S3 Ep. 38 - One Minute to Zhouzel (Finale Pt. 1)

Summary of S3 Ep. 38 - One Minute to Zhouzel (Finale Pt. 1)

by Dungeons and Daddies

1h 37m•November 18, 2025
Listen to Episode

Overview of S3 Ep. 38 — One Minute to Zhouzel (Finale Pt. 1)

This episode is the penultimate/first half of the Season 3 finale of Dungeons and Daddies — a horror-comedy actual play set in 1950s Beachyville. The player-characters (a group of suburban dads) race to stop a cult ritual that will birth an eldritch god called Zuzel. They possess the “hangnail,” a weapon that can absorb Zuzel’s psychic power — either to fire a single one‑in‑a‑million beam at the cosmic threat or be used to turn one of them into a demigod. The episode mixes tense combat, slapstick heist moments (a forklift raid), moral debate about sacrifice, and escalating body-horror as the cult’s “Mother” is revealed in the tent — ending on a cliffhanger.

Content warnings

  • Strong profanity and adult language
  • Graphic violence (stabbings, impalement, dismemberment)
  • Body horror and cult ritual themes (sexualized sacrificial imagery)
  • Dark comedic treatment of traumatic topics

Cast & Characters

  • Freddie Wong — Blake Lively (player character)
  • Matthew Arnold — Kelsey Grammer (player character)
  • Anthony Birch — Francis Farnsworth (player character)
  • Beth May — Trudy Trout (player character; later augmented with robotic body parts)
  • Will Campos — Dungeon Master (narration, NPCs)

(Also recurring NPCs: Dr. Mann, Brian Strikes Mitchell, Tor/Tor Anderson, Sven Anderson, and other cultists/bisons.)

Major plot beats / episode flow

  • Brief host and sponsor ad reads open the episode (multiple advertisers: Peloton, Alienware, eBay, Rocket Money, Factor, Aura Frames, etc.).
  • Recap of what the hangnail can do: absorb Zuzel’s power; two choices after absorption — (A) stab self and become a demigod (near-certain power but one-way), or (B) use the energy as a wand to fire an eldritch beam across the Atlantic with very precise calculations (one-in-a-million chance but preserves everyone).
  • The party heads to Dr. Mann’s house to confirm he’s incapacitated (he was knocked out earlier). They commandeer a forklift and stage a chaotic, comedic assault on the house — impaling/killing two bison cultists, knocking over doors, and confronting/knocking out more cultists.
  • Combat scene inside Dr. Mann’s house: they subdue Dr. Mann (he’s killed in quick interrogation by one player’s shot), loot the house quickly for disguises and keys, recover intact bison robes/masks and Dr. Mann’s car keys.
  • They prep for infiltration: Trudy rigs a permanent aiming angle for the hangnail (to match the scientist’s calculations) and the team decides—after a tense huddle—to attempt the one-in-a-million shot rather than sacrifice a teammate.
  • Arrival at the circus tent / ritual: procession bringing the “seed bearer” (victim) into the tent; ritual setup; initial infiltration succeeds for most of them, but one infiltrator is exposed and killed.
  • Combat inside the tent: a firefight/ mêlée breaks out with cultists. Tense moments: Francis is stabbed and his mask falls off (identity threatened), Trudy plants a stick of dynamite under the dais, Blake plays Dr. Mann to keep up appearances.
  • The sacrificial victim (Sven Anderson) is deemed “unacceptable” mid-ritual — a tentacle snaps his neck. Panic. Mother (the cosmic entity) is revealed: a massive, pulsating, multi‑tendriled flesh god. A tentacle peels Francis’s eyelid open and demands “Mother requires the boy.”
  • Episode ends on a cliffhanger with the reveal of Mother and the ritual escalating further — set up for the finale continuation.

Stakes / strategic choices

  • The hangnail: central MacGuffin. Either:
    • Become a demigod (one person changes irrevocably — certain but unknown consequences), or
    • Take a single, extremely precise eldritch shot (chance to save the world and everyone).
  • Time pressure: the cult is actively mid-ritual; Zuzel’s birth is imminent.
  • Physical risk: several NPCs and cultists are killed; one PC (Francis) is wounded and nearly exposed.
  • Tactical prep: Trudy pre-sets the hangnail’s firing angle per the scientists’ calculations; they have a compass and key knowledge but require precise alignment during the ritual.

Notable quotes & comedic beats

  • Recurring chant / joke: “Zuzel be praised” (cult refrain used for dark comedic effect).
  • The core dilemma, paraphrased: “A million‑to‑one shot versus a one‑way ticket to who knows where.”
  • Pre-episode live gag: “Get your poops out now” (reference to watching MAS*H finale “toilet synchrony” — comedic host bit).
  • Frequent genre-playful lines: the cast’s ad-libbing and meta jokes (e.g., comparing their finale pressure to Mass Effect’s endings or Bioware patch notes).

Notable scenes to highlight for listeners

  • Forklift raid on Dr. Mann’s house — chaotic mechanical slapstick + combat results (impalement, looting a pristine bison robe).
  • Quick, brutal interrogation of Dr. Mann — ends with Dr. Mann’s death and hurried looting.
  • Dressing in cult robes and the “walk-in” infiltration into the tent — high tension and stealth checks.
  • The ritual’s halfway collapse: Sven judged unacceptable and snapped — escalate the horror tone.
  • The big reveal: “Mother” — monstrous, fleshy, multi‑tendril entity; cliffhanger end.

Recommended next steps for listeners

  • Episode 39 (Season 3 finale, Part 2) drops December 2 — listen next to hear the resolution.
  • Content-safety tip: if you’re sensitive to body horror / graphic sacrifice scenes, skip the tent sequence or use the episode’s content warnings as a guide.
  • If you want background before jumping in: earlier Season 3 episodes that explain the hangnail, Project Heartland, and prior encounters with the Bisons/Dr. Mann will help make this finale more meaningful.

Production notes / extras

  • The episode contains many sponsor reads and tangent ad reads woven into the show.
  • The players balance a lot of comedic banter with serious stakes — tonal shifts (goofy gags to visceral dread) are intentional.
  • Patreon/bonus content: the show plugs Patreon for extra content, behind-the-scenes, and merch; also plugs the creators’ crowdfund film Nailhouse.

This episode sets up the final moral and mechanical choice for the finale: risk the one-in-a-million eldritch shot (preserving the team) or use the hangnail to guarantee stopping the cosmic threat at the cost of whoever takes the power. The reveal of Mother ends Part 1 on a tense cliffhanger.