Mythic Quest (Season 3), Episode 7: Through its previous seasons, Mythic Quest presented backstory episodes that elaborated on the past for the characters’ present pursuit. We get a glimpse into what made the magic of their current workplace become a reality for the present employees. From the writer C. W. Longbottom’s journey as a science fiction writer, we learn how some attain a vocation of their calling a little too late. With the new episode, the series pays tribute to a fictional game named ‘Sarian,’ the brain that created it (Ian), and the one who got inspired to be a part of the gaming industry (Poppy).
It is essentially the origin story of these creators from two parts of the globe who harbored a love for the world of imagination since they were little kids.
Mythic Quest (Season 3) Episode 7 Recap
Episode 7: Sarian
Directed by Megan Ganz & Todd Biermann, the seventh episode titled ‘Sarian’ is written by Katie McElhenney. It takes us back to the childhoods of both Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) and the way that led to their interest in the widely imaginative gaming world. The year is 1987, and in Seven Oaks Elementary school, young Ian sits with his mother in front of a schoolteacher, who explains his minor mistake as a grave one. Ian and his class were supposed to write an essay about one of the planets, and what he wrote about is an imaginary one, which is inadmissible to the school.
While Ian keeps arguing against the teacher, noting how different planets keep getting discovered over time, the teacher does not want his science assignment to rely on imagination but on proven facts. As a result, his mother listens to him, who puts her parenting skills into question. Upon leaving the school, Ian feels that she is mad at him. But instead, she gives him a reward and calls that teacher a dick. You sense the emotional bond Ian must have with his mother, who affirms his imagination.
Meanwhile, in Australia, young Poppy lives with her parents, who are a biracial couple. While the mother wants her to be more disciplined, her father lets her do the things that please her. She wants Poppy to work diligently on the piano recital for an upcoming program while he is okay with letting her play video games as long as she wants. Soon after, they argue about it, and she is left to watch it from a distance.
Back in America, Ian’s mother is worried about how to discipline him. While she discusses it with his father, he tells her about a new letter he received from Ian’s father related to custody issues. It adds to her worry since her mental state is not at its finest either, which the father can use as leverage. While she makes Ian work on his report with more concentration, he struggles to immerse himself in those factual studies. She understands his pain and finds a couple of science fiction magazines on his table. She sees his interest in them, and instead of his studies, she takes him outside.
On the other side, Poppy starts rehearsing for the piano recital while her father watches her. She tries to make him give her permission to finish a video game. But he tells her to focus on piano practice and keeps up with his attempts to make it interesting to her. She still cannot concentrate on the rehearsal and during their chat, he persuades her to give him a reward for finishing her practice for the whole piece of music.
Meanwhile, Ian’s mother takes him to an art shop and discusses with him the imaginary planet he spoke about. She lets him get into minute details about the experience of living on planet Tartarus while she makes his imagination come to life for a brief instance. She opens a pack of glitter and spread it around or sprays red spray paint into the air. It is her way to be closer to him while making him feel validated for having imagination instead of getting scolded for it. Soon after, they together venture into a wonderful world where all these planets exist, all while standing in the same shop. But by then, she makes a mess with the shop products. They make a run for their lives when the shopkeeper catches them.
Later, back at home, she validates his imagination and makes him believe in his dreams even if others do not. However, she gets so immersed in making his imagination come to life that she even tells him not to worry about his science report. He gets worried for her out of concern. Meanwhile, Poppy’s father sneaks a video game into their house and plays it along with her. While they have a jolly time, her mother walks on them, and he gets back to his pretend role of a strict parent. Poppy overhears their next conversation where her mother is worried since she always spends a lot of time in front of the screen and is different from the rest of the kids, who play outdoor sports.
The next day, Ian comes in with his fully finished project of Tartarus to find his mother sleeping by herself. He sees the signs when she usually asks to have a bed day. Upon reaching his school a little late, he mentions the same to this teacher, who then gets worried about him not having a reliable caretaker. While he does not give him a disciplinary note, he also gives him a passing grade. He comes home, elated by this news, to meet his mother. But he meets his father, who tells him that they will be living together for the time being. Even when Ian wants to stay with his mother, he needs to abide by it. You also sense hesitation towards living with his father.
Poppy decides to play the piano for the sake of her mother, who wants her to be a ‘normal’ kid. She practices it so well that she aces it during the actual show. While her father assumes that she would want a video game as a gift, she asks for a bicycle instead. She showcases a semblance of normalcy to her mother through that, and meanwhile, gets into the world of gaming by sneaking into the computer from her library. Over there, she opens up a website that lets people create their own games. Over there, she stumbles upon a game called ‘Sarian’ and gets immersed in its world.
Mythic Quest (Season 3), Episode 7 Ending Explained
The timeline shifts to 2009, when Ian lectures a room full of gaming students. Poppy sits among the crowd and tries to get his attention by awkwardly laughing a little louder. He notices that and chooses to ignore it. Right after the end of the class, she comes in to have a word with him. She mentions Sarian, the first game he created, which he had not thought about in years.
She mentions being in love with it when she was just ten years old. And she goes on to insult his coding skills the very next moment. Ian appreciates her ‘fun’ personality, and they click with each other due to their fond memories of Sarian and probably something more. After their awkward encounter, they walk out together, talking about his new project as if they have been long-time friends. The episode gives an endearing ode to this partnership that started out from the feeling of being considered different from the world.
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