The Legend of Vox Machina – Season 2 Episode 3 “The Sunken Tomb” Recap & Review

The Sunken Tomb

In The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Episode 3, Pike dreams of Emon making offerings to Thordak. His dragons have delivered every ounce of the city’s treasure to him, so that the people of Emon are no longer necessary to him. When Pike wakes up, she knows the dragons are making their move across Tal’Dorei.

Vax found the lake they’re looking for, but there’s no tomb. Scanlan skates across the lake to give it a look, but something under the ice grabs him and pulls him in.

Zahra and Kash arrive at just the right moment to save him. And they have secrets to share. The tomb, they say, was built for the Matron of Ravens, a.k.a. the goddess of death. Inside it is the body of her ancient champion, Purvan Suul.

Vex and Vax have a private discussion. They both know they can’t trust Zahra and Kash. When Vax expresses his concern for Vex, she remembers the time they got into their father’s treasure and accidentally broke an heirloom. Their father yelled at Vex that it’s no surprise they wouldn’t understand elven culture; they weren’t born into it. That was the moment Vax had enough; the twins said goodbye to their father and walked away.

The next day, Vox Machina finds the tomb underwater. Keyleth and Zahra use their magic to move the water, creating a path to the tomb.  Zahra and Kash let Vox Machina take the lead, but they plan to swipe the vestige from them when they discover it.

Grog accidentally triggers a trap, which leaves Vax and a couple of others behind. A memory is triggered for Vex when she’s separated from her brother. When they left their father, they struggled to make it in the woods. They had a fight about Vax being overprotective, so Vex told him she didn’t need him and started walking in the opposite direction.

On Vex’s side of the tomb, creatures rise up out of the water to attack them. As Grog attacks them, his sword cries out for more blood.

The other half of the party finally catches up and pitches in, but it’s Vex who gets the killing blow on the last creature. Pike notices something off about Grog, but she doesn’t have time to talk to him about his newfound bloodlust.

Kash and Zahra go ahead of Vox Machina to inspect the sarcophagi and find out which one is Purvan’s. When the group catches up, they are gone.

Percy discovers the true sarcophagus. As he reaches for the Deathwalker’s Ward, another memory is triggered for Vex. After leaving Vax, she found him later, crying in the forest alone.

Just as Percy reaches for the Ward, Vex cries out that they need to wait for Vax. But it’s too late. Percy pulls away in time after he triggers a magical effect, but Vex is hit with it and falls backwards.

Vax returns to find Pike trying to heal his sister. He remembers reuniting with her in the forest. “You left me,” he cried. He then told her she didn’t understand. She doesn’t need him, but he needs her. So she promised him to never again go far from him.

Now, he cries over her dead body.

The Episode Review

However heart-wrenchingly beautiful this episode is, it could use more context on the twins’ relationship to their father and on Vax’s dependence on Vex. The flashbacks added a lot of significance to the present plot, but could have created a more cohesive story in their own right. Still, an emotional arc is certainly achieved, and it is beautiful seeing these characters and their sibling relationship get a moment to shine–even if that moment is tragically cut short.

As long as they’re in the tomb, Zahra and Kash remain a threat to the party, as they’re both after the same thing. Will Vox Machina succeed against them? And can Vex be revived?