By George & Josh Bate
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Maul – Shadow Lord episodes 3-4
Maul’s pursuit for revenge against those who have done him wrong continues in episodes 3 and 4 of the new Disney+ series this week. Carrying over the darker tone and more aggressive animation style from last week’s premiere, the new duo of episodes further excel through thought-provoking conversations between Maul and Devon and an escalating plot that pits the former Sith lord against the Jim Gordon of a galaxy far, far away.
Chapter 3: Whispers in the Unknown
With Devon finally succumbing to Maul’s request by using the Force to free herself from imprisonment, the Twi’lek Jedi wanders through the halls of Maul’s underground layer as the Zabrak taunts her. Eventually, Devon comes across Maul, who is sitting in a meditative, almost Qui-Gon Jinn-like stance, offering her tea and resting near a lightsaber.
Backed by more deliberate, slower, and calmer line delivery from Sam Witwer, which subtly retains the inner fury of his character, Maul employs a different approach to getting what he wants. He has clearly learned his lesson from the Siege of Mandalore during the Clone Wars, in which he tried and spectacularly failed to convince Ahsoka Tano to join his side. Maul had the right idea to align with Ahsoka but woefully botched his pitch, leading to entice Devon more seductively and reasonably.
The approach doesn’t land initially, however, as Devon reaches for Maul’s red lightsaber and tries to flee. Lurking from the shadows, Maul speaks with Devon about how he lost his brother and mother to the same man that she lost her Order to. The dialogue is meticulously crafted and, despite the audience knowing the villainy of Maul’s prior actions, slowly makes the viewer see the reason and logic in Maul’s points. Both he and Devon were robbed of a destiny that they were promised by a man who now reigns terror over the entire galaxy.
The parallels between Maul’s approach to Devon and Palpatine’s seduction of Anakin in Revenge of the Sith are notable. As much of a master of the dark side as Palpatine is, he is also a master of manipulation and words, and knew exactly what to say to Anakin to inch him ever closer to turning his back on the Jedi Order. Like Palpatine, Maul tries to win a prospective apprentice over by highlighting the indoctrination of the Jedi and how their objectives are more closely aligned than she may initially suspect. The back-and-forth between Maul and Devon is the high point of Chapters 3 and 4 as it not only shines a light on the seductive nature of the dark side, but it showcases a more calculated version of Maul – one willing to take his time to recruit the ally he so desperately desires.
Elsewhere, Lawsen continues to investigate Maul while juggling a strained family life. We learn more about his background here, including the fact that his ex-wife works for the Empire and that his son Rylee (voiced by Charlie Bushnell) is displeased with his father’s distanced approach to parenting. We are also provided a bit more information about why Lawsen is so determined to resolve the Maul dilemma without Imperial intervention. He clearly has experience with the Republic and fledgling Empire and knows that, if the Empire arrives on Janix, they will never leave. It’ll be interesting to find out more about Lawsen’s distaste for the Empire, hopefully in forthcoming episodes.
At his son Rylee’s Star Wars equivalent of a lacrosse game, Lawsen is visited by Master Daki, who shares his concerns about Maul and the capture of Devon. Lawsen and Dako make for an interesting pair, both wise father-figures united by a common enemy. With the exchange between them, it becomes clear that Daki can be added to a growing list of warm-hearted, gentle Jedi that includes Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Sol. Dennis Haysbert brings such a calm, wise energy to his character that totally exudes Jedi in the best possible way.
Lawsen’s investigation into Maul continues as he meets a contact at a seedy nightclub. There, he learns that the Shadow Collective was an assembly of criminal syndicates under the leadership of Maul, which fell apart near the end of the Clone Wars. Maul is apparently seeking revenge against the crime lords who abandoned him at his time of need, before presumably setting his sights on the Empire.
Back with Maul, Vario is made to talk with Marg Krim, the leader of the Pyke Syndicate, over hologram. Krim first appeared in Christie Golden’s novel Dark Disciple before featuring in the Season 7 episodes “Dangerous Debt” and “Together Again” of The Clone Wars. Krim threatens to feed Vario to his nexu hounds (the same species that scratched Padme’s back in the Geonosis arena in Attack of the Clones) but ultimately agrees to meet with Vario. This is exactly what Maul wants as he hopes to use the meeting between Vario and the Pykes to kill Krim.
The episode concludes with more back-and-forth between Maul and Devon. Maul once again takes a page out of Palpatine’s book in slowly convincing Devon to adopt his perspective on the galaxy and join his side. It’s not quite clear why Maul is so determined to gain an apprentice, other than a brief mention of an important vision he had in a previous episode. But we suspect that we’ll learn why this is the case in a future episode, hopefully as more details of Maul’s grand plan are revealed.
Chapter 3 then wraps up with Devon escaping (or should we say, Maul allowing Devon to escape).
Chapter 4: Pride and Vengeance
Chapter 4 begins with more badassery from Maul.
The plan to overthrow Pike Syndicate leader Marg Krim is underway. Vario has set up a meeting with the Pykes, which is soon interrupted by Maul. At least, we’re meant to think he’s Maul at first. The duplicitous Vario pulls out a stun gun and knocks ‘Maul’ out as he decides to align himself with the Pykes.
When the hooded figure is dragged before Krim, however, it is revealed that this is not Maul, but, rather, one of his henchmen (who also seems to be pretty capable with a lightsaber). The real Maul then makes a dramatic entrance (probably his fourth or fifth of the show so far) before killing Krim and installing his own leader of the Pykes. This suggests that Maul is not merely out to kill the crime bosses who wronged him – he is trying to, once again, assemble the Shadow Collective and rule over all the crime syndicates as their ultimate leader.
Elsewhere, Devon reunites with Master Daki. Devon’s time with Maul has left an impression on her as she is already expressing differing views on the role of the Jedi in the newly shaped galaxy to her master. Daki appears to be more content taking a backseat, while Devon is more determined to right the wrongs of the galaxy and continue serving as guardians of the peace.
Together, Devon and Daki send a tip to Lawsen revealing the location of Maul. Lawsen gets approval from his superior to launch an attack on Maul, although he faces push back from his droid companion Two-Boots. The droid wishes to follow protocol and bring in the Empire as Maul has been flagged by the ISB (the same organization that plays a key role in Andor). But Lawsen does not want the Empire stepping foot on his planet. To ensure he prevents this, Lawsen shuts Two-Boots down before the droid can contact the Empire.
From there, Lawsen leads a team to Maul’s base, where is greeted by an intimidating hologram of the aspiring crime lord. Maul offers to make a treaty with Lawsen – in exchange for not calling in the Empire and letting him operate out of Janix, Maul will grant protection for Lawsen and the police and clean up the planet’s criminal underworld. The upstanding marshal obviously turns down Maul’s offer, leading Witwer’s character to deliver the best line of the new episodes: “Die well.”
As Lawsen’s forces clash with Maul’s, Devon and Daki appear and soon run into Maul himself. The conversation between the trio is interesting in that it provides a front-row seat to Maul’s manipulations. However, after four episodes, it would be nice to get inside Maul’s head a bit more, whether that be through conversations he shares with Rook Kast or the visions that have been mentioned. We know Maul’s overarching objective and his determination to secure Devon as his apprentice, but we have yet to really feel the emotion underlying these motivations and develop a deeper understanding of the character above and beyond what we’ve already seen of him. Hopefully, the remaining six episodes will give Witwer more opportunities to flex his acting muscles and Maul more opportunities to let the audience in on his inner-workings.
After their little chat, Maul, Devon, and Daki begin to duel, providing Maul – Shadow Lord with its first lightsaber-on-lightsaber duel. The battle feels different than lightsaber duels of previous animated Star Wars projects – the blades clash more intensely, the light emitted from them appears more distorted, and the movement of the characters feels simultaneously more fluid and distorted.
Throughout the fight, except for one blow he takes to the knee, it seems as if Maul is pulling his punches a bit. He obviously doesn’t want to kill Devon and knows that, if he kills Daki, he may lose Devon for good. As such, Maul injures Daki but leaves him alive, exhibiting yet again Maul’s growth into a more patient and calculated character in the show.
As the battle dies down, Two-Boots and other police officers arrive on the scene. Lawsen apologizes to Two-Boots for shutting him down, to which Two-Boots replies, “I forgive you, Captain. And I hope you forgive me.” It’s clear at this point that Two-Boots has gone ahead and called the Empire in. Moments later, we hear the rumbling of a Star Destroyer hovering over the city as Chapter 4 concludes with foreboding music and the ominous Empire arriving on Janix.
VERDICT: 7/10
Maul – Shadow Lord continues with a riveting couple of episodes that further flesh out Maul’s newfound patience. Clearly, the Zabrak has learned from his botched attempt at convincing Ahsoka Tano to align with him as he takes the time to slowly win Devon over, much like Palpatine and his approach to converting Anakin to the dark side. The back-and-forth between Maul and Devon represents episodes 3-4 of the new series at their very best, as Sam Witwer’s assured and complex vocal performance makes Maul’s arguments persuasive, even to an audience that knows all about his wrong-doings. After a less action-heavy third episode, Chapter 4 ramps things up with the series’ first lightsaber-on-lightsaber duel, which showcases the show’s more intense style of animation and combat. As the episode concludes, and much to Lawsen’s likely dismay, the Empire arrive on Janix and will now pose a threat to both the seasoned lawman and the aspiring crime lord. It’ll be interesting to see how the Empire’s arrival shuffles the deck – we suspect it will lead Devon and even Lawsen to make reluctant allies out of Maul (the enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of thing).
That being said, after four episodes, it still feels like Maul – Shadow Lord is finding its footing and has yet to arrive on the real hook of the show. Given its unique positioning of Maul as the series protagonist, this hook will hopefully come in the form of cultivating a greater understanding of Maul’s inner-workings and adding complexity to his desire for revenge. As of now, however, it seems the show is comfortable letting Maul slowly play an increasingly sizable role as each episode progresses. With the way this show is going and the Empire ready to cause mayhem for everyone, there’s likely a bunch of intense and engaging episodes to come.