Summary
With the gang under house arrest, a terrifying evil heads their way in this horror-themed episode.
This recap of Amazon’s The Legend Of Vox Machina season 1, episode 4, “Shadows At The Gates” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
Last time on The Legend Of Vox Machina, the gang’s fate rested in the hands of Sovereign Uriel. Episode 4 begins with the enraged king ordering them to be locked up. A calming Lady Allura (Game Of Thrones star Indira Varma) saves the day and persuades Uriel to put them under house arrest instead (there goes my prediction). Our wearisome heroes are ordered to hand over all their weapons and cherished possessions. Even poor Scanlan is parted with his precious lute.
The Legend Of Vox Machina season 1, episode 4 recap
Without any real form of entertainment, the Vox Machina try to keep themselves busy. Grog lifts some rather large boulders, Keyleth summons a flower and Scanlan reads through Delilah’s mysterious book. It’s this stolen book that the Briarwood’s are desperate to retrieve and the main focus of the episode. As the gang grows tiresome, they start to argue. Vax and Scanlan rudely bicker and Percy’s anger issues are gingerly discussed. This is another humorous, if crowded conversation, with the whole gang involved. It’s impressive how they all get their own one-liners and separate story arcs, yet everything still works seamlessly together.
Meanwhile, the Briarwood’s spend their date night at the local graveyard. Lady Delilah, who has some seriously unspeakable powers, casually raises the dead. Previous episodes have been gory and violent, but this is the first to step fully into horror territory. The Vox Machina are trapped within the confines of their newly acquired home and struggle with these restrictions. They’re sitting ducks for the foul horrors heading their way.
The ending
Tension builds as the guards are picked off one by one in the pitch black of night. There’s a sinister quality to this setup that feels fresh to the show. The filmmakers have already mastered comedy and action, now they have their sights set on scaring their audience as well. The undead are truly horrifying creations, accompanied by ear-piercing screams. It’s a welcome change to proceedings and clearly, the crew is having fun with it.
Another great episode, “Shadows At The Gates” can be filed under the category of short and sweet. As always, there’s plenty of humor, with Scanlan Shorthalt stealing the show and claiming all the best lines. The gnome bard somehow manages to mine laughs from making a sandwich. The action is horror-heavy, with those terrifying soul-suckers commanding the screen. There’s even time for some much-needed character development as the gang is separated and new bonds are formed. A packed twenty minutes of genre-bending entertainment.
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