Episode 3 starts right from where it left off: Devon’s attempt to escape, which leads back to Maul’s orbit. This is followed by a duel between them. But this is where the makers of Star Wars: The Mandalorian play tactfully: Maul doesn’t threaten Devon in the ways we expected him to. Rather, he waits and slowly tests Devon’s fear and believes in a very calm and unsettling way. Now, for anyone who has been following the show will know that Maul doesn’t plan to keep Devon as a prisoner, but instead he plans to make her his project. On the other hand, Captain Brander Lawson and his partner continue with their investigation, which adds a sharp contrast to Maul’s menace, which is an attempt to prevent the city from falling into more chaos than it already is. Episode 4 brings on the same tension that was created in episode 3. However, this episode is crucial as it builds on the consequences of Maul’s manipulations. The underworld of Janix is turning out to be more volatile, and the balance between the gangs, law enforcement, and the forces has started to crack. As for Devon, we see some sort of emotional angle in her story. She is shown to be in a constant conflict between her Jedi teachings and the bad reality of the post-Order 66 galaxy. Maul is constantly challenging her, which is creating trouble for her.
Episodes 3 and 4 act as turning points as a whole in whatever is happening with Devon. With each episode, we are shown Devon’s arc becoming more layered. This becomes crucial in setting the tone right for the upcoming episodes. Also, we see the extent to which Maul can go when it comes to manipulating his way to achieve whatever he desires.
As already mentioned, watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Shadow Lord is worth a watch also because of the visual effects that it uses for each of its episodes. The action that they show us is also very brutal; however, they are executed well enough for the viewers to have a great watching experience.
Also, let's appreciate Sam Witwer as Maul. The kind of voice he gives to Maul is what brings the animation to life. He is one of the reasons why Maul’s character feels so iconic and worth listening to when watching it. However, in these two episodes, I felt that the pace slowed down greatly. I am not sure if it was intentional in order to show us Devon’s character development and Maul’s impact that he is leaving as and when each episode progresses, but a bit of speed would have been good. At one point, the pacing becomes erratic enough for us not to understand what exactly is going on, and many can end up losing interest in the whole.
The plot development is going hand in hand with that of the character development, which is making things interesting. All in all, we should brace ourselves like Devon to see what is in store in the future. Things are only going to get complicated from here on.
Final Score- [7/10]