Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord Ep 3 & 4 Review
Well, that escalated quickly. I thought that we would have to wait at least another week before the Empire inevitably came to rain turbolasers on everyone’s parades. But it seems I underestimated the speed at which things would start escalating in Shadow Lord. And now, thanks to the actions that each of the characters has taken, the Empire is already on Janis. And, being who they are, Janix is about to get a lot worse. How did we get to this point, though? Allow me to illuminate on the consequences of everyone’s actions.
Devon, Don’t Trust Maul
At the end of the last episode, we saw Devon managed to escape her holding cell in Maul’s hideout. Though, we all knew that this was just a test for her from Maul, who claims that he’s not the monster the Jedi made him out to be and just wants to talk. To be fair, when he does say that there’s more to him than what the Jedi claim, he’s not wrong. He might be a vicious killer who murdered the coolest Jedi in the franchise (and scarred kids in the process), but I don’t wholly see him as a monster.
Maul’s more like someone who got the worst hand life could deal him. Having his childhood ripped away by a true monster, losing his legs, his brother, and his mother. So he will spend the rest of his doing the only thing he knows how to: lashing out and trying to hurt those who hurt him.
Anyone who’s watched Star Wars long enough knows that what Maul is doing is inherently self-destructive. In fact, we know it will bring him no peace. But he also makes a good point when he calls out Devon and her master for not trying to make things better by standing up for others. Or, as he sees it, ruling over others. And while Devon ultimately chooses in the fourth episode to leak Maul’s hideout to Lawson, you can tell how his words have an effect on her. She’s likely around Ashoka’s age, but she’s already had almost everything that she knew ripped out from under her, and she doesn’t know what she should do next. And this is something that I could weirdly relate to!
Did I read too much into this moment?
Like a lot of millennials and Gen Z’ers, I was told growing up that if I wanted a good life for myself, I had to go to college, get a good degree, and find a job to afford a house and car. But then came the Great Recession, political upheaval, COVID-19, and the rise of automated work. Now a lot of people are seeing college as a waste of time and money. Especially when they can learn everything they need to online for a fraction of the cost. Compare that to the young Jedi who survived the initial wave of Order 66, I couldn’t help but see the uncomfortable parallels between the two. And judging by her fight with Maul, Devon has the potential to go to the dark side.
Maul Wins Something…and Loses Other Things
For his part, this week’s batch of episodes saw Maul make headway as well as suffer losses. Using the now captive Vario as bait, the ex-Sith managed to get revenge on the leader of the Pyke Syndicate, killing them and putting his puppet in charge. However, because he took a chance on Devon, she immediately used that opportunity to anonymously sell him out to Lawson. Maul tried to reach an agreement with the lawman to leave each other alone since neither wants the Empire around, but since he refuses, that is what inevitably happens. Maul loses his base, but gets away, and Lawson ends the episodes watching as an Imperial Star Destroyer appears over the planet, courtesy of his droid partner, Two-Boots.
We understand that Two-Boots is merely following his programming/doing what he thinks is right. And under other circumstances, it would be right to call this in to the ruling government. But even this early into the Empire’s reign, people like Lawson already see it for what it is: a plague. And once it’s invited, the only way to make it leave is by force. Everyone who values their lives and freedom should already be packing their bags and looking for someplace to lay low until they fight back. But that won’t happen, and as we see in the trailers, eventually, Maul and Devon will attract one of the hunters of Force users: Inquisitors.
This was a great batch of episodes, in my opinion. I wasn’t expecting things to escalate so soon, but that may have to do with the fact that we’re getting two episodes a week. Either way, I cannot complain.
