Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet

[Cortez the Surfer]

A new comedy on Apple TV+ written by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz, all nine episodes are out now.
It's basically Mac from Always Sunny running a Blizzard style games studio.

I've watched the first two episodes so far and quite enjoyed them, the satire is fairly on point and it has a pretty decent cast including Danny Pudi from Community as a genial sociopath in charge of monetisation and F. Murray Abraham as an ageing fantasy novelist with a drink problem.

Worth a look if you're an Always Sunny fan and/or have an interest in the games industry.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I've only seen the first episode but quite liked it, it's nothing that amazing but the cast are strong, and F.W. Murray Abraham looks like he'll be nicely weird in it, and so I hope it just gets better as it goes on. Have to say I don't get the Mac comparison though, Rob McElhenney's a lot less needy and pathetic in this, and a lot more self aware too.

[Cortez the Surfer]

Have to say I don't get the Mac comparison though, Rob McElhenney's a lot less needy and pathetic in this, and a lot more self aware too.

I probably should have said a wealthy successful version of Mac.

Watched the third one now which was a step up from the previous two and I've realised it reminds me of the first season of Parks & Rec (where they hadn't quite fleshed out the characters). Don't know if they've got a Ron Swanson though.

[Moribunderast]

Thanks for the heads up about this. Has been enjoyably pleasant viewing on a hungover Saturday. It's nowhere near as funny or dark as Always Sunny but it hits a decent tone and some of the characters are quite fun - mainly Danny Pudi's character and Hornby's assistant. Episode 5 was a really nice short film, despite being tonally inconsistent with the rest of the show and having nothing really to do with anything.

[olliebean]

Really pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this, given that I absolutely hate Always Sunny. Definitely worth a look whether you're an Always Sunny fan or not.

[surreal]

Finished watching this last night, ended up really liking it and I can see myself watching it more than once to let it all sink in.  I like Danny Pudi but I just thought he was doing his overly forced American accent (like he did in the "Critical Film Studies" Community episode where he's having dinner with Jeff).  I liked the character of Jo,  they started her down a nice unhinged path.  Thought episode 5 showing the growth of the games company was really good and a departure for the rest - getting quite strong Community vibes from it and very glad Megan Ganz is on board.  Roll on season 2, hopefully not too far away.

[Dewt]

I think I can relate to this, plus the trailer is just above that line that suggests the actual series won't be turgid, so I have already bought it from Appl... hah, of course not, nobody will ever do that, I downloaded it from torrents.

[selectivememory]

I do love Rob McElhenney, and Megan Ganz has written some of the better recent episodes of Always Sunny, plus the cast looks very strong, so I'll give this a go soon.

[selectivememory]

Was a bit unsure at first, but towards the end of the first episode this clicked for me. I've only watched the first two, but liking it a lot, especially Jo, who steals every scene she's in.

[BeardFaceMan]

Started watching this and am liking it a lot, but I thought that was a very odd choice for episode 5. Unless it pays off later in the season somehow? If it doesn't, it's a bit strange to have the 5th episode of a brand new series devote an whole standalone episode to something almost entirely unrelated to the current cast and story. I was waiting the whole episode for something to tie it to the show and when all that happened was Ian pitching his game to the same bloke the couple did (I take it Mythic Quest is made by the development studio that couple set up or worked for or something?), it made the whole thing feel really underwhelming. Definitely be skipping this episode on the rewatch.

[up_the_hampipe]

This has potential to get a lot better. Seems to be an Always Sunny/Silicon Valley mash-up without really being as funny as either. Still, it's fairly enjoyable.

[olliebean]

I've never understood the attraction of Always Sunny. Whenever I've tried to watch it, it just seems to be people shouting at each other. This, though, I really like. But I can't really see any similarity apart from having Rob McElhenny in it.

[Cuellar]

And David Hornsby! I'll probably give this a watch.

[Cortez the Surfer]

Started watching this and am liking it a lot, but I thought that was a very odd choice for episode 5. Unless it pays off later in the season somehow?

The relevance of episode 5 is revealed near the end of the last episode.

[BeardFaceMan]

The relevance of episode 5 is revealed near the end of the last episode.

Just finished the season. I don't think that one throwaway line near the end of the last episode needed an extended, standalone episode to explain it, especially so early on in the first season. The tone of that episode just felt so different from the rest of the show, too, more like a romcom. Now I know the relevance of the episode I'll definitely be skipping it on the rewatch. Good show overall though, I liked it, very different from Sunny, comedically. I see it's already been renewed for season 2 as well, so that's nice.

[selectivememory]

Tonally it's a very different show to Always Sunny, but a lot of the humour and wordplay is very similar (and even entirely lifted from Always Sunny in a couple of places), and the episode where Ian was insecure about the other guy's height was pure Mac.

I'm liking it a lot. Still a couple more episodes to go. For a first season, it's been pretty strong, and I expect it'll get better as it goes along.

[Cortez the Surfer]

The writing credits aren't what I was expecting.

1       "Pilot"                       Charlie Day & Megan Ganz & Rob McElhenney
2   "The Casino"                 David Hornsby   
3   "Dinner Party"               Megan Ganz
4   "The Convention"           John Howell Harris
5   "A Dark Quiet Death"     Katie McElhenney (Rob's sister)
6   "Non-Player Character"  David Hornsby   
7   "Permadeath"               Aparna Nancherla & Ashly Burch
8   "Brendan"                     Megan Ganz
9   "Blood Ocean"               Megan Ganz & Rob McElhenney

[olliebean]

I thought the standalone episode stood on its own merit, tbh. It would have been a bit of an odd inclusion if there'd been no payoff in the main storyline, but there were loads of resonances, it wasn't just a throwaway line about some names scratched on a column.

[BeardFaceMan]

I thought the standalone episode stood on its own merit, tbh. It would have been a bit of an odd inclusion if there'd been no payoff in the main storyline, but there were loads of resonances, it wasn't just a throwaway line about some names scratched on a column.

Loads? I missed all of those then. It did stand on it's own merit in that it's not like it was appalling or anything, but it was so tonally different, it just didn't really fit with the rest of the show. Would have worked better as a spin-off short film than an episode of the season.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

If you've played some good game, then bought a disappointing follow-up that lost track of what was interesting in the first place just to gradually appeal to a wider crowd, the middle episode makes a lot of sense and explains your experience playing that game. And it shows that the studio from the show, extremely dysfunctional and full of compromises as it is, still manages to hold it in comparison.

I thought of a few Resident Evil, Prince of Persia, Dead Space or Mass Effect sequels, and I guess other people here have their own references of franchises that went bad.

[olliebean]

Lockdown episode coming: https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/05/16/46115/new_episode_for_mythic_quest%3A_ravens_banquet

[Small Man Big Horse]

Huh, I was sure I posted about this when I finished the season, but in short: This grew on me enormously and I became extremely fond of it in the end. That's good to hear about the lockdown episode, and I can't wait for the second season too.

Also: Re:

I probably should have said a wealthy successful version of Mac.

I still don't see this, and think he's a very different character to Mac, he's far less needy and weird for one thing.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I really loved that, it took a little while to get going but they used the set up to develop the characters really effectively, it was often very funny, and that ending was majestic.

[surreal]

I really loved that, it took a little while to get going but they used the set up to develop the characters really effectively, it was often very funny, and that ending was majestic.

Agreed, I loved that - the bit with Ian and Poppy was lovely, and the ending was wonderfully edited with a perfect music cue.

I'm really quite fond of this show, it really has a Community kind of vibe to it while remaining different enough to not feel like a carbon copy

[BeardFaceMan]

That was probably the best lockdown-produced episode of anything seen so far. Not that I've watched a lot as virus-themed stuff is tedious and the comedy stuff that is being produced like HIGNFY doesnt work properly without an audience but that Mythic Quest episode wouldn't have been out of place in the regular season, really good stuff.

[olliebean]

This is a good read if you're interested in the process: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mythic-quest-quarantine-40-iphones-600k-charity-a-cast-crew-eager-keep-going-1295215

[surreal]

This is a good read if you're interested in the process: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mythic-quest-quarantine-40-iphones-600k-charity-a-cast-crew-eager-keep-going-1295215

That's great, thanks for that - glad to hear they're considering submitting it for some awards

[Small Potatoes]

Thought this new episode was great. The first "lockdown" episode of anything I've seen that I've really enjoyed - the characters are so well drawn that I really bought into it.

[Sin Agog]

Was really worried that they side-lined F. Murray Abraham at the beginning because he's too old to internet, but no, they just played on that fact instead.

I wonder if they sent high quality webcams and audio out to all the cast, with instructions to record their own ends of the conversation to improve the quality?  Really good wrangling job however they managed to do it.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Was really worried that they side-lined F. Murray Abraham at the beginning because he's too old to internet, but no, they just played on that fact instead.

I wonder if they sent high quality webcams and audio out to all the cast, with instructions to record their own ends of the conversation to improve the quality?  Really good wrangling job however they managed to do it.

That article explains how they did it, with each cast member being sent three iphones to record it on apparently.