Initially, we possessed no interest in this show. For the past seven years Star Wars’ interests resided in the past, in nostalgia and showed little motivation for telling new stories. “Maul: Shadow Lord” from the trailers appeared to be more of the same –– here is some character you recognize treading through familiar sights and sounds. We couldn’t have been more wrong about this show and its story. It’s rare that new Star Wars shows get me excited anymore, the past two seasons of “Andor” being the exception, and yet over the five weeks of the show’s run, “Maul: Shadow Lord” glued us to the screen. We went from uninterested to starved for a second season. 

Back of the DVD Summary:

Following Maul’s defeat on Mandalore and the rise of the Empire a year prior, he takes refuge on the Mid Rim planet Janix. On Janix, Maul begins the process of repairing his former criminal syndicate that’s devolved into back-stabbing and disarray. With a loyal band of followers, Maul makes moves to reclaim his lost status and power. 

Alongside Maul, newcomer Janix police captain Brander Lawson and his deputy Two-boots do their best to keep Maul’s rampage under control. All the while, the escalation of Maul’s schemes threaten to bring the Empire’s fist onto Janix should Lawson be unable to contain it. Caught up in the middle of the mess are two Jedi survivors: Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki and padawan Devon Izara. As the threads of these characters entwine, Maul takes a keen fascination with Devon. 

Why this season excelled in its characters and storytelling is because it put its focus on telling a compelling narrative set in the Star Wars universe and not telling a good Star Wars story. “Maul: Shadow Lord” introduced several new characters with varying degrees of success; however, our personal three favorites were: Daki, Devon and Lawson. 

Often, even when engaging with the criminal element of Star Wars, simple lawmen are left to the wayside in favor of nameless droids the bad guys can gun down. Lawson was a welcome new addition to the cannon, wearing the down on his luck cop archetype well. Wagner Moura delivered a stern, yet charming performance, and his voice lent great panache and age to the lawmen. 

Daki and Devon were excellent new additions to the universe. Daki’s clinging to the old ways despite what destruction they’ve wrought makes his devotion to the Jedi order both tragic and admirable. Daki’s earnestness and want to still do good regardless of what happened makes for an interesting character. His apprentice, Devon, her character is disillusioned and hungry for answers does her best to stay the path, but Maul and circumstances pull and tug at her. I loved their dynamic. 

The animation and depth of color on Janix made for an incredible viewing experience. Star Wars hasn’t ever looked this good in animation. The action to the way blaster bolts and lightsaber swings lit up the screen for a frame made the animation more realistic. The dark visuals and background of the show made the light of the show’s weapons flash when used. 

“Maul: Shadow Lord” also does villains right. Once the Empire shows, the two inquisitors who show up are formidable villains. You learn to quickly fear the pair the moment they show up and give every character a run for your money. The fights, especially the lightsaber battles, were beautifully choreographed. Even the ones between the “normies” were engaging and eye candy. Movements are done carefully and everything matters, something that becomes missed in other shows like “The Clone Wars”. 

For a show that seeks to capture the magic of season seven of “The Clone Wars”, Dave Filoni and co. do just that in “Maul: Shadow Lord”. If you haven’t gotten the chance to check out the series, please do so.

 SPOILER ALERT DO NOT LOOK BELOW IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS

The way the show handles Darth Vader is perfect. The dark lord of the Sith being portrayed as a silent monster in the forest that is unkillable is the way to portray Vader, especially a year after “Revenge of the Sith”. Vader hasn’t started the process of becoming Anakin Skywalker again, and simply is a jedi killing machine.

Tl;dr: watch “Maul: Shadow Lord” because you won’t regret it.