Summary
- Mythic Quest is a comedic gem, offering a Technicolor love-letter to imagination in the workplace.
- Severance contrasts with dark themes and comedy elements, exploring existentialism and mystery.
- Mythic Quest edges Severance in Rotten Tomatoes ratings but struggles for viewership on Apple TV+.
Mythic Quest season four has returned right alongside Severance on Apple TV+. With both shows dealing more or less in numbers on computer screens, Mythic Quest argues that career advancement is the antidote for terminal cases of the Mondays. As such, Mythic Quest is a joyously human counter to Severance‘s theatre of the absurd.
For a series that depicts two worlds, Severance offers up a consistently grim tone between both. There are no two ways about it; Apple TV+’s Severance is a bleak, unsettling program. It’s also thrilling, it’s always quirky, and at times it’s downright funny. Still, it is not a comedy. It’s a prestige workplace program that manages to balance dark and complex themes with humorous bouts i.e. HBO’s Succession, though Succession‘s punchlines were gut-busting as opposed to Severance‘s more cheeky asides. Severance is a lot of fun and mirrors our own society in many ways, but most Americans work in office settings very similar to the ones at Lumon (minus the goat pasture). That relatability could also make the show horribly disturbing to watch.
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Meanwhile, Apple TV+’s other running workplace series is downright funny, always quirky, and sometimes thrilling. Mythic Quest is a comedy. The show is co-created by Rob McElhenny and Charlie Day of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and features McElhenny as Ian, the titular game’s director, as well as Danny Pudi from Community as Brad, the diabolical head of monetization. Where Severance peppers moment-to-moment giggles cutting its heavy, foreboding allegory, Mythic Quest employs earnest and heart-wrenching pathos to deliver knock-out gags, reminiscent of the aforementioned Community. Charlotte Nicado also delivers a standout performance as Poppy Li, Ian’s geeky Australian co-director.
Speaking of Community, Mythic Quest‘s other co-creator, Meagan Ganz, is a veteran writer from the Dan Harmon-led NBC show. Mythic Quest really lets its Greendale flag fly in ‘Everlight’, a special episode that sees the office host its annual sword-and-shield role-playing tournament. It includes deep character exploration, practical set transformations and CGI cutscenes – elements which should be sweet music for Community fans who loved the ‘Modern Warfare’ paintball episode.
Severance’s Future
Internet fan theories are predictably ablaze concerning Severance‘s unpredictable narrative path. Lumon’s aims are shady, its board is faceless, and its goats are as disturbing as any goat that’s ever yelled like humans yell. Still, the show’s gray-tinted monochrome masks a clear duality: the mega-corporation is oppressive, and its workers are subjugated. It will be interesting to see if the show continues to explore existentialism as intentionally as it did in season one or if it instead focuses more on the plot’s mysteries.
One thing is for sure; Severance is just as creepy as it was three years ago. In the first episode of the new season the gang is sequestered in a room with Milchick. They watch a troublesome video recapping their revolt and are assured that their efforts have benefited the company and haven’t gone unnoticed. At the end, they’re promised that “Lumon is listening.” This disguised messaging is part of what makes the show’s mystery captivating and promises more intrigue moving forward.
Season one left fans with a bunch of questions that the first few episodes of Season 2 only followed with more questions. What’s Ms Cobel’s motive? What is Cold Harbor? Why won’t anyone help Natalie? Her smile is being pulled by invisible fingers, she clearly needs help. Lumon is a very spooky company and makes for a viewing experience that’s at times chilling. On the other hand, Mythic Quest is a Technicolor love-letter to imagination and fulfillment in the workplace.
Mythic Quest’s Future
Mythic Quest has set the stage for a handful of Apple TV+’s yet-growing pantheon of highly produced shows. Before Severance ran full-sprint through the stark white labyrinth of bureaucracy’s void, Mythic Quest adventured audiences through the hierarchy of the gaming design industry. Before Sylvia crawled back to Will in Apple TV+’s aptly named comedy Platonic, Ian consolingly cradled Poppy Li in Mythic Quest‘s celebrated Quarantine episode.
Mythic Quest blazed trails for a number Apple TV+ comedies, yet it sits firmly behind each of them via in-app ratings. Following its season 4 premiere, Mythic Quest achieved a ranking high of number six on Apple TV+’s top 10 list. Though Mythic Quest is struggling to chart, it’s currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Severance‘s 97%. Critics agree, Mythic Quest indeed deserves more viewers.
Mythic Quest won’t weave a narrative web as complicated as its sister show, but its jokes are every bit as left-field and right-brained as Severance‘s twists. Season four shocked audiences with notorious virgin Poppy Li gaining a hunky boyfriend to Ian’s platonic chagrin. It remains to be seen how Ian and her touchy relationship handles the development.
Apple TV+ is currently delivering a strong pair of programs and Mythic Quest’s low-stakes fun is a perfect palette cleanse following Severance each week. Mythic Quest is quintessential prestige content and has earned its position as the perfect follow-up to Severance in AppleTV+’s one-two punch of a Winter programming knockout.
Mythic Quest
- Release Date
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February 7, 2020
- Network
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Apple TV+
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Charlotte Nicdao
Poppy Li
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