Cons:
Still slightly questioning the Vax/Keyleth angle here, I really kind of loved how in the campaign she was the one with all the doubts. But I'm trying to give it a chance this way, too! It's not like this is a bad story to tell about the two of them, it's just not the story I expected.
I liked Scanlan's subplot but the moment where he and Kaylie go back and he gets another drink and ends up getting shitfaced was kind of confusing to me? I think it was supposed to be that he knew his friends might be in danger, and he didn't want to screw up with Kaylie, and he got overwhelmed with the responsibility and got drunk... but there was some slight awkwardness with the sequence of events, I thought. He left to talk to Kaylie on a walk so he could, ostensibly, try and figure out what was going on with his friends, but then he turns around and goes back to the bar when he sees some guards? I guess I could have used maybe a concrete reminder that part of Kaylie's baggage is that Scanlan just goes off adventuring and that she has no sympathy for it. Because I kept thinking... Scanlan, just tell her you want to meet with her later and have a meal together, tell her you just came by to set that up. Then go off and find the rest of Vox Machina. This isn't that difficult to arrange! But I don't know, I'm complaining about a very small timing issue, I think.
Pros:
Soooo much cool shit to talk about with this one, I hardly know where to begin!
Percy playing along and then getting one over on Anna was so cool, he's such a genius badass, my beloved! The animation of Orthax is dope as hell. And we get a name for Ripley's cool cloak, which campaign watchers already would have known: Cabal's Ruin. For the most part I think they do a pretty good job of tracking all the Vestiges and giving them distinct moments to shine. So it was cool that the Plate of the Dawnmartyr didn't really have any play this episode, and then we find out that it's been a forgery the whole time. So its time to shine is still to come! For those keeping score at home: Vax, Scanlan, Vex, and Grog all have vestiges at this point. So it's Percy, Pike, and Keyleth who do not. We have two Vestiges named on the board: the plate, and the cloak. We're getting close to a full set! (I'm fairly confident they've cut Vax's second vestige, Whisper, from the show, because it would be overkill narrative-wise.)
My Percy/Vex heart is beating so fast, there was so much great content here with them! Vex is so scared for him, so desperate to find him, and then she throws herself in front of a bullet for him, and he holds her and calls for help as she bleeds... SWOON. I loved the group hug after Percy is saved at the end, and the little Vex/Percy handhold moment. Then they have a talk about Percy and guilt and what he really wants... I can't wait to see what awaits here as the season continues.
Combat-wise we got a couple of really cool moments, particularly the gang rescuing Percy. I think I want to give MVP of this episode to Grog, though, for his tactical brilliance of asking the little kids playing pretend with a fake gun if they knew where the real things might be in the city! That was such a precious moment. Grog as this big dumb giant who is just so protective and loving to small beings is just... everything I ever wanted for this adaptation of the character. Grog also calling out and trying to fight his way to Percy as Vox Machina are dragged away was another great moment for our buddy!
Pacing problems about the Kaylie stuff notwithstanding, I do still love the emotional journey Scanlan is going on here. Him calling out to her that she's his only family... ouch! And then Kaylie, trying to put aside her doubts and give him a chance, and him failing to live up to that... god damn, they're taking a plot thread that already hurt my feelings in the original campaign, and really twisting the knife! I can't wait for everyone to lose their shit when they see where some of this is going for Scanlan.
Gilmore was fantastic in this episode. It's a fun way to bring some of the energy from the stream forward to the story: Gilmore as an NPC, Gilmore as a true ally and valuable resource, who also is just kinda... not wanting to be super involved in all these shenanigans, for good reason. The poor guy has to fake being a guard in order to let Vox Machina investigate the archives looking for clues of where to find Percy, and while he does an admirable job, it's clear he'd rather not be involved in such a way! I loved the joke about his rival in Ank'Harel stealing his naming convention and even the font for his storefront.
J'Mon Sa Ord is SO COOL. Probably favorite character design of the season so far. The tall, lanky build, the eyes, the voice... I was so excited to meet them and this reveal does not disappoint. You know that they would have killed Percy (or "changed" him) without remorse, but you also know that they'd never want to do something unjust in any way. It's a cool setup for the ruler of a nation. You really feel like you can trust them to do what they think is right. And the scene where they used Mythcarver to see Ripley and understand Percy's innocence was so awesome to see animated! I can't wait to see them in their other form at some point this season, too.
I'll stop there. Just one more episode and then I have to wait another week for more! Boo!
9/10
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