by Adam Ritchie, Contributing Writer
If you know and love It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (like me), it’s very hard to picture the same people being the brains behind Mythic Quest. Created by Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, and Megan Ganz, Mythic Quest is the antithesis of It’s Always Sunny in almost every way.
Mythic Quest is razor sharp in wit, plot, dialogue, character development, and intellect. It’s Always Sunny is basically a live action Family Guy meets Seinfeld. Admittedly, I adore them both like I do my children. Both extremely different in attitude and behavior, yet extremely lovable in their own ways.
Officially, season two of Mythic Quest began after the special episode Everlight, where we see the team return to the office for the first time since the pandemic lockdown of 2020. You may notice that the Raven’s Banquet suffix from season one has been dropped. This is just the first example of how well thought out this show is as you make your way through season two.
Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) becomes the new creative director in the absence of Ian (McElhenney) who is taking a sabbatical. Poppy struggles to find a good idea for the new planned expansion and the theme carries on throughout the season, even when Ian returns and the two attempt to work ‘together but not together’ in developing the next big game extension.
Season two provides us more in-depth character development of season one’s secondary characters. You could be forgiven for thinking that Ian and Poppy take a secondary role with a large focus being centered on “testers” Rachel (Ashley Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim). We see their relationship begin to bloom, however with “normal” hurdles for a new relationship. They navigate their individual insecurities as they try to build their capabilities and careers. On the other side of the office, Jo (Jessie Ennis) switches to be Brad’s (Danny Pudi) assistant after leaving the safety of David’s (David Hornsby) side.
The three-way (no, not that way!) relationship of Brad, Jo, and David is peak TV. Brad is the hard-nosed monetization focused bad guy. David is the mild mannered weakling head of the company. Jo is the in-between, unscrupulous, office go-getter, spectacularly played by Ennis, who unashamedly steals every scene she is in.
If you have seen season one, then odds are you think the flashback episode was some of the best TV ever made. Well, the good news is season two follows that tradition with another exemplary flashback episode. No spoilers for those yet to catch up.
Apple have yet to renew for a third season, however I feel it is only a matter of time. Season two has already set up some tantalizing plot lines if we are lucky enough to see the team from Mythic Quest again. I cannot speak highly enough of this show. It is so well made in every respect. The painstaking detail poured into each episode is plain to see. Each episode is crafted and can stand as its own as a short form film, yet they each also manage to expertly interweave story arc.
Each plot line and character are so well cared for, and each role is played superbly. For me, the highlights are Ennis and Pudi as they are given a lot to play with. Both are fiendishly awful and self-centered, and they both melt into the obligation of their roles like syrup on pancakes. What cemented the genius of this show for me was picking up on a musical queue that pays off later in an episode, and it was so damn clever it brought literal tears to my eyes.
Have I gushed enough yet? If you don’t have Apple TV+, it is worth getting it for even a month just to binge Mythic Quest (drop by Ted Lasso while you’re there). If you do have Apple TV+ and are sleeping on this, I beg you to change that ASAP.
Grade: A+
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