Mythic Quest (Apple TV+) Full Season 4 Review

Whereas I was talking about expectations in the review of spinoff anthology Side Quest, most of you already know what to expect when it comes to Mythic Quest. Yeah, it's sometimes bold and typically includes a one-off episode to break the pace of each season, but beyond that, you've come here for the usual ingredients: comedy with the varied bunch of characters you know and love (whom the showrunners have tried to develop further in the past two seasons with mixed results), a little bit of work/life drama among them, and of course the shenanigans and parody/satire centred around a fictional game studio, the industry, and geek culture as a whole.

However, I do have to mention expectations, because - as with Season 3, and even Season 2 before it - I've always had the feeling that the series might eventually deflate. Ironically, I ended up enjoying Mythic Quest: Season 4 even more than MQS03.

The Ashly Burch-directed season finale, Episode 10: Heaven and Hell, released just today on Apple TV+ as an honestly convincing closure I won't spoil here. In the episodes leading up to that ending, you get all the aforementioned ingredients, and for the most part, they're quite fun and well-balanced. I would highlight Episode 4: The Villain's Feast and Episode 6: The Fish and the Whale, which prove that Mythic Quest usually shines with spy-like plots and conspiracies—the former like a murder mystery party, and the latter like a poker game.

Mythic Quest also explores trending topics in the world of gaming, sometimes even foreseeing soon-to-be dystopian futures. I appreciate this "strangely prophetic" aspect of the series, as Burch herself puts it in our Gamereactor interview, seen before with things like hacked NPCs, NFTs, monetisation, streamers, or various struggles for both developers and publishers. In this regard, Season 4 deals with the buzzword of all buzzwords: AI. But while it tackles the subject in a fun way, it remains fairly superficial; I kept waiting for a deeper dive that never came. In another story arc, it also touches on denialism, user-generated content, and even child labour related to UGC, but again, it doesn't go much beyond surface-level irony.

It also takes a weird detour in Episode 8: Rebrand, a parallel story dedicated to now-grown-up streamer and Ian's neglected son, Pootie Shoe. While the episode works on its own, touching on very topical issues such as the streaming bubble, the fate of streamers who started young, or the boxing/fighting showdowns between them that became so viral in different countries, it ruins the pace instead of breaking it as a breather, and I found myself wondering if this update on the character was meant to connect with either the finale or Side Quest. It doesn't.

That said, it's good. Sometimes very good. It was the perfect complement between, say, two very serious, very slow, very reflective Severance episodes on the same platform. It always puts a smile on my face, sometimes even some big laughs. I'd say David Hornsby's David Brittlesbee is the standout character this time, as his role is further elevated by the script. The relationships between both Ian and Poppy, and Rachel and Dana finally take some steps forward, while the previously always-smarter Brad experiences an interesting dichotomy. Other than those, Pop's second half of the season convincingly explores her workaholism vs maternity confusion.

So, a really decent result, and I'm still delighted this series even exists and continues to do so. Hats off to Apple, Ubisoft, and everyone making it possible, because in 2025, an industry bigger than movies and music needs more takes in different genres and formats. Now, the ending leaves things open for a yet-to-be-confirmed Season 5, and if it happens... I promise not to be surprised this time around.