DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Mythic Quest episode “The Two Joes” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
FIREBALL! I believe it was the late, great Robert Frost who wrote, “Two Joes diverged in a yellow wood…” Or something like that. Mythic Quest‘s latest outing experiments with various sitcom tropes. It’s a damn delight. That four-way phone call will perpetually live in my brain, rent-free.
It might seem like it doesn’t propel the plot forward significantly, but we see the building blocks of multiple situations that could erupt later in the season. We see Dana fall deeper down the Ian Grimm rabbit hole, Poppy and Ian’s fractured relationship, Brad reinsert himself as a company asset and David cast Joe Manganiello as the lead in the Mythic Quest film adaptation. I can’t wait to watch it all hilariously implode.
Ready to delve into “The Two Joes”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) running to Dana’s (Imani Hakim) desk in the GrimPop offices. Poppy asks where Ian is, and Dana gestures to her earbud. Poppy reveals she finally completed her expanded prototype of Hera and wants Dana to test it out. Dana communicates to Ian, inquiring if he also heard the tone in Poppy’s voice. Dana reminds Poppy she’s no longer a tester. After a brief bickering sesh with Ian, Poppy warns Dana regarding her deepening bond with him. Once he gets in your ear, there’s no getting him out. It’s like a horror movie tagline.
Then, Jo (Jessie Ennis) informs David (David Hornsby) about an important celeb calling to express interest in starring in the Mythic Quest adaptation. The famous actor in question? None other than Joe Manganiello, a.k.a. the True Blood stud (David’s words and mine). Jo speaks with Joe’s rep and confirms a lunchtime meeting that day, much to David’s dismay. He’s not ready — he pitted out during that call!
Meanwhile, Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Dana are in the latter’s car and en route to a speaking engagement. These newly christened besties are traveling on the same wavelength. It’s like they’re two halves that make an ingenious whole. Carol (Naomi Ekperigin) takes her ire out on Brad (Danny Pudi), the source of said ire. The get-money-quick NFT scheme didn’t pan out, no thanks to him. Rachel (Ashly Burch) pops in for a protein bar. Carol snaps, reminding Rachel that she’s no longer an employee and those are her bars.
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Carol steps away, deciding to go hang out at a cat cafe for a mental health day. That sounds like heaven. Rachel explains to Brad why the NFT thing failed and reveals what she believes would work to gain the trust and devotion of the fanbase. Brad, usually repulsed by Rachel’s loquaciousness, asks her to expand on this. Poppy pops into MQ to order the testers to play Hera. The testers do as they’re bid, albeit begrudgingly. I can’t believe they don’t know who the Poppy Li is. She singlehandedly saved MQ (by eating from the dumpster)!
Later, David calls Jo on his “bidness” phone while stuck in traffic. I still can’t believe he commutes to Mythic Quest, which is in LA, from Cerritos. He must spend a fortune on gas. Anyway, Joe Manganiello arrives at the restaurant early, so David urges Jo to preoccupy the actor until he’s there. Jo’s nervous; she loathes Hollywood types. Since Jo’s wearing her earbud, David will tell her what to say. I can confidently say that no shenanigans will unfold despite this being a tried and true (and fun) sitcom trope.
Meanwhile, Ian and Dana make a pitstop at a facility wherein history is being made. The latest state-of-the-art VR and metaverse tech is developing, and Ian plans to show Dana it all. They get a first-class sneak peek at the goods.
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Then, we see David try to talk Jo through a conversation with Joe. He orders Jo to lie about her position regarding the film and call herself a producer. She also entertains Joe’s story ideas. The world of MQ as a black-and-white noir? It sounds like a shoo-in for Sundance. Brad and Rachel visit the art department’s beleaguered Phil (Derek Waters). Brad asks Rachel to explain her idea for getting MQ more money. Phil looks like the epitome of defeat.
However, not all is lost. Phil calls David’s “personal” phone to ask if he should follow orders from the janitor. David demands Phil hang up, as he’s in the middle of his call with Jo. He’s trying to bag a beefcake. Brad also picks up the phone to sway David in his direction. It’s the four-way call from hell as David tries to dole out responses to the correct parties without any crossed wires. Unfortunately for Brittlesbee, wires get crossed big time. Fortunately for us, it’s hysterical.
This moment is easily in the top five in Mythic Quest history. It’s flawlessly and seamlessly executed. At one point in the convo, Jo hears “Brad” and mistakenly informs Joe that Brad Pitt is in the running for the film. Joe becomes increasingly frustrated with Jo’s inconsistent responses and wonders if they want him for the movie. Brad interprets he won from that conversation, so he orders Phil to bring Rachel’s idea to life by the following morning.
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Later, Ian and Dana emerge from their detour stop inspired and reinvigorated. Dana has ideas. Ian also has ideas. Ian truly feels they’re the same, so he asks her to drive his car home. David finally makes it to the restaurant to find Joe has already left. Jo confesses she told Joe the truth about their scheme. However, she followed it up with a sad story about David from Yorba Linda mourning the loss of his beloved wife. Joe now wants to meet with David himself. They bagged a beefcake!
Next, Poppy asks the testers about their thoughts on Hera after their playthrough. From a technical standpoint, it’s perfect. Unfortunately, it’s boring as all get out. Poppy watches while the testers depart on the elevator after dropping that bombshell.
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How do you think Ian will react to seeing the True Blood beefcake starring in the movie adaptation of the game he created? My guess is poorly, but the possible outcomes are ripe for comedy gold. Bring it on.
Mythic Quest drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.
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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.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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