#would love any reason not to despair at Scanlan's characterization!

[tameila]

TLOVM Thoughts.

THE GOOD

PIKE-CENTRIC STORYLINE HYPE TRAIN!!! First of all, it’s what she deserved. Second of all, it was perfect. It captured that perfect juxtaposition between Pike’s love for revelry and knocking heads and her earnest and always-trying devotion to her faith. She loves them both equally, enough so that the thought that she may have to choose caused her magic to splinter. The moment between The Everlight and her was nothing short of, and I know I keep using this word but, perfect. The most quintessential lines being...“Any path can be a holy one. So long as one walks it with truth. You can be whoever you want to be in the light...” That’s exactly what Pike needed to hear and sums up her character to a T. The only thing I hope we get a little more of next season is exploring why The Everlight is so important to her. When I heard the “Pike Trickfoot” song, I was hoping for a little something, but then it got demoted to end credits, so...😔 but, otherwise? Wonderful! So happy for my girl!

Pike’s tenacity. I’m just so happy that we got Pike’s tenacity to the MAX.

Scanlan’s earnest, tender-hearted affection for Pike being given its moment in just about every episode. They fumbled a lot with Scanlan’s character, which I’ll get to, but his feelings for Pike? I thank them for letting him have his moments both of quiet, speechless awe and of ‘I-Don’t-Know-How-To-Feelings’, lovedumb fumbling. The intensity on his face when he turned away from her in ep 4? The doe-eyed awe on his face when she first arrived in ep 9? That same wide-eyed look coming back in ep 11 when she saved him? Just...those moments when you could see the full brunt of his feelings hitting him before, with the last two, he didn’t know what to do besides act the fool. because Scanlan genuinely loves Pike, and he hasn’t done love before. I still worry where they’re going with them, and I hate that I have to worry, but...for now, I’m happy with how they’re setting up Scanlan’s feelings. Now, if only they’d show the mutuality of the attraction from Pike.

as you might know, I have a love-hate relationship with Percy. He’s a classic case of ‘great character ruined by the stans’ for me. However, I knew I wasn’t gonna have any fun watching season one if I didn’t try and open my heart to him again. and, for me, the thing that won me over was his relationship with Cass. When I first watched CritRole, before I really got into the fandom and still loved Percy, his relationship with Cassandra was my favorite sibling dynamic on the show. The guilt he feels over unknowingly leaving her. The happiness at knowing she is alive. Everything, in the end, being about her. When he lost his will to fight because she turned on him, I felt that as an older sibling. I would become the same limp noodle in that situation to see my little sister turn from me. Percy doesn’t need his dramatic one-liners or to be oh-so-sad and sexy. His saving grace is his love for his sister. 

All the Pike and Grog moments! Best of siblings. Best of buddies. Like Scanlan, I think Grog got a short stick this season, but he shined in his moments with Pike. Crossing my fingers and hoping so hard for Westruun arc next season! 

THE BAD

I know I have to accept it as a separate entity. I know I do, but...Everything moved so fast! The drawn out, lingering horror of the campaign fit the setting of Whitestone so well, but we didn’t get any time to sit with the corruption and decay with the animation.

Also, because of the rushed nature, they had to make “characterization cuts” to streamline things. For example, Vex became the main strategist, because you can’t animate 30 minutes of party planning, but it meant that Scanlan -- who was always at the forefront of strategy -- got pushed to the side.

I know other people have commented on this as well, but the overly polished dialogue of the show compared to the improvised but heartfelt dialogue of the table? So jarring.

In general, I think The Legend of Vox Machina, as beautifully animated and well voice acted as it is, is just proof that there’s no way to truly capture the magic of playing D&D around a table with your friends. Something was lost, and I missed it the whole time.

THE SCANLAN

ah, blue-eyed Scanlan...my beloathed...I do like his design otherwise. I really do, and I know I was given months to prepare my sensibilities but...[clenches fist] blue eyes? ??

if I have to hear Scanlan say “Scanlan’s Hand” one (1) more goddamn time, I WILL snap. I am begging you, TLOVM, to let Scanlan do literally ANY other spell. BEGGING.

Scanlan, in general, felt like a cardboard cutout of himself. like, a strong gust of wind could knock him over flat on his face. he was a plush toy with pre-set phrases that you pull the string on the back to hear.

Where was his cunning? His intellect? As I mentioned earlier, Scanlan was one of the biggest strategist of the party, but we got next to nothing of that in the show. There were small moments -- him translating the book and him bringing back that knowledge later at the ziggurat but they were so few and far between.

Scanlan’s is VM’s second most important healer and support after Pike. You wouldn’t know it from watching this show, however.

Please, for the love of Sarenrae, where are Scanlan’s spells and battle prowess? Where are the clutch moves that made him the MVP of VM? That made Vecna himself falter and scramble for purchase? In the beginning, I thought that they were just holding back to make Scanbo that more exciting to new viewers but...yeah. even that felt...Not Great. A lot of Scanbo was luck of the dice, but it was also so successful because Scanlan is resourceful and analytical in battle. He can make a quick plan. He will execute it with all the bravado of a man who doesn’t care what happens to him, as long as it’s a good story.

Which, to add to that point, why was Scanlan such a goddamn coward? In the campaign, a big part of Scanlan’s character was the fact that he had a cavalier attitude towards his own wellbeing. He was constantly dismissing the other’s concern for him. His nihilism is a big reason that Kaylie’s request that he stay alive hit him so hard. People keep saying “such-and-such is foreshadowing for Bard’s Lament” but I can honestly tell you that I have yet to see anything in the show that feels like they’re foreshadowing that storyline for Scanlan at all. Would love to be proven wrong.

Continuing the coward point, in the campaign, Scanlan was always fighting on the front lines. He wasn’t a melee fighter but, as a support, he was always in the fray. Which made it all the more upsetting when Scanlan spent so much of all these fights running around, screaming, and doing absolutely nothing. Love to see his Pikey jump in to protect him but would love it more if we got to see Scanlan look after her in return (which he did a lot, see: my Pike Health Watch supercut) while also holding his own in battle.

It actually felt mildly insulting that Vox Machina was constantly groaning and rolling their eyes when Scanlan would perform. Whereas, at the table, everyone would laugh and sing along. Scanlan’s inspiration and songs brought a sense of togetherness to the table.

idk man!! i just...i just felt like I was so excited to see my man and all I got was a shadow of him 😔