‘Mythic Quest: Everlight’ Is a Silly Ray of Light After a Dark Year

When Mythic Quest premiered its “Quarantine” special, the world was a very different place. May of 2020 was a terrifying time, one simultaneously defined by fear that that the COVID-19 pandemic would never end and false happiness caused by a desperate attempt to stay sane. When we were at our most emotionally raw, Mythic Quest appeared to say it was OK to feel scared, and small, and angry at the world. Now that we’re reaching the other end of this world-changing event, Mythic Quest has returned with another resonant special. As we all silently panic about what it means to return to the new normal, “Everlight” stands as a joyous and silly celebration of what we’ve won. None of us know what’s ahead, but “Everlight” reminds us to embrace the good in our lives, no matter how lame our victories may seem.

This special marks the Mythic Quest team’s first day back in the office after working remotely for almost a year. Every year, Ian (Rob McElhenney) throws a company-wide party in celebration of the game’s fictional holiday, Everlight. As the in-game legend goes, when the land was ravaged by darkness, the smallest and weakest warrior beat the odds and restored light to the land. To celebrate this nerdy event, MQ throws the nerdiest party imaginable: a LARPing (live action role play) tournament. And every year Ian rigs that tournament so that an underdog will always win.

That’s the patently ridiculous setup we’re introduced to through Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao), Mythic Quest’s new Co-Creative Director and Everlight’s Queen. It’s even sillier than you imagine. Following an elaborately animated sequence about the origin of the holiday narrated by Sir Anthony Hopkins, the special shows a completely transformed office. Desks and computers have been swapped for fake trees and elaborate fantasy backgrounds. Jeans and messenger bags have been replaced by robes, crowns, and fake swords.

And there’s a desperate edge to everyone’s excitement. Almost everyone, from the drunk HR head Carol (Naomi Ekperigin) to the over-eager tester Rachel (Ashly Burch), needs this release.

On a fantasy level, the special works beautifully. There’s a great story arc that positions Mythic Quest’s resident will-they, won’t-they couple Rachel and Dana (Imani Hakim) as the victors of the tournament. There’s betrayal and bloodshed. David’s (David Hornsby) assistant Jo (Jessie Ennis) goes on a scarily intense rampage. Brad (Danny Pudi) gets a fencing backstory. It’s a well-crafted tournament story paired with the level of role-playing devotion that Community perfected through its Dungeons and Dragons episodes.

That’s without touching on the final eight minutes of the special. Without giving away spoilers, “Everlight” ends on a truly jaw-dropping fight that gives this home-grown battle royale a Hollywood-grade makeover. The special effects team deserves a mountain of praise for this sequence. It’s not quite Game of Thrones level, but it’s close. Considering that this level of detail emerges in the middle of a workplace comedy, that’s pretty damn impressive.

But as is always the case with Mythic Quest, the details and the jokes never really matter as much as the story. As Ian and Poppy repeatedly explain to each other, the point of Everlight isn’t about who wins. It’s about finding a stray beam of hope in the darkness and clinging to that ray no matter how vulnerable it feels. It’s hard to find a better analogy for life after the hellfire that was 2020.

The fact is we don’t know what’s ahead. A countless number of people have had to adjust their lives after losing someone they loved. Despite predictions from experts, we don’t know if we’re really reaching the end of the pandemic. We don’t know how the economy or job market are going to react as life becomes a bit safer and more people start returning to their offices. We don’t even know if we want life to return to “normal.” The pandemic has caused a countless number of people to question their living situations, career choices, and work-life balance. Those questions are likely only going to get louder as we get closer to the end of this thing.

With so much uncertainty, it’s easy to keep focusing on the gloom. Mythic Quest: Everlight throws a fireball at that. Now, more than ever, we need to be focusing on the good around us, the hope that we’ll soon be able to visit family members and hug friends. No matter how ridiculous and impractical as it seems, we need to live in the light.

Watch Mythic Quest on Apple TV+