REVIEW: ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Episodes 10-12 End With a Bang

Last week’s episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina, gave viewers a small glimmer of hope in the darkness that has consumed Whitestone. Despite all the odds, a rebellion with the people Whitestone against the Brairwoods was sparked, Pyke rejoined the group via astral projection, and Percy was finally reunited with his long sister Cassandra de Rolo. For all intents and purposes, it appeared that The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1 finale would take the optimistic ending that was featured on the Briarwood arc of the Critical Role’s stream of campaign one. Boy, have I never been happier to be wrong.

The last trio of episodes for season one of The Legend of Vox Machina picks up right as Percy yet again pulls his Pepperbox on a stranger to the viewers. Consumed by the strange darkness, it is revealed who this stranger in the cell is why they have made it to Percy’s infamous list. Before another name vanishes from the corrupted weapon, Cassandra stops her brother attesting that the information she possesses may be worth more than her death. After a quick integration, Vox Machina learn of a ziggurat underneath that Whitestone that the Briarwoods that only she can lead them to as she worked on it personally. During their trek down to the depths of Whitestone, Vox Machina encounters a host of obstacles but it truly is the battle between the group and the Briarwoods that will even the most avid Critical Role shocked by its events.

Over the course of the series, The Legend of Vox Machina has done a great job of condescending down dozens of hours of playtime during the Briarwood arc to a manageable size for an animated series. Not nearly everything that happened while the group was at the table makes it onto the screen but in the end, that is not a bad thing. Even in this final batch of episodes, the major story beats are alive and well but the subtle changes make for a lasting impact. As a stream watcher, multiple times throughout my watch of these episodes I had to pause as the unexpected happened in the best possible ways. Slowly but surely, the funny nods to table moments and subtle background Easter eggs have given way to new and exciting moments that seat new fans and season veterans on this exciting ride of adult animation.

The stand-out of the last episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina season one is without a doubt the animation of the fight scenes. As the collision course between Vox Machina and Sylas (Matthew Mercer) and Deliah (Grey DeLisle) Briarwood comes to a head, I felt as I was transported into my favorite shonen anime. When the group first met the devious duo early on in the series, they were clearly outmatched. Now the group is more of a unit and motivated giving viewers a plethora of coordinated attacks that had me rewinding over and over again just to see how these dungeons and dragons spells were translated to animation. Every character gets their time to shine and I have to say the battle plays out better than it did as it happened stream all those years ago.

Knowing that a second season was already confirmed with Prime Video, The Legend of Vox Machina takes no chances in giving quality cliffhangers that have me counting the moments until I can see the adventuring band together again. Even as the final battle approaches, The Legend of Vox Machina is able to still provide quality character moments that leave the door open for some of the biggest character moments from the stream. Taliesin Jaffe specifically puts his entire soul into Percy’s character as the flashbacks make for the most characterization of any member of Vox Machina thus far. His performance is award-worthy and if he is any indication of what is to come with the rest of the cast, viewers are in for a treat as the series progresses.

Overall, The Legend of Vox Machina finale deliver some of the series’s best moments in animation, character development, and story progression in an already amazing series. Even writing this is difficult because it truly is something to be seen with no expectations even for the most dedicated Critter. For a project with only the backing of fans to fund it and no major animation studio behind it, The Legend of Vox Machina is a prime example of the top-tier quality a series can have with passionate individuals with a story to tell at the helm. I have no idea what arc they decide to tell next but I for one am already asking, “Is it Season Two yet?”

The Legend of Vox Machina Finale (Episodes 10-12) are streaming now on Prime Video.