After the successful adaptations of Archive 81 and The Legend of Vox Machina, many eyes (or ears rather) have turned to podcasts to find new sources of entertainment ripe for adaptation. "Actual Play" is a genre of podcasts and streaming series where performers/players play a role-playing game and create a compelling story using the game's setting and rules to help determine the outcomes of their actions.
Here we'll focus on the first Dungeons and Dragons campaign, Dungeons and Daddies: Odyssey. A campaign that follows four dads, Darryl Wilson (Matthew Arnold), Glenn Close (Freddie Wong), Henry Oak (Will Campos), and Ron Stampler (Beth May), as they and their sons find themselves lost in the Forgotten Realms. Together, the dads work to save their sons and take on harrowing enemies, be they of their own design or from the mind of their Dungeon Master (DM), Anthony Burch.
Continuing Trends With a Twist
The newest trend to become a mainstream hit (be it due to the popularity of The Legend of Vox Machina or highlights from TikTok) is the "Actual Play" genre. Often, these genres focus on gameplay, with a firm adherence to the rules. As has been cited by the community of fans, the players (hereafter referred to as "Daddies") often focus on having fun creating a compelling story and pulling off cool actions, worrying about whether these actions are applicable within the game's parameters after.
Instead of playing fantastical creatures, the Daddies are all humans who had been teleported to the Forgotten Realms and began gaining new magical abilities. As they continue their adventure, the humor becomes so ingrained into the narrative that seemingly off-the-cuff remarks become serious plot points that attentive fans are amazed by.
Role Models for Healthy Masculinity
With the four fathers traveling together for an extended period, they begin to learn more about one another. Darryl Wilson is a stay-at-home coach dad of Grant, with a strong religious faith despite the mystical events he is witnessing. Henry Oak is a vegan hippie father of twins Lark and Sparrow, with a secret from his childhood that may come back to haunt him. Glenn Close is a rock and roll, relaxed father to Nick. While Glenn's relaxed parenting techniques are questioned, his love for his son is certain. And Ron Stampler is the emotionally distant businessman and stepfather to Terry Jr.
Throughout the journey to save their sons, the fathers have clashed over their parenting styles and doubts about whether or not they were good fathers to their children. The Daddies would work together to learn to communicate with each other and their sons to break cycles of generational trauma and give their sons more love and protection than their fathers ever gave them. With animated programming becoming more attuned to imparting life lessons alongside the intense action that catches the audience's attention, it would be heartwarming to see a new generation learn to be better fathers alongside the Daddies.
Emotional Rollercoaster
Alongside the lessons the Daddies learn, this adventure has plenty of room for laughs. The team makes plenty of "dad jokes" that become psychological weapons they can employ on their opponents. The Daddies insert humor into their arguments to help ease tension and get plenty of laughs. And with creatures such as goblins and dragons running rampant, there's plenty of sophomoric humor to be had.
On the flip side of this comedy is plenty of tragedy to balance the scales. Whether it be a trusted friend learning the Daddies are responsible for the worst day of his life or the Daddies learning of a dark potential future, there were plenty of moments that brought listeners to tears. Seeing these scenes animated could only provide more depth and emotional weight to the scenes. Witnessing the Daddies' heartbreaking conversations with their sons and the characters' emotional maturity would lead to a compelling series that would hook viewers from the beginning.
A Story of Family
Overall, alongside the jokes, the tears, and the epic combat, Dungeons and Daddies: Odyssey is a story about family. About what the Daddies are willing to do to save their sons. About the changes and personal growth, they learn. About Darryl learning to communicate with his son even when the conversations are hard, Henry learning to set boundaries for his children, Glenn learning to take responsibility for the role he had in shaping his son, and Ron overcoming his past and connecting with his stepson.
There are plenty of moments when the Daddies must reflect on their own family history and times when they miss their wives on this long journey. This series has already proven to be one that can bring families together as well as teach them how to be better. An adaptation would only improve on the lessons, the laughs, and the fantastic action that the Daddies helped to create.