The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 Episode 10 Review

The Legend of Vox Machina

Prime Video

Season 4 Episode 10

The Poisoned Ear

Doty, take this down. I don’t want to talk about this one. Something terrible has happened. Doty, just—stay close.

Vox Machina manages to escape from the rubble of the downed temple, but they are rocked by the realization that they have lost two of their own. As they argue and speculate, Percy cuts through the noise to give the group an alternative that might bring them to one of them. Unfortunately, Pike emerges right into the lion’s den and she is not in the mood to talk.

The episode immediately jumps into events from the end of the last episode so emotions are raw for both the characters and the viewer who watched what happened at the end of episode 9. I love the continuity of that moment and how it keeps the momentum of the second half of this season going.

Pike is escorted to the stronghold of the Whispered One where she is met by a familiar face while the rest of the group returns to Whitestone to work on a way to reactivate the orb beneath the castle and travel to where Pike is. I like that the episode gives the characters some time to process what they’ve lost and that it is initiated by Taryon through his own naivete. We also get the return of more familiar faces as the team returns to the castle and are met by the friends they’ve made through the years.

I love that the tension growing within Percy is released in a way that makes him face his decisions and that he has a talk with Cassandra about the guilt he’s feeling. I also love how brilliantly it is done to give them both a sense of real sibling tension. There is a follow up scene showing how empathetic Vex can be as she tries to help an emotionally fragile Taryon Darrington with a difficult job. I love that scene and the growth in both the character and his relationship with the rest of the group.

Pike is confronted by Gideon (who, let’s face it, we all knew was the Whispered One. I mean he’s voiced by Andy Serkis for gods sake.) who reveals that his return and potential ascension are products of something Pike experienced last season with another character from Critical Role lore. I love the connection made in that moment and what it means for the character and the bigger world of the story. Serkis is so good as the character and brilliantly lures in Pike with his words and demeanor. It’s an amazing performance by a master of the craft.

There is a temptation element at play in this episode that is brilliantly designed to lure Pike in and I love how it plays into the spiritual conflict the character has been dealing with since last season. The continuity of character arcs is amazing and there is a brilliant contrast between Pike’s journey and Keyleth’s relentless desire to save Vax.

The conclusion of the episode is interesting on several fronts. The tempting of Pike is definitely the more compelling element of the story with some great moments between her and Gideon and more world building for the audience. The team’s attempt to enter the orb has great action and a wonderful moment for Taryon, but it didn’t really feel necessary. It looked great, which I think was the point because this was a very exposition heavy episode, so I’m not complaining about a short action scene. I was expecting more of an effort by the defenders though. The episode has a lot of moving parts and all of them come together brilliantly by writer Travis Willingham (Grog) to deliver a story that makes me excited to see what happens next and what it will do to both Pike and the rest of Vox Machina.