The Legend of Vox Machina – Episode 7 “Scanbo” Recap & Review

Scanbo

Episode 7 of The Legend of Vox Machina begins with another flashback of Percy’s life in Whitestone. In it, Professor Anders gives a young Percival and Cassandra a lesson on the city’s namesake: the whitestone that is mined from the mountains.

When refined, whitestone becomes residuum glass, a powerful arcane amplifier. In the flashback, Professor Anders requests funding from the de Rolos to help triple their residuum production. Percy’s father declines, and Anders stews in bitter hatred toward the entire family.

In the present day, Vox Machina escapes with Archie to the safehouse. They pressure Percy to explain what came over him.

He divulges the origins of his pepper-box pistol. After the Briarwoods slaughtered his family, he fled. Struggling for survival, he was constantly plagued with visions of his family’s deaths. The desire for vengeance kept eating at him.

Then, he says, a new vision visited him. He dreamt up a weapon and then invented it. On it are the names of those he swore to kill: Anders, The Briarwoods, Anna Ripley, and Stonefell. He doesn’t mention to whom he promised this mission.

All while he explains this, Keyleth experiences her own vision. She places her hands back onto the Sun Tree. She sees the tree degenerating–a dark magic working at its roots. No magic she attempts helps its recovery.

Archie tries to convince Percy to help him reclaim Whitestone, but Percy can only think of reuniting with his sister Cassandra. Luckily, the Resistance leader believes they can accomplish both. He also makes reference to Cassandra as the aforementioned “Kestrel.”

Vox Machina needs a distraction for all the guards placed in Anders’ house. Scanlan immediately volunteers. Though everyone is skeptical of his abilities, Vex uncharacteristically gives him the benefit of the doubt.

Although the bard struggles–in that he has no idea what he’s doing–he pulls off his task in typical Scanlan fashion: with exceedingly dramatic flair. After a sequence of drinking several mysterious potions, Scanlan manages to set fire to much of the place and cause guards to run outside. He narrowly escapes death himself.

Vox Machina takes advantage of the distraction and rushes in. Percy finds Anders holding his sister captive. He raises his pepperbox, but he’s too late. Anders slits Cassandra’s throat right in front of him.

The episode ends with a close-up of Percy’s face, quivering and horrified. He must watch his last remaining relative die in front of him, again.

The Episode Review

Another Percy flashback uncovers some interesting information about Anders and his connection to residuum. In the last episode, Delilah mentioned needing residuum for her ritual, so I imagine her interests align with Anders’ all too well.

The absence of Pike in this episode just confirms for me that her side quest isn’t so necessary to the overarching plot. This episode shines on its own, however, accomplishing its characteristic task of spotlighting a couple of the Vox Machina members in particular. And it was a dark turn one of those character arcs took; that cliffhanger was criminal!

The mystery surrounding Percy just becomes more and more intriguing. What do you think grants him his power and creates such darkness in him? And who is this Anna Ripley?