{"id":2454355,"date":"2026-06-11T09:28:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T09:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2454355"},"modified":"2026-06-11T09:28:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T09:28:38","slug":"dropouts-brennan-lee-mulligan-knows-he-cant-win-but-could-that-be-about-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/dropouts-brennan-lee-mulligan-knows-he-cant-win-but-could-that-be-about-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Dropout’s Brennan Lee Mulligan knows he can’t win. But could that be about to change?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Brennan Lee Mulligan<\/a> is a fascinating figure on Dropout<\/a> because of the comical duality he’s cultivated across the subscription streaming platform’s shows. <\/p>\n

On Dimension 20,<\/em><\/a> <\/em>a tabletop role-playing show he created, he’s the mighty Game Master, in charge of dreaming up the fantasy worlds his intrepid heroes \u2014\u00a0or, in this case, a gaggle of improv comedians \u2014 traverse. In this role, he plays villains, love interests, gods, and an army of NPCs, all to build out the stories of his co-stars in collaborative play. There is no winning or losing. And through his many characters, Mulligan has shown incredible patience and empathy toward everyone, from an angst-ridden tiefling to a grief-stricken candy king to a vampire who sees himself as a superhero. <\/p>\n

\n SEE ALSO:<\/span>
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\n The ‘Dimension 20’ cast improvises a ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ character from scratch<\/span>
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However, on Game Changer<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>where the game changes every episode, <\/em>Mulligan’s competitive side shines like a sword’s edge<\/a>, ready to cut down his competition. As the series enters Season 8, Mashable interviewed Mulligan about his work at Dropout. And when it comes to his role on Game Changer<\/em>, he explained his on-camera dynamic with host Sam Reich.<\/a> <\/p>\n

“The me I play in Game Changer<\/em> is most often the Daffy Duck to Sam Reich’s Bugs Bunny,” Mulligan said. “I don’t beat Sam, right? Sam beats me, even in the Brennan revenge episode. Spoilers: Sam wins, right? I know deep down, people, there is no hunger in the world for a Brennan Lee Mulligan victory.”<\/p>\n

How “Samalamadingdong” could bring a win for Mulligan.<\/h2>\n
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\n Credit: Ian Moore \/ Mashable<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The “Brennan revenge episode” is officially titled “Samalamadingdong.” The finale of Game Changer<\/em> Season 7, this episode saw the contestants turn the tables on Reich, who was pranked with a fake photo shoot, then hauled off to a castle where a variety of puzzles awaited him. The episode featured scads of callbacks to past Game Changer <\/em>gags, including those tied to Mulligan’s wildest moments on the show. <\/p>\n

For instance, the episode “Yes or No” from Season 2 had only one rule to discover: Brennan cannot win. Once Mulligan realized this, he unleashed a monologue<\/a> that included this epic phrase, “The minotaur’s escaped, and you’re going to get the horns, buddy.” <\/p>\n

“Samalamadingdong”<\/a> delivered on this promise, pitching Reich into a complicated labyrinth that culminates in him facing down Mulligan, dressed as a minotaur<\/a>. And the only way out was for Reich to recall the declaration that Mulligan made in the very first episode of Game Changer<\/em>, “<\/em>Lie Detector.” There, Mulligan gave a juicy personal confession<\/a>, then declared, “There is no corner of my heart I would not turn over to the world for five points.” <\/p>\n

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\n Mashable Top Stories<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/section>\n

Of course, in the end of “Samalamadingdong,” Reich wins, defeating the mighty minotaur that is Mulligan. But Reich, in a separate interview, joked that “Samalamadingdong” could give Mulligan an unexpected victory. <\/p>\n

How could Brennan Lee Mulligan beat Sam Reich at his own game? <\/h2>\n
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\n Sam Reich on the set of Dropout’s “Game Changer.”<\/span>
\n Credit: Kate Elliott \/ Dropout<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

This Emmy season, Dropout has put forth<\/a> several episodes of Game Changer <\/em>and Very Important People<\/em><\/a> <\/em>for awards consideration. Reich spoke with Mashable<\/a> about the difficulty of choosing which episodes to send to the nomination committee for consideration. <\/p>\n

For Best Game Show, Reich was leaning toward “Rulette,”<\/a> where contestants had to improvise with ever-changing circumstances determined by a giant roulette wheel. <\/p>\n

“‘Rulette’ is a pretty good bet,” Reich said, “It’s very funny, [a] very well-celebrated episode. It’s very in the spirit of our show, despite even feeling a little bit basic for the show. It’s like a great introduction to our show, and it’s almost traditional enough that your average Emmy voter could look at it and go like, ‘Oh, I understand how this is a game show like the game shows I’m used to, and how it’s different.'”<\/p>\n

In terms of production design, “Rulette” was considered, as was “Fool’s Gold.”<\/a> For that Shark Tank <\/em>parody, Dropout’s team produced a string of aspiring viral videos that demanded a lot of creativity and craftsmanship, including the construction of tiny doll shoes for a video where Mulligan claims he’s leaving the platform to become a cobbler for American Girl dolls. <\/p>\n

“We did make those American Girl doll shoes,” Reich noted, “Or is ‘Rulette’ [a better call] because, like, the big wheel and the Velcro costumes? The overall project feels a little bit more cohesive.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then, asked if “Samalamadingdong” might be submitted for consideration, Reich answered, “I think it’s such a strong contender in so many categories. On the other hand, if Brennan gets nominated for this Emmy before I do, I am going to lose it. I am going to lose my mind.”<\/p>\n

Reich then clarified, “The truth is, he’s an executive producer on the show as well. So when he wins, I win, and when I win, he wins. I’m just saying metaphorically, in terms of sheer symbolism: If the episode that I had nothing<\/em> to do with before I showed up on set [wins]?” <\/p>\n

Emmy nominations will be announced on July 8. <\/p>\n

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