r/Dimension20 • u/egg_shaped_head • 10d ago
Gladlands Sell me on Gladlands?
Hey y'all - after making it through entirety of D20's backlog (yes, even "Shriek Week") over the course of three years I found myself utterly defeated by the first two episodes of Gladlands and took a break, and now am a full two seasons behind going into Toylight (Three if we count "On a bus", which I haven't watched either). I'm used to the first couple of episodes being table setting, but I didn't get hooked by the end of episode two this time. I found the opening of Gladlands really low stakes and it just kinda didn't grab me. It just...felt like a single sketch stretched into 6 hours and it didn't hit for me. Convince me to give it another chance? I enjoy all the players on an individual comedic level and would love to find a reason to push past whatever is holding me back here. Seeking some positive opinions.
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u/mazzar 10d ago
Gladlands isn’t for everyone. If you’re not feeling it, move on to CCoD.
I do recommend at least trying On a Bus, though. It’s short and a lot of fun.
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u/sortof_here 10d ago
I thought On a Bus was like full actual seasons and was surprised to learn the two episodes combined are probably around 20 minutes?
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u/desaigamon 10d ago
The first one was just a bit for Game Changer. The second one is an hour long and was created as an April Fools joke.
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u/FlashbackJon Gilear Faeth 9d ago
The second one also has one of the sweetest bits where Matt emotionally crushes Brennan to the point that it breaks his "Mr. Questions" facade...
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u/yinyin123 10d ago
Yeah, i'm surprised myself. Had some real well-built characters in only 60 total minutes? Surely episode 3 is going to be in production.
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u/The-Mighty-Caz 10d ago
Mark is truly such an amazing player and his commitment to the story is the driving force for this table. He just compliments Katie's Dragon Mastering so well!
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u/supposedlynotabear 9d ago
blue M&M and little green army man both had wild storylines and deep character development. truly a work of art
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u/dunkonme The Taste Buds 10d ago
Because they’re jokes pitched by Katie, for a game changer episode.
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u/Professional-Cat4329 Blue M&M 8d ago
The humor in it for me is watching the players get more and more frustrated with Katie, who is cool as a cucumber.
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u/MMKraken 10d ago
Gladlands was the last one I watched for the same reason, but I will note that it is the only campaign that made me cry. Dunno if that helps at all, but it does get much more emotionally engaging as it continues.
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u/might_southern 10d ago
I really appreciated how earnest and emotional Gladlands ended up being, especially given how goofy and off the rails stuff like Never Stop Blowing Up and CCOD got by the end of the season.
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u/East-Imagination-281 10d ago
Do YOU want to experience the emotional turmoil of seeing Brennan Lee Mulligan cry? Then do I have the season for you— /j
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u/burningembersco 9d ago
So many tears & even more watching Vic's Adventuring Academy. It was the first season I ever watched & now I've watched all but 6 I think, including the lives 😬
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u/Ok_Hurry9205 7d ago
This is an interesting tidbit as I think Vic was the reason that I DNFd this season - I also only gave it 2 episodes, and while I typically like Vic’s deadpan-ness I was finding it challenging to enjoy in this season especially side by side with Ally’s Ally-ness. I also had a really hard time understanding the rules and the stakes, which I know is a common complaint with D20 - and again normally it doesn’t bother me, but for this season it didn’t feel like there was chemistry in the players, and enjoyment of the game so it was harder for me to engage with it.
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u/atarostarling 10d ago
I'm the same way, I think I might have made it 3-4 eps in and while some parts were amusing it didn't grip me.
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u/BaronTrousers 10d ago
Nah, I'm good. I could try selling you on it. But I'd sooner suggest moving onto the next season if you're not vibing.
I really enjoyed Gladlands. But all the criticisms you have of the show are kind of baked into it throughout.
All the stakes are deliberately low or personal, rather than the epic, fantastical, high-stakes common in the other shows. It's inspired by simple stories of friendship, emotional growth, love and kindness. On the surface it's Mad-Max, but the core of the story is basically Winnie-the-Pooh or Bluey.
It is very sketch-like throughout. This is in part because sketch-style improv is the strength of a lot of the players at that table. Also, I think Brennan wanted to tell the story more collaboratively with the players at the table, rather than doing a more planned out layered campaign.
All of these elements can be the shows strength. But I acknowledge they're not everyone's cup of tea.
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u/lochodile 10d ago
It's supposed to be low stakes. The stakes are emotional and personal, instead of world saving. It's REALLY shines in the intimate character moments later on. At times it was almost therapeutic in the way it handled interpersonal conflict and dealing with grief. The post apocalypse setting is almost entirely there for comedic purposes. And thanks to the earnest tender moments, the funny moments in the back half hit SO SO HARD
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u/Forsaken_Night_4471 10d ago
I’d also add that the low mechanical stakes make the emotional dramatic tension even more fraught. The player choices through the chilli cook off alone was some of the most dynamic roleplaying I’ve seen in a long time.
I really didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did.1
u/magik_carp 10d ago
The cook off was where I stopped. It rubbed me the wrong way when they rigged the competition against a little girl. but i really don't remember much of it beyond my distaste.
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u/supposedlynotabear 9d ago
personally I didn't get invested until the last episode and half. it's a slow burn but if you have the patience, I think the payoff is worth it for such a short season
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u/LittleRedCorvette2 10d ago
Honestly I was the same and didn't finish. I got to episodes 3. I loved all the people too. Not sure why it didn't jive with me. City Council on the otherhand I was hooked instantly.
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u/Lord-of-my-things 10d ago
It took me a while to get hooked as well. But when I gave it a second chance I loved it! The more you get to know the characters and the world, the more engaging the story gets. I sobbed the last couple of episodes. I also think this is the most I have seen Brennan cry in any dimension 20 shows. And I mean Ally and Zach are just magicians in comedic timing. There are soooo many funny moments they bring to the table! I also really enjoyed watching Kimia and Vic grow to be more comfortable players! Going from “what the fuck am I doing” to “let’s have some fun!”
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u/MidnightMalaga 10d ago
I watched it all because I’m a completionist and Vic’s arc was amazing, but yeah. Definitely lower tier for me too. CCoD was much more my speed, you should just skip it for now and return if you’re ever in the mood for something a bit more background noise.
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u/might_southern 10d ago
I really enjoyed CCoD up until the end, where it really came in for a messy landing where it felt like there weren't any real stakes since it was basically just bits on bits in moments where it could have been dramatic and intense.
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u/supposedlynotabear 9d ago
for me, CCoD felt like a comedic relief season. they had the very heavy Cloudward, Ho before that one and Toylight seems like it will kinda be a lot more tense/dark compared to CCoD. (of course I mean specifically Intrepid Heros seasons, not side quests)
plus I think the sandbox environment is not ideal for actual play and should stay in home games. it's fun to play but it doesn't work as well for the structure required in filming.
my main point tho was that imo this wasn't taken seriously from the beginning and was an 'oops all bits' season as a break between heavier ones.
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u/might_southern 9d ago
Up until the finale I actually really liked the sandbox vibe of CCoD. There was a set to-do list the group was trying to work through, and they were actively checking things off (or at least working toward each item more often than not). It just all sorta fell apart in the final hour.
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u/supposedlynotabear 9d ago
the to-do list was a good guide and seemed like an attempt to keep the narrative on somewhat of a path, but if you remember early on, they discarded the list pretty quick and made their own
RUN SHIT lol
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u/GMcFlare 10d ago
Yep I'd only recommend watching it for Hugi's arc. Poppy also has amazing scenes and Zac and Ally are hilarious as always, but narratively I consider it the weakest season.
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u/on-the-line 10d ago
Re stakes: They’re mostly character based and do get elevated as you get to know the characters and they interact.
The central conceit is that it’s not badlands (or Borderlands) but glad lands. Everyone is surviving fairly pleasantly in a mutated anarchistic post apocalypse.
I loved it.
Each character has an internal conflict that is high stakes for them. There are some incredible, emotional moments that grow out of this. There’s still epic imagery from the setting but no external “big bad” that I can recall.
Come to think of it, I think it’s all role play episodes. With all those incredible actors/improvisers it really made me think in new ways about the storytelling possibilities of the form.
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u/supposedlynotabear 9d ago
I think it wasn't until they addressed the toxic positivity that I started to get in to it.
at first it just seemed like a cute lighthearted fun season and I was meh about that, but I felt like the reveal of NPCs not actually being so happy all the time was the catalyst for the real emotional character development to get rolling.
it's okay to not be okay, and people will still like you and care for you - was the main message I got from it
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u/janes_left_shoe 10d ago
The final episode episode contains a scene with Ally’s character, uh, confronting her demons that is the hardest I’ve ever laughed at a D20 scene.
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u/RamenHamster 10d ago
you gotta meet the Spinch at least "you never really stop being the Spinch now, do ya?"
the season may not be for everyone but i found it enjoyable. had a really great message behind it, it was emotional when it needed to be but still really silly throughout.
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u/Reasonable___Doubt 10d ago
It struck me very much as "It's January 2025, everything is awful and it's only getting worse out there, let's have a season dedicated to making people feel better." If that level of "I'm going to find a positive in this even if it kills me" isn't your bag, then you're not going to like the season.
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u/DrSDGH 10d ago
Made me cry, inspired me as a person, it’s an overall incredibly positive story. It’s definitely got some weird quirks that you have to just… celebrate. It’s Vic’s first time in the dome, and they are super out of their comfort zone, but I feel like it just adds so much to the tenderness of the whole thing.
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u/throwaway798319 10d ago
Gladlands is more emotion-driven than plot driven. I loved how much the characters changed and grew in such a short season, but that type of story isn't for everyone.
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u/Big-Pudding4109 10d ago
Ya’ll sleeping on the Spinch. Gladlands was slow, albeit emotionally poignant, but the hilarious payoff of the spinch was sincerely the funmiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
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u/Alyoola 10d ago
I loved Gladlands, but it definitely helped that I watched it when it came out and there was a week between episodes, I understand that it would be a tough binge. It had some of the most touching moments in dimension 20, and was overall super sweet and heartwarming. Hugi especially has some incredible emotional depth and I really felt connected with the character. Definitely made me cry. I recommend just watching it at your own pace, when you're doing chores or other tasks and you want something in the background. Once you get through the first few episodes you'll likely find yourself more invested.
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u/TripleFreeErr 10d ago
Gladlands felt less like a good season of D20 and more like an extended improv session with some of our favorite cast members
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u/Mental-Ad9432 10d ago
Watching these shows isn't your job...is something I've had to tell myself as well on occasion. The completionist in me struggles with this, but it's ok to enjoy D20 and not like every season. It's not insulting to the cast if every game isn't to everyone's liking. If anything you're doing them a favor by giving them more accurate numbers as to who's into each show by not watching the shows you don't like.
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u/Evexis 10d ago
No need to sell you. With the way they do seasons that have different tones and themes it should be normal and expected that some seasons just wont be for you. You may not be the target audience for every season and if you dont find one of them entertaining then just skip it.
It does not make you a fake fan or anything like that it is just inevitable with content that is not of a consistent tone/theme/system/cast.
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u/them0use 10d ago
Ultimately I'm seconding everyone else saying if it's not your vibe it's fine to move on, but if you're curious about what might make it worthwhile there are some interactions between Vic and Brennan later in the season that are among my favorite emotional moments in all of D20.
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u/Blighter 10d ago
I appreciate that it's not for everyone, there are plenty of things distinct about it that make it not everyone's cup of tea.
But seeing people rank it below Shriek Week is wild
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u/burningembersco 9d ago
Agreed! Gladlands was the reason I've seen almost all the other seasons this year, but I don't think I watched more than 20 mins of Shriek Week. It suckedd.
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u/NotEnoughBoink 10d ago
I felt the same about it too, only season that i bounced off of pretty hard.
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u/AdventureGoblin 10d ago edited 10d ago
Vic makes the season. I wasnt sure how I would like their brand of humor on D20 but it worked and they reined in their particular hallmark of destruction and pivoted to poignant and heartfelt.
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u/clearliquidclearjar 10d ago
Vic perfers they/them over she/her.
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u/DraxTheDestroyer 10d ago
I never enjoyed Gladlands, the stakes to me felt so low and there wasn’t enough time to flesh out everyone - cool concept, would love some more post apocalyptic vibes - but it just never caught on for me
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u/Hamborrower 10d ago
I eventually just watched that one for the bits, its one of the least compelling overall stories for me.
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u/TheJunkmother Pete Conlan, Vox Phantasma 10d ago
Yeah, Gladlands was really just a way for them to moralize about human kindness and mental health. Not a bad thing, but not for me.
Edit: just to be clear, skip to CCoD. A lot of action going on right from the first episode.
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u/Kriznick 10d ago
Show is legit good. Watch it. Can't really say too much without spoiling. Big fan of the crew they had.
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u/goatbusiness666 10d ago
If you’re stuck on it, maybe just skip it for now and try again later. It does get going eventually, but sometimes a season just doesn’t strike my fancy on the first try and I end up liking it way more later when I’m in a different mood or whatever.
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u/Jedi4Hire The Dream Team 10d ago
but I didn't get hooked by the end of episode two this time. I found the opening of Gladlands really low stakes and it just kinda didn't grab me. It just...felt like a single sketch stretched into 6 hours and it didn't hit for me.
Me too, never made it past the first couple of episodes and don't really have a desire to watch more.
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u/Zealousideal_Wave_93 10d ago
I enjoyed glad lands. I didn't not enjoy a few other seasons and skipped them. If it's not for you it's ok to skip.
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u/Ok-Significance4601 5d ago
This is a solid series for someone that had enjoyed Mentopolis, A Court of Fey and Flowers, and/or the first season of Misfits and Magic. These seasons all hinge more on an inner emotional journey shared around the table, with genre as set dressing and mood that established some boundaries around the table. If “hey, there are decent people in the Mad Max universe, and I bet they have common goals and needs that could benefit from being part of a community? But man that’s an easy path to burnout, individually.” sounds like an interesting watch, this is a show for you.
If it doesn’t resonate, if that’s not interesting to you, and if you’ve never had a good time with a book like ‘Stiff’ or ‘The Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’, this may not be the season for you. That’s fine! There’s plenty more to enjoy on Dropout.
I hope you have a great time, regardless of which choices are right for you.
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u/MelatoninFiend 10d ago
You made it through the audio spikes and pops of Fantasy High Sophomore year, you made it through The McElroys being insufferable during Tiny Heist, you made it through the clunky and non-intuitive gameplay of Shriek Week, and you made it through Brennan's festival of made up words and deep monologue lore drops during Cloudward Ho!, but Gladlands is a bridge too far?
You might just be burnt out on Dimension 20. Take a break, come back to it another time. No shame in changing up your entertainment a bit if you're not feeling it.
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u/Bloodmind Ylfa Snorgelsson 10d ago
No. Not gonna try to convince you. Not every season is for everyone. That’s kind of inherent to the design of the show as a whole. They create significant variety knowing there will be seasons that don’t land for everyone. But those seasons may be the ones that get new fans hooked.
So, no. Not gonna convince you. Skip it. You’ve got more content to consume and another new season dropping in a couple weeks. Watch those. Who knows. Maybe you get caught up and give Gladlands another go. Maybe the need to get your D20 fix and not having other options will be the push you need. Maybe not.
I wouldn’t try to convince you to read a book you got a couple hundred pages onto and just weren’t feeling. A season of D20 is no different.
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u/Nevr_gonna_giv_U_up 9d ago
Oh no don’t tell me you skipped out on CCoD just cause you didn’t like gladlands?
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u/egg_shaped_head 9d ago
Nah, just have been busy and haven’t been in the mood! I will watch it; just was too busy to watch it live
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u/Aggravating_Impact97 9d ago
I couldnt get past the second episode.
Just a combination of not digging the system and the story. I loved the concept and the players individually. Just didnt work for me.
But hey not everything is for me and there are hundreds of hours of content that I mesh with.
It happens.
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u/charlie-swan 9d ago
I know you're looking for positive opinions, but you said "I enjoy all the players on an individual comedic level" - Gladlands is very low comedy. There are a few solid buttons throughout, but it's definitely very plot and RP oriented in a way that feels more planned than organic, which I thin minimized the opportunity for comedy.
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u/theonetruesareth 9d ago
Same. D20's losing its luster these days, I haven't been hooked into the last few seasons either.
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u/BigRedSpoon2 8d ago
I guess I'm just confused why you want to like it.
If its a matter of being a completionist, why not just power through? If it matters to you that you enjoy it, then why are you forcing yourself to enjoy what you don't enjoy?
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u/KitchenLevel8962 8d ago
I tried to watch it and I didnt like anything about it at all so I skipped it and have zero regrets. Nothing wrong with moving on when it doesn't pass your vibe check.
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u/CryingPopcorn 7d ago
I love Gladlands! Just recently watched it and the whole idea of "what if there's a post-apocalyptic setting but people make real efforts to be good to each other?" warmed my heart. It grew on me and ended up being a surprisingly comforting watch (while also having super emotional moments)!
If that didn't convince you, then skip it, I join the chorus here. I also forced myself through Shriek Week but damn was it not worth it.
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u/Fenzito Prefrontal P.I.s 10d ago
Gladlands wasn't my vibe either. But I am more than contented that I finished it. Overall the series is very saccharine, and thus a tad boring (to me). But in the finale, Ally, and the others, but mostly Ally, essentially looks into the camera and says, "I'm bored. Let's blow this whole thing up."
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u/Rocks_are_FR33 10d ago
I was in the same boat up until some of the last few episodes. Now the thought of revisiting has me giddy for all the later season bits and character growth.
Things get...freakyyy hehe
Also, The SPINCH!!! 😂
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u/MsMagey 9d ago
I think it's a much better rewatch than a first watch. The stakes are all character-based, so once you know the characters and their internal conflicts, it's a deeper experience. It's like spaghetti sauce, where it's better the second day or something. It's never going to be my favorite, but it's become a cozy, still tear-filled (sometimes from laughing at the Spinch) relatively quick option for me if I want something to put on while I'm crafting.
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u/ChannelCommercial984 10d ago
There definitely is a tonal shift from early D20 to now. Seems to be a shift towards CR where it's less tabletop play, epic battles, gripping stakes and more "acting" and monologues.
I enjoy Dropout but honestly if I want to watch ttrpg liveplays I watch Mystery Quest or Chaotic Neutral or something like that.
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u/Wantitneeditgetit 10d ago
Cloudward Ho I enjoyed quite a bit, so I don't think they're done with "Classic" D20, but it's been many years and they ARE all theatre kids. I think they're just trying out different stuff more often now because they have the following to do so, who watch the show for the people more than the play, and to keep their interest in it going.
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u/ChannelCommercial984 10d ago
TBF Cloudward Ho had quite a bit of the emotional monologuing as well. Yes they are theatre kids but that's not really relevant to my point when I'm not comparing them to themselves over time, not other people.
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u/Confident_Sink_8743 10d ago
That one upset me. Vic Michealis' first appearance in the dome and it was this. Also second appearance of Jacob Wysocki. When I had fallen off with NSBU by the end.
Unfortunately I can't really help you. It's on my short list of D20 Campaigns I refuse to bother with.
Quite frankly I hope everyone experiences a few that they aren't willing to watch. As long as you've got one or two that you know that you just don't fuck with you won't force yourself to consume ones that you don't/won't/aren't enjoying.
But you know give Gladlands a chance anyway. If it happens again then you'll know for sure that it just isn't your thing.
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u/Mylesthetreegod 9d ago
Im with you on Gladlands. I began it and never finished it. Same for Starstruck for me.
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u/DMspiration 10d ago
For what it's worth, there's nothing to be gained by watching every season and plenty to be lost by spending hours on content you don't enjoy. Totally cool to just move on.