Ron: Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of Stereo Geeks. Today we’re reviewing the first eight episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord. I’m your host, Ron, a pop culture critic and managing editor at Women Write About Comics, now on hiatus. Maul: Shadow Lord premieres on April 6 on Disney+ so there will be no spoilers in this review.
Mon: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Ron: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.
[Music]
Introduction
Ron: Set after the events of The Clone Wars, Maul: Shadow Lord sees Darth Maul begin rebuilding his criminal syndicate with the help of a handful of faithful followers. But his plans get derailed when he encounters a Jedi padawan on the run, whom he hopes to make into his apprentice.
Ron: Sam Witwer returns to voice Maul; and the Jedi Padawan is voiced by Gideon Adlon. The voice cast includes Academy Award nominee Wagner Moura as Detective Brander Lawson, Richard Ayoade, Dennis Haysbert, Vanessa Marshall, Chris Diamantopoulos, A.J. LoCascio, and more.
Recap
Ron: The last time we saw Darth Maul, his Shadow Collective criminal enterprise had been dissolved after the Siege of Mandalore. Following this, everyone’s favourite demon-faced Sith Lord became even more bent on vengeance. He wants to take down every gangster who betrayed him. He’s planned a scheme where a lot of these gangsters basically take each other out; but unfortunately, Maul still needs to get involved. The show may be called Shadow Lord but Maul is very rarely in the shadows here, unless he’s trying to make a dramatic entrance. Which he does, often.
The Characters
Ron: Early on in the series, Maul ends up revealing his presence to Lawson and we get a Star Wars police procedural, at least for the first half of the series. I absolutely loved that. I think Brander Lawson is a great addition to the universe. He’s an everyday person doing a very regular job, but unbeknownst to him, he’s surrounded by hidden Jedi and a Sith Lord. And, of course, Lawson is desperately trying to live his life and protect his son under the ever-looming presence of the Empire.
Ron: That’s the part of Maul: Shadow Lord that had me completely captivated. I enjoyed watching Lawson doing his regular detective work and slowly uncovering the larger world he’s part of. Brander is magnetic and feels so authentic because he’s brought to life by Wagner Moura’s calming and enigmatic voice. He’s got a touch of whimsy to him, but he’s always restrained so the character never feels hammy.
Ron: The bantering with his droid partner, Two-Boots, was particularly reminiscent of the old cop shows we used to watch.
Ron: And Two-Boots is another fascinating entry into the Star Wars canon. He’s like a mix of C-3PO and K-2SO but with facets of L3-37. This is a droid who is friendly, works hard, he’s immediately likable, and yet, there’s an almost slavish devotion to protocol. I loved Two-Boots’ personality even if I didn’t always agree with him.
Ron: I’d like to see more of Lawson and Two-Boots in Star Wars. Whether that’s in another season of Maul: Shadow Lord, or one day in live-action.
Ron: The Jedi padawan wasn’t the strongest character here. She comes across as a bit of a MacGuffin, instead of being her own person. She motivates a lot of Maul’s actions, and influences Lawson’s arc, as well. But who is she? Where does she stand? I wanted more backstory and personality from her.
Ron: I can’t not talk about Maul; this is his show, after all. I’ve always found Maul’s design extremely cool. The red and black face colouring, the horns, the sneer. He was such a presence in The Phantom Menace. Maul was such an obvious villain when he killed our beloved Qui-Gon, but then he got chopped in half by Obi-Wan. That was supposed to be the end of it. We got this extremely enigmatic, terrifying villain and he was gone.
Ron: But The Clone Wars show brought him back as this spider-legged half-cybernetic half-alive being. Then we got his backstory, his brother, Savage Oppress, his planet, Dathomir, and his people.
Ron: I didn’t really agree with the decision to give us so much more of Maul. He was an enigma in Phantom Menace and that was all we needed. I didn’t want to know if there were more people who looked like Darth Maul, who had power over the Force, or that his brother would join the Sith. I will say that Maul’s quest for revenge against Obi-Wan, set after this show, does turn out to be a great story arc in Clone Wars.
Ron: I am intrigued that Maul: Shadow Lord has brought him back again. Because he’s on an in-between path here. He’s no longer a pawn of Sidious, but he has no love for the Jedi. What motivates the former Sith Lord? Why this obsession with uniting criminal factions? I’ve seen eight episodes of this show, and I’m not really sure. I also have to admit that I found the other characters around him far more interesting.
The Action
Ron: Having said that though, Darth Maul’s lightsaber fights are spectacular in Shadow Lord. If you want breath-taking duels, you’re going to need a double-saber wielding Sith Lord, and who better than Maul?
Ron: Look, I love lightsabers. I love the Jedi and the Sith. I will forever miss The Acolyte, which gave us the best lightsaber duels in the franchise. I understand people want to move away from the Jedi towards more grounded stories, but the moment the first lightsaber appeared, I felt a surge of joy. The duels are energetic, kinetic, yet they still manage to capture the elegance of lightsabers. I couldn’t get enough of these fight scenes.
Ron: The show has a lot of action. The first couple of episodes set the tone, propelling the story forward with fight scenes, chases, blaster shootouts. A couple of the episodes slow down but not many. Alongside the duels, there are loads of other fast-paced action scenes to keep you at the edge of your seat.
The Animation
Ron: All that action works because of the stunning animation. I was mesmerized by the animation in Maul: Shadow Lord. It’s not the same style as Clone Wars or Rebels. The character designs are somewhat similar but the colouring has a more watercolour effect. It looks beautiful, particularly on Maul. Despite all the aliens and droids, I kept forgetting that this wasn’t a live-action show.
Ron: What really caught my eye was the combination of 2D backgrounds with 3D elements. The backgrounds looked like matte paintings, like the ones Ralph McQuarrie drew for the original Star Wars trilogy. In the show, the camera often pans down from these gorgeous painted backgrounds and then reveals 3D vehicles, characters and settings. It’s stunning.
Final Thoughts
Ron: Maul: Shadow Lord has beautiful animation and incredible action scenes. I’m fascinated by the new characters. They’re great additions to the universe and have a ton of personality. The voice acting is fantastic; you can feel the camaraderie, the anger, all these emotions coming through beautifully.
Ron: But the first four episodes have a propulsion that the next four didn’t. I liked the mystery aspect of the story, more than I enjoyed Maul’s search for an apprentice. As much as the lightsaber duels gladdened my heart, the story itself fell away a little. There was also a lot more exposition than needed.
Ron: I am intrigued to see how the last two episodes wrap up this first season and what happens in the next season. I really don’t know whether we’ll get more after this. While I enjoyed a lot of it, the pacing becomes inconsistent. And Maul himself isn’t as exciting as some of the more grounded characters. He’s almost a bit too over-the-top at times. I did love being back in the Star Wars universe and seeing those beautiful lightsabers again.
Ron: I hope you enjoyed this bonus episode review of Maul: Shadow Lord. The Stereo Geeks will be back in May with Season 8. In the meantime, stay up to date through our newsletter.