‘The Legend Of Vox Machina’ Season 2 Episodes 1-3 Review

TV & Film

Jan 20

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 OF THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA

The Legend of Vox Machina was one of the most funded Kickstarters ever. What originally started out as a Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign created by Critical Role, has evolved into three seasons of an animated show based on the Vox Machina campaign. Their goal was to animate two episodes of the famous Briarwood arc, but fans of Critical Role (dubbed Critters) did not mess around and funded the two seasons for Amazon Prime. Cinemark across the country had fan screenings of the first three episodes of Season 2 before the official premiere on January 20th. From the screenings, this season appears to be just as magical, and more deadly, than the first one.

The first episode does not hold back and goes immediately right into where the first season finale left off. We get to see the full threat of the Chroma Conclave, and it is not a pretty sight. These dragons are terrifying as they wreak havoc on the city of Emon, and Vox Machina is helpless to stop them. It truly looks like the end of the world. To save them, Keyleth uses her powers to bring the party and the fleeing citizens of Emon to Percy’s home in Whitestone. Here they are told they must venture to Vasselheim to get the help they so desire.

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In Vasselheim, they break the first rule of D&D—don’t split the party. Grog ventures off into the temple of the Stormlord where he gets beat up by an old man. The rest of Vox Machina gets to a familiar tavern to Vax and Vex, the Slayers Take. Here they overcome their fears and are told they must collect ancient artifacts all across Tal’Dorei to defeat the Chroma Conclave. They go to a tomb where danger inevitably awaits. They fight monsters, and all seems to be going well until they find the tomb. A tomb never bodes well, and in a classic D&D fashion, someone gets hurt, which leads to an emotional moment between the twins at the end of episode 3.

Vox Machina faces an unseen threat — Image Source: Midgard Times

The first season of The Legend of Vox Machina focused on Percy’s revenge story against the Briarwoods. The group mainly stayed in one place, the city of Whitestone. In Season 2, our heroes have already traveled to a few places, something that feels much more familiar for those who play D&D. It also appears that this season will help flesh out the other characters of Vox Machina, as we have now seen flashbacks to the childhood of Vax and Vex. Keyleth appears to be getting more confident with her druid powers, and Grog finally gets his beard.

Fans of Critical Role’s Campaign 1 will recognize many iconic moments throughout the first three episodes. There is a plethora of amazing guest stars, some of whom reprise their role from the first season and even the first campaign. Matt Mercer is back doing voices of many fan-favorite characters from the campaign.

There are plenty of jokes strewn throughout the episodes, even in the darker moments, but also emotional ones that will tug on anyone’s heartstrings. It brings in everything that makes D&D wonderful, into an animated series that anyone can appreciate.

The absolutely gorgeous animation and music really give the show its fantasy feel. We get to see spells and combat moves come to life that you can only imagine while playing the game. The music always sets the proper tone, no matter what the setting may be. It is a dream D&D campaign comes to life!

Vox Machina at the end of Season 1 — Image Source: Tom's Guide

The massive amount of lore, years of content, and a huge character roster may be intimidating for anyone looking to get into the world of Critical Role, but The Legend of Vox Machina is a great place to start. The Legend of Vox Machina is a fun, animated show, that was created with love, for those who are fans of Critical Role, or even just D&D. Every episode is something special, and something to look forward to on a weekly basis. Vox Machina has their work cut out for them this season, but if these first three episodes are anything to go by, it will be a fun ride.

The entire The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1 is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Three new episodes from Season 2 will drop every Friday.