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, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth episodes!

We return into combat as Kristen finishes her turn, grabbing her first question. Answering it swiftly, she bonuses by fetching one for Fig, which inspired Siobhan and Emily to create this limerick:

There was an exam that was hard
But luckily I am a bard
The demons are slayed
Because of how we played
They’re hoisted by their own petard

If there was any question whether or not Brennan would lean into his love of Lord of the Rings for these questions, Adaine’s Elvish quiz being Pedo Mellon a Minno in reference to the runes carved on the entryway into Moria would’ve been a dead giveaway, but the Dimension 20 DM already flashed his Tolkien fan card in revealing the Dwarven God of Shredding being Ollie as both a pun for the maneuver and for its wordplay similarities to Aule, the god of the dwarves in Tolkien’s universe.

Though they had absolutely dominated in the beginning, a couple close calls out the gate prove that nobody pulled any punches in the planning of the Last Stand. Questions about the lore of Fantasy High mix with fantasy facts, challenging our Intrepid Heroes both in character and out. Their first auto-pass of the two which Gorgug earned ends up saving their skins in a five minute 300-word essay assignment that would’ve otherwise been their first failure.

One by one, the Bad Kids clear their questions, but even as the academic portion gives way for monster mayhem. As their enemies increase, the greatest threat to their passing is whether they can keep their proctor alive.

The second pass went to a mathematics equation which set two trains on a collision course, leaving only Gorgug’s final question looming over the group as the third wave of monsters arrived. After Gorgug answers the final question, the proctor announces the final wave, putting the end in sight.

In a moment of horror, we had Kipperlilly strike, slitting Buddy Dawn’s throat with only Kristen bearing witness. With a blue scaled hand involved, the rest of the Rat Grinders are clearly aware of the plan, and whatever story they might be telling to reassure themselves won’t be able to stack up as any doubt that they’ve gone full villain mode.

In addition, Kipperlilly has stolen Kristen’s crystals, ensuring she cannot resurrect anybody. If somebody dies, they are screwed, especially as Oisin plane shifted himself and Kipperlilly away before anyone could get an attack off on them. Despite Buddy’s death, they have no choice but to continue the test.

Bloody and nearly beaten, our Intrepid Heroes refuse to give in, managing to clear the field. A pre-recorded Arthur Aguefort congratulates them. Though the group should be celebrating, the Rat Grinders put everything into a twist. Gavin, the proctor, has sent their results in, but he seems to underestimate the threat to his life. Luckily, they convince him to let them escort him to the Council of Heroes, arriving in Bastion City.

Highlights

Brennan’s enthusiasm for Tolkien shown through, but it was Siobhan Thompson who took the lead in these questions, even taking it upon herself to recognize when the clock was running out and pushing the two auto-passes.

That being said, in my mind, the true highlights of this week came from the fandom. In the time since the show aired, people have posted hopeful imaginings of Buddy Dawn returning after having met Helio and realizing that Kristen was right.

While few doubted the lengths Kipperlilly would go to, the reaction to Oisin’s arm and his spell left many fans heartbroken, lamenting his clear participation in his fellow Rat Grinder’s plan.

Beyond on that, the split in the fandom that Arthur Aguefort’s speech caused, inspiring some to begin to question if there was validity to Kipperlilly’s complaints and others to reframe the core issue as being the way Aguefort Academy is run for how it harms both the Bad Kids and the Rat Grinders delves into a core issue that is often seen in any young adult fantasy series. If teens have to save the work, adults have already ultimately failed them. Something that Jawbone, Gilear, and Sklonda have all acknowledged this in prior seasons.

Final Score (4 out of 5 Stars)

We’re running toward the end. The Rat Grinders have shown their true colors, and though we’ve long suspected from Lucy’s death and Yolanda’s that they were willing to kill their own, it’s something else entirely to see how obsessed Kipperlilly is with the destruction of the Bad Kids.

With only a few more episodes to go in this season, we’re closing off the school year with all As, but there’s honestly more questions than answers. We’ll have to wait until next week to find out.

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 Flagship Podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network

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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