Warning: This article has spoilers for Mythic Quest season three.
Mythic Quest executed the power of the pivot.
The Apple TV+ comedy about a fictional video game studio starring Rob McElhenney, Danny Pudi, Charlotte Nicdao and Jessie Ennis lost a key member of its ensemble cast when F. Murray Abraham, who played head writer C.W. Longbottom, suddenly left the show in between seasons two and three, which premieres Nov. 11.
According to Mythic Quest producer David Hornsby, who also plays David Brittlesbee on the show, it forced everybody to roll with the punches.
"With every season and with every project or show, whether you're in entertainment or whatever business you're in, you can get thrown for a loop with surprises," Hornsby exclusively told E! News. "Nothing stays the same, everything's constantly evolving. In season one, you start off with a certain story and a certain cast. That's constantly evolving, too. Especially if you stick around long enough."
At the time of Abraham's exit, Lionsgate, the studio that produces the show, said in a statement, "F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to season three of Mythic Quest. Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel."
Fans hoping for a C.W. Longbottom return are out of luck, as he—spoiler!—gets killed off in the season three premiere by driving his Corvette into the Grand Canyon, Thelma & Louise-style, after getting a grim medical diagnosis.
While Hornsby didn't reveal exactly what led to the exit of Abraham, who is currently starring on the second season of HBO's The White Lotus, he said it wasn't easy figuring out how to handle the character's demise.
"It presented a challenge," he said, "but I hope that we rose to the challenge and honored his character and his departure in a way that people find fulfilling."
It's a farewell very fitting of the eccentric Longbottom, and Hornsby hopes viewers appreciate how his death sets the course for the new season.
"We knew Murray wasn't coming back, so we wanted to sort of service his character in a way that felt like it honored his character," he said. "For the fans, but for the story primarily."
Judge for yourself as new episodes of Mythic Quest are now available on Apple TV+.