'Mythic Quest': Apple TV + comedy triumphs again with great season 2 generous in laughter and post-pandemic animation

For this writer, 'Mythic Quest' was the first great comedy Apple TV + delivered during its inaugural course. It is true that before we had the refreshing 'Dickinson' and then we would find jewels like 'Central Park' and 'Ted Lasso' but with this it was clear that the platform was taking good steps firmly.

Thus, a little over a year later, we already have season 2 of the office comedy that follows the peculiar directors of a video game studio responsible for the largest MMORPG of today, who are in these new episodes with a challenge: to get an expansion that lived up to expectations.

Post-pandemic moods
As an office comedy that it is, 'Mythic Quest' does not ignore that things have been standing still for almost a year, that there have been months of confinement and telecommuting. The two "bridging" episodes between seasons are, in that sense, splendid in their spirits, in acknowledging the emotional ravages that the pandemic has caused and in breathing spirit into failing hearts.

In that sense, while we can consider 'Quarantine' as an epilogue to season 1, 'Everlight' may well function as a prologue to season 2 with a fantasy tournament that in a year like this becomes more important than ever to lift spirits. of the study. This special episode perfectly introduces us to that difficult time that the season transpires.

Starting with the end of last season, the fact that Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) is co-creative director changes the dynamics of power in the studio and that translates, as we see in the first episodes, not only in a creative block that prevents advance in the new expansion of the game but in false steps when it comes to bringing the new normal. Not just post-pandemic, but readjustments at the team level.

The challenge of change

The great challenge, so to speak, of the script by Rob McElhenney, Megan Ganz and David Hornsby is how to make the series roll when one of its key elements, the tensions between Poppy and Ian in the face of lack of work in the work environment, has disappeared and they have become light frictions and creative and command differences.

So, by losing that element, this season 2 expands the range somewhat and dedicates itself to giving more time (still) to Dana and Rachel (Imani Hakim and Jessie Ennis), the beloved beta testers who go public with their relationship and even the " obnoxious "Jo (Jessie Ennis), who has happened to work for the miser Brad (Danny Pudi).

Yes it is true that, contaminated by the central thread of the season, the series seems less focused, without a clear focus and that is shown in that (I cannot anticipate many events) it is more dispersed in its episodic plots, which do not go so much to try to put out fires but to explore new avenues. It is something that is a consequence, also, of broadening the vision of the study.

Fulfilling the long tradition of sitcoms, season 2 of 'Mythic Quest' abandons that long adjustment process (which has taken little time, it must be recognized) and is now at a very interesting moment, with an exploration of the dynamics between characters already developed to see how well the mix works.

The news is that it does quite well, providing more than one (and two) laughs as they continue to explore those tangent themes that emerge within the video game industry with humor and heart. Season 1 was good. I do not know if it is better, but at least it is up to par.