The Screen Scribe

In 2011 Game of Thrones changed the landscape of what fantasy adaptations could be on television. In the previous two decades, the only truly successful fantasy adaptation would arguably be the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen, but studios failed to tread the path that Peter Jackson’s epic, Oscar winning adaptation paved for them. Since then, small budget adaptations came and went, until Game of Thrones captured the imagination of the world. It ushered in an era of prestige television, redefining what fantasy could be on the small screen: mature, expansive, ambitious, unapologetic, award worthy. The result? Studios finally perked up, like a dog sniffing a bone, except they smelled currency. Many have attempted to replicate the success of Thrones. Many have failed. The Witcher. Rings of Power. The Wheel of Time. Shadow and Bone. The Shannara Chronicles. But then, in 2022, the world was introduced to the fucking Legend of Vox Machina.

A band of seven broke mercenaries are hired by a desperate royal council to hunt down a mysterious beast terrorizing the realm. What starts as a chaotic mission to pay off their bar tabs and debts spirals into an epic struggle as this group of deeply flawed misfits becomes the kingdom’s only line of defence against ancient dark magic, vengeful vampires, and a devastating alliance of dragons. Based on the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns of Critical Role, the story subverts classic high fantasy by balancing bloody, adult action and crude comedy with a genuine, emotional focus on how these outcasts overcome personal trauma to become a real family and true heroes.

There are currently four seasons available to watch on Amazon Prime, with the fourth recently concluding on a massive, emotionally devastating cliffhanger. Despite being a purely animated show, Vox Machina succeeds in every aspect that the other shows failed in. Genuine character depth and growth across multiple seasons, maintaining a balance between mature storytelling and light hearted moments (and a shit ton of crude humour, this is not for kids trust me), engaging and entertaining action, and fascinating lore, and intriguing politics. This is not a show attempting to cater to diverse audiences, studio executives with cashflow mandates, or streaming service algorithm requirements to push viewership. It emulates (not intentionally) what made Game of Thrones so successful: it tells a good fucking story, with engaging, relatable and sympathetic characters, and makes no apologies for offending people. If you don’t like it, then piss off, this wasn’t made for you.

I genuinely have no faults with this show. None. Nada. My only maybe minor gripe was the fact Critical Role couldn’t use Vecna’s name for season four due to copyright / licensing issues.

Season four maintains the high standards set by its preceding three seasons, picking up with our heroes having gone their separate ways following the conflict with the dragons of the Chroma Conclave. The season begins a little slower, a little more deliberately, building on foundations set in earlier seasons for the darker, more emotional story of season four. A major strength of this show, something the current batch of Hollywood writers should learn from, is the genuine strength and long term planning of its worldbuilding. There are elements of seasons one and three, that become essential to the new season and when you see the payoff it is genuinely one of those “Holy shit that’s what that was” moments. It is writing of the highest degree. The character work remains phenomenal, stripping back the team and examining what makes each of them tick as individuals away from the group, before slapping them back together and letting the fireworks ignite. The narrative is slow burn, allowing the characters to shine and drive each episode until everything kicks into high gear when all the disparate threads from season one through four weave together in a climactic and fucking epic finale that was emotionally devastating and leaves the mouth watering for what comes next.

The Legend of Vox Machina season five will release either mid to late 2027, or in 2028, and by the Everlight it is going to be a long bloody wait. Do yourself a favour, if you haven’t already, then go watch this show. If you like magic, mayhem, and more than a few fucks, I can’t give it any higher praise than to say it is absolutely worth your time.

5 / 5 ✨from the Screen Scribe.

“Vox Machina. Fuck. Shit. Up.”

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