Episode 8 finally reunites the group and viewers with Vox Machina’s sole missing member, Scanlan. The chummy dwarf evaded the group to pursue a music career as The Meat Man. From pub to pub, his band, which includes his daughter, play gigs to adoring and mostly drunk fans. As Vox Machina finds him, a lone guitarist wishes to join Scanlan’s troupe.
Scanlan has instituted a “no talking questing” rule, meaning the team must use a different approach to request his help. Vax leads with her heart, inquisitive about his new profession, while Pike and Taryon search for the divine weapon. It doesn’t take long for Scanlan to uncover the group’s true motives. His feelings are hurt, ascertaining he was never part of Vox Machina; they only kept him around for comic relief. He refuses their offer and prepares for the night’s final number.
On stage, he’s joined by his bandmates and the new guitarist. But the joyful finale turns troublesome when the new member is revealed to be a servant of The Whispered One. He seeks to steal the Vestige of Divergence, which Scanlan has molded into a guitar. In a narrative twist that works, the concert morphs in a battle of the bands with Scanlan and the demon riffing magic back and forth. Vox Machina joins the fight, but find themselves bested by the enemy’s might.
Suddenly, Taryon evokes they use their voices to sing harmonic blasts. Their combined vocals defeat the demon, but he doesn’t die. Before disappearing, he warns, “We are his blood and we cannot be stopped.”
In the aftermath, Vax apologizes for not being honest with Scanlan, admitting that he is a vital portion of the family. Scanlan confesses he pushed everyone away because he wasn’t sure if they would accept the real him, a person he still needs time to define. While he declines their invitation, he gives Pike the weapon, and they share a moment to reconcile before the group departs.
“The Bard’s Lament” is a good episode, balancing the show’s comedic flare with strong emotional moments. It speaks strongly to the theme of found family, and the importance of knowing one self. The moments between Scanlan and Pike shined the brightest, speaking to them both attempting to redefine themselves amidst the drastic changes.
Rating: 8/10