The Legend of Vox Machina: The Coronation (4x03)

Ohhohoh. Keeping with the tradition of having a dope-ass third episode, I see.

Cons:

I can't think of anything to complain about. I guess I wonder if Cerkonos's fate will be explicitly shown to us later, if the ambiguity intentional, or if I'm supposed to understand he's dead? They squished his eyes in pretty good there (ewww) but didn't do a full head explode-y situation like that one scene in Game of Thrones so... unclear.

The episode hangs a lampshade on the fact that the Matron's warning to Vax is very vague. In fact it hangs two lampshades. This does not make it less irritating though. I think maybe this would have been a little better if the Matron had been more explicit about the warning, but had been uncertain herself as to the timing. Kind of a "dark times are coming, there are people fucking with death itself, power is coalescing and as my Champion it's important you be ready." Something. This is a nitpick, it's still always soooo cool to see the Matron, her design in the show is sick as hell.

The Legend of Vox Machina: Trial By Water (4x02)

Okay, episode two! Maybe not my favorite, but not bad by any means.

Cons:

I love Keyleth very much, and I am so proud of her accomplishments, really. I will say, though, there's something of a diminishing return with all the fake-out "I'm on the verge of death and all is hopeless and then BAM I got a major glow-up and became an elemental and saved the day!" It was so cool when it happened during her fire trial. Then it kinda happened twice on her earth trial, as first her father and then Vox Machina briefly believed her to be dead until she popped out of the earth as a bad-ass rock monster. And now here, in her water trial, same thing. She's defeated, but nope! She's not! Hooray! There's nothing I can point to here that was poorly done, it's just the very nature of it being something we've seen twice before, you know?

The Legend of Vox Machina: One Year Later... (4x01)

We're back!!

Cons:

I thought the gimmick of cutting between Vex and Percy as they each deal with their moments of peril worked to a point, but as it kept going it felt like it was interrupting the flow and the momentum of their respective scenes a bit. Maybe I'll feel different on a re-watch, it was just a tad jarring at spots.

The way they have adapted Pike's religion stuff is maybe the most confusing part of this animated show to me. It's the one thing they've had to basically build whole-cloth without the campaign for a guide, and I often find it a bit unfocused and unclear. I am cautiously optimistic that this story-line with former adherents to the Everlight turning to the Whispered One will position Pike to finally come into alignment with her goddess in a way that feels satisfying to her as a character and to me as a viewer. My fear, though, is more unfocused story-telling where it's unclear if Pike is trying to embrace her position as a cleric or run from it. At some point I think we kind of need to settle in, here. The character with a complicated and greatly conflicted relationship to a goddess on this show is Vax. We probably don't need the same thing with Pike.