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.

Pros:

I know this is just repeating a thing I've said over the years about this show, but they really do take the time to give you the cute little character moments. The awkward reunion between Percy and Vex, and Grog and Pike. Keyleth and Vex sharing a hug, and Vex's encouraging words. The way Vox Machina cheered for Keyleth during the ceremony. Keyleth flubbing a word in her speech and everyone finding it adorable. And nowhere is this more apparent than during the combat sequences, where you've got things like Vex diving on Percy to knock him out of the way, or Vex and Vax being called out for doing a lot of banter, or Grog going for bravado as he's on the verge of death, and then collapsing in relief when his foe disappears.

I just can't get over how cool the action in this episode was. Bloody and brutal and intense and non-stop, with the twins doing sick combos, and Grog fighting someone of his equivalent strength, and a comedy sequence where Tary is a massive annoyance until he suddenly pulls out the perfect solution to save the day. Man, Sam's characters all have a lot of similarities, I love him for being the troll that he is, and I think Wayne Brady is killing it as Taryon Darrington so far. Did anybody else notice that in the credits Doty is credited as "himself"? That's adorable.

I'm sad for Keyleth that her special day was overshadowed by this evil cult attack, but what I enjoy about this structurally is that she got to have her moment uninterrupted, she got to take power, and then she got to use her power to help people and prove her worth as a leader immediately. I also like that there was a cost, her father was severely injured and seemingly permanently blinded, but he didn't die. I think his death at this moment would be a little too bleak for a show where Keyleth has to go off and fight alongside her friends as the story progresses. You can't kill the only other leader of the Air Ashari and then find it excusable for Kiki to be abandoning them, I think.

Not a lot more to say about this one, I feel like I would just be recounting a blow by blow of the action sequence if I keep talking about this, and instead I should just go back and watch that shit again. Damn, so impressive. I can't wait for evil cult leader lady to take the damn bandages off, I wanna see her face. Whoooo could it be??? Hmmmmmmmmmm.

9/10