The Legend of Vox Machina: Belly of the Beast (2x11)

Another great episode, sorry to be a broken record!

Cons:

This whole show, I've been so impressed with their ability to get in all the most iconic lines I remember from the stream. Even if the circumstances changed, most of the epic dialogue has made it in. This was the first time I fully expected a line to be in a scene, and it didn't come. During the Scanlan and Kaylie scene, Scanlan said during the stream something along the lines of "of my many faults, ego is one of them. So now, knowing you're a part of me, makes me love you even more." It was a line so good that Matt gave him advantage on his persuasion check. I was sad it didn't make the cut! I feel like thematically it still would have worked. It's funny, but also it still works for the tone of the scene.

The immovable rod being replaced with a sword that Kaylie gives Scanlan is fine, but I wish there had been one line of dialogue somewhere to explain what the sword did, as it ends up being so pivotal later. Maybe I'm underestimating the viewers and it's completely understandable as is, just a small note.

The check-ins between Umbrasyl and Thordak don't seem to add much. It feels like they're only there to remind us again that Umbrasyl wants Vestiges, and Thordak is impatient with him. Not a bad scene, just not anything particularly needed, I feel.

Pros:

The Vax stuff with the Matron of Ravens is STUNNING. Also, did anybody else notice that when we see him with the golden threads of fate in the leadup to her conversation with him, there are six threads? One for the other six members of Vox Machina, perhaps? Everything about the buildup and the imagery and Vax's newfound peace with his fate is making me want to weep.

You start off with seeing him scared, then there's the conversation with Scanlan where Scanlan tells Vax not to let fear hold him back, that he needs to "take the plunge". He's talking about himself and Kaylie as much as he is about Vax's problems, but it resonates so well, and we see Vax take that to heart as he accepts his fate with the Matron later on, diving into the pool of blood.

I love Vex and Keyleth following Vax to the temple... Vex saying "do not go far from me", and Vax gives the tiniest little nod, but pulls away and goes in alone... the SYMBOLISM. The HEARTBREAK. It's such a nice contrast, seeing Vex and Keyleth standing outside, completely isolated from the trial Vax must face, wanting to be there to support him but not knowing how. They discuss Keyleth's feelings for Vax, and Vex tells her: "don't let him get away." Which like. OUCH. But anyway. I love it when Vex and Keyleth get their moments.

I could wax poetic about the visuals of the Matron's temple and the actual meeting between her and Vax for a long time, but suffice to say, it was stunning, it's clear a lot of time and thought and energy went in to making it look as beautiful and intimidating as it possibly could. The Matron tells Vax: "My beautiful champion. There is much to fear, but not death, for it gives meaning to life." Basically, his task is to honor and protect the transitional moment between life and death, shepherd souls to their rest. I know a lot of religions and myths have similar figures, gods who are there to guide souls to the land of the dead. I always find it such a beautiful, simple, calming idea. Having someone like Vax take you by the hand as you reach the end of your life and take you where you need to go? Lovely. I'm still crying about it, though. Oof, this is all going to hurt.

Meanwhile back at the tavern, Percy is fully nerding out explaining the cool trap he wants to build. The herd seems completely numb to whatever he's on about, until Grog cuts through the technical explanation with a much more simple order to go dig a big pit. Loving Percy getting to be his nerdy self more this season, as obviously last season he had to be fully dark and sinister for most of the time. It's a good balance, because we still see him being a broody bad-ass on occasion, but he also gets to be a goofball. God, I love him.

Kaylie and the rest of Dr. Dranzel's traveling band are heading out, and Kaylie really doesn't have a lot of patience for Scanlan's frantic attempts to make amends, build a bridge towards something good between them. She basically tells him that after all that he's failed to do, he would have to do a hell of a lot of good to make up for it. Poor Scanlan is deeply shaken by the revelation of his long lost daughter, but he doesn't quite take the right lesson from his experience with her, either. He tells her that she might be the missing piece in his life, instead of framing it around her experience instead. And during the showdown with Umbrasyl, he nearly gets himself killed in his efforts to prove himself worthy. He and Vax have a moment where they both talk about the new weight they carry. "I just found out I'm the Champion of the Matron of Ravens." / "I just found out I'm a father." / "You win."

And that opening fight with Umbrasyl... so cool! I love that the trap works, because Vex does a trick shot that sets it off even though Umbrasyl saw the pressure plate. I love that they get him pinned, but he's able to break away. I wasn't sure if they'd go with Umbrasyl's ability to turn invisible, as I wasn't sure how that would work visually, but how it worked visually is that it looked SO COOL. Every time he spews acid, his gaping mouth appearing and the acid raining down when you don't know exactly where it's going to come from... everyone running around trying to do their best, but nobody can get a solid hit on him... 

And then Scanlan has his idea. This is different from how it happens in the stream, but it is so Scanlan to suggest getting inside the dragon via his asshole. Just... delightfully unhinged and unsettling imagery, everyone. I loved Pike's reaction of exasperated disgust. Scanlan takes the sword he got from Kaylie, and activates it so it's immovable. This means the dragon can't take off without poking up against the blade of the sword. Effectively pinned once again, Vox Machina does a ton of damage. But Umbrasyl manages to rip himself free, taking Scanlan and Vax with him: and Grog too, who embeds an axe in his hide and hangs on via rope as the giant dragon takes off into the air. Vex ends the episode with what we're all thinking: "oh no..."

So... yeah! I feel like I'm always a little unequal to talking about the action sequences in this show, because I'm mostly just bowled over by the creativity and variety and skill. So many moving parts, so many fights in this show, and yet each one feels distinctive and has its own bad-ass moments to shine. Our party is split once again, with Grog, Vax, and Scanlan all with Umbrasyl, while Pike, Percy, Vex, and Keyleth are on the ground, watching their friends being carried away.

One more episode to go, and then I have to wait forever for more of this amazingness!

9/10