The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 Review – Heartfelt storytelling, higher stakes

Episode Guide

A Deadly Bargain – | Review Score – 4/5
Prisoners of Ank’Harel – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Vexations – | Review Score – 4.5/5
Hell to Pay – | Review Score – 4/5
The Frigid Wastes – | Review Score – 4/5
The Coming Storm – | Review Score – 4.5/5
Cloak and Dagger – | Review Score – 3/5
Siege & Silence – | Review Score – 5/5
Thordak’s Throne – | Review Score – 4.5/5
The Ends of the World – | Review Score – 4/5
Deadly Echoes – | Review Score – 4.5/5
Souls in Darkness – | Review Score – 4/5

In classic Dungeon and Dragons lore, the titular flying beasts are commonly individualistic creatures, free from alliances and bound only to their own interests. Unfortunately, the heroes in Amazon Prime’s D&D-inspired The Legend of Vox Machina run into a much more dangerous scenario.

In season 3 of the animated fantasy, the adventurers called Vox Machina face the continued threat of the Chroma Conclave, an alliance of dragons led by Cinder King Thordak (Lance Reddick). When they discover Thordak’s plan to raise an army of children that will ravage Exandria, an unlikely alliance with the dragon Raishan (Cree Summer) leads them on a hunt for powerful vestiges to help them stop the Cinder King. But can they trust Raishan? And can they trust in themselves to save the realm when so many personal grievances and challenges splinter them?

The Critical Role cast members return to their roles in this comedic fantasy: Ashley Johnson as Pike Trickfoot, Marisha Ray as Keyleth, Liam O’Brien as Vax’ildan Vessar, Laura Bailey as Vex’ahlia Vessar, Taliesin Jaffe as Percival de Rolo, Travis Willingham as Grog Strongjaw, and Sam Riegel as Scanlan Shorthalt.

As ever, it’s a challenge for the show to juggle all of these characters, with each (except for Grog, the perpetual sidekick) vying for the spotlight of “main character.” It’s tough to achieve fleshed-out characterization this way, although the show has always done this well on an episodic level, with emotional character arcs tethering the action of each installment to a heartfelt place. Every episode contains its own well-defined arc for the current party member of the hour–a challenge for their short run time.

And the character arcs are compelling, even in their brevity. Keyleth’s evolution into a leader, Scanlan’s evolving relationship with his daughter, Pike’s growing doubts about her faith, Vax’s complicated tie to the Matron of Ravens, and the budding romantic arcs among the party members all provide rich, emotional storytelling that ties beautifully into the overarching plot.

If at first the hunt for vestiges begins the season on a path too similar to the party’s last adventure, season 3 soon finds its own unique footing. Raishan presents a fresh and intriguing dynamic, and a testy alliance with her adds a new level of tension to Vox Machina’s journey.

Once again, the weight of the world is on the shoulders of these unlikely heroes. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and the tone of the season reflects that–but Vox Machina is still Vox Machina. That is to say, they’re still delivering on cheeky comedy and silly party dynamics–which are staples of the show just like its atmospheric settings, exciting battles, and creative fantasy.

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3, like its predecessors, is a labor of love. While the show may stumble at times under the weight of its extensive ensemble, it more than makes up for it with the sheer lovability of those characters and the incredible adventures they take us on. 

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