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If you’re a gamer who enjoys getting into the weeds—and what gamer doesn’t?—you’re already familiar with the term “side quest.” It’s a fun diversion from a game’s central story, usually offered to the player by an NPC in need. (Think a badger whose wife was kidnapped by bandits, or a royal chef who’s missing a key ingredient to bake the perfect cake for the king, one that can only be found at the summit of the highest mountain in the land.) 

And it’s the perfect title for this spin-off of Mythic Quest, Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed workplace co*edy set at the offices of the titular swords-and-sorcery MMORPG. Developed by MQ writers Ashly Burch, John Harris, and Katie McElhenney, all four episodes of Side Quest drop March 26 in tandem with the main series’ season-four finale.

Side Quest was inspired by a handful of stand-alone episodes sprinkled throughout Mythic Quest such as the fantastic “A Dark Quiet Death,” which traces the professional and romantic partnership between a pair of goth video-game designers. And this show goes even further afield, focusing on mostly brand-new characters played by a cast of up-and-co*ing actors. But it also feels like a seamless extension of the original series, exploring what it means to be a creative person in a co*modified world and what co*munity looks like for those accustomed to living inside their own lonely minds.

Episode one, “Song And Dance,” centers on Phil (Drunk History’s Derek Waters), the put-upon art director at Mythic Quest Studios. He’s just trying to have a nice Hawaiian getaway with his girlfriend, Maude (PEN15’s Anna Konkle). But he can’t escape the grasp of relentlessly energetic MQ mastermind Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney), who’s never met a personal boundary he couldn’t grind to dust with an adamantine warhammer. The installment traces Phil’s existential struggle between his work and personal lives—and his terminal inability to recognize the difference. (“Why are you so much happier being miserable?” Maude asks when she catches him capitulating to Ian yet again.)

If “Song And Dance” feels like a pretty decent episode of Mythic Quest proper, that’s by design. It’s a way to ease us into the water before the rest of Side Quest tosses us into the deep end—because from here on out, there’s nary a familiar character in sight. Experimentation is the order of the day, and the show’s directors and writers give themselves free rein to beta-test their own visions within the MQ sandbox. 

Episode three, “Fugue,” digs into a different art form entirely. Annamarie Kasper plays Sylvie, a young cellist who lands a coveted spot in an orchestra that performs the epic score of Mythic Quest across the globe. (Fun little Easter egg: One of the pieces is the main series’ opening-credits theme.) “Fugue” homes in on one of MQ’s most pervasive themes: Can a talented artist’s passion for their craft survive the pressure that co*es with co*modification?

Good Trouble alum Kasper—a classically trained cellist herself—turns in a moving, often wordless performance as a wide-eyed musical prodigy who beco*es increasingly disillusioned and panicked with each stop on the orchestra’s European tour. “Fugue” is a love story between Sylvie and her art—and the bittersweet ending might make you more than a little misty.

Then there’s “The Last Raid,” which is set inside Mythic Quest itself. It’s a true treat for fans who have been itching to see the gameplay we’ve glimpsed in the main series’ interstitials. The episode follows a gang of teens whose bond is put to the test as their adventuring party sets out to defeat the game’s final boss. It’s both funny and poignant to watch a paladin and a necromancer squabble over college applications while battling a massive cyclops. “The Last Raid” is built around a potent metaphor: When you’re 18, falling out with your BFFs feels way more high-stakes than a deadly fight with a six-headed hydra. (The episode also brings up the question of whether World Of Warcraft should give players the option to unleash epic farts.)

But the most exciting installment of Side Quest is “Pull List.” Set in an indie co*ic-book shop, this bottle episode shines a light on an egregiously under-represented subset of the geek co*munity: Black nerds. Over the course of a hectic afternoon, a motley group of customers butts heads over who most deserves to nab the only available copy of a co*ic featuring MQ’s first Black hero. It’s a tight, zippy story about what it means to be a “real fan.” But it also delves deep into co*plex topics like the economic plight of Black women–owned businesses and the challenges of finding co*munity as a weirdo outsider. Honestly, you could watch a whole series about this crew. (Get on it, McElhenney!)

The latter three episodes go above and beyond when it co*es to stylistic experimentation. With its visualizations of how Sylvie hears music and its long, contemplative shots, director Todd Bierman makes “Fugue” feel like a prestige film. In “The Last Raid,” helmers Will Speck and Josh Gordon ace the challenge of making static interactions between muscly, boobalicious video-game avatars feel cinematic. And in “Pull List,” Maurice Marable employs bright colors and animated co*ic-book sound effects to very fun effect. 

Ultimately, Side Quest is much more than an expansion of popular IP. It’s an act of generosity from a group of creators who, like the characters on Mythic Quest, have a vested interest in letting imaginative, talented minds off the leash.  

Side Quest premieres March 26 on Apple TV+