It’s hard to believe that Apple’s workplace comedy began in 2020 and is now a staple on the platform. But here we are, embarking on another, hopefully clever, season of Mythic Quest. Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 4 keep on trend with the emergence of AI but bring the importance of relationships between the characters to the surface.
The characters are undoubtedly always the strength in this TV show – it’s a silly premise. Here’s my breakdown of both episodes that premiered at the same time.
Season 4, Episode 1 – “Boundaries”
The premiere of Season 4 kicks off with a dream. David is announcing to the employees their success in recent years, highlighting the lows, too. He ironically believes the pandemic ending was terrible for them (and the gaming industry) due to hurting revenues. But then, Ian and Poppy make their grand return to the office by coming down the ceiling together, looking angelic. Of course, this was Ian’s dream. Who else?
So, Ian has an idea that came from his dream. He visits Poppy’s apartment late at night, and she has to remind him about the boundaries of their “partnership.” Ian wants to build MQ’s version of “Heaven.” Gamers can enter it by dying (obviously). Poppy loves it but is eager to usher him away so he does not find her boyfriend hiding in the apartment.
The complicated story between Poppy and Ian continues.
You’d think an idea that Poppy and Ian like would be welcomed four seasons in, but it’s not met with enthusiasm in the office. David is not overly impressed and tells them that the popularity of their game Playpen is exploding, and its creator, Dana, has no idea how big her game has gotten.
However, Dana knows her game is number one, and she wants Brad to get her out of her current “ironclad” employment contract so she can reap the awards. She is tempted to text her girlfriend (and colleague) Rachel, but she is not allowed to—essentially, the office is split into teams. Brad is challenged to change Dana’s predicament and even confronts David about it, which is a lost cause.
It’s undoubtedly a sore one for Ian, as Episode 1 concludes. He has discovered that Poppy has a boyfriend, and David believes he is jealous.
To test him, David deceives Ian and takes him to an art exhibit (Ian believes he wants to go out for a drink), knowing Poppy is there with her boyfriend.
Ian confronts Poppy and claims he does not care that she has a boyfriend. Why? Because he claims he only loves her for her mind, not her looks, their partnership holds the glue.
However, Ian may have underestimated Poppy’s boyfriend, who introduces himself. He’s called Storm, and the art exhibit he’s at is his. Storm explains how Poppy came up with one of the main concepts at the exhibit and that they share ideas like a team. You can tell that Ian is bothered about it.
The partnership is under threat, so where does this take Ian’s feelings?
Poppy (L) and Ian (R) present the idea of introducing “Heaven” in MQ (Credit: Apple TV+)
Season 4, Episode 2 – “1000%”
The beginning of “1000%” feels like a horror movie. David goes to the office basement, and the creepiness and noises down there freak him out.
He is looking for Sue but is met by a new coworker, Jackie, Sue’s sister—well, not a sister, but one of her “56 sisters from Church.” Sue has hired Jackie (who doesn’t last long as David asks Sue to fire her at the end of the episode).
David got more than he bargained for by going down to the basement. Sue shows him that there’s sex in the game Playpen. Users have violated the rules of the game, which causes a problem as a lot of the user base is children.
A worried David raises the issue with Ian, Poppy, and Rachel, but as usual, they are distracted. A jealous Ian reminds Poppy that her mind belongs to him at MQ by 1000% (not creepy at all…)
The main suggestion is to use AI to moderate the game, keeping it on trend with world events. Poppy is against AI unless it is trained.
With AI at the forefront of Episode 2, David relaunches the Ethics Committee and discusses the problems with violating acts in Playpen played by users. He wants to teach the AI to moderate specific rules.
However, with so much politics in the office, Brad raises his idea of introducing coins to create an economy in Playpen so Dana gets the pay she deserves. David disregards Brad immediately and stays on track as he brainstorms with the team about what positions and acts should be banned in the game.
I’m unsure if David has lost his mind, but his brainstorming exercise turns into a venting session. He asks the team to tell him what they hate in the world so that they can ban it from the game. Brad does not believe it will work because they deal with children who like breaking as many rules as possible.
To David’s dismay, his computer shuts down, all the ideas are lost (they were not good ideas anyway), and everyone goes home.
These scenes indicate how foolish we will be with AI as the human race. Yes, let’s stop this madness now.
The topic of AI continues to be the centerpiece of Episode 2 as Poppy creates an AI version of her mind so Ian can have it 24/7. Ian tells Poppy that AI cannot replace her, but when he starts asking it questions, he’s impressed by the responses.
Ian decides to spend time with the AI (named Poppy 2) and cites fewer distractions – he even alters the AI slightly for his benefit, which predictably annoys Poppy.
In response, Poppy makes an AI version of Ian (Ian 2) to try to make him understand how annoying he is. To prove to each other that they are both annoying, Ian tries out Ian 2, while Poppy tries out Poppy 2. Ironically, they both realize the flaws they have within themselves.
Exhausted from his AI, Ian heads to Poppy’s office, but the door is shut. He speaks through the door and tells her she is right. Working with him is challenging, and he admits he is not handling the fact that she has a boyfriend well. He confesses to missing her more than her brain, feeling confused and fears losing her.
However, he was talking to her AI, still on her screen, while the real human Poppy was fast asleep on the office sofa.
Poppy wakes up and admits to Ian that she cannot work with her AI anymore, apologizing for being so distracting.
So, Poppy misses Ian’s moment of vulnerability. This is incredibly frustrating for the viewer but is also wholly expected.
