Mythic Quest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ElidezPablo (talk | contribs) at 20:27, 18 June 2022 (Added link in TV Infobox.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mythic Quest
Season 1 title card
GenreComedy
Created by
Starring
ComposerTakeshi Furukawa
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Charlie Day
  • Megan Ganz
  • David Hornsby
  • Rob McElhenney
  • David Gordon Green
  • Nicholas Frenkel
  • Michael Rotenberg
  • Jason Altman
  • Danielle Kreinik
  • Gérard Guillemot
Producers
  • Chris Smirnoff
  • Jeff Luini
CinematographyMike Berlucchi
Editors
  • Trevor Penna
  • Josh Drisko
  • Steve Welch
Running time24–37 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkApple TV+
ReleaseFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07) –
present

Mythic Quest (known as Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet for its first season) is an American comedy streaming television series created by Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and Rob McElhenney for Apple TV+. The series premiered on February 7, 2020, and follows a fictional video game studio that produces a popular MMORPG called Mythic Quest.

Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season on January 18, 2020, ahead of its first season premiere.[1] A special episode called "Quarantine" was released on May 22, 2020, with the second special episode "Everlight" being released on April 16, 2021, ahead of the season two premiere.[2][3] The second season premiered on May 7, 2021.[4][5] In October 2021, the series was renewed for a third and fourth season.[6]

Premise

The series follows a fictional video game studio that produces Mythic Quest, a popular MMORPG, run by the game's creator Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney). At the start of the series, the studio is about to release a major expansion pack to the game, titled Raven's Banquet. Grimm, the game's creative director, argues with lead engineer Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao), head of monetization Brad Bakshi (Danny Pudi), and head writer C.W. Longbottom (F. Murray Abraham).[7]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
19February 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Specials2May 22, 2020 (2020-05-22)April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)
29May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)

Season 1: Raven's Banquet (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Pilot"David Gordon GreenCharlie Day & Megan Ganz & Rob McElhenneyFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
David hires Jo, his new assistant, who immediately begins siding with Ian's opinions, often against David's wishes. In the newest expansion of the game, Raven's Banquet, Poppy creates an in-game item, a shovel, despite Ian's protests. Poppy leaks the shovel to Pootie Shoe, a popular game streamer, who criticizes it. Ian agrees to leave the shovel in the game as long as it can be used as a weapon in addition to Poppy's intended use of in-game digging.
22"The Casino"Todd Biermann & David Gordon GreenDavid HornsbyFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Pootie Shoe draws attention to the Masked Man, a non-player character with a hidden identity. Ian has claimed since its release that there is a backstory behind the character, but reveals that he is still trying to create it. Brad attempts to use the Masked Man to introduce an in-game casino concept to increase profits, but Poppy immediately insults him and tells him that he is not an important member of the team. Brad revolts by leaving the office and makes all in-game items free for purchase. David and Poppy admit they need Brad, as monetizing the game is the only way to support it. Ian and CW decide to create a second character, The White Knight, who is the Masked Man's son. Despite the similarities to the plot of Star Wars, the team decides to proceed with this plot line.
33"Dinner Party"Todd BiermannMegan GanzFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
The Mythic Quest team learns that their game has become an online hangout for Nazis, and attempt to fix their public relations issue. Ian resists an outright ban of Nazis, while Brad, C.W., and David try to determine what types of people should be removed from the game. Poppy releases a new part of the game called Dinner Party, which allows like-minded users to meet and talk. During an in-game anti-Nazi rally, the Nazis use Dinner Party to meet one another and destroy the rally. Poppy and Ian realize that Dinner Party allowed them to see every player who identifies as a Nazi, and move them to an isolated server.
44"The Convention"David Gordon GreenJohn Howell HarrisFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Pootie Shoe announces that he will no longer be playing Mythic Quest. Ian, David, Poppy, and Dana attend a gaming convention to find a new person to stream their game. When there are no successful picks, Poppy realizes that Dana would be an ideal candidate to stream the game online. A Girls Who Code group shows up at the office for a tour, and are disappointed when David is only able to find a few women to speak with them.
55"A Dark Quiet Death"Rob McElhenneyKatie McElhenneyFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
The complete lifecycle from birth to bargain bin of the game Dark Quiet Death. Guest stars Jake Johnson and Cristin Milioti as Doc and Bean. In a mid-credits scene, Ian is shown pitching his game in the same way Doc and Bean did. None of the main characters appears during the episode.
66"Non-Player Character"LPDavid HornsbyFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Poppy takes a tour of Cold Alliance Games and sees what the other side looks like while Ian feels threatened by Paul, a new programmer. Dana starts her new job as a streamer. David deals with a glitch in the game, that is later determined to be caused by an outsider hacking the program. Lou replaces Dana as a program tester working with Rachel.
77"Permadeath"Todd BiermannAparna Nancherla & Ashly BurchFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Ian challenges the hacker to an in-game showdown. Poppy helps Ian prepare for it. Ian ends up beating the Masked Man, who turns out to be Pootie Shoe.
88"Brendan"Pete ChatmonMegan GanzFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Ian takes Poppy with him to a mysterious meeting, which turns out to be with Pootie Shoe, who is secretly Ian's son, and who is living with his mother. Poppy feels loyal to Ian, and leaves a message declining the new job from Cold Alliance Games. She later changes her mind, but after calling back, is told that the job is no longer there for her. Dana gets outed that she is actually a company employee, rather than an independent streamer.
99"Blood Ocean"Catriona McKenzieMegan Ganz & Rob McElhenneyFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
The workers at Mythic Quest want to be paid for their overtime work. David calls up corporate to support them, but is fired. Poppy and Ian argue, and Ian calls Montreal and gets David rehired and overtime pay for all. Ian promotes Poppy to be Co-Creative Director with him.

Specials (2020–21)

No.
overall
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
10"Quarantine"Rob McElhenneyRob McElhenney & Megan Ganz & David HornsbyMay 22, 2020 (2020-05-22)
The staff deals with virtual meetings amid the pandemic. Brad and David have Street Fighter contests to decide whether or not the company will make a charity donation. Ian visits a distraught Poppy where she lives.
11"Everlight"Rob McElhenneyAshly BurchApril 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)
The team returns to the office for their annual Everlight party. Poppy and Ian try to rig a LARP tournament in favor of Dana, but Brad ends up winning the tournament instead and with his win, he forces Poppy and Ian to cancel future Everlight parties. Poppy and Ian then challenge Brad and end up defeating him, which means Everlight parties are able to continue in the future.

Season 2 (2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
121"Titans' Rift"Pete ChatmonMegan Ganz & David Hornsby & Rob McElhenneyMay 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)
Ian goes on sabbatical and leaves Poppy to work on the new expansion and its name. Dana and Rachel kiss for the first time and express their true feelings for each other. Jo is no longer David's assistant and is now working for Brad. Poppy has sex dreams about Ian, which leads her to the name of the new expansion: Titans' Rift.
132"Grouchy Goat"Pete ChatmonMegan Ganz & David Hornsby & Rob McElhenneyMay 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)
Rachel and Dana are unsure how to tell the office that they are now dating. Brad assigns them to design a profitable mobile game, with Jo acting as producer. Ian and Poppy work with the design team for the new expansion, but Poppy has trouble being inspirational. To help her be an effective leader, Ian has Poppy speak at a Women in Gaming conference. After hearing Rachel and Dana explain their new mobile game, Brad ends up scrapping it.
143"#YumYum"Angela BarnesJohn Howell HarrisMay 14, 2021 (2021-05-14)
Ian and Poppy work separately on the expansion, Jo helps C.W. deal with his publisher, and Brad sets out to find a romantic partner for David.
154"Breaking Brad"Angela BarnesKeyonna TaylorMay 21, 2021 (2021-05-21)
Brad's brother Zack visits the office, which Brad interprets as a sign that he will try to break up the company. Poppy receives a Porsche from corporate headquarters due to the success of Battle Royale. Rachel helps Ian drive Poppy's car back to the office, as Ian is unable to drive stick. Ian mentors Rachel to decide what she really wants to do at the company.
165"Please Sign Here"Megan GanzKatie McElhenneyMay 28, 2021 (2021-05-28)
Carol tries to wrangle Mythic Quest employees as they refuse to sign the results of a simple workplace assessment. Poppy and Ian get into an argument. Ian tries to open up to her but - trying to present strength - she is dismissive, as a result Ian insults Poppy about her needing to rely on him in order to be successful.
176"Backstory!"Rob McElhenneyCraig MazinJune 4, 2021 (2021-06-04)
A flashback episode detailing a young Carl Longbottom's journey to become one of the world's greatest science fiction writers.
187"Peter"Todd BiermannHumphrey KerJune 11, 2021 (2021-06-11)
Rachel accompanies C.W. on a visit to Peter's home, his former colleague who married Anne, who C.W. was in love with more than 40 years ago. Peter is dying, so Ginny, Peter's daughter, secretly sets up the meeting to see if they can hash things out and become friends again.
198"Juice Box"Todd BiermannMegan Ganz & David Hornsby & Rob McElhenneyJune 18, 2021 (2021-06-18)
After Ian presents his half of the expansion, he ends up in the hospital with an apparent heart attack. Poppy's expansion is well-received, but is later discovered to be impossible to implement. Jo is duped by Zack to buy shares of the company, as Brad tells her she can be arrested for insider trading.
209"TBD"Todd BiermannRandall Valdez-CastilloJune 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
Rachel and Dana tender their resignations to David, but then have second thoughts after Dana is rejected from Berkeley. When Dana pleads for her job back to Ian and Poppy, they unexpectedly tell her that they will pay for her to go to school to learn how to program. Ian and Poppy realize that they cannot take Mythic Quest any further, so they resign and form a new company. Brad wants to be arrested by the Feds for insider trading to improve his "street cred."

Production

Development

On August 9, 2018, it was announced that Apple had given a series order to a new half-hour comedy series written by Rob McElhenney, Megan Ganz, and Charlie Day, all of whom also serve as executive producers alongside Michael Rotenberg, Nicholas Frenkel, Gérard Guillemot, Jason Altman, and Danielle Kreinik. Production companies involved with the series consist of RCG Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Ubisoft Film & Television.[9][10][11] On January 18, 2020, it was announced that Apple had renewed the series for a second season, ahead of its season 1 premiere.[1] In February 2021, it was revealed that the second season would premiere on Apple TV+ on May 7, 2021.[4]

Ubisoft, a large video game publisher, assisted with development of the series. McElhenney said the concept of the show resulted from a discussion Ubisoft had with him about producing a television show around video games. McElhenney had been invited to Ubisoft Montreal to discuss the project, and though he was initially hesitant, as he toured the studio, he saw the potential vision for the show. Since then, Ubisoft has assisted in designing the video game characters and game world, as well as providing other art assets for the show. Ubisoft also helped the writers with details of video game development to stay authentic to industry approaches.[12] On October 21, 2021, Apple renewed the series for a third and fourth season.[6]

Casting

Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Rob McElhenney would star in the series.[9] On February 1, 2019, it was announced that F. Murray Abraham, Imani Hakim, David Hornsby, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, Charlotte Nicdao and Jessie Ennis had joined the cast of the series.[13] Anthony Hopkins was cast as the narrator in the special "Everlight" in April 2021.[8] Also in April, alongside the season two trailer release, Apple announced that Humphrey Ker, Chris Naoki Lee, and Jonathan Wiggs were part of the season two cast, with Snoop Dogg and Derek Waters guest starring.[5] In April 2022, it was announced that F. Murray Abraham had exited the series and would not return for the third season.[14]

Filming

In March 2019, it was reported by The New York Times that filming of season one had concluded.[15] The special, titled Mythic Quest: Quarantine, was written, shot, and edited in just three weeks, all remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, using products supplied by Apple, such as iPhones.[16] On November 11, 2020, Deadline Hollywood reported that the second season suspended production after positive COVID-19 tests of production team members.[17] In December 2020, it was further reported that while Rob McElhenney claimed "to date there remains ZERO evidence of any transmission at work", at least 12 members of the production staff that worked in close contact with one another had contracted COVID-19, marking the second cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to the Mythic Quest production, and prompting another production suspension.[18]

During a Mythic Quest panel at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour in February 2021, McElhenney stated that he "did not want to be known as the person who got F. Murray Abraham very, very ill", elaborating that Abraham's character was continuing to work remotely for the first few episodes, and did not actually shoot in person until episode seven of the second season, where COVID testing occurred "as many times as five days a week," and Abraham's scenes only included "very small amounts of people on camera".[19] In March 2021, Variety reported that a total of 26 crew members of Mythic Quest came down with COVID-19, making it "the worst outbreak of any show in Los Angeles".[20]

Release

The first season consisting of nine episodes was released on February 7, 2020. A special episode ("Quarantine") focusing on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was released on May 22, 2020. A second special ("Everlight") was released on April 16, 2021 prior to the second season premiere. The second season premiered on May 7, 2021 and was released with weekly episodes.[4]

Marketing

On June 10, 2019, a trailer for the series was presented by McElhenney at Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference, where he announced that Mythic Quest would premiere in the fall of 2019.[21] On December 18, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 7, 2020.[22]

Reception

Critical reception for Mythic Quest
Season Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
1 90% (39 reviews) 73 (12 reviews)
2 100% (31 reviews) 73 (9 reviews)

Season 1

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating, based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it relies too heavily on the workplace comedy formula, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is nonetheless hilarious and stands out for exploring the gaming industry with intelligence, thoughtfulness, and sincerity."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on reviews from 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]

Season 2

The second season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 100% based on 31 reviews with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Smartly written, sharply performed, and sentimental without losing its sense of humor, Mythic Quest's stellar second season solidifies its place as one of TV's best workplace comedies."[25] On Metacritic, it has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2021
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Streaming Series, Comedy Mythic Quest Nominated [27]
Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy Rob McElhenney Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy Danny Pudi Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Narrator Anthony Hopkins (for "Everlight") Nominated [28]
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation Matthew E. Taylor, Sean Heissinger, Pete Nichols, Matthew Wilson, David Jobe, Joe Deveau, Jody Holwadel Thomas and Elizabeth Rainey (for "Everlight") Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Mythic Quest Nominated [29]
Individual Achievement in Comedy Charlotte Nicdao Nominated

Other media

Inspired by the short story mentioned in the episode "Backstory!", Tears of the Anaren was released in June 2021 on Apple Books as an ebook and an audiobook, which is narrated by C.W. Longbottom (F. Murray Abraham) and Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney).[30]

References

  1. ^ a b Turchiano, Danielle (January 19, 2020). "Apple TV Plus Renews 'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet' Ahead of Series Premiere". Variety. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  2. ^ Petski, Denise (May 15, 2020). "'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet': Apple Comedy Sets Return With Special Quarantine Episode". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Lane, Carly (April 6, 2021). "A Surprise 'Mythic Quest' Bonus Episode Is Dropping Next Week Ahead of Season 2 Premiere". Collider. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Sneider, Jeff (February 19, 2021). "'Mythic Quest' Unveils Season 2 Release Date and a Poppylicious Trailer". Collider. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Trailer for Critically Acclaimed Workplace Comedy, "Mythic Quest" Season Two" (Press release). Apple. April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
  6. ^ a b Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 21, 2021). "'Mythic Quest' Renewed For Seasons 3 & 4 By Apple TV+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Rivera, David (February 7, 2020). "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is a comedy surprise you can't miss". The Verge. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Turchiano, Danielle (April 16, 2021). "How 'Mythic Quest' Booked Anthony Hopkins for 'Everlight' Special Episode". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Petski, Denise (August 9, 2018). "Rob McElhenney & Charlie Day Comedy Lands Straight-To-Series Order At Apple". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  10. ^ Otterson, Joe (August 9, 2018). "Apple Orders Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney Comedy Straight to Series". Variety. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 9, 2018). "Rob McElhenney-Charlie Day Comedy Scores Apple Series Order". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  12. ^ Prudom, Laura (February 3, 2020). "Rob McElhenney Explains How Apple's Mythic Quest Will Stay 'Authentic' to the Game Industry". IGN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (February 1, 2019). "F. Murray Abraham, Imani Hakim, David Hornsby, Danny Pudi Among 7 Cast In Rob McElhenney & Charlie Day's Apple Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 19, 2022). "F. Murray Abraham Exits Apple TV+'s 'Mythic Quest'; Will Not Return For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Koblin, John (March 17, 2019). "Apple's Big Spending Plan to Challenge Netflix Takes Shape". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  16. ^ McHenry, Jackson (May 26, 2020). "How Mythic Quest Wrote, Filmed, and Edited Its Quarantine Episode in 3 Weeks". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 11, 2020). "Three Series Pause Production, A Pilot Is Delayed At CBS Studio Center Due Of Positive COVID Tests". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  18. ^ Maddaus, Gene; Low, Elaine (December 17, 2020). "'Mythic Quest' Crew Members Angered by Producer's Response to COVID Outbreak". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  19. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (February 19, 2021). "How COVID Changed F. Murray Abraham's Role in 'Mythic Quest' Season 2". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Maddaus, Gene (March 26, 2021). "Crew Member on Universal TV Comedy Says He Was Fired After Getting COVID". Variety. Retrieved March 29, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Patches, Matt (June 10, 2019). "Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney and Ubisoft unveil gaming sitcom Mythic Quest". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  22. ^ "Apple's New Comedy Series "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet" to Premiere Friday, February 7". The Futon Critic. December 18, 2019. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  23. ^ "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  24. ^ "Mythic Quest: Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mythic Quest: Season 2 (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "Mythic Quest: Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  27. ^ Menzel, Scott (July 8, 2021). "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  28. ^ Hipes, Patrick (July 13, 2021). "Emmy Nominations: 'The Crown', 'The Mandalorian' Top List; HBO/HBO Max Edges Netflix For Top Spot – Full List Of Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  29. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  30. ^ Liptak, Andrew (June 9, 2021). "You Can Now Read Mythic Quest's Faux Nebula Award-Winning Story, Tears of the Anaren". Tor.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.

External links