The final episode in this three-episode arc delivers another blow to the team. After the ceremonious reunion with Scanlan and reinforcing their familial bond, Vox Machina faces their most perilous feat and losses yet.
Days of searching brings them to the Children of the Truth’s lair, where the aptly named “Unalive Five” prepare the cult for the Whispered One’s ascension. Discovering a second orb, followers are granted passage through the portal to witness Him in his evil glory. Once he has amassed enough power, they will prepare to unmake this world.
The group devises a risky but capable plan to nullify the undead’s powers, making them vulnerable to death. Once fatally wounded, they will detonate the ritualistic altar, destroying the orb in the process. For the most part, things fall into place, with two battles ensuing. Vax and Vex battle the underlings above, while Keyleth, Percy and Taryon fight the masked guard below. Pike and Grog wait in the wings to strike.
The team forces the cult leaders to retreat, but Pike’s tunnel vision leaves her and Grog vulnerable. The masked guard tosses Grog toward the orb unprotected, killing him instantly. Stunned, Pike silently walks through the portal as the bombs explode.
“The Temple of Truth” marvelously builds tension throughout, making the loss somewhat predictable, but all the devastating. The muscle jock had a heart of gold, and grounded Pike while she had yet to grieve Wilhand. Now with both gone, Pike’s taste for vengeance is insatiable, the very opposite of what her loved ones wanted.
The episode highlights a common theme for heroes: the trope of mirroring the same hate as the enemy. Heroes are always expected to be above the depravity adversaries exert. From Batman’s no-kill code, to the very real-life examples of political warfare, the high road is well-traveled with good intentions. However, that level of purity is unrealistic to human feelings. Good and evil, right and wrong, aren’t always binary. For many, the right thing to do is lost in the gray. This series thematically has explored those middle areas for Vox Machina when facing inevitable odds to much avail.
Rating: 10/10