Mythic Quest’s capacity to spin a number of the gaming trade’s ugliest points into genuinely humorous comedy was what made it such a shocking delight when it first hit Apple TV Plus again in 2020. Even when it was joking about chaotic streamers or Nazi server takeovers, you would really feel the respect Mythic Quest’s artistic staff has for video video games as an artwork type. And by retaining its give attention to the lives of people that really dream up and construct video games, the collection put itself able to inform poignant tales concerning the prices that include chasing one’s desires.
Mythic Quest’s new fourth season nonetheless will get in its justifiable share of strong digs at gaming tradition. However the present looks like much more of a character-driven narrative that’s making an attempt to point out you ways each member of the MQ crew is evolving as they transfer deeper into their careers. Mythic Quest has at all times had a knack for switching up its relationships and energy dynamics simply sufficient to maintain its workplace drama component feeling contemporary but acquainted. This time round, although, the shuffling is all in service of giving everybody at Mythic Quest HQ a brand new (however not essentially more healthy) work-life steadiness.
Whereas an unhealthy quantity of dysfunction has at all times been a part of Ian Grimm’s (Rob McElhenney) artistic course of, Mythic Quest’s fourth season finds him making an attempt to be a greater colleague and pal to all the individuals who have helped deliver his concepts to life. It’s nonetheless a bit laborious for Ian to do not forget that Poppy Li’s (Charlotte Nicdao) return to Mythic Quest Studios with him hinged on his respecting her private boundaries and acknowledging her as an equal of their skilled relationship. Ian can also’t stand how a lot time Poppy desires to spend along with her new artist boyfriend Storm (Chase Yi). However everybody engaged on Mythic Quest (the fictional recreation) can really feel how, after years of blowing up at each other, Poppy and Ian are in a brand new headspace the place they will genuinely admire how they make one another stronger.
With Mythic Quest gearing as much as launch a brand new Playpen replace giving gamers the flexibility to create their very own in-game content material, govt producer David Hornsby (David Brittlesbee) and monetization head Rachel Meyee (Ashly Burch) are all too joyful to have Ian and Poppy onboard cooking up concepts to make the characteristic shine. Because the creator of Cozy Galaxy, the preferred recreation on the Playpen platform, former-tester-turned-developer Dana Bryant (Imani Hakim) can’t assist feeling ticked on the manner she’s being minimize out of all of the income Mythic Quest is raking in. However to cash shark Brad Bakshi (Danny Pudi) and cutthroat assistant Jo (Jessie Ennis), Dana’s emotions about working at Mythic Quest Studios are an indication that it’s time for them to rethink whose staff they wish to play for.
Like earlier seasons, Mythic Quest’s new episodes use the fictional in-show recreation to dunk on uglier points of the real-world gaming trade with a specificity that makes it really feel just like the writers room has been maintaining with the information. Playpen’s recognition is a monetary boon to the Mythic Quest staff due to the way it presents a chance to roll out extra in-game currencies. It additionally raises severe questions on whether or not platforms like Playpen are constructed with the intention of capitalizing on youngster labor.
These questions change into even thornier as gamers begin developing with methods to deliver intercourse into their Playpen creations. However although this season of Mythic Quest will get its dunks in on the bigger gaming trade, the present spends extra time specializing in the rising pains that come when interpersonal relationships begin to change for the higher.
You possibly can see it most clearly in Ian and Poppy’s arc this season as the 2 flip to AI assistants to assist work by way of their sophisticated emotions about each other, nevertheless it’s additionally highlighted in a number of the season’s episodes — considered one of which is a wonderful Clue riff — that take you exterior of the Mythic Quest workplace. We see extra of what David will get as much as in his free time and the way the evolution of Dana and Rachel’s careers has introduced new tensions into their romance. And with so lots of his colleagues (who’re actually his solely pals) pairing off, this season underscores how Ian’s prickliness with different folks stems from the truth that he doesn’t have anybody to come back house to.
Although digging deeper into everybody’s private lives and easing up on the office shenanigans doesn’t fairly transfer Mythic Quest into straight dramatic territory, it does make this season really feel such as you’re meant to understand how far these characters (and some different shock cameos) have come since we first met them. This season’s online game jokes aren’t fairly as scathing as some viewers would possibly like, however they reinforce how Mythic Quest (the sport) has change into one thing rather more than one other fantasy MMORPG for each its gamers and creators — simply as Apple appears intent on rising the present in related methods.
Mythic Quest additionally stars Naomi Ekperigin, Andrew Friedman, and Michael Naughton. Season 4 hits Apple TV Plus on January twenty ninth.
