Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me

With some well-earned swagger and winks, Dark Lord Davi (first met in 2024’s How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying) breaks the time loop that had her endlessly failing to stop the Wilder horde from overrunning the Kingdom in Wexler’s rousing wrap-up to the series. Davi’s able to avert the expected final showdown by bringing the two sides together via a dance-off (“something that has been bringing people together and crossing boundaries since the days of Electric Boogaloo”), only to discover that her real enemy is one of the legendary Founders of the Kingdom, and that she has been caught in his trap for many, many more years than she thought. With the help of her disparate allies (including a “sexy orc lady,” Davi’s “himbo” ex-boyfriend and his new husband, and a devoted fox-woman), Davi launches a literal suicide mission to free herself and the Kingdom. Wexler raises the stakes by removing Davi’s “reset” option this time around: now deaths are permanent. The added emotional weight nicely balances out the snarky humor and barrage of pop-culture references. This is a worthy finale. Agent Seth Fishman, Gernert Co. (May)