DISCLAIMER: This recap of Mythic Quest episode “Breaking Brad” is riddled with spoilers. You’ve been warned. Proceed at your own peril.
Welcome back, Mythic Quest lovers! “Breaking Brad” finally shines a spotlight on everyone’s favorite Head of Monetization — Brad Bakshi. Danny Pudi turns in a nuanced and heartbreaking performance. We meet Zack, Brad’s not-so-nice brother. In fact, he’s more of a “shark” than Brad is.
We get a peek behind the curtain in terms of their relationship (or lack thereof) and the reasoning behind Brad’s incessant stoicism/bravado. It’s a fascinating character study. But “Breaking Brad” isn’t an entirely serious outing: there’s Snoop Dogg! Not to mention, David Hornsby continues his streak of being one of the most underrated characters on Mythic Quest. He’s a far cry from Rickety Cricket here.
Ready to delve into “Breaking Brad”? Let’s get to it.
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Now, we open with Brad (Pudi) and Jo (Jessie Ennis) basking in the successful glow of Battle Royale. Poppy’s decision to relent to Brad’s BR request has yielded a ton of monetary fruit. Granted, their demographic inadvertently caters to nine-year-olds, but as long as they shell out the big bucks, it’s all good. David (Hornsby) surprises Brad with a birthday cake. It’s not his birthday.
Suddenly, Brad’s brother Zack (Parvesh Cheena) enters the picture. He eagerly embraces Brad. Brad looks shellshocked. He’s left speechless, which isn’t his modus operandi. Later, Brad explains to Jo that Zack is a shark in the financial realm. He swoops in when a business is booming and attempts to bleed it dry. He won’t let Zack cut open his pig! The pig is Mythic Quest, of course.
We see Zack and David enjoying Brad’s birthday cake with the staff. Brad proceeds to hide out in his office as a “power play.” I love Brad’s “power play” running gag that’s really just him hiding. It explains so much in retrospect.
Meanwhile, Rachel (Ashly Burch) is driving Ian (Rob McElhenney) to meet with Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao). Montreal gifted Poppy with a Porsche when Battle Royale proved to be a smashing success. She’s handing it off to Ian because she can’t drive stick shift. Dana (Imani Hakim) also appears to pick up Poppy. She comes bearing chicken nuggets! Also … FIREBALL! I’ll never stop giggling at Poppy’s “Fireball!” bit.
Next, Ian futilely attempts to drive the Porsche back to MQ. Apparently, he can’t drive stick, either. Feeling utterly emasculated, Rachel slides in and takes the wheel. This moment cracks me up, and Burch and McElhenney play off each other perfectly.
Then, Jo informs Zack and David that Brad refuses to leave his office. Zack should just leave. However, as an only child, David finally has the brother he’s always wanted. He’s still tender regarding mom and dad, erm, Ian and Poppy’s divorce. He decides to give Zack a tour of the office. Jo eagerly discloses to Brad that she successfully pawned Zack off on David. But Brad knows better. He knows that Zack is moving in for the kill.
Later, Brad finds Poppy and Dana with the engineers. He urges Poppy to be as mean as possible to Zack when she meets the latter. David and Zack bump into the pair shortly thereafter. Brad takes credit for Battle Royale and blames Poppy’s inability to resist his manipulation. Zack reveals that he has a birthday surprise for Brad. It’s not his birthday.
Meanwhile, Rachel is driving Ian back to the office in the Porsche. She’s lamenting over perceived tension between her and Dana. Ian is disinterested. He pushes her to seize the moment. She’s currently driving the co-creative director of Mythic Quest — it’s time to start pitching him ideas. However, Rachel has no clue what she wants or what to pitch.
Next, Brad wanders into the mo-cap room to find none other than Snoop Dogg donning a mo-cap suit. Zack informs Brad that this is his surprise. A concert! He knows just how much Brad loves Snoop. Full disclosure: he doesn’t. And it’s still not his birthday. Poppy, David, Jo and the rest of the staff are present for the impending concert.
Then, Ian and Rachel are in the MQ parking lot. The pair sat in silence for the remainder of the drive. Ian notes that this is the longest Rachel has gone without uttering a word. She proclaims that she wants a seat at the table, but she doesn’t know what that entails. Ian urges her to figure it out.
After the concert, Brad pulls Zack aside. Brad asks his brother to disclose his true motives. Zack reveals that he’s here to steal Mythic Quest away from Brad. It’s a gold mine now that Battle Royale has taken off. However, he’ll refrain from doing so if Brad begs. We see Brad’s eyes shining with tears as he beseeches his brother to stand down. Zack notes that all he sees is a scared little boy — a “pussy,” as their father used to say. This scene breaks my heart for Brad. It’s also Pudi’s best work on the show. Jo witnesses the whole interaction.
Later, Jo stops Zack in the elevator. She asks him who “Kate” is. David assumed Kate was a woman. In fact, Kate was a pig that Brad obtained when they were little. She was supposed to be raised for slaughter. But he couldn’t bring himself to have her killed. Thus, Zack stepped in and did it for him. According to Zack, Brad was always “soft.” Then, Zack tells Jo that he’ll be in touch.
Next, there’s a mini mid-credit scene with Snoop Dogg, Ian and Poppy. Poppy attempts to impress ol’ Snoop with her car credentials. She owns a Porche! She’s no little girl!
RELATED: Catch up on all the epic chaos with our Mythic Quest recaps!
“Breaking Brad” may be one of my favorite Mythic Quest episodes thus far. I love a good character study, and I’ve always been intrigued by the enigmatic Brad Bakshi. This outing explains why Brad is so obsessed with power and his ability to intimidate. He’s always overcompensating for how scared he truly is. Hats off to Pudi! I’m curious if we’ll see Zack again this season.
Do you think Jo will stay on as Brad’s assistant? Will we see Zack again? What will Rachel choose for her career? Join me next week as I recap Mythic Quest, here on Geek Girl Authority.
Mythic Quest streams Fridays on Apple TV Plus.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
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