Mythic Questis officially back after over two years,and its fourth seasonis already shaking up its main dynamics and introducing some hilarious new problems for its characters. The divide between the corporate and creative sides of Mythic Quest has increased, particularly complicating things for the personal relationships involved. One example is Dana (Imani Hakim) and Rachel (Ashly Burch), who are moving forward in their relationship while juggling being on different sides of the company. Meanwhile, pretty much everybody seems a bit lost this season as things are changing, both personally and for the company, as Playpen gets more successful even than Mythic Quest.
This week’s episode ofMythic Quest, “Breakthrough,” moves a number of storylines forward while also continuingwith its typical workplace antics.Brad (Danny Pudi) tries to get Dana and Rachel to get serious about money, disguising his care for them as part of his love for money. The storyline ends with Dana and Rachel preparing to get a new place together, and planning for their future, against Brad’s wishes. Meanwhile, Jo (Jessie Ennis) searches for her life’s purpose but realizes that she’s happy as Dana’s assistant, and David (David Hornsby) has a revelation about his fears. At the center of the episode, though, is the shift in Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy’s (Charlotte Nicdao) relationship, which is the main storyline of this season so far.
Ian and Poppy’s Dynamic Has Shifted in ‘Mythic Quest’ Season 4
Since the very start of the show, it’s been clear thatthe heart ofMythic Questis the partnership and close friendship between Ian and Poppy.Each season so far has shown the two of them conflicting in a way that builds up to one explosive fight that resolves by the end of the season. Although they keep fighting regularly, it seems to make them stronger each time. At the end of Season 1, Ian and Poppy became Co-Creative Directors of Mythic Quest. At the end of Season 2, they started a new company together.At the end of Season 3,they told each other that they loved each other (seemingly platonically at the time), and they came back toMythic Questtogether.
Now, it seemslike Season 4 ofMythic Questis building up to something romantic between Ian and Poppy,even though it seemed to be previously established that this would never happen. Ian and Poppy’s dynamic has always been a relationship that is so close and codependent that it seems romantic to outside observers. One of the running jokes of the series is that people often think they are a couple, and they act like one, but they are not attracted to each other. The show has previously embraced that joke while keeping them firmly in a platonic place, in the likes of30 Rock’s Liz (Tina Fey) and Jack (Alec Baldwin).
Now, though, Ian and Poppy’s dynamic has shiftedever since Poppy got a boyfriend:a calm and kind artist named Storm (Chase Yi). Something like this was bound to lead to some jokes and moments of confused boundaries, but the show has been surprisingly sincere about Ian’s feelings of self-doubt and jealousy. Whereas previously Ian and Poppy have comfortably been equals who always banter with one another, Ian has been much softer and more withdrawn this season around Poppy, as if he is scared of accidentally pushing her away for good. He doesn’t pry or get mad at her about keeping Storm a secret and tries to let her come to him about it on her own timeline, which is a huge change from how he would have handled it in the past.
‘Mythic Quest’ Seems Confused About Its Season 4 Storyline for Ian and Poppy
With slowburn romantic pairings, especially in sitcoms, a jealousy storyline is the perfect way to set the romantic storyline between the two characters in motion. That being said, Ian and Poppy have never felt like a slowburn pairing, and the shift into a more romantic direction feels a little off for them. There is a way thatMythic Questcould make a romance between them work, but it would have to slow the pacing of their romance down a lot more and return them to their usual dynamic first.Ultimately, though, Poppy and Ian work better as friends.
Ian and Poppy’s flashback episode, “Sarian,“reveals that they first met when he was a successful game creator, and she was a college student. She fell in love with video games because of Sarian, the first game that he ever created. For a long time, Ian was both Poppy’s mentor and her boss. Although they have moved past that and are equals now, the foundation of their relationship seemed like a significant reason whyMythic Questwould always keep them platonic. Additionally, their central way of communicating with each other and expressing their care for each other is by giving each other grief and insulting each other regularly. This would not be sustainable if they became romantic, and it could mess up their dynamic.
‘Mythic Quest’ Needs to Make Its Mind Up About Ian and Poppy
Because Ian and Poppy’s relationship has always been at the center ofMythic Quest,the show suffers when it doesn’t know what to do with them.Season 4 has beena lot of fun so far, but their scenes together are the weakest scenes of the season right now. It is unclear whetherMythic Questintends for them to be read as romantic now, and Ian’s uncertainty makes their moments together awkward where they used to be comfortable. In the season premiere, Ian tells Poppy that she doesn’t have to worry about him being jealous of Storm,because he’s “in love with” her for her mind.
Ian only really becomes threatened when he learns that Poppy has been working with Storm on his art projects. Even then, there is a clear shift in Ian’s behavior when compared to previous seasons. Where in the past, he would have been showing off and plotting to take Storm down, he tries to be respectful of Poppy’s boundaries and her newfound desire for more distance from him. Ian tells Poppy at one point that he’s more confused about his feelings than he thought, and that he might want more than just her mind (but less than her body, he adds). Of course, because this isMythic Quest, Poppy doesn’t hear this speech, and her AI is the one who responds to him.
Ian and Poppy reach a resolution at the end of Episode 2, where she tells him that she will put more effort into their working relationship again. That doesn’t carry over into the next episode, though, andPoppy bails on Ian this weekto stay home and hang out with Storm. They spend the whole day talking about each other, though, to the point where Storm even asks if they were ever a couple. It is unclear whereMythic Questis going with these two, butdancing around a potential romance is not sustainable for a whole season. The show needs to choose a direction and commit to it.
