Maul: Shadow Lord Ep 1 & 2 Review
Okay, I never thought that I would say this, but we may have just found someone else who could carry the status of Big Bad in Star Wars. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Darth Sidious is one of the most vile, terrifying, and disgusting villains of all time. But if George Lucas had had his way, Darth Maul would’ve been the big bad of the Sequel Era. I didn’t think that Star Wars could one-up Sidious with Maul, but after seeing the first two episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord, I’ve changed my mind. Disney did that Zabrak dirty! But Filoni is here to fix that.
Duel of the Fates is the GOAT
From the opening of the series premiere, Maul: Shadow Lord hits the ground running, showing, not telling, what story we’re in for: cyberpunk noir. Over the course of those opening minutes, we see a brazen bank robbery, a three-way chase involving security and the cops, and a shootout that ends in a remix of Duel of the Fates as Maul makes his appearance.
This is everything that we wanted to see out of a story about Maul. The nighttime setting in a city of dark streets and neon lights. The chase scene (and it isn’t the last, either!) All of it, building up to the appearance of the boogeyman himself, Maul. If the show’s goal was to remind us how scary Maul is to anyone who isn’t a Jedi, then they succeeded. And it’s a bittersweet reminder of what we could have gotten with the Sequel Trilogy.
Maul Would’ve Made a Great Villain for the Sequel Trilogy
At this point in the timeline, Maul has been in hiding for some time, rebuilding his criminal empire and hunting down those who abandoned him after the Clone Wars ended. The bank his gang robbed was owned by one of those crime lords as part of a plan to get him and another one to turn on each other. And when the two try to talk things out and indirectly mention Maul, they are terrified. Anyone in the criminal underworld who knows about Maul fears him, and the thought of him coming back scares them out of their minds!
By now, it’s become known that in George Lucas’ original vision for the Sequel Trilogy, Maul would be the big bad, leading a criminal empire that stretched across the Galaxy as the boss of bosses. That may seem like a step down from Sidious’ own plans, but when you really think about it, that might be one of the most Sith things they could do. Why openly rule the galaxy when you could control it from the shadows? That seems to be Maul’s mindset going into Shadow Lord, and if his story didn’t end in Rebels, I can totally picture him as the big bad of the Sequels.
The Law
After establishing its tine and explaining Maul’s current goals are, these double-premiere establishes the other half of what makes for a good noir series: the law. Enter Captain Brander Lawson, a well-respected cop and detective who begins to investigate Maul’s actions. He’s got an incredibly strong moral compass, and more importantly, is savvy enough to know when to bend the rules to get the job done. Case in point, when his investigation into Maul’s activities comes up with orders to report it to the Empire, he ignores it. He knows inviting the Empire will not end well for anyone, and he’s right to feel that way. If you’ve seen Andor, you’ll know that when law enforcement asks the Imps for help, they’ll eventually take over. So, no Empire!
At any rate, after Maul orchestrates the death of one of the crime bosses who crossed him, Lawson arrests the other one, and that’s where he first learns about the Shadow Collective. When Maul frees the surviving crime boss (for intimidation), Lawson pursues him. Surprisingly, he puts up a good fight, though that is because Maul is trying to avoid attracting attention. Needless to say, I dont have a lot of faith in his ability to survive for long. If Maul doesn’t get to him, the Empire will once he starts digging and learns about the Sith.
Darth Talon?
The main draw of the first two episodes, though, besides the return of Maul, is the introduction of this timeline’s version of Darth Talon, Devon Izara. We already know she’s a Jedi Padawan who has survived Order 66 thus far. What we didn’t know is that both she and her master have survived, the latter acting as a vagrant to keep a low profile. Devon, being a teenager, though, refuses to stick to the Jedi Code so fully in a time when doing so could get her killed. For example, she’s willing to resort to stealing to make ends meet, an act that lands her in a cell and in Maul’s captivity. And it’s clear that Maul wants to turn her into his apprentice.
Now, the fact that Devon never appears or gets mentioned in Rebels means two things: Devon either dies by that point, or leaves Maul behind. Either way, I don’t have a good feeling about her long-term survival prospects. At the same time, though, I kind of agree with her about how her Master’s way of thinking may not be the best thing at this point. However, I still consider any Jedi who makes it out of the Clone Wars alive a win, so it evens out.
The people have spoken, though. With a 100% rating on IMDb, this show is going to be what Star Wars fans need right now. I can’t wait to see more of it!
