Summary
Blatantly a filler episode, “To Catch a Mouse” is still fun and breezy nonetheless. The creators have been building towards a showdown between Poppy and Ian all season, which comes to a head in this otherwise light installment.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest season 3, episode 8, “To Catch a Mouse,” which contains spoilers.
Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) have spent most of season three bickering with one another in their futuristic GrimPop office. That doesn’t change in “To Catch a Mouse,” but the tone of the argument and the aggression does. It takes a sinister turn in this installment as the truth of their rivalry comes to the forefront. Meanwhile, David (David Hornsby) finds a rat in the Mythic Quest office and puts Jo (Jessie Ennis) on the case.
Mythic Quest season 3, episode 8 recap
What starts off Ian and Poppy’s latest argument is one single post-it note. On the note, it says the word Haptics. Dana asks Ian if this is his next big idea, but it is actually Poppy’s. Ian is entirely distracted by this one square of paper, which he calls an eyesore. He bins the note, and of course, the duo fight. The topic of the argument then turns to air conditioning. Poppy thinks it’s freezing cold, and Ian says it is perfect. Poppy decides to change the temperature. These small, insignificant outbursts will slowly build to something much greater and far nastier.
While they bicker, Jo and Brad complain to one another. Brad feels degraded in his new role as Rachel’s assistant. Jo is equally offended when David asks her to catch a rat he’s just discovered in his office. These smart individuals are left to do their master’s dirty work, but they decide to work together on this latest assignment. The talk of rats allows for some good prison jokes, and Brad and Jo work great as a comedy duo.
Back at GrimPop, the creators’ argument continues. Ian turns up the air con, and Poppy retaliates. Ian argues that it is only a gentle breeze, which he thinks is a compromise. Poppy twists the argument onto the subject of Ian messing about in the metaverse when he should be working. This bickering escalates, and they bring in Dana for a bit of neutrality. Dana doesn’t want to get involved and refuses to pick a side. As Ian and Poppy’s argument descends into a battle over the lights, Dana exits the studio.
Dana finds David working outside in the boiling heat. She comments on his sweaty demeanor. They find common ground complaining about Ian and Poppy’s bickering. Then David’s entire staff join them outside. Jo has ordered them all to leave the building. David and Dana realize that there’s a quiet, empty office waiting for them inside, and they rush on in. Although they are met by Brad and Jo, who are clearly over-complicating their rat hunt. Brad has laid an elaborate trap for the creature, but David and Dana’s arrival distracts them from capturing the rodent.
Ian presents Poppy with his idea of a compromise. He’s built Poppy a camouflaged workstation, which he calls an efficiency pod. Poppy teases Ian over his individual workspace invention, stating that it is clearly just a cubicle. Ian realizes he’s invented nothing new and has formulated a dreaded ‘bad’ idea. Ian gets defensive and calls this a hostile work environment before storming off.
The rat storyline comes to a close. Brad and Jo present David with the rodent trapped in a container. They discovered that the rat was pregnant, yet it has now had its babies. They offer this to David, who just wanted the rat disposed of in the first place. The trio gets into an argument of their own, and David tries to involve Dana to help settle the fight. Again, Dana has been brought in as the judge, and again she refuses to get involved.
Ending Explained
In the final moments of the episode, Poppy finds Ian on the building’s rooftop. Here’s where the argument gets real and surprisingly serious. Ian states how he used to see an idea and Poppy would make it, now Poppy is trying to do both. Poppy retorts that Ian is never there; she’s having to do everything anyway. She realizes that Ian just doesn’t want to be involved in her game, her idea, and he confirms as much, which hurts her deeply.
Upset, Poppy says that, as usual, he overpromises and underdelivers. She leaves, wiping away tears, and Ian throws a chair across the rooftop in anger. Back at GrimPop, Dana returns to find an icy, cold atmosphere that has nothing to do with the air conditioning. Ian has gone. Poppy tells Dana to get back to work.
What did you think of Mythic Quest season 3, episode 8? Comment below.
