The following contains spoilers for The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2, Episode 3, "The Sunken Tomb," now streaming on Prime Video.

The Legend of Vox Machina has returned for its second season considerably darker and more tragic than the first, a distinction apparent right from its opening episode. This trend continues into the season’s third episode, titled “The Sunken Tomb,” which pits the eponymous mercenary company on a dungeon-crawling quest. However, this odyssey proves to be anything but routine. Vox Machina is rocked by betrayal, and not everyone in the fan-favorite team lives long enough to see the end credits roll this time.

After learning from the high council in the magical city of Vasselheim that they must obtain the mythical Vestiges of Divergence to defeat the Chroma Conclave, Vox Machina is back on the road with a new quest. Locating the first vestige in an underwater temple, the team is joined by Vex’s old rival Zahra and her sorcerer companion Kashaw as unwanted guests for this subterranean adventure. With two potential traitors in their ranks, the mercenaries venture into the temple, finding it full of traps and monsters to keep them on their toes lest they suffer the lethal consequences.

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Legend of Vox machina murders Vex

Dungeon-crawling is as much within the creative wheelhouse of Dungeons & Dragons as the high fantasy narrative gets, if the title wasn’t an immediate giveaway. “The Sunken Tomb” brings all the classic tropes here, lovingly deconstructed with a self-aware wink as only The Legend of Vox Machina can. This episode feels as close to Vox Machina finding themselves in a Legend of Zelda adventure as possible, and the series takes full advantage of this timeless setup to show what makes the franchise work so well.

With the preceding episode giving the heroes -- and audience -- a chance to regroup and catch their breaths after the harrowing season premiere, “The Sunken Tomb” brings back the hard fantasy action. From evading deadly traps to battling monsters with might and magic, this is an episode that brings the swashbuckling fun back to the series rather than the apocalyptic intensity of the season’s opening episode. The choreography remains as tight as ever, and there’s a sense of playfulness that elevates the action sequences, even as the stakes turn a bit dire.

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The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Interviews 1

Where “The Sunken Tomb” really excels is expanding the sibling relationship between Vex and Vax before ending on the most heartbreaking moment in the entire series to date. Juxtaposed with flashbacks to the elven twins’ childhood, the episode culminates with the shocking cliffhanger of Vex being killed by a trap accidentally triggered by Percy. Liam O’Brien gives the most emotionally searing performance of his career as Vax when he discovers his dead sister, while Laura Bailey’s preceding performance as Vex with her brother helps emphasize the tragedy.

A prime example of the blending of humor, fantasy action, and genuinely emotional stakes that The Legend of Vox Machina does best, “The Sunken Tomb” is one of the strongest episodes in the series so far. With triumph and tragedy in equal measure, buoyed by solid action set pieces, the show continues to bring all the fan-favorite elements audiences have come to love. With impressive performances from the entire ensemble and a rollercoaster ride of tones and emotions, The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 continues to be an improvement over its predecessor.

Created by Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina releases new episodes Fridays on Prime Video.