The Legend of Vox Machina season 2 episodes 1, 2, and 3 recap & review

Open Go TV / January 24, 2023 / Reviews

In season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina, the titular band of misfits faces a new dire threat and travels to the far corners of the continent in search of ways to counter it. The episodes are streaming on Prime Video.

Episode 1 recap: Rise of the Chroma Conclave

As Sovereign Uriel names Vox Machina the new protectors of the realm and denounces the throne, 4 dragons approach Emon and lay waste to everything before them.

The dragons have different abilities to destroy everything in sight, a green dragon with poison breath, a white dragon with ice breath, a black dragon that sends acid with each flap of its wings, and their leader, a red dragon with a fearsome fire breath.

Before Vox Machina can react appropriately, Sovereign Uriel is killed along with the rest of the council. The team decides to make a break for Gilmore’s shop to plan their next step.

They are forced to split up and just make it to Gilmore’s through the skin of their teeth. For a moment, Vax sees a strange figure within the chaos but it disappears before anyone else notices.

They reach Gilmore’s and rescue him from under a pile of rubble. He lets them grab whatever magical items they can carry before teleporting them to their keep on the outskirts of the city.

A horde of refugees arrive at the keep looking for a safe space but the white dragon arrives and begins blasting them with ice. Keyleth opens up a tree portal to Whitestone so that Vox Machina and a small group of survivors can escape.

The white dragon reports this to the red dragon, who goes by the name Thordak. He tells the other dragons to focus on their plan of conquering the realm and capturing its riches. He announces this collection of dragons as the Chroma Conclave and orders the survivors to swear fealty to them.

Keeper Yennen tells Vox Machina that their best bet for help defeating the dragons is the holy city of Vasselheim and they head there the next morning.

Episode 2 recap: The Trials of Vasselheim

Vox Machina approaches the gates of Vasselheim and Percy requests an audience with the Dawn Marshals but the guard brushes off his request and tells him to go find them on their own.

They head over to the Marshals while Grog gets distracted by his new sword that speaks to him about hunger. Gilmore had earlier pointed out that dark magic runs through the sword but Grog doesn’t give it much thought.

The marshals hear Vox Machina’s pleas but refuse to help as they believe their strength has always been the fact that they do not get involved in matters of the world.

One of the marshals suggests they go to the Slayers Take if they wish to find someone willing to fight dragons but Vex and Vax have previous history with the place. It’s a group of hunters for hire who only care about earning gold.

Grog goers for a drink and then is drawn toward the Stormlord’s Arena where he meets Earthbreaker Groon. Groon asks Grog where he finds his strength and Grog isn’t able to answer. They fight each other but Grog is barely able to land a blow on Groon.

The rest of the gang reaches the Slayers Take where they meet Vex’s old “friend”, a tiefling named Zahra. There’s also a human named Kashaw who points out a wanted poster with Vex and Vax’s pictures on it.

Zahra reveals that the two of them stole a monster that the Take was hunting and kept the reward for themselves. As they’re about to collect on the bounty, a voice speaks stating that she will deal with the travelers.

They come face to face with the patron of the Slayer’s Take, a sphinx named Osysa. She tells them their biggest flaws and tells them that they’re not ready to fight the dragons but when they decide to do it anyway, she agrees to help.

She tells them about powerful magical weapons called the Vestiges of Divergence and tasks them with finding them to defeat the dragons. She points them in the direction of the nearest one and asks them to take it to her partner who will give them the location of the others.

After being thoroughly beaten, Grog is advised to Groon to find out where he gets his strength from, and only then will he become stronger than he has ever been.

Everyone gathers together and gets set to look for the first vestige.

Episode 3 recap: The Sunken Tomb

Pike gets a vision of the dragons decimating a group of survivors at Emon. A vision of the past shows Vex and Vax being ill-treated by their father due to their diluted heritage.

Vox Machina arrives at a frozen lake where they’re supposed to find the tomb containing the first vestige but they have trouble locating it. Scanlan tries to traverse the ice but he’s attacked by the Adaro, humanoid fish people.

He is saved by Zahra and Kashaw who show up just in time to help. They tell the group that Osysa sent them to assist and that they know much more information about the tomb.

It was built for the Matron of Ravens, the Goddess of Death and it enshrines her greatest champion, Purvan Suul. As they rest for the night, Vex and Vax agree that Zahra and Kashaw cannot be trusted and everyone must remain on their toes.

Once again, it is shown how Vex convinces Vax to run away with him after their father insults them yet again. Vax wants to give her father a chance to show compassion but Vex is adamant.

Zahra reveals that the tomb is underwater and with Keyleth’s help, they open up a path to it. Once inside, they get separated once more as more Adaro attack them. They converge at a central chamber and they soon realize that Kashaw and Zahra have sneaked away from them.

Pike also notices something strange in Grog’s eyes whenever he uses Sylas’s sword but doesn’t dig deeper into it. Kashaw and Zahra arrive at the main chamber which houses 6 different tombs and Kashaw uses some magic to reveal a secret passage that they go through.

The others arrive a little later and they find a hole in the ground leading down to a cavern. Vax climbs in and pleads with the others not to do anything until he’s back out.

Percy notices a panel on the floor that brings out a sarcophagus. Vex doesn’t want to open it yet but after some teasing from Percy, she obliges. They find a body with the armor and Percy assumes it to be the vestige, the Deathwalker’s Ward.

Vex immediately says that they need to wait for Vax but Percy touches the armor, setting off a trap that kills Vex. Vax rushes back up and holds Vex as life flits away from her eyes.

In the past, It always seemed like Vax was overprotective of his sister but when he gets lost, he reveals that he actually needs her more than she needs him and always wants her to stay by his side.

Review

Vox Machina returns and the season starts off with a truly gruesome attack as the dragons lay waste in a visually stunning sequence. The animation is top-notch and wholly complimentary to the story that is being told.
The script is colorful as always and there are jokes littered throughout that eagle-eyed viewers will notice along with the various moments of roleplaying and ability checks that translate well.
The episodes rush past with a very brief run time so having three episodes release at once offers enough of a bite to keep the audience satiated for the rest of the week.