Though it’s only been a few days since Mythic Quest fans got some new perspectives through the Side Quest miniseries, there’s still a lot to break down. The Apple TV+ miniseries allows viewers to see the world of Ian Grimm’s (Rob McElhenney) gaming studio through the lens of its employees, players, and fans. From a group of gamers trying to get the last copy to a creative trying to deal with the stresses of life, Side Quest had every little problem from the gaming industry covered.
Yet, given how Side Quest was developed all the way back when Mythic Quest Season 3 was being released, some might be wondering about all those little tidbits.
Fortunately, we were joined by executive producer (and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia alumni) Megan Ganz to get a deeper look into Side Quest and why Mythic Quest Season 4’s conclusion put audiences for a loop.
Reflecting on when she saw the actual Side Quest episodes, Ganz said that it was a wonderful time watching it alongside her cast and crew members: “We actually got together with [Ashly Burch], [John Howell Harris], and [Katie McElhenney] and some of the cast that was in the show and a lot of the crew and we had a little screening here in LA and watched all four episodes back to back.”
“It was so great to watch them. I’m so proud of Katie, Ashly, and John. They started in the writer’s room in Season 1 and they grew into such amazing showrunners and they gave themselves a really tough task with Side Quest by doing four original episodes with no repeated cast.”
Side Quest Season 1 Episode 1 was an example of this, focusing on Phil (Derek Waters), the art director of Mythic Quest, as he sought to find fulfillment from his job. Ganz broke down why this episode was a good pilot episode to reel viewers into the series.
“I thought it was a great first episode because it kind of welcomed viewers into the show by showing a character that was in Mythic Quest but whose story you hadn’t gotten to see from his perspective,” Ganz said.
“That is a tricky thing, and I think I’m speaking as a writer who’s done that myself, taken my love of comedy and made it the way that I make a living. But there are some days when you don’t feel like doing it and you have to do it anyway and you’re making it your own, there are drawbacks to it.”
Furthermore, Ganz stated that the arc’s heavy focus on Phil taking control of his life and leaving a job that didn’t fulfill him lended itself for a great story: “If it is affecting his life and his happiness, then he needs to bet on himself and take a chance. So it was really nice to see that character stand up for himself.”
Additionally, Side Quest Season 1 Episodes 2 and 4 showed viewers a different point of view through the perspectives of several characters rather than one. Talking about balancing the narrative between these characters, Ganz recalled the challenges she saw from her view.
“The tricky thing about those episodes is that you’re creating stakes inside of a room, with just people talking to each other, and you have to make the audience care about this thing that they’re discussing,” Ganz said.
“I talked to Ashly a lot about my own reaction to it. It was such a beautiful look at gatekeeping and kind of why people feel the need to gate keep and it’s not always because they hate outsiders sometimes it’s because this is a place that makes them feel safe.”
Additionally, Ganz went specifically into the moment that resonated with her. “I thought like Cherry [Bria Henderson] in that episode voiced something so interesting saying, “You belong everywhere. This is the only place that I belong.” And I think there’s a lot of fans that feel that way, and that’s why they kind of have this toxic gatekeeping sensibility.”
Speaking about gatekeeping, many Mythic Quest fans were debating whether Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) and Ian (Rob McElhenney) were actually going to get together given everything they’ve gone through. With Season 4’s finale finally cementing that relationship, Ganz talked about her own reaction to this new situation.
“It was a surprise to us that we were going to go in that direction because we’ve been saying since Season 1 and I’ve been saying this since season one saying very vehemently that they’re together,” Ganz explained. “But the reality is, Poppy and Ian are already in a relationship. They’ve already been in a very intimate relationship since day one. They are creative partners.”
“We weren’t expecting Poppy to be pregnant. [Charlotte Nicdao] got pregnant and that’s why we had to write that storyline so we were already in uncharted territories for ourselves,” Ganz said. “As far as where we expected the characters to be going and it drove forward Poppy and Ian’s relationship I think a lot quicker and faster than we expected because she has made a baby with Ian which is the video game and now she’s making, with this other guy, an actual baby.”
“We started getting really excited talking about Season 5 and where we could take that storyline in surprising ways that isn’t a romantic destination necessarily, but that really gives a new complicated layer to their relationship.”
Mythic Quest Season 4 and Side Quest are streaming on Apple TV+.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.