The season four finale readies Vox Machina for the inevitable. Our team battles a loved one, who has lost their way, as the countdown to the enemy’s victory is imminent. While the storyline has familiar beats, it’s executed beautifully, with slight diversions that make the ending less expected.
Pike has reached the point of no return, vowing allegiance with Gideon and defending him at any cost. As she battles her friends, Delilah readies the final rites of Gideon’s transformation. Centuries preparing to become a god and defy this world’s order.
The fighting pauses when an attack causes harm to Grog’s corpse. It throws Pike for a loop. Suddenly, she begins to finally grieve Grog, Pop-pop, Scanlan and others along the way. She even grieves for herself, feeling aimless in healing everyone else but herself. Suddenly, Grog awakens, transformed by Gideon’s power. He’s astonished at Pike’s actions and her change in beliefs. He notes that a life doesn’t mean a thing if it’s lived to cause others harm.
As Pike ponders what she’s done, the other five delay the ritual. After finishing Delilah, they attack Gideon, who puts up a commendable fight. Pike joins the fray, releasing her rage against the twisted apostle. In the end, Vax ascends on the creature, accepting his fate. But Keyleth won’t allow it. As the two rocket toward the sky, Keyleth flies behind Gideon and plunges Mythcarver into his body. Gideon disintegrates, along with Thar Ampala.
Vox Machina barely escapes to Whitestone where Vax’s blight painfully returns. But Keyleth dispenses the elixir and witnesses him cured of the curse. However, this it of joy is short-lived upon a dreadful discovery.
The Whispered One orchestrated this ending from the beginning, needing his physical form to perish to complete his transition. Now, as his followers across Exandria grow, so does his power. He offers Vox Machina two choices: bend the knee or the Champion dies. Keyleth tearfully leads Vox Machina to honor the Whispered One’s command. But Vax refuses, spiting in his face.
Without grimace, the Whispered One murders Vax to dust. In the end, the Matron’s prophecy remained true. Vax perished, as did Gideon. Unfortunately, the Whispered One’s death brought rebirth. Perhaps Vax’s will do the same.
A truly dark ending for a season that was embroiled with an ominous presence. The story structure definitely presented our group of heroes would walk away unscathed, but that felt too perfect for a series handling monumental themes such as faith, abandonment, imposter syndrome and grief. We will have to await next season to see how Keyleth, Pike, Grog, Percy, Vex and the Exandria contend under this new world order.
Rating: 9/10