A new hero emerges in “The Legend of Vox Machina” season 4 with Taryon Darrington. The members of Vox Machina split up at the end of season 3. However, a new threat will draw them back together. As they face off against another cataclysmic villain, the hilariously bombastic Taryon Darrington forces himself onto the board.
During Critical Role’s second campaign Sam Riegel created Taryon Darrington as his second character after Scanlan Shorthalt left the group. However, in “The Legend of Vox Machina,” Taryon will be voiced not by Riegel but by Wayne Brady. Brady captures Darrington’s earnestness, goofiness, and desire to be a hero like the ones he has read about all his life.
In an exclusive interview with Temple of Geek, Riegel and Brady share insight into Taryon Darrington. Riegel explains why they wanted to weave Taryon into the larger story of the Whispered One. Brady discusses his collaboration with Riegel and how he found Taryon’s voice.
Sam Riegel Wanted To “Make [Taryon Darrington’s] Storyline Matter More To The Audience”
Temple of Geek: Sam, one of the things that was very fun about the season is that we got to see Taryon. And what was interesting to me was that you were exploring him as a writer and producer, as opposed to a voice actor, as well. What was that like, especially how you adapted his story to interweave with the Whispered One?
Sam Riegel:
It was so fun to get to explore Taryon and take a step back and just look at the character from the writing perspective. And yes, we wanted his goofball antics. We wanted him to disrupt and shake up Vox Machina and make for a new kind of group this season but involving him in the main storyline of the Whispered One and how everything sort of came to pass.
Having him have intimate knowledge of how this cult got some of their power, we hatched that during the writers’ room period as a way to bring him more into the story and make people care about him. But also make his storyline matter more to the audience. So that he’s not just comic relief, he actually makes a difference this season and has a really cool arc. I hope that people fall in love with him as they see his goofiness give way to heroism.
Taryon Darrington is the first player character to be voiced by someone else in the animated series. Seeing how Riegel approaches Darrington purely as a writer and producer is an exciting part of “The Legend of Vox Machina” season 4. In the campaign Darrington isn’t intertwined with the Whispered One’s story.
While it makes sense to bring him into it from a logistical standpoint, it also opens the door for surprises. How exactly he is tied in remains a mystery, but it could mean big changes that will surprise long-time Critical Role fans. It’s also exciting to know that Riegel’s passion may not be in the performance but has been translated into giving Taryon Darrington a bigger role in the story.
Wayne Brady Reveals His Process For Taryon Darrington In The Legend Of Vox Machina Season 4
Temple of Geek: You’re the first person to play one of the player characters that didn’t originate the character. What was the process of working with Sam and talking to him to really find Taryon Darrington for yourself?
Wayne Brady:
It was easy-peasy. Sam said, “Hey, do you want to do it?” I said, “Hell yeah!” He said, “Okay, here’s the script, go.” And it was very collaborative. At no time did Sam ever say, “Well, you got to do it like me.” He was so wonderful and giving. I’ve worked with Sam for years on other shows. He said, “These are the parameters. This is how he is. Let’s see what your take on that is.” And that’s what came out.
Temple of Geek: I was curious how you wanted to find honoring the original portrayal but bringing your own voice and personality to the character. Because it feels so true to the stream, but it also feels so original.
Wayne Brady:
Well, I think that’s a testament to the writing because, on purpose, I didn’t want to see any of Sam doing it. Because why would I want to copy someone? And you never want to do a poor copy. So, I feel like this, right? If you’re going to fail at something, fail doing something original versus fail trying to copy somebody else. And so luckily, I don’t think that I failed, and Sam just gave me the runway.
“I Loved His Dynamic With The Entire Team”
Temple of Geek: Did you have a favorite dynamic between Taryon and any of the Vox Machina characters? Because I love the different relationships he was able to build throughout the season.
Wayne Brady:
I loved his dynamic with the entire team in the sense of he basically pissed everybody off at first. And then the more he let himself be open, you would see everybody react to that in a different way. I think that is one of the coolest parts about the writing is when a character can be the catalyst and you get to see the reaction through all these different eyes. And then at one point they all go, “Well, I guess he’s not such a dick. He just needs friends.” And that’s pretty cool.
Temple of Geek: How did you find that balance between the silliness and humor while also finding the earnestness and intelligence?
Wayne Brady:
By playing him real. And that’s what everyone on the show does well. I mean, you don’t play, “Oh, I’m bigoted.” You play somebody who’s putting on an affectation because this is how he wants the world to see him. And then that gets stripped away and he’s like, “All right, this is me.” And that’s cool. That’s really cool.
Wayne Brady seems to be the perfect addition to the cast. His excitement and passion for Taryon Darrington are clear. As is the thought he put into this performance. Brady having the freedom to find his own version of Taryon Darrington based solely on the script, his read on the character, and Riegel’s parameters could infuse new life into the role.
Taryon Darrington does, in many ways, have a classic emotional heroic arc. However, it seems like “The Legend of Vox Machina” is giving it more weight and stakes in the story. Taryon will learn and grow from Vox Machina and perhaps infuse a new element into the group dynamics of the party. Taryon Darrington’s arc from buffoon to hero being interwoven into the Whispered One arc will surely be a memorable highlight of season 4.
“The Legend of Vox Machina” returns for its fourth season on June 3 on Prime Video. The first three seasons are available to watch on Prime Video now.
