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It feels like a million years since "Mythic Quest" last aired — and also like no time has passed. "Mythic Quest" season 4 brings back the Apple TV Plus show after two long years and yet the characters are so well-established that it takes two seconds to get their present status.
I've seen the first episodes and it was like having a cozy chat catching up with an old friend who moved to the opposite coast. Like, it's been a while but you just fall back into familiar patterns like that. Yet, if you're completely new to the series, it's easy to start with season 4 and not feel like you've missed anything.
"Mythic Quest" takes place at a video game studio, but that's never been that important. Well, OK, let me clarify: There are a lot of game-related storylines, gaming jokes and digs at gamer culture. But you don't need to play or understand games to appreciate the show. I fall into that camp, so I should know. At its heart, "Mythic Quest" is a workplace comedy filled with quirky characters — think "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Abbott Elementary." The actual work is secondary to the relationships, rivalries and roasting among those characters.
Now that "Mythic Quest" is in its fourth season, it's really found and settled into its groove. It's a damn delight — just the thing to make me laugh and keep me warm during long winter nights.
'Mythic Quest' season 4 feels familiar yet fresh
First, let's do a quick little refresher if you don't remember how "Mythic Quest" left off in season 3. Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) failed to get funding for their gaming venture, Playpen. Meanwhile, at MQ, the game was bleeding users and David (David Brittlesbee) was desperate for new ideas. Two birds, one stone: Ian and Poppy took Playpen to MQ to turn user-generated Playpen content into a new expansion.
So, in season 4, the gang's all back together under the same roof. But it isn't the same-old, same-old. Ian and Poppy are trying their best to work peacefully together as partners. Dana (Imani Hakim) is the creator of the most popular game on the Playpen platform and is running her own mini-studio out of MQ, alongside money guy Brad (Dani Pudi) and overbearing assistant Jo (Jessie Ennis).
Of course, this isn't Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley; no workplace comedy would be funny without some conflict. As much as Ian is trying not to cross boundaries with Poppy, he just can't help himself — especially when he learns Poppy has a new artist boyfriend named Storm (Chase Yi). Dana isn't too happy about the fact that she doesn't see a big cut from all the revenue MQ is raking in thanks to her game. And David ... well, he's his usual sad sack self.
Some shows feel like they need to reinvent the wheel every season. "Mythic Quest" kind of did that in season 3 when Ian and Poppy left to form GrimPop. But in season 4, it seems like the show's creators and writers have finally figured out they need to do a complete reset — they just need to advance us to the next level. A few new challenges, a few new trophies to collect, a few new bosses to defeat — and a lot of jokes along the way.
Good comedy is just what I need right now
Or should I say what we all need? When the outside world is bleak, staying inside with comfort TV is a form of self-care. You could take a bath or light a candle ... or you could watch the characters of "Mythic Quest" navigate their tumultuous professional, platonic and romantic relationships. As I said before, you don't need to have watched a single episode or know anything about video games to enjoy "Mythic Quest's" big dose of Vitamin D(elight).
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