The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 3): Romance Blooms, Dragons Slain and Friends Divided

Can a storyline about magical artifacts and dragon battles teach us about the real-life struggles of balancing work and family? Join us as we explore the emotional depth and thrilling adventures of Vox Machina's third season with our guest, Sebby Phantom. We gush over the show's intricate narratives and character developments, particularly Scanlan's touching quest to connect with his daughter, paralleling the challenges many face in maintaining personal relationships amidst demanding careers. Whether you're a fan of action-packed quests or heartfelt moments, this season offers a perfect mix of both.

We couldn't help but discuss the recurring theme of character deaths and revivals in the series, drawing comparisons to larger-than-life franchises like Dragon Ball and the MCU. Together with Sebby, we debate the narrative impact of these temporary losses and suggest that more permanent departures could heighten the emotional stakes. Our conversation touches on the intriguing arcs of Vex, Vax, and Percy, and speculates on how future seasons might adapt the campaigns of Critical Role with some creative twists.

With Vox Machina transitioning from tabletop to animation, the changes have brought new dimensions to storytelling and character depth, something we wholeheartedly celebrate. We delve into the expanded roles and darker narratives within the group, examining the leadership challenges faced by Keyleth and the vengeful path of Percy. Sebby joins us in our enthusiastic speculation about the show's potential future, including the possibility of a movie adaptation that would undoubtedly leave fans eager for more. Tune in to hear why we rate this season a perfect 10 out of 10 and why the anticipation for season four is already building.

Chapters

• 0:01 Vox Machina Season 3 Review
• 8:19 Character Deaths in Vox Machina'Reflections On
• 18:27 Discussion of Critical Role Season 3
• 30:27 Season Three Review and Speculation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome back to the Zone Podcast, the show about nerdy news and reviews. I'm Jet Black Extreme, and joining me today is Sebi Phantom on Vox Machina, season 3. Let's go ahead and talk about that. Season 3 just might be the best season by far because it had so many things going on to where I was just hooked like I watched the entire season and one go one day and I was like, yes, you know what fox machina definitely have that sauce. Now, like, here's my thing.

Speaker 1: 0:44

I liked season one but mainly the whole idea of Percy going after the Briarwoods. And in season two it was okay. I mean, it was good but I felt like season two was just a warm up for season three, warm-up for season three. Now, with season three it's mainly about them continuing to collect all the vestiges and resources they need to take down the chroma conclave and they were taking down some of the dragons and they were doing pretty good.

Speaker 1: 1:19

But of course, along the way there were like some riffs in the party and there was hookups to like some romances went full circle, like Percy and Bex, key lift and backs, pike and Scanlon. Well, their relationship they're not really in a relationship but it's like it's going in a Direction Like it's almost like it's being more and more Acknowledged or obvious that they might be a thing. And Grog Grog is just Grog, he's probably like that one guy in the party you know, like the meme and it's like Little do they know that? I'm happy for all of them. But yeah, I was definitely digging it and I especially like the one part in the end where they were fighting thordak and despite everything it seemed bad. But pike used her plate mail to shoot that beam through his, that gem in his chest, and you thought, oh that, done it. But no, he was about to fly away. But my favorite moment was when um Vax was like oh no hell no, I'm not letting you slide.

Speaker 1: 2:41

You died today, but rysham um recovered the body, so I'm guessing she's gonna make that into like a zombie dragon and uh, or I think it was like not even that's more like she's gonna fuse with. Of course I don't, it's weird. But, um, for the most part, yeah, I was definitely digging, oh yeah, and the whole thing was ganlin trying to connect with his daughter. Very emotional, very human of scan, even though he's a gnome. But like I like how you know, outside the whole debauchery thing, he got going on and, being the comic relief, he's a father that's just trying to do right by his daughter and I was down for that arc of his. Ah, sebby, how you feeling about Box Machina? Well, you haven't been on for the Season 1 and Season 2 reviews, so I want to say how do you feel about Box Machina as a whole so far?

Speaker 2: 3:42

Series. Seeing that one before. This has sex, this has alcohol, this has cussing, this has action. This is everything I want in a series, and more. I love this series. It is the greatest thing I've ever watched. I was introduced for Vox Machina by the creators Critical Role. I watched them and then when they said, hey, we got a series coming out, I was hooked day one and it even inspired me to do what I do now and that's LARPing. So season one amazing, that was gorgeous. Season two I agree with you, that was just a warm up for what was coming in season three. And then season three with Thordak you, that was just a warm-up for what was coming in Season 3. And then Season 3 with Thordak About. Season 3 was just to me, the greatest thing in the world. Sitting on the edge of my seat asking if they're going to have sex yet was the greatest thing, for me at least. I wanted to leap through the damn TV and punch Keyleth in the face, face and go. Why the hell are you like this?

Speaker 2: 4:49

I mean yes already yeah, um, that part.

Speaker 1: 4:54

I was like damn kind of fumbling the bag there. But then again I kind of like keyless art. Well, it took me a while to warm up tequila, but at the same time it was like it was right up to where she was, like I knew I was right to not trust on right, son, and y'all all invalidated me and all that. And I'm like you know what. I felt that because, keep in mind, she's the leader of the party and as the leader of the zone, sometimes I can't help but feel like I'm not, I'm kind of failing as a leader sometimes. But then again, sometimes it just feels like we get a little erratic and unfocused and it's like I'm not trying to be mad at anybody, but sometimes I'm like come on y'all, we need to get it together for real. And sometimes it feels like I might be treated as a pushover on my own team and I'm like I'm not gonna have that.

Speaker 1: 5:53

But I kind of relate to Keyleth in that aspect, to where I've dealt with teammates where I mean I'm not trying to throw shade honestly, but I'm just being honest, like I just dealt with former teammates where it just didn't work out and it just kind of made me feel a little disrespected the way they came about it. Like you know, it just felt like they were taking up space but wasn't really contributing to the team and whatnot. And usually when I bring stuff up it's almost feel like I'm being pushed out of my own team. I'm like, oh hell, no, this thing, that's not going to stand. So I kind of relate to Keyleth, but the whole part with her and Vax yeah no, that was bad, but I was happy for Percy and Vex. Yeah, no, that was bad, but I was happy for Percy and Vex, where I was like, oh yeah, he getting it in.

Speaker 2: 6:53

That, that, that hot, that hot spring, that whole thing Was like, oh yeah, amazing. Because I was like, okay, why, why are you pushing him away, percy? What's going on? And then, when she shot up the whole, oh, I didn't know you could hold your breath for that long. That was top tier, that was amazing yeah, it's like it's.

Speaker 1: 7:18

It's just funny how they were saying that, oh yeah, we love each other, but it's like we can't be public about our relationship because, um, he will call us a hypocrite, uh, vax definitely won't have it, and then everybody else well, scan will make fun of us and all that shit. And it's like it was a funny thing. Uh Vax, uh, not Vax. Uh Vexcks, uh becks had this whole thing to where she felt like she was one of those chicks that felt like whenever she opens her heart to other men, it's like something bad happens. So it's kind of like that hedgehog dilemma to where it's just better off to keep people at a um arm's distance, because not only are you trying to avoid getting hurt but you're also trying to avoid hurting other people. And that was her main issue as far as, like, reciprocating her feelings for percy. And let me get into the one thing that kind of pissed me off about box mocking as a whole, like, not really a real complaint, but it's more like it got the same thing that dragon ball have going on to where, like when these characters die and there's always a death in at least one, one death in each season, like I think it was pike in the first one, uh, it was Vexalia in the second one, and now it's Percy in this one.

Speaker 1: 8:47

And we're like oh shit, because the way they died just seems so impactful and just means a whole lot to the party. But then you're like, wait a minute, you can revive party members in dnd so they have some way to revive their fallen party members in the show. And I'm like, okay, yeah, they're back. But I'm like then again I'm like hold on, this is the third time we've been through this. So at this point, if any more of them die, I'm like thinking I don't know how to feel about it, because what if they just get revived? But unless the story tells me, oh yeah, this is a perma death, then I'm like, oh shit. But otherwise I'm thinking I don't know if I can take these deaths too seriously, if they're just gonna revive them later yeah, no, I definitely agree with you on that.

Speaker 2: 9:39

I not that I'm trying trying to be the Percy hater here, but I Really was like, if we're gonna Kill somebody, can we just leave them alone Death wise? I know that we can revive, but wouldn't that Be so much better if he would just be like dead and then we figured out, like we had a whole quest about how to bring him back to Life not instant revive, you know.

Speaker 1: 10:01

And it didn't help that we had like a whole backstory on him immediately after that. It's like oh yeah, you know how like mcu does it to where at this point with, especially with black widow, like they kind of did scarlet dirty, by the way, like oh how she finally get her solo movie after she dies in endgame. And I'm like man, like we should have had this movie like one or two years after civil war. It would have been perfect right there.

Speaker 1: 10:31

But yeah my point being is that it just seems like whenever a character die in the story, then we get like backstory on them. So now we gotta feel some type of way about a character die in the story, then we get like backstory on them. So now we got to feel some type of way about a character that we know died. Every time these characters die, I like how they're like some sort of significance to reviving them. Like let's travel back to season two, to where when Bexolia died and Vax was helping and he pretty much got a deal with the Raven matron and I still like how he said take me, you Raven bitch. I busted out laughing Because I'm like you know what. That would be something I'd say. But, um, what was it? Oh yeah, with Percy's like, the whole thing Was uh, orthax Still had a hold On um Percy for the most part, even though he kind of Casted aside the Pepperbots, the cursed Pepperbots and all that. But Dr Ripley made up Of like Some sort of working with Orthax. In a way.

Speaker 1: 11:54

It's kind of like the equivalent to the symbiote from the Spider-Man universe, where it's like okay, here's the like first user and he using orthats for his own reasons, but then here comes the second user and it's like they have a better relationship because, almost like oh, we understand each other better you know yeah but uh, I just like the whole imagery they had going on to where uh percy was just working on this little pepper box and ortho still had a hold on them and basically bexalia and vax, they were all trying to give them like the whole talk, no juice suit, even with uh Vax saying like, hey, yo, I'm actually cool with y'all dating each other if that's what y'all want.

Speaker 1: 12:49

So it took, like you know, that trope where that one tear was all it took and then it just dropped on the paper. I was like, oh well, it's done now. So I was like, oh well, it's done now. So I'm like, oh okay, I guess I can move on now. And then that's when you notice Vax and try to pull away from Orthax and break away and he got revived. So yay.

Speaker 2: 13:15

Yeah with that. Sorry to cut you off, but right at that end where Vax is pulling Percy out of Thordax's little like realm and such um and he was like you're not gonna get protected by the raven matron anymore, I'm wondering, with him pulling percy out, is percy now a part of the raven matron without knowing Matron?

Speaker 1: 13:39

without knowing. Uh, I want to say that's Love to be seen, because if, honestly, I don't know what arc Uh they're going to do with season Four, because I know for Sure that when they're doing Legend of Vox Machina, they're basically Animating uh Campaigns and arcs that Critical Role does. So I need to look back and see what they Hold on. You can actually see, but hold on. I just don't know if they're going in chronological order with all this, because I think they skipped around. They skipped to the Chroma Conflict, because that's the one where it was like, all right, we're going to have something that's like really heat things up. But let me check real quick.

Speaker 1: 14:32

All right, critical Role, campaign 1. Campaign 2. All right, we're going to look at Hold on campaign to uh hold on. I'm trying to look okay, wait, all right, campaign one box marketing. Uh, campaign two mighty nine. Okay, I think what's going on is that they have a whole bunch of one-shots like, uh, chances are. Uh, hold on. Okay. Uh, no, it's not Okay. It seemed like they were just going to probably do a whole bunch of one-shot adventures for the most part, because right now I'm trying to still locate where exactly which campaign was Chroma Conclave, because if it was one of the one shots, then all right, yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:44

so at this point they're just adapting the one shots I'm kind of hoping that in season four we get a little bit more of a like a future and we also get a little bit of the past, you know, like together right because, yeah, like we did get a little backstory On some of the characters, but that's just the thing.

Speaker 1: 16:07

I feel like they're trying to Fragment the backstory In each of these seasons. So I kind of like the pacing, by the way, how it seems like Nothing really overstays their welcome when it comes to Moving the plot along, like between scanlon and his relationship with his daughter, uh, all these different romances popping up, um, this whole arrangement with ryshawn and uh, percy's ordeal with dr ripley and all that. Yeah, like none of it really overstays it welcome. So it's like okay, it's a, it's an easily consumable series, like for the most part. I want to say they're like what? 10 or so episodes per season. Chances are each arc or character arc, whatever it may be, probably going to be like two or three episodes apiece. So that's not so bad.

Speaker 2: 17:12

No, it's not, and I agree with you on that part, but overall, this is just an amazing season. I'm excited to see what's next, because it's already been confirmed for season four. Um, so I'm excited to see what, uh, what critical role brings us. And, yeah, um, for rating wise, this is a 10 out of 10 for me oh, hell, yeah, uh, yeah, I would give it 10 out of 10.

Speaker 1: 17:40

like I don't really have any real problems with Vox Machina, it's just more like just some gripes, because, you know, it's kind of like what Tien said in Team Four, star Bridge, where it just seems like, well, it was between Yamcha and Tien, where he's being like, oh, you just make death sound so inconsequential. It's like it really is because, look, we're literally waiting to go back home and it's not even Chiaotzu's first time. I'm like you know what? I guess it's the perfect time to go over some notes that koki got to pass on to us.

Speaker 1: 18:27

So he was saying, that critical role made several changes from the original campaign to the show and this season is most vastly different so far. Some of the changes include uh fleshing out Ripley and her tyranny, grog getting some character building. Vex's story gets darker and he's saying that he likes how we went from dragons to the old friend to betray everyone and it really sets in stone that those are draconian dna, are truly selfish. You know, like that one guy, um, from when they were trying to go into the uh going to hell essentially to get the plate mail and essentially the draconian dude pretty much.

Speaker 1: 19:15

Uh, so sell that on everybody else because you know I don't want to um my fellow dragon, you know.

Speaker 2: 19:23

Right, yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:26

He was saying that the sequence where Percy's home is destroyed was very heartbreaking. True, but a necessary story build and does a great job and showcases his loyalty and growth as a character. His death hit hard as fuck At first, yeah, but like I said, once you take a step back and realize, hold on. There's like a death in every season, but they always come back. I I'm not buying it anymore.

Speaker 2: 19:54

Like.

Speaker 1: 19:58

I do like the way they make it seem impactful so they're not cheapening the death. But if they're just gonna come back, I'm like the way they make it seem impactful so they're not cheapening the death. But if they're just going to come back, I'm like I feel nothing anymore about them dying. They're probably going to bring them back, but anyways, bax sacrificed so damn much he won't get to keep any of his happiness. That's bullshit, man. Now I feel you, koki yatsu, like um bags, went through a lot, especially um taking on that raven matron pact. Uh, he was. Koki yatsu was saying they really should have listened to keeliff agreed, but she's got to take a chill pill sometime, also agreed. Uh, glass ganlin finally got to patch it up with his daughter.

Speaker 1: 20:42

But most of the issues from the beginning of the season was him being scared to communicate. True, because that's the kind of problem like once, like I was telling you sebi, where it just feels like a lot of issues that we could be having or a lot of things that could have been done would have been resolved already if we just communicated. But I don't know, people want to be weird about it nowadays, like it's wild how I have a whole bunch of people telling me that I need to communicate more, I need to speak up more, and I try to do that. But then again some of these folks act like they're icing me out now, like it's almost like a cat and mouse type thing. It's it's cat string theory to where it seemed like you have to be barely available for them to be more interested to talk to you. It's like saying don't be too available but don't be too distant at the same time. It's almost like, oh well, you just happened to catch me at a good time. Almost like you have to not really pretend, but it's almost like you gotta get you some business and not be so available, otherwise they're not as interested because it's not as special when you're always available.

Speaker 1: 22:00

Sorry for going into that whole tangent, but yeah, um, communicate. You know, communicate solves a lot of problems. Uh. Last thing he said is seeing the team breakup is sad but very necessary. Yeah, because it kind of reminds me of how key lift uh the whole title sequence where, by the way, I like the sauce and that one to where it's like the first two like okay, the first two seasons was the same one and it was good, but then the third one was like, okay, we kind of getting a little foreshadowing of what could happen. And keela's whole thing was, uh, everybody dies and she's the only survivor, and she's like really concerned about that. Meanwhile Vax is like little, do they know that? I know everything that plagues them. Like Vax knows that Keyleth is concerned that there's going to be a point to where everybody dies and she's just all alone and whatnot. Everybody dies and she's just all alone and whatnot.

Speaker 1: 23:06

So I did like how they changed the opening sequence to reflect some of the uh conflicts and events to come, you know yeah, I definitely agree with you on that I mean the first one did too, but, like the, this new one just made it seem so much more interesting, especially the part where, uh, percy cast aside the blueprints for the pepper box and I'm like trying to wonder, oh so he's finally gonna resolve his, uh, revenge quest in this season. It just felt so uh, symbolic in that sense. So I, I'm thinking it'll probably be like that. I mean, he did, yeah, he did kill Ripley. Well, no, he didn't do it himself, but he did get help. Well, he had Vex help him with the arrow and shit.

Speaker 1: 23:58

So yeah, for the most part, the Briarwoods are gone, ripley's gone. He pretty much had little to no enemies left. So it's like next thing to do is rebuild the whole Tirolo Whitestone legacy. And I'm like, hey, yo, so you know, us being royalty just makes sense for you know like, hey yo, so you know us being royalty just makes sense for you know like, rebuild on White Stone. And she was like okay, okay, maybe, maybe.

Speaker 2: 24:34

No, I like how this movie, this movie, this show basically needs a movie, but I like how this, this show. Every character is relatable in some sense are you playing, though?

Speaker 1: 24:48

I imagine it's like uh, imagine they end box mocking it with the movie. Well, I mean, they're doing that for dean and slayer, so I'm not surprised anymore.

Speaker 2: 24:58

They I mean technically they're doing it for attack on titan, but it's more like a recap of what we already know I think they're also doing it, for, if I saw correctly, they're gonna be doing it as well for chainsaw man as well.

Speaker 1: 25:12

There's gonna be a new film on prime too um, I can see them having a movie, but I don't know if they're going to end the series with a movie Because, based on where they are in the manga, the manga is way ahead compared to what we already got in the anime, to where I'm like, if you only watch the anime, I can't talk to you because I know too much. Oh shit, holy shit, that's all I can tell you. The real question is what part of that manga are they going to adapt to a movie? Because, like crap, but yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they ended Vox Magna with the movie. But the real question is, what would they adapt? I mean, there's a whole bunch of one-shots and other campaigns that they could do, so it's very possible.

Speaker 2: 26:19

Possibly keep season four as all the one-shots and then finish the movie as like the prequel, almost you know what?

Speaker 1: 26:28

that would be perfect. Just a prequel, like you know, because, keep in mind, the season one is based off them being like level seven, like in dnd terms so they're like they already had adventures. They're already like and they've been around, but the start of season one was like the start of their first big boy mission, in a sense, and a prequel movie would make a lot of sense. We're calling it now, ladies and gentlemen button stone today. So uh, do you have anything?

Speaker 2: 27:08

else you want to add on to box marketing nope, other than it's a 10 out of 10 and a very good move. I'm going to continue to say movie.

Speaker 1: 27:16

Tonight I got movie on my brain yeah, we're going to watch a movie this weekend, so I don't blame you. Anything else about season three, uh, anything in particular, anything about the characters. I mean I did like the part where they got to be inside Scanlan's little home away from home. You know there's a little realm. I did like that part.

Speaker 2: 27:51

Oh yeah, the whole thing with them just making chicken, because it's yeah, only making chicken.

Speaker 1: 28:02

Sorry, I can't help it, it just does that. That's the only drawback With being here. Also, like how the first episode of season 3 Was dedicated to the late Lance Reddick. I did appreciate that. Yeah, was there anything else? Uh, oh, my bad. Uh, correction, it was 12 episodes in season three and honestly I was thinking 12 by second guess myself. But uh, yeah, uh, okay, hold on. I'm reading Something right now Vax successfully Freed Percy from Orthectomy and ritual. Thank you for good. I don't Know if Percy have any connection To the Raven Matron, but that would be a good theory, like If they make that a thing. I'm like you know what? You know what? Sebby, I owe you a phone call.

Speaker 2: 29:07

I'm gonna be watching season four and I'm just gonna see, as jb call me, like you said it first yeah, uh.

Speaker 1: 29:18

But yeah, like you know, outside of everything said and done, the team split up um to travel the world. Like, okay, scanlan and uh, her and his daughter, uh, kaylee, traveling the world together. Um, because scanlan wants to make up for lost time. Uh, keelan and vax head off to a journey of their own. Uh, with vax's hand showing signs of decay, so that does not look good. Vex and Percy return to Whitestone and continue their relationship, getting on making air to the roll of paint, and Grog and Pike stay behind say their goodbyes to them and elsewhere we got a whole bunch of cultists conducting a ritual to summon this deadly evil. Something's coming Until season 4, all we can do is theorize. I'm pretty much been on this review and, sebi, I do thank you for being on the show and I thank you, the listener, for tuning in for this episode. If I were to rate season three, I know Sebi gave it 10 out of 10.

Speaker 1: 30:45

Yeah, I'll give it a 10 out of 10 too. It was good, it was very good. A lot of things went full circle, um, and also it just leaves you wanting more. This show is like the boys for me, to where it's like. Every time they put out a new season, I'm like, oh lord, here we go again. And then, by the time you get to the season finale, I'm like, ah, I gotta wait so long for the next season hold on.

Speaker 1: 31:15

Uh, I know season four, oh no, they didn't get a announcement, like they didn't even get a time window. Damn, most likely same time, um to 2025. Uh, hold on, let me check real quick it should be a season every year yeah, so hold on. Uh, the first 2 came out January 20 Of 2023 and season 3 Just came out, fucking late this year.

Speaker 1: 31:57

But man, you know what? It would be crazy If they were like we're coming back with season 4 In January. I'm like damn that quick, I mean, don't y'all need time to breathe, or some shit. But nah, most likely it's probably going to be same time, October, next year. I'm just speculating like guesstimating right now, but either it's going to be really early, which would be surprising, or around the same time next year, because you know, eh, yeah, so, uh, oh, is that something else?

Speaker 2: 32:42

Nope, I think I'm all good here.

Speaker 1: 32:45

Okay, okay, so. So, with that being said, dear listener, have yourself a good morning, good afternoon and good night and, most importantly, take it easy.