Dimension 20: Never Stop Blowing Up - The Explosive Finale and Cast Reactions

TLDR: Dimension 20’s “Never Stop Blowing Up” concluded with an explosive finale. The innovative homebrew system and Brennan Lee Mulligan’s unrestrained GMing created a uniquely chaotic and entertaining experience that unleashed the star-studded action-hero cast, leaving them a lot to talk about.

Dropout’s hit actual play series Dimension 20 has just wrapped up its 22nd season, “Never Stop Blowing Up,” and it’s safe to say that both fans and cast members are still reeling from the explosive finale. This 10-episode thrill ride through a satirical ’80s action movie universe showcases some of the most outrageous and hilarious moments in the show’s history.

A Star-Studded Cast Pushes Boundaries

The season brought together a dream team of Dropout talent, including Rekha Shankar, Ify Nwadiwe, Isabella Roland, Alex Song-Xia, Ally Beardsley, and beloved newcomer Jacob Wysocki. Each player embodied dual roles—their “real-world” Dave’s Video Store employee and their larger-than-life action hero avatar within the magical VHS world of “Never Stop Blowing Up.”

In post-season interviews with Polygon, the cast shared insights into their character creation process and the unexpected directions their story arcs took:

Rekha Shankar (Usha Rao/G13) embraced playing a “batty old lady” for her Dave’s Video Store character, drawing inspiration from her grandparents and creating a character who seemed to have existed throughout all of history.
Ify Nwadiwe (Wendell Morris/Vic Ethanol) revealed that his character Vic Ethanol was inspired by his love for the Fast & Furious franchise, while Wendell was an extension of his own experiences living in Lake Elsinore.
Jacob Wysocki (Andy “Dang” Lightfoot/Greg Stocks), making his Dimension 20 debut, surprised viewers with Dang’s emotionally poignant scenes, bringing depth to what could have been a stereotypical punk character.
Alex Song-Xia (Liv Skyler/Kingskin) based Liv on Liv Tyler’s character from Empire Records, with a penchant for stealing instead of a pill addiction.
Isabella Roland (Paula Donvalson/Jack Manhattan) described Paula as “Vicki Gunvalson from Real Housewives of Orange County if she was Paul Blart: Mall Cop.“

Brennan Lee Mulligan Unleashed

Game Master Brennan Lee Mulligan embraced the chaotic energy of the season, allowing players to make increasingly outrageous choices and meeting their creativity with his own off-the-rails improvisations. The cast praised Mulligan’s ability to roll with their ideas and escalate the action to unimaginable heights.

In a separate interview with Polygon, Mulligan discussed the creative process behind the season:

“Looking at the programming slate, you know, we were coming off Fantasy High: Junior Year, which is our first threequel. It’s our first third installment in a core season. And you know that Junior Year, of course, has totally outlandish things. I mean, my god, Blimey, you know? But it also was dealing with these themes of stress and rage, and there’s a groundedness to Elmville and the Aguefort Adventuring Academy.” – Brennan Lee Mulligan

He added, “As a creative challenge, let’s set ourselves up for something that embraces chaos and fun and honoring as many huge swings as possible, for the timing, for the production team’s bandwidth.”

Innovative Mechanics Keep Players on Their Toes

“Never Stop Blowing Up” introduced several new mechanics that added to the season’s unpredictability:

The Homebrew System: Combining elements of Kids on Bikes with a unique dice “blowing up” mechanic, this system encouraged players to attempt ridiculous feats for the chance to instantly power up their characters.
The Musical DM Chair: Perhaps the most talked-about new feature, this allowed players who rolled a natural 20 to take over as Game Master for 60 seconds. Ify Nwadiwe, who got two turns in the hot seat, described the experience in his ScreenRant interview: “I think the balancing for letting a player just jump in the GM chair is putting a timer behind it. Because the moment you put a timer to someone’s thinking, all thoughts go out the window. You can no longer think well… It almost prevents you from thinking of ways to break the game because you see the timer, you hear it counting down, and you’re just trying to make something happen.“
Turbo Tokens: These tokens, earned through failed rolls, could be spent to succeed on otherwise failed checks or to level up characters individually or as a group.

Cast Interviews: Diving Deeper

Ify Nwadiwe & Jacob Wysocki: Character Inspirations and Dome Dynamics

In their ScreenRant interview, Ify and Jacob delved into their character creation process and experiences in the Dimension 20 dome:

Ify discussed how his love for Fast & Furious influenced Vic Ethanol’s creation, while Wendell was crafted as a counterpoint to balance out the character dynamic.
Jacob revealed the thought process behind Dang’s character arc, emphasizing the importance of grounding the character in real human experiences.
Both actors praised the collaborative atmosphere in the dome and Brennan’s ability to elevate their ideas to new heights of absurdity.

Isabella Roland & Alex Song-Xia: Character Dynamics and Unexpected Turns

In their ScreenRant interview, Isabella Roland and Alex Song-Xia offered insights into their character creation process and the unexpected developments throughout the season:

GM Experience: Isabella briefly touched on her experience taking over as GM for 60 seconds, describing it as an exciting but intense moment where she operated on autopilot due to the time pressure.
Villain with a Heart: Alex discussed the surprising evolution of Kingskin, from a stereotypical villain to a more complex character who showed genuine care for his henchmen, particularly Doug Meat.
Challenging Choices: Alex shared insights into Liv’s controversial decision near the season’s end, explaining how it stemmed from the character’s built-up resentment and desire for a selfish moment, even if it might be perceived as unlikable.

Rekha Shankar: Big Swings and Brennan’s Reactions

In her ScreenRant interview, Rekha Shankar provided insights into her character creation process, her approach to gameplay, and the surprising developments of her characters’ arcs:

Character Creation: Rekha explained that Usha was inspired by her love for playing elderly characters, aiming to create a different type of older lady from her previous role in DesiQuest. For G13, she went for the opposite extreme – a young hacker character inspired by tech sidekicks in action movies.
Creative Choices: Rekha addressed her reputation for making outlandish requests during gameplay. She emphasized that these choices stem from deep character immersion rather than an intention to challenge the GM. Her explanation of the “oily shirt” incident highlights her commitment to character logic, even in absurd situations.
DM Experience: Rekha briefly touched on her turn in the GM chair, admitting to a mistake that gave Brennan Lee Mulligan carte blanche for a scene.

Brennan Lee Mulligan: Creative Process and Season Reflections

In his ScreenRant interview, Brennan Lee Mulligan offered insights into the creative process behind “Never Stop Blowing Up” and reflected on the season’s unique aspects:

Cast Selection: Brennan emphasized the deliberate choice of cast members known for their improvisational skills and familiarity with the action genre. He highlighted how this selection allowed for a “no holds barred” approach to comedy and storytelling.
Personal Connection: The DM revealed the season’s special connection to his wife, Isabella Roland, and how it coincided with significant personal milestones, including their marriage and preparing for parenthood.
Game System: Brennan discussed the homebrew system used for the season, acknowledging how it became increasingly “broken” in an entertaining way as the series progressed. He praised Ify Nwadiwe for discovering an “infinite token loophole” with the token machanic.
Character Arcs: Brennan expressed admiration for each player’s character development, noting surprising moments from all cast members. He particularly praised Jacob Wysocki’s performance in his first Dimension 20 appearance.
Milestone: Brennan noted that the season’s finale marked Dimension 20’s 200th episode, expressing pride in the cast, crew, and overall production.

Looking to the Future

As fans process the season finale, questions about the future of “Never Stop Blowing Up” are already circulating. In his interview with Polygon, Mulligan expressed interest in potentially revisiting the world and characters, stating, “I love this world so much — would be delighted to play with everybody again as often as they’ll let me!“

Additionally, there’s talk of releasing a refined version of the “Never Stop Blowing Up” game system for home play. Mulligan mentioned plans to tighten up some mechanics, including closing the “infinite token loophole” discovered by Ify, and potentially playtesting the system with a wider audience before a full release.

A Season to Remember

“Never Stop Blowing Up” will undoubtedly go down as one of Dimension 20’s most audacious and entertaining seasons to date. Its blend of over-the-top action, heartfelt character moments, and unrestrained creativity showcases the unique power of actual play content.

Some standout elements from the season include:

The introduction of NPCs like Doug Meat, J-Kwon and Bad Bunny, and Saxamillion Jones.
The use of real physical props/macguffins, including dynamite sticks, a bag of (fake) drugs, and the surprise VHS tape hidden under Jacob’s chair in the finale.
The evolving costumes and makeup, particularly Brennan’s increasingly battered action hero look episode after episode.

As the Dimension 20 team looks ahead to future seasons, the bar has certainly been raised. But if “Never Stop Blowing Up” has taught us anything, it’s that there’s no limit to where imagination—and a willingness to embrace chaos—can take us.