How Kindness Endured the Apocalypse: The Dimension 20: Gladlands Cast Explains

“Civilization may have crumbled, but courtesy remains.”

This is the guiding principle of Gladlands, the newest installment of Dropout.tv’s celebrated actual-play anthology, Dimension 20. Far from mere flavor text, this ethos defines the season. From the opening sequence—where our protagonists brave a lethal sandstorm just to deliver gratitude notes to blood donors—Gladlands presents a radical, heartwarming thesis: the end of the world doesn’t require the abandonment of empathy, and survival doesn’t necessitate savagery.

This philosophy is woven into the very fabric of the season’s mechanics and tone. While the party occasionally engages in conflict, their primary objective is never dominance; it is the preservation of community and the spread of small joys within an irradiated wasteland. In a conversation with Polygon, cast members Jacob Wysocki, Oscar Montoya, Vic Michaelis, and Kimia Behpoornia detailed a production rooted in radical trust, sincerity, and mutual support—both in and out of character.

“I entered this season without a shred of trepidation,” Montoya explained. Having previously navigated the complex social hierarchies of A Court of Fey & Flowers, he approached Gladlands with a deep-seated confidence in his ensemble. “I felt empowered to take massive narrative risks because I knew my castmates would always be there to catch me.”

Wysocki shared a similar evolution. While the high-tech “Dome” studio was once a source of nerves—specifically during 2024’s adrenaline-fueled Never Stop Blowing Up—he now finds the environment liberating. “You eventually realize it’s all just play,” he remarked. “Once that clicks, you can exhale and truly lean into the fun of the collaborative process.”

Diverging from the combat-heavy tradition of many D&D shows, Gladlands prioritizes social and emotional intelligence. The season utilizes a bespoke iteration of the Kids on Bikes TTRPG system, previously seen in Misfits and Magic. However, the stakes here are decidedly interpersonal.

Traditional stats like Strength or Dexterity are replaced by traits such as Charm, Warmth, Creativity, Resilience, Awareness, and Determination. Failure is treated as a narrative building block rather than a dead end; bungled rolls earn players “boo-boos”—adversity tokens that can be redeemed to bolster future checks, particularly when assisting a friend. Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan intentionally designed these rules to incentivize altruism, directly influencing the party’s compassionate behavior.

Heroes Defined by Compassion

Wysocki’s character, KoKoMo, is a massive, plush mutant described by the actor as “Ghibli-esque” in his gentleness. Montoya’s character, Poppy Persona, is a vibrant drag queen fashioned from wasteland salvage. A dedicated scholar of the “History Heap,” Poppy curates the “Truthbrary”—a repository named to contrast the “lie-braries” of the old world.

“KoKoMo isn’t just a character; he’s a sanctuary,” Montoya said of his co-star’s creation. In a harsh environment, KoKoMo’s comforting aura is a vital survival mechanism. For Wysocki, the role required a grounded, sincere performance rather than a search for high-octane spectacle. “I had to remind myself to just exist in the space as a regular guy,” he added, nodding to his viral improv moments.

That same sense of psychological safety was paramount for series newcomers Vic Michaelis and Kimia Behpoornia. Though initially intimidated by the production’s scale, the warmth of the ensemble quickly dissolved their anxiety.

“It felt like the most secure environment imaginable to experiment,” Behpoornia said. Her character, Tess Tubes—a muscular mutant with a cockroach head—famously attempts to “surf” a sandstorm to redirect its path. Michaelis’ character, Hugi, is a towering figure in a plague doctor mask who occupies a liminal space between life and death. Despite their imposing stature, Hugi is driven by an unwavering moral compass.

This atmosphere allows Gladlands to explore profound themes like grief and existential dread without becoming overwhelming. As the season unfolds, the narrative centers on community-building activities, such as organizing a wasteland chili cook-off, rather than traditional conquest. It’s a refreshing pivot for the genre, proving that mutual aid is the most effective strategy for endurance.

While the aesthetics of Gladlands mirror the grit of classic post-apocalyptic fiction, the dialogue and actions are defined by radical decency. It serves as a poignant reminder: even at the end of the world, we don’t have to lose our humanity.

Dimension 20: Gladlands debuted on January 7, 2026. New episodes air every Wednesday on Dropout.tv and the Dropout YouTube subscription channel, spanning a six-episode arc.

 

Source: Polygon