TV REVIEW: Fantasy High Junior Year – Episode 9: Vulture Clash

Title: Fantasy High: Junior Year
GM: Brennan Lee Mulligan
Players: Emily Axford (she/her) as Fig Faeth (she/her). Zac Oyama (he/him) as Gorgug Thistlespring (he/him). Siobhan Thompson (she/her) as Adaine Abernant (she/her). Lou Wilson (he/him) as Fabian Seacaster (he/him). Ally Beardsley (they/them) as Kristen Applebees (she/her). Brian Murphy (he/him) as Riz Gukgak (he/him).
Streaming Service: Dropout

If you missed it, catch our review of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth episodes!

^{The Vulture King (Image Credit: Dimension 20)}

Drawn into the Vulture Dimension, our Intrepid Heroes deal with the fallout of their own chaotic curiosity. The Vulture King demands they answer a riddle. If any of us imagined they would be able to draw the chaos into something beneficial, the first few minutes definitely tested our faith. Of course, Brennan is just as chaotic as his players, and though the Vulture Dimension is a strange interlude, they receive magical artifacts from the Vulture King before returning to the battle.

^{Adaine’s Air Elemental Attacks Grix (Image Credit: Dimension 20)}

Gorgug, Fig, and Adaine quickly strike at their interim principal. Despite having duplicates out from Mirror Image, Grix quickly loses both them and his concentration on the spell which held Ruben. The emo bard completes his spell, providing the Bad Kids with inspiration. When Grix desperately attempts to cage Ruben once more, Adaine counters his spell.

After a fierce battle, the players defeat Grix, but Fig’s closing illusion becomes almost too real, drawing attention from the fight’s aftermath. Unfortunately, that draws Ruben away, leaving them unable to question him when they discover a ritual set up beneath the stage.

^{Yolanda Badgood (Image Credit: Dimension 20)}

Going into the forest where the Rat Grinders did their work, the Bad Kids discover the bodies of Yolanda and Lucy Frostblade, realizing Yolanda likely died around the same time the ritual would’ve occurred. Someone performed unholy last rites, preventing anyone from raising her from the dead. Having died far before, Lucy undoubtedly had multiple assailants.

Kristen weeps, mourning her teacher. Casting the shard over the dead, Kristen opens a door in realms beyond, offering her an escape from the grip of whatever held her in realms beyond. As she performs this strange ritual, Fabian and Gorgug witness Kristen’s miracle, allowing the two murdered women to be at peace.

Taking a sample of soil, Riz reaches out to the soil club as Fig hides their tracks, sealing the rotten free which hid the bodies in the first place. However, while you’d think a murder scene would be the mic drop of the episode, it is Aelwyn’s reveal that she is working for Kipperlilly that had the players in shock.

Highlights

When Gorgug kicked open the door, startling Porter and taking the reins of his barbarian track, he finally has the most incredible breakthrough. Porter encourages him, and he reveals that he truly believes in Gorgug and wanted to see him excel the way that Porter knew he could. With this, Gorgug successfully gets his MCAT signed.

^{Zac Oyama as Gorgug (Image Credit: Dimension 20)}

This was the bonding moment I’ve always wanted to see. Porter, for all his faults, is an excellent teacher. From the very first season, he showed his dedication to his students and to the school, so the antagonistic relationship between Gorgug and him always resonated with a deeper purpose. Of course, they’d be a good laugh; however, it was fantastic to see progress.

Final Score (5 out of 5 Stars)

For an episode that started with pure chaos, the Bad Kids rose above and beyond, uncovering the dark truths hidden in the forest and confronting themselves. Even when they failed, they failed up. From Kristen’s quiet miracle, which truly encapsulated the duality of doubt, to Gorgug finally revealing his rage to Porter, we jumped from one highlight to the next following the end of the battle against Grix.

However, while some might have predicted Yolanda’s death after Kristen revealed Lucy’s paperwork, it added an extra layer of cruel efficiency to have those unholy last rites cast.

Let us know what you think in the comments below or go over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Dimension 20

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The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.

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