The new season of The Legend of Vox Machina didn’t slow down one iota with its next block of episodes, keep reading to learn more.
*note: spoilers about The Legend of Vox Machina continue to abound below, be sure you’re caught up before you keep reading.
When last we left our heroes at the conclusion of episode 3, the party had been split into two groups: half were in Draconia evading the white dragon Vorugal, while the other half ventured to Dis, capital city of Hell, in search of the magical Plate of the Dawnmartyr. However, as you might expect, acquiring magical plate armor in Hell is no easy feat, nor is getting out in one piece. And then there’s the tiny matter of the angry white dragon waiting just on the other side of the magical portal.
All this and more was covered in this week’s batch of episodes, which were titled as follows:
- Episode 4: Hell to Pay
- Episode 5: The Frigid Wastes
- Episode 6: The Coming Storm
This group of episodes brings us to the official halfway point of the season and what a story they had for us this week! Fans had naturally been eager to see the “Vox Machina Goes to Hell” arc in animated form, but the anticipation reached almost feral levels when it was revealed that the group had to specifically see someone named Zerxus Ilerez about the plate armor.
For those who haven’t seen any of Critical Role’s one-shots or mini-series, this name won’t mean much. And to give the storywriters full credit, Zerxus is presented as a fully-fleshed out character, one we learn plenty about even if this is the very first time you’ve ever encountered the character. But I digress: those who have seen Critical Role’s other material, namely the EXU: Calamity mini-series, will know exactly who Zerxus is and why his appearance is so important. To put it bluntly: Zerxus is one of the most tragic figures in all of Critical Role’s history. He was a paladin of unbelievable might and goodness…until he got it into his head that he could redeem the Betrayer God of Lies, Asmodeus, which proved to be his downfall and directly led to his descent into Hell where Vox Machina meets him almost a millennium later. As a cool bonus, Zerxus is voiced by Luis Carazo, who originated the character in EXU: Calamity.
Of the three episodes this week, episode 4, primarily set in Hell, might be the most important, because of all the hints it lays for what’s to come in the near future. There’s also a fantastic sequence between Zerxus and Pike Trickfoot as they play a magical game of cards to determine if the group can safely leave Hell or stay trapped there for all eternity as his “guests.” Pike is a fan favorite character for many reasons and it was wonderful to see her take a central role in this episode and particularly this scene. Seeing her finally figure Zerxus and his tricks out was a powerful moment.
There was also a hint that Pike unwittingly has a role to play in future story developments involving the Whispered One, a figure hinted at way back in the first season. Bear this in mind: Zerxus’ line “We are all his blood” was also spoken by Delilah Briarwood in the first season as well. It’s a small hint, but a great reminder that a larger story is working in the background outside of Vox Machina’s conflict with the dragons.
Once Vox Machina do manage to leave Hell in a chase sequence that will leave you glued to your seat, the story doesn’t come close to slowing down. “The Frigid Wastes” is another excellent episode because it features the final showdown between Vox Machina and Vorugal. While the previous dragon fight with Umbrasyl boiled down to Vox Machina vs the dragon, in this fight, the story twists to give our heroes some unintentional help.
I was not expecting a literal kaiju battle between Vorugal and a Hell demon that managed to follow Vox Machina through the portal, but I certainly won’t complain about it. The battle actually gave off major Godzilla vs Kong vibes, with the demon filling in for Kong (it even thumps its chest at one point) and Vorugal obviously being Godzilla. I don’t mean this in any kind of negative way: the battle is very well executed and you feel genuine anxiety as our heroes scramble to keep out of the way of the two monsters. This is one of the strengths of The Legend of Vox Machina: they know how to keep the action going without making it feel overlong. It also served to make Vorugal that much easier to beat, as while Vorugal won that fight, it wasn’t without a great physical cost.
Another plot thread that’s growing increasingly important involves Scanlan Shorthalt, the bard of the group. From the beginning of this season, the groundwork is clearly being laid for Scanlan to split up from the group, an iconic campaign moment that fans have been equally dreading and wanting to see in animated form since the series was first announced. The tension started almost from the moment the bard discovered in season 2 that he has a daughter he never knew about. As his subsequent attempt to reconcile with her in season 3 has gone horrifically wrong, Scanlan is clearly more and more upset about his failings as a father, something the bulk of Vox Machina isn’t taking much note of, which in turn is driving Scanlan further away.
All of this seems to come to a head when Scanlan deliberately chooses to stay behind in episode 6 when Vox Machina travels back to Whitestone in order to visit his daughter in the port of Nicodranas instead. While this has exciting implications in that we might get cameo appearances from several Campaign 2 characters, as Nicodranas features heavily in that story, it’s also building tension as Vox Machina found themselves tossed into a battle without the help of the bard. And while the battle was won, his absence was noted and resented. As Scanlan said in the first batch of episodes “I can’t be in two places at once” and it seems like he’s going to have to make a choice between his daughter and Vox Machina sooner rather than later.
While the first episode batch of season 3 ended with part of the group descending into Hell, the halfway point of the season concludes with the party reeling from an assault on Whitestone spurred on by Anna Ripley, a recurring antagonist since the first season, particularly to Percy de Rolo, as Whitestone is his home. Having earlier attempted to move on from dreams of vengeance, Percy is now determined to end Ripley once and for all, a fateful decision as viewers of the campaign well know.
The question is: how will The Legend of Vox Machina present this infamous encounter? The show has thus far done a good job of taking known events and turning them on their head while still preserving the overall story as longtime fans know it. It almost goes without saying that the battle between Ripley and Percy will be similarly altered, though it’s nearly impossible to say how.
One thing is for certain: based on the groundwork laid in this batch of episodes, the next installment of the season is going to be extremely emotional and painful for a number of reasons.
Episodes 7-9 of The Legend of Vox Machina will release on October 17, 2024, only on Prime Video.
