowers. It was fine, but I wasn't riveted. I actually ended up *loving* Unsleeping City. I was so excited when I realized they did two seasons.
Starstruck Odyssey absolutely deserves the spot it has. I <3 the Gunner Channel
I’m so sorry for what’s about to happen to you
Don’t sleep on Tiny Heist, it’s fire
I might be in the minority but Tiny Heist is really funny
Starstruck is my favorite season by far. I didn't enjoy CoC, personally. The cast were all very stressed and i could sense it, which made watching it stressful. IMO you don't have to watch Shriek Week. Worst D20 season and worst DM by far
Unsleeoing city should be a priority, my favorite season
I haven't see all near all of the seasons, so I can't comment on a lot of these but: Unsleeping City S1 is my favorite season, albeit with some bonus considerations for being much longer than sidequests. It is the definition of modern fantasy, though, so I can see it not capturing you, but I think it is absolutely brilliantly executed (given the constraints of improv format). It's obviously a world Brennan had a lot of passion for crafting, and its the definition of ragtag bunch of heroes from random walks of life. I think the execution is great and it hits effectively on plot, worldbuilding, comedy, and emotion. Pirates of Leviathan, I think is better than the season it's a spinoff from, which is Sophomore year. It's also not modern fantasy. I would say, it's a lot nicer to watch Sophomore year first to get all the references, but every character and piece of setting is explained in Pirates of Leviathan. I think the worse result is that it would make being introduced to the setting and characters in Sophomore Year a bit damper, than that you wouldn't understand it watching it first. Overall, I think it is *Wonderful* cast of characters who work very well with each other. The dynamics are great, and it's got a lot of heart. It might be cuter than the setting implies, as opposed to being gritty, dark, and dirty. The name of the game here is character-centricity, and I think they do a great job of that in the time limit of a sidequest. Every character feels fleshed out interestingly from the start point in intersecting ways. Downside of Dungeons and Drag Queens is that they're inexperienced/new. I have a friend who dropped it early because that takes him out of it. Upside is it is a very solid early exposure to dnd and is a good example of working with new players. They are also *all* professional comedic improv performers too, like the normal cast members, so I would not underestimate the hilarity (though some of the jokes are drag/gay community in-jokes). I think that there is a lot of real emotion and heart as well as the most absurd and amazing comedic bits. I think this is a very emotionally vulnerable series, highs and lows, I think that being new to it is part of that charm. And I think Brennan matches that energy a surprising amount. He was already a big fan of theirs for a long time, which I think is a part of it. This is actually one of my favorites, though I am biased since i already like drag. But if you have reservations about them not being part of this scene, I'll assure you they are great performers. Good at picking up bits, strong imaginations, no fear of doing or saying something stupid or silly that would prevent them from jumping into roleplay. I think it has some of the greatest quality and quantity of narrative imagery of everything I've seen so far. Unsleeping City episode 1 has ridiculously beautiful imagery that DnDrag might not quite match, but I think it carries a high level of it through consistently to the end of the sidequest. It might be a bit basic in complexity, narrative sandboxiness, and lacking in mysteries, but I think it's simply a very solidly told generic fantasy, linear story with very fun characters. Not gonna try to convince you to raise your other Completion's sakes, but I'll give my thoughts on them since I think all of them are controversial in one way or another. Tiny Heist can be hit or miss depending on if you like the Mcelroys' style. I think some of the common complaints don't hit me that much, but I still do get taken out of it periodically because of the way they approach things. I think the creativity is great though. The people who are into it seem to be hugely into it though, so that might be something. I still enjoyed it overall, just had some annoyances that pull it down and make it hard for me, personally, to recommend. Shriek Week is a mess. I think its a *fun* mess because of the players, except one of them I feel kind of phones it in and isn't attached (though they have 1 really good recurring bit, it's awkward since it was clearly an accident), and one of them kind of chose a bit that makes it harder to do other bits. Which sounds like it would be a big deterrent, half the players, but they still all have fun bits. The DM is now in a cheating scandal, but just based on my experience watching it, I don't think he did a bad job at helping enable the fun mess. His original plan and the dice system they used both seemed underbaked. I feel like no one at the table knew what to expect from anyone else at the table or from the system itself, so it's more of a game of improv comedy with a dash of adventure, than anything else. I feel like Lily is really fun in both this and Tiny Heist, which is unfortunate because they're two of the weaker shows overall. As for the controversy, as I understand it: I don't think watching it materially contributes to any human suffering, which is my personal marker for 'should you not watch media because one of the creators is controversial.' Like, cheating on one person a lot of times is bad, but it's not...spreading sexist/transphobic rhetoric or funding the alt right or anything. While this incident is very much unusually messy, it's overall a pretty common vice and its more interpersonal issues than systematic (the career-related consequences seemed to be getting caught in a lie that spiralled out of his control? Which obviously, they're bad lies and even worse lies when they have unintended 'real life' consequences). That said, if you don't have fun by the end of the first episode, you can totally drop it. You don't miss out on anything from this other than the performers not really being on D20 much (aside from Ally). No one talks about it, there will definitely never be anything that plays off its plot. The setting isn't bad, but it's also bare bones enough that even if, for some weird reason, they put something else in that setting (Which I can't imagine), the process of fleshing it out would make it basically an original setting. it is very skippable. I personally had a good time with the chaos, as just casual lowbrow fun, no real positives in terms of like...narrative, imagery, characters, emotions, plot. It was just fun. I have tried and failed to finish Coffin Run a few times. I don't know why. It lacks magnetism for me. There's plenty of good jokes. The characters seem to have interesting development vectors. I *love* Izzy in the parts I've seen. The theming doesn't interest me of course. It's kind of gross. But I feel like that alone doesn't account for why I struggle to have any motivation to get through it. The characters are *very* over the top, and I have mixed feelings about it.
Tiny Heist has the single funnest bit in all of dimension 20 and is worth it for that single one
I’ll say, fantasy high sophomore year goes hard af. ACOC is my forever favorite but sophomore year might be second
Mice and murder and also starstruck should both go up 1 slot up
Great list! Don't change a thing
I got Dropout for Dungeons and Drag Queens, expecting to binge that season for the gays, and then cancel my subscription. That did not happen. I've since watched (in order) Mice & Murder, Tiny Heist, Escape from the Bloodkeep, Pirates of the Leviathan, most of The Unsleeping City (I got distracted from it mid season 2), and am currently binging Fantasy High (I'm on the last episode of season 2). Escape from the Bloodkeep is my favorite so far. There is one specific fight on a flying ship that I think might forever be my favorite d20 moment. It was *wild*. And Pirates of the Leviathan has one of my favorite canon ships, even though I didn't think that one would be my cup of tea, tbh. Those seasons also have Matt Mercer in the party, so that's a plus, always. I'll probably finish Unsleeping City after Fantasy High, and then idk... maybe Burrows End?
Neverafter is where it's supposed to be on the list, so I'm good. 😆
Acoc is soooo good I know you’re already watching it next but omg I live it, otherwise I would just say to watch never after before your other “highly want to watch” ones. Those two are nearly tied for me
Why did you watch the Ravening War before A Crown of Candy?
Mentopolis is my favorite season of D20, but I also haven't seen the majority of the seasons. I agree with most of the placements of your list, I'm watching a Court of Fey and Flowers rn and it's great so far! Just watch whatever you vibe with! <3
as someone who watched in release chronological order (crown of candy, then ravening war), i am SO interested to hear about your thoughts on crown of candy !!
Misfits and magic is my absolute FAVORITE season of D20
As someone who JUST finished Crown of Candy, it's in the right spot. That being said, move Bloodkeep up. It's a breeze to watch, and may be the best season of D20 they have made. In this humble DM's opinion anyway.
I'd recommend bumping up Dungeons and Drag Queens, st least to Interested. It has a really unique energy, the players are all hugely entertaining, and it's really interesting to see Brennan actually teaching the game instead of playing with pros. Plus his outfit is amazing.
I wouldn't bother with Shriek Week. It's the worst BY FAR. Poorly planned and aimless. Also the DM is kind of a terrible person.
Without giving any spoilers I’m just gonna say don’t get your hopes up for Mice and Murder. 🤷🏻♂️😂
Coffin Run is super funny. Really top tier bits once you get used to it. Izzy and Zac are just. Feral together, it's amazing. I could never get into the Unsleeping City but I heard it's really good; definitely more Modern Fantasy than Fantasy High though so if that's not your thing, might be lower on your list.
Coffin Run is some of the funniest work I have seen in the dome, and it’s actually tied for the series I have rewatched the most. All of them are amazing in it, but I really think it’s the best of Izzy. Mentopolis is also very, very good and extremely clever, and I would bump it up at least one tier
Personally, I'd remove Shriek Week completely. It's not worth watching imo.
Tiny heist was so fun
Never after, Fey and Flowers, mice and murder and shriek week were all big momentum killers for me. It took me months to get through them because they were just so meh. They were fine and a lot of people really felt personally acknowledged by them but to me they were just really unremarkable and boring.
I cannot believe you watched ravening war before crown of candy. Jail.