Title: Misfits and Magic
GM: Aabria Iyengar
Players: Erika Ishii (she/they/any) as K (she/they/any). Lou Wilson (he/him) as Whitney Jammer (he/him). Danielle Radford (she/her) as Sam Black (she/her). Brennan Lee Mulligan (he/him) as Evan Kelmp (he/him).
Streaming Service: Dropout

Erika starts off this episode with an astounding roll, having K convince themselves that they’re fine and suppress the pain by using the magic of the island. This also undoes Theodore’s transformation.

After facing Boudicca, Evan questions Dr. B, stating they need to make their own choices, but he as well as Sam and K are both solidly on Team Save Magic (or more correctly, Team Figure Out New Magic), but despite agreeing, Jammer remains a bit subdued. Though less than enthusiastic, Jammer tries to use his sock to find Tadeshacourt, who promised them a warning which the rest of the group hopes will clarify their next move.

Unfortunately, as the nickname Tad isn’t a Jammer original, and Jammer doesn’t consider the mythical monster on The Team, he ends up having to switch gears and plea with Tabby. With K’s and Sam’s support, Jammer not only manages to locate where they need to go but also changes Tabby’s anti-Jammer to a heart around Jammer’s name.

Unlike other islands, the one they’re on has clear skies, so before they leave, the group decides to send two of them up to get their bearings. Evan and Sam fly up to help get them oriented. Spotting two islands that orbit one another, Evan points them out to Sam, wondering what exactly is the effect that Tabby believes will ease K’s injury on those two islands. However, Sam spots a henge on the island. Despite Evan’s reluctance, Sam insists they check it out.

Flying above the henge, the two watch the standing stones move, and Evan finds a good place to land. Once landed, they discover that this is a Serpent’s Watch. By perceiving it, they become aware it is in the sky, and they’re eager to ensure they don’t run into the flying serpent. Evan notes it isn’t on the orrery; however, if you take a close look, there does seem to be a flying snake looping the table around the orrery.

More worrisome, Evan can’t find an anatomical drawing, indicating that while the creature may have been witnessed, they didn’t manage to ever kill one. Sam and Evan connect once more, and when Sam invites Evan over to meet David Attenborough, he breaks down, apologizing for assuming her friendship was just kindness and admitting that he doesn’t like himself or feel like he would do anything besides drag her down. She rejects this, telling him, “I want you in my life. My life is better when you’re in it.”

While those two get the lay of the land, K and Jammer reconnect. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum with K dedicating her life to magic while Jammer barely interacts with it in his daily life and keeps his time at Gowpenny on the downlow.

However, the group stayed too long. On an island of magic users who cannibalism one another, there was no world in which they weren’t attacked if they remained, but Jammer quickly jumps into action, pulling K behind the hoopty for cover.

K gets hit with a spell, which completely reduces her situational awareness and leaving her convinced they aren’t in danger. Jammer keeps her out of danger long enough for Sam and Evan to return. Even from above, there’s no clear assailant. Swooping down, Evan tosses a small stun grenade in the general area where the attacks are coming from. He also gets hit when protecting Sam, but his grenade sends four invisible folks scrambling.

Sam causes a minor explosion, causing glittering detritus to stick to their attackers, making them visible to all four misfits. Seeing this, Jammer races forward, tackling one to the ground. Upon pinning one to the ground, our favorite athlete puts them into a magical sleep. The spell on K breaks, and she uses her glasses to identify a weakness in another of the figures. She immediately identifies Axelby.

Breaking the mind control he got protecting same in order to keep protecting her, Evan releases his shadow, hoping to ensure their attackers can never mind control or repeat their efforts on anyone else again. Jammer and Sam lend helping hands, and they manage to completely stop them from ever being able to do magic again.

They make it, finding modern buildings with red roofs. On the front of one of the buildings, there is the name: St. Dotto’s. Tabby states the place is near to Wuegan.

Nervous after their last encounter, Sam turns a set of keys into a magical item, locking down the hoopty, so no one can take it, or if they try, she will be aware while Evan takes Tabby to keep the tablets safe.

The magic on the island has been beneficial for research and healing as it amplifies; however, a group rushes out, revealing a very soap opera style group of doctors with one, Winnie, who heals K. While the majority of the misfits embraces the television-trope style world, Evan is immediately suspicious.

Highlights

With each episode, my need for a sitcom of Evan and Sam hanging out and just being friends grows stronger. These two are just so wholesome. Both are incredibly loyal, well-meaning people who struggle with their own demons of self-doubt, and Sam’s constant support of Evan as well as his constant uplifting of her in turn creates such a beautiful friendship that I’d happily watch that and forget about saving magic or anything else (despite how much I adore this series so far).

If I can’t have that sitcom, I’m going to need more seasons with both Brennan and Danielle in player seats because these two know how to tug heart strings like nobody’s business.

Final Score (4.5 out of 5 Stars)

Friends reconnect; Jammer wins over Tabby unintentionally, and the whole group faces some needed honesty. While the plot didn’t move too far forward this episode, the reconnecting of friendship was a beautiful sight, and I’m looking forward to the drama that will undoubtedly unfold on an island straight out of a hospital drama.

While staying a bit longer on the island provided them with insight into the serpent and allowed our magical misfits to bond, the attack was predictable, and the fact that the group wasn’t in a bigger hurrier off the island definitely felt strange, but we’ll attribute that to the magical influence of the island itself.

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

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

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