Mythic Quest Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Second Skeleton

Mythic Quest Season 4 Episode 5, “Second Skeleton,” sees Poppy wrap her head around a new development while Dana goes into competitive mode. Meanwhile, David sacrifices his friendship with Ian to kill the expansion. “Second Skeleton” isn’t quite as strong as last week’s near-five-star outing, but it’s pretty damn close. 

Second Skeleton 

Much of this episode’s narrative strength comes from the Poppy storyline. Charlotte Nicdao is undoubtedly this week’s MVP. She delivers a nuanced, layered, complex, and vulnerable performance, especially in the episode’s opening minutes.

You can see the myriad of emotions Poppy experiences in a matter of seconds, notably when she asks Ian if she’ll be a bad mother. Admittedly, that moment resonates profoundly with this reviewer as someone who has an abusive mom. When you come from trauma, you automatically assume you’ll pass it on to your offspring. 

In Poppy’s case, she believes she’ll struggle to take care of her child because she can’t even commit to basic self-care for herself. Again — relatable. Hats off to Mythic Quest for showcasing the complicated emotions one can feel when grappling with pregnancy. It’s not all roses and sunshine. However, regarding Poppy, that doesn’t mean she’s not excited about what’s on the horizon. 

The Next Steps 

The series subverts expectations here, opting for the unexpected by having Poppy (nervously) embrace her pregnancy. In true Poppy fashion, she approaches it from an engineering perspective. She’s “building” a child in her womb.

It makes sense for her to keep the baby, though, at this stage of her life. Work is going well; her personal life is thriving. She has a wonderful relationship with Storm. While it’s abundantly clear Poppy still grapples with self-confidence — don’t let her bravado fool you; it’s a mask like Ian — she’s starting to recognize that she deserves all the good things in life. 

Ian supporting Poppy regardless of her decision is not surprising but still refreshing nonetheless. He tackles this as only Ian can, implementing a method that includes VR sims tweaked for Poppy’s predicament. Naturally, said method hilariously crashes and burns. This is Mythic Quest, after all. 

Old Habits Die Hard 

Ultimately, it’s Shannon’s advice that sets Poppy’s head on straight. She tells her the unvarnished truth. Yes, Poppy will make massive mistakes. However, that’s par for the course with even the best mothers. During this scene, Shannon claims that Ian has this drive to help but is essentially useless. I can’t help feeling this is foreshadowing of some kind beyond his failed attempts to lend a hand on this episode. 

In the end, though, Storm’s reaction to Poppy’s pregnancy announcement makes her more determined to put work first. She’s clearly utilizing it as a crutch — an emotional placeholder so she doesn’t have to contend with Storm leaving for six months. For Poppy, work is her addiction, and in the final moments of “Second Skeleton,” she falls back on old habits. All in all, this outing is a fascinating character deconstruction for our Poppy. 

Breaking Brad and Dissecting Dana 

As for the other plotlines, “Second Skeleton” blesses us with more Brad lore. Mythic Quest smartly offers us breadcrumbs, spreading them intermittently throughout the series to whet the appetite for Brad’s backstory. He’s an enigmatic character by design and makes it his mission not to overshare with his coworkers, so this storytelling approach works for him. 

Bringing Anna into the equation will certainly yield fruit on the conflict front. The normally composed, cool, and collected Brad could possibly crack since Dana wants him and Jo to go scorched earth on Yara. It wouldn’t be entirely out of left field for him. We’ve seen Brad break before. 

Dana, on the other hand, seems to be moving further into Brad’s territory regarding her behavior. We’ve never seen Dana this competitive before, and it’s a welcome new facet to her character. Imani Hakim deftly conveys Dana’s audacious and assertive side with a hint of viciousness. Before that, though, Hakim also seamlessly showcases Dana’s uncertainty and panic, which she tries to conceal after hearing about Yara’s accomplishments. 

Dana making these seemingly out-of-character moves could backfire as we forge ahead into the second half of Mythic Quest Season 4. After all, the season has not-so-quietly cultivated her “god complex,” as Brad calls it. What happened when Icarus flew too close to the sun? Well, you can fill in the blanks.

It’s Just Bidness 

That said, characters having a god complex isn’t unusual for this series, and their bloated egos often pop with each passing narrative needle. On the MQ side of things, David and Rachel have some delightful scenes together. Season 4 has also been building on their intriguing dynamic, and Ashly Burch and David Hornsby are a blast as a pair. Burch, in particular, shines comedically in “Second Skeleton,” especially when depicting Rachel’s flurry of emotions during the first “bidness” scene. 

“Second Skeleton” is a fun episode, y’all. It’s a great Poppy-heavy showcase that lays the groundwork for what’s to come in future episodes. Could this be the show’s best season yet? So far, so good, but with five episodes remaining, only time will tell. 

Stray Observations: 

• Poppy would take 25 pregnancy tests to determine if she’s actually pregnant. 
• Dana dances like a Millennial (complimentary). 
• It’s always fun when Danny Pudi can flex his Polish-speaking skills. 
• If Joe Manganiello was on retainer for the expansion, could he potentially return? Here’s hoping. 
• Don’t forget to flip your baby while frying them. That’s a crucial part of the frying process. 
• Did I start singing Flight of the Conchords’ “Business Time” in my head after David says “bidness”? Absolutely. 100 percent. 

What did you think of this episode of Mythic Quest? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Mythic Quest drops new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.

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