Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 2 on Amazon Prime, a Dark Yet Hilarious Return to Form for D&D Denizens

The first season of The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated series based on the live-action Twitch and YouTube darling Critical Role, was a smashing success. It explored a campaign of Dungeons & Dragons through the lens of voice actors and denizens of geeky industries with excellent animation, relatable characters, and plenty of blood and guts. Our first introduction to the land of Exandria was a smashing success, and it seemed inevitable that a sequel would soon be on its way. Now that the second season is here, it’s time to watch this merry band of heroes, the Vox Machina, continue to grow and evolve both as heroes in their own right and as those who will ultimately keep Exandria from harm…oh, and do plenty of butt stuff, while they’re at it.

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA – SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The camera pans over the kingdom of Emon, showing the castle at twilight and eventually taking viewers down to a speech given by King Uriel Tal’Dorei II, who is abdicating the throne while Vox Machina looks on. In the middle of the king’s declaration, however, a swarm of dragons overwhelm those at the castle and begin laying waste to the entire area.

The Gist: The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 is an animated series based on the live-action series Critical Role, a streaming series that stars prominent voice actors and geek personalities playing Dungeons & Dragons. Showrunner Matthew Mercer based the series on the very first campaign the Critical Role gang ran, and after it made a splash with Amazon Prime audiences, the show was greenlit for another series, which quickly became music to fans’ ears.

The eponymous “Vox Machina,” a band of heroes who travel together drinking grog, making lewd jokes, and occasionally finishing the jobs they take on, quickly became well-loved by both Western fantasy and D&D fans alike, crossing over with those who enjoy a dash of anime thrown into the mix. The crew consists of barbarian Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), gnome bard Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), gnome cleric Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson), half-elf Keyleth (Marisha Ray), human Percival “Percy” Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III (Taliesin Jaffe), and half-elf twins Vex (Laura Bailey) and Vax (Liam O’Brian),

The stakes are higher this time around, and it’s obvious from the first episode. While the first season found Vox Machina working to defeat the dragon Brimscythe, there are four this time around with their own unique skills that make them more of a force to be reckoned with, including ice breath and deadly acid that shoots from their very being. It’s the Chrome Conclave, five chromatic dragons each a terrifying encounter all its own. Luckily, this ragtag bunch of heroes is still very much up to the task — though not immediately.

They must take time away from the fight, regroup, and come back even stronger if they hope to defeat the dragons. Part of this means training to get stronger, but also finding the Vestiges of Divergence, ancient artifacts that, when combined, might be exactly what the team needs to defeat the Chroma Conclave. The only problem? Finding and possessing each one may very well tear the team and its individual members apart.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 is of course reminiscent of the first season, but it’s also very much like the live-action show The Guild, as mentioned in my review of The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1. That series introduced viewers to a wild bunch of MMORPG players for a 2000s romp led by Critical Role member Felicia Day. There have been several animated series since then, however, and one that feels similar almost to a fault is Dragon Age: Absolution, which might scratch the same itch one might have for Western fantasy based on a beloved game series. It also brings the humor like Vox Machina does while still offering plenty of satisfying action.

Our Take: Vox Machina is back again, bigger and better than before. But it’s also matured a little, which feels appropriate. The heroes have grown, and so have the way they communicate with each other. They feel more like a family, and there’s so much more to lose now.

The comedic tone is still here in droves, but the pilot doesn’t make that obvious as it opens. King Tal’Dorei II is killed as he’s bathed in acid in the opening minutes of the episode as he is caught outside the protective spell one of the Vox Machina casts, and as the dragons descend on Emon, bystanders are sliced in half with reckless abandon. It’s a ballet of body parts as the people of the kingdom are cut down one by one. Even still, there’s plenty of time for levity that makes the horrific disaster feel just a little more bearable — disturbing as it is, so the team can try and work through it.

That’s part of what makes this season such a worthy and interesting follow-up. Vox Machina, as powerful as each of its members are, can’t tackle everything on its own. And while it might seem like a somewhat lazy premise to saddle the Vox Machina with fetch quests, there’s nothing quick or simple about finding the Vestiges.

Each one opens up a whole new world of challenge and rawness for every member of the Vox Machina, and they’re a better person after coming out of their quest to retrieve the Vestiges. The result? A stronger bond with each other and a team that will never succumb to evil. We all want our D&D characters to grow ever powerful. Seeing the Vox Machina grow feels just as great.

Sex and Skin: There are a few lewd references here and there in the first episode, but don’t let that fool you. This is very much a series for adults, and it reminds you of this over and over again with some very cheeky adult jokes. Keep that in mind if you choose to let the kids watch.

Parting Shot: The dragons of the Chroma Conclave meet up in a fiery pit that doesn’t look unlike the bowels of Hell as they discuss their plans for the land, including plundering everything it has to offer and killing off the Vox Machina. After some sinister talk, they fly off and the screen fades to black.

Sleeper Star: It’s difficult to choose a standout voice in this series, given that everyone does such a great job, but I found myself chuckling at many of straight man Percival “Percy” Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III’s lines. Taliesin Jaffe is as talented as they come, imbuing Percy with deadpan delivery of his lines that still manage to make me giggle.

Most Pilot-y Line: “Are those dragons?” one terrified villager asks as the winged beasts from the beginning of the episode usurp the kingdom. Yes. Yes, they’re dragons, and they’re shooting blasts of ice into the crowd. Guess what we’re going to see a lot more of as the show gets underway? You guessed it.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Vox Machina remains loud, lewd, and as chaotic good as they come. If you haven’t yet found a regular D&D group or you’re interested in seeing what the game is about, this second round of episodes will certainly convince you. This time around, the enemies are stronger, the Vox Machina are more vulnerable, and you truly feel as though you’re on an adventure with good friends, just like Critical Role. If this season is any indication, a third round of episodes should certainly be on the books.

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake.