Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet Is Awesome.

This commentary is spoiler-free and not a “review”. I just got excited after watching the show and decided to write about it.

I haven’t really given Apple TV + a chance since it came out. I find it hard to start new shows. Something about committing to watching all the episodes just sends me down a spiral of despair. Yeah sure, I don’t have to keep watching if I don’t like it but then I never get closure, and all the time I spent “evaluating” is a waste. That’s a problem I know is going to get worse because there’s just way too many options. Way too many. It’s become a joke now, I don’t even watch Netflix anymore. I just open the app, start swiping the endless list of suggestions and trending items until 20 minutes later, I leave the app and just play Overwatch (or watch south park). Now all this is a bit of a sidetrack - but it’s important to lay the ground for why picking up Mythic Quest was kind of a big deal.

The main reason I started watching this show at all (or better yet, the reason I considered it) is because I saw Abed (Danny Pudi) from Community. You see, Community is one of my (if not the) favorite shows ever. I basically watch (almost) everything that has at least one of the lead cast in it. So yes, I was a big fan of the Joel McHale show with Joel McHale …. for all episodes that it ran for - RIP 💀. What really got me over the edge was knowing that it’s based around a game studio. This is rare. Outside Silicon Valley, there aren’t that many shows based around this software developers - and I don’t think there’s any based on game developers. So I was on board. A geeky show that I was sure would have some depth to it. I figured it had to have some substance to be on Apple TV +. The pilot was good. Actually, it was great. In a very… geeky way. I can see this turning off people who feel jaded with gaming/streaming culture. This isn’t the core of the show or entirely what it’s about but it’s there. And to those people, I tell you, just power through, it gets better. Just get to know the characters.

I’m a big fan of comedy shows but there’s a “special” type that I really like. I don’t think I’ve seen an entire episode of Friends. But shows like Futurama, Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman… they appeal to me — and it’s not because they’re all animated. I haven’t really thought about what those shows have in common that I particularly like. I have to point it out because well, everyone has their taste and Mythic Quest is just not going to be for all. And that’s fine. I think of it as Community. I either see people who have never heard of it or die-hard fans (like moi). Well, there are a very few people who saw it and didn’t like it but, it’s not like South Park, just about everyone knows about South Park and made up their mind about it (hate/love).

There’s a lot that Mythic Quest shares with Community that made me really like it. The diversity of the cast with a wide range of personalities, both likable and despicable (CW -> Pierce? 🤔) - I mean, it has Aparna Nancherla! She is an amazing comedian. The first time I saw her perform… I almost hurt myself laughing, no joke! Her set was about struggling with depression while being a comedian. That’s not the character she plays in Mythic Quest. More of a nonchalant employee that hates everyone she works with. Also, the character development evolves so naturally and the plot gets more complex right under your nose. The entire show stays pretty funny but I’m glad it’s not just jokes — there’s cheap jokes that are almost cringeworthy worthy but there are way more original ones. I like when comedy shows can make me happy but also be relatable by having these deep dynamics among the characters that make them very down-to-earth, make them actually relatable.

A show like, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a prime example of the type of comedy that, even though I don’t hate, wouldn’t necessarily call “great”. I just can’t take it seriously (but then again, it’s the type of show the creator doesn’t expect you to take seriously). It’s something I leave playing in the background and probably wouldn’t notice if I missed an entire episode by not paying attention. Something like The Office or Parks and Recs also come to mind. Somehow, I don’t exactly find them memorable as memorable. But I like Arrested Development. At face value, it might seem similar but the dysfunction, chaos and just brokenness of the Bluth family made the often ridiculous jokes in Arrested Development enjoyable for me. YMMV (that’s “your mileage may vary” for you boomers out there). How “good” a show is, is totally objective. This is all art, and its value lies in the eye of the beholder.

That being said, I would encourage you to Behold try Mythic Quest, give it a chance. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. There’s a special episode, Dark Quiet Death (episode 5) - it’s basically a standalone episode that you can skip to (and even watch solely). This is a masterpiece of an episode and I think it would do incredibly well as a movie of its own. I think it’s literally impossible for anyone to not be blown away by it. Yes. I said it. Go forth and enjoy!