Mythic Quest season 2 review: Apple TV Plus show keeps getting better

Apple TV Plus' Mythic Quest season 2 is here just weeks after the bonus episode "Everlight" got us eager for more of the MQ team. And it's a great set of 9 episodes you could easily devour on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This review will be very light on plot details, so you can go in as spoiler-free as possible.

This season's a little different, for reasons that are kind of obvious once you realize a global pandemic was happening concurrently with the filming of the series. Of course the series was filmed with all the necessary testing and precautions, as the cast told me on a series of video call interviews promoting the new season.

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The biggest change this season is that F. Murray Abraham (C.W. Longbottom) wasn't on set for the first half of the season, instead filming his scenes remotely. Of course, Mythic Quest proved to be run by a creative gang, and they managed to get some pretty good laughs out of the inability to bring C.W. into the same room as the rest of the cast.

But, for the most part, Mythic Quest season 2 is better than ever (with one excusable exception); with this Mythic Quest season 2 review I will explain why Apple TV Plus now has another excellent sitcom in its belt, ensuring Ted Lasso doesn't stand alone in the still-nascent streaming service.

For Mythic Quest season 2, the first two episodes debut at midnight PDT on Friday, May 7. Subsequent episodes will debut at the same time on the following Fridays, with one episode per week.

Mythic Quest season 2: Getting to know Brad

While Rob McElhenny's Ian (pronounced EYE-an) and Charlotte Nicdao's Poppy are definitely the main characters of Mythic Quest, this season is practically stolen by Danny Pudi. Mythic Quest season 2 gives the Community co-star a lot more time and room to work with Brad, the head of the monetization department at MQ, and the dimensionality we get for this character builds up an excellent conclusion.

The majority of Brad's arc is based around his newfound relationship with Jo (Jessie Ennis), the mean-spirited and devious assistant who has broken out from under the wing of David (David Hornby, who was Rickety Cricket on It's Always Sunny). The decision to pair the greedy, profit-obsessed Brad with Jo is a perfect decision, and provides tons of memorable moments. The two go from joyfully relishing each other's vulture-like instincts to sizing each other up to see who is the more dominant member of the office.

And while that all sounds fun, Mythic Quest season 2 works so well for Brad because of how it fleshes him out as a character. Brad's personal secrets are slowly revealed, as his likable brother visits the office for Brad's birthday, which sets off a powder keg of sibling rivalry emotions. 

Mythic Quest season 2: More of the rest of the cast

And not to sound like a broken record, but Mythic Quest season 2 thrives in large part to the ability to spend more time with characters who didn't get as much attention in season 1. And while you might have thought that the David Brittlesbee character was properly developed in season 1, you'll be cackling at what he gets up to in season 2, as the writers have found sad new lows for the executive producer of MQ to cling on. 

My favorite of the bunch is Carol from HR, because she's so exasperated by the immature shenanigans of the broken human beings that work at MQ. Giving Carol more time is one of the many "Why didn't this happen in season 1?" moments that you'll get during season 2, as she anchors scenes that everyone else is trying to steal.

Of course, we also get a lot more of C.W. this season, as well as Dana (Imani Hakim) and Rachel (Ashly Burch), and all three have fairly emotional moments to deal with throughout this short string of episodes. 

Mythic Quest season 2: The next Dark Quiet Death?

The Mythic Quest audience loves to talk about the excellent standalone episode "A Dark Quiet Death" which told a story of an indie game that was relevant — but not directly connected to — what we were watching in Mythic Quest up to that point. 

Mythic Quest season 2 attempts this trick again, with an episode that's more directly tied to its series. And while the overall results of this episode work pretty well once you zoom out, the episode itself didn't grab me in the ways that "A Dark Quiet Death" did. 

Yes, I am dancing around specifics because I believe one should go into the episode as clueless as I was. The less I know (and arguably, anticipate) the more likely I am to engage with the content. The folks behind Mythic Quest are smart enough not to try and catch the same lightning of "A Dark Quiet Death" in this episode as well, but the shadow still loomed overhead.

Mythic Quest outlook: A taste of what's to come

You'll notice I barely talked about Poppy and Ian. That's not because the co-leaders of the MQ development team take a backseat this season, but because it's hard to say much without giving away the goat about what makes their roles this season so great. I can tell you that Poppy's dealing with her new-found power as an equal to Ian, but if I tried to explain any of the weirdness that ensues, I'd worry I'd spoil it all.

What I can say is this: Nicdao and McElhenney's work this season doesn't just provide excellent laughs and story-beats for the season, but they are two of the biggest reasons why I am excited for a potential season 3. Apple has not greenlit MQ3 yet, but I am very much waiting for the word to come down from on high.

The show puts a toe into the fantastical, to terrific results. If Mythic Quest season 2 is anything like this teaser episode, I'm going to be harassing all my friends to watch it — just as I did with Ted Lasso. 

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