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Mythic Quest is back, and it brings many more issues plaguing the games industry for our eccentric team to tackle. After handling controversial topics like the push for microtransactions and NFTs, the latest season shifts the focus to post-COVID topics while retaining its gleeful tone.
The fourth season starts with David Brittlesbee (David Hornsby) lamenting the end of the pandemic, which has reduced the profitability of game companies since people are now leaving their homes. Fortunately, the topic isn’t dragged on further, and we move on to more personal issues that plague the characters beyond their craft.
The games industry is infamous for tales of crunching, a practice where developers are compelled to sacrifice their personal lives for their companies. Naturally, most developers don’t directly benefit from their work, as any profits are harvested by the company’s executives. This is humorously highlighted when Dana (Imani Hakim), recently turned founder and lead developer of PlayPen, is reminded of it by Ian (Rob McElhenney) and David.
Mythic Quest faces a minor issue: it often jokes about corporate structures that limit artist agency, but these themes aren’t explored as extensively as I’d like. While the characters tackle significant personal challenges, it would be nice to have the show actually address and propose solutions to the corporate issues it frequently jokes about. Season 4 does it better, although it takes time to arrive at the solutions.
Sometimes, the show’s jokes tend to spill out into the real world, reminding us that some of the grim outcomes its characters are discussing are closer to reality. Like last season’s NFTs, this season’s major point of contention is the use of AI agents and their effect on employees and consumers. One scene sees David ordering the termination of Playpen’s moderation team in India as the company deploys AI agents to handle the task. I hope Ubisoft, one of the principal producers of the show, sees the irony of featuring a narrative thread about terminating outsourced workers in India due to experimental changes in its work pipeline.
For context, Ubisoft has two studios in India primarily for QA and co-development, which might just be on the chopping block given the company’s recent business trajectory.
The heart of Mythic Quest has always been the dynamic, topsy-turvy relationship between Ian and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao). While other shows would have wasted no time to set them up as a romantic couple, Mythic Quest keeps them as platonic friends while still managing to explore deep interpersonal issues. New complications in the form of Poppy’s new boyfriend arise to temper Ian’s ego, which becomes one of the season’s longer narrative threads.
That’s not the only thorn in Ian’s side. Dana’s success with Playpen, a Roblox-like title powered by user-generated content, is slowly taking over MQ. The show has always shown Ian as the alpha, so it’s refreshing to see him challenged both creatively and personally.
The show has always found humor in topics that have irked players and creators alike. AI is all the rage in the tech industry, so it’s not surprising that an episode focuses on uncanny AI personifications of the lead characters. The bickering amongst Ian and Poppy and their AI versions is not only witty, but also deeply insightful, and that’s where Mythic Quest is at its best.
A major theme of the new season is finding the balance between fame and happiness. Mythic Quest as a game is doing better than it has in past seasons, and by all accounts, the characters are in a better place. Still, most of our leads struggle to find joy in their personal lives, though you’ll have to wait for the rest of the season to see if they resolve these issues.
Comic relief characters Jo (Jessie Ennis) and Brad (Danny Pudi) make a strong comeback, now employed by Dana and given the task of opposing David’s corporate-friendly suggestions. Jo has often been the victim of one-dimensional writing, so it’s nice to see her try to find a larger purpose for herself, while still delivering some of the best, aggressive one-liners. Pudi, as usual, is as mischievous as ever in his relentless pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, outsmarting his bosses—and perhaps even himself.
The new season feels like coming home to your annoying siblings, even though you know they bring a certain warmth with them.
Mythic Quest season four starts streaming on January 29, 2025, on Apple TV+ with a two-episode premiere.
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