Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day are best known forIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the critically-acclaimed sitcom that first premiered on FX all the way back in 2005.It’s Always Sunnyhas become one of the most revered television comedies of the last decade, and so to see McElhenney and Day branch out with something new is exciting. The duo have teamed up forMythic Quest: Raven’s BanquetonApple TV+, a comedy that sees McElhenney trade in his Mac character for a vain video game auteur named Ian Grimm.
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquetstands in stark contrast to many other television depictions of video games and the video game industry in that it actually tries to be accurate. For that reason alone, video game fans will likely enjoy the show to some extent. It’s sprinkled with clever little nods and references to the industry at large, with Episode 1: Pilot namedroppingContra,Grand Theft Auto,Ms. Pac-Man, and even online publications like Kotaku and Polygon.
The Polygon reference is one of the better moments in Episode 1. The plot of the first episode revolves aroundMythic Questlead engineer Poppy Li desperately wanting to add a shovel item to the game’sRaven’s Banquetexpansion, only for Grimm to want to change it into something completely different. Li hatches a scheme with head of monetization Brad Bakshi (played by Danny Pudi, best known for his role asAhbed inCommunity) to leak the shovel to the press to drum up fan demand for it before launch.
Video game leaks happen all the time in the industry for a variety of reasons, and office politics is certainly one of them. But this plot development isn’t the only one that feels like a fairly accurate portrayal of the industry. For example, we learn that theMythic Questgame is written by CW Longbottom, an award-winning science-fiction writer. This is a clear reference to video game studios often hiring writers famous in other fields for their games, which has been done in everything fromCall of Dutyto the upcomingGeorge R.R. Martin/From Software collaborationElden Ring.
Viewers will also get to see a parody of talking head E3 developer videos, which is what we saw when the show was announced atUbisoft’s E3 2019 press conference, and how Grimm’s auteur ego clashes with others on the team. There’s also a PewDiePie parody called Pootie Shoe, who is a foul-mouthed, mega popular streamer with an absurd amount of power.
There’s a point in the episode where all the developers are standing around, waiting to learn Pootie Shoe’s opinion on theRaven’s Banquetexpansion. This is one of the better scenes, while also a sharp commentary on the way streamers sometimes have genuine control over game developers and industry developments. Pootie Shoe ends up liking the game, especially the new shovel mechanic, and this earns uproarious applause from the developers despite many of them agreeing that the kid is an awful person.
Many of the scenes inMythic Questare designed to amuse those that follow the video game industry. Besides the aforementioned references, there’s also a brief clip of anAssassin’s Creeddive in the actualMythic Questgame itself, plus commentary on the way QA testers are treated at some game studios. Reflecting various industry horror stories that have come out over the years, the QA testers inMythic Questare treated as lesser when compared to the other employees, and one mentions that their eyeballs are being tracked to make sure that they’re always working.
Someone who follows the video game industry closely and pays attention toQA tester horror storieswill find this interesting, like many of other video game industry nods that make up the bulk of the show. But is any of it all that funny? There are some standout scenes. The previously mentioned Polygon leak joke was good for a laugh, and the scene where everyone is arguing about delaying the game is also amusing, but for the most part the show just isn’t terribly funny. It’s certainly not on the level ofIt’s Always Sunny.
It’s also questionable whether someone who isn’t a gamer would find the show entertaining. Much of the entertainment is derived from recognizing when things are referencing the real world video game industry. Someone who tunes in toMythic Questthat doesn’t know anything about video games and is just looking for a new comedy to watch will likely not be very impressed with the show based on the first episode.
The first episode ofMythic Questalso makes the show somewhat difficult to recommend forIt’s Always Sunnyfans who are hoping for something to fill the void while they wait for that show’s next season. The style of comedy here is much more in line with more traditional shows, not the loud, faster-paced, unique absurdity ofIt’s Always Sunny. Props to McElhenney and Day for stepping out of their comfort zones, but based on the first episode, it doesn’t seem likely that anIt’s Always Sunnyfan would findMythic Questworthwhile.
Something thatIt’s Always Sunnyfans will appreciate, though, is the inclusion of Rickety Cricket actor David Hornsby asMythic Questexecutive producer David Brittlesbee. David’s character is the standout from the Pilot, as it’s his reactions during the expansion delay argument that makes that scene so funny. His exasperation at being stuck between two creative types and likening it to his parents' divorce and the HR therapy session that resulted was great. His character really keeps everything in focus and is someone that’s easy to root for, so hopefully he remains one of the center figures of the show moving forward.
Mythic Quest: Raven’s BanquetEpisode 1: Pilot is indeed a pilot episode, which are not necessarily known for hitting it out of the park all the time. Sometimes viewers have to get to know characters better before a show really clicks for them, and it’s possible that things will pick up in subsequent episodes. The Pilot episode, meanwhile, seems like it will appeal to a very specific group of people: video game enthusiasts who likeIt’s Always Sunny, and not really anyone else, includingIt’s Always Sunnyfans who don’t like video games.
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquetis available to stream now, exclusively on Apple TV+.
