Episodes 7 and 8 of Star Wars: Maul have arrived right when the season needed a fresh shift. While the earlier episodes centered on escapes, pursuits, and forging alliances around Maul, these two have built stronger emotional bonds and raised the stakes considerably. In episode 7, we see Maul being pushed to the center. We witness him making aggressive moves in order to reclaim his influence and continue manipulating the people who surround him. He also continues to pull Devon Izara towards his side with this very manipulation technique of his. Instead of pulling her towards himself through power, he questions her beliefs about everything, such as the Jedi, survival, etc. Similarly, Captain Brander Lawson is facing issues as Janix too becomes unstable. This time around, Lawson is forced to choose between protecting civilians and confronting Maul’s presence. Lastly, in episode 7, the empire continues to grow as the imperial forces and inquisitors begin to close in on Maul. By the time we reach episode 8, many of the dynamics of episode 7 continue, but with some new plot twists. For example, Maul is now haunted by Marrok and the Eleventh Brother, who wish to eliminate him. However, Maul manages to escape them. We also see him experience some very disturbing visuals that are all tied to his past. By the time the episode reaches its end, we see Maul becoming more dangerous and desperate than before.
Clearly, both episodes have set the stage for the endgame of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. While episode 7 was a bit slow and repeated what episode 6 established, episode 8 finally showed us the power and destruction that Maul was capable of conducting. That created a sense of power that the makers tactfully didn’t show us completely until now. And what I also loved the most was how well-paced both episodes were. The episodes go smoothly this time, neither rushing nor slowing down. Having said that, the makers gave us enough time to understand what exactly is going on throughout the episodes. This comes in sharp contrast with the previous episodes, which sort of slowed down a bit. Thankfully, this time that didn’t happen. By doing so, the makers also ensured that the audience's interest in the whole game continues.
What would be interesting is how well the final gets. We are now slowly and steadily reaching that part too. Finally, Maul is gaining all his powers while also being a target. It will now be interesting to watch how the show ends and what Maul gets in the end.
The only weakness is that the supporting characters feel slightly underdeveloped. Maybe if they get developed the way they should have been, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will indeed become a complete package to watch. But even without that, Maul’s main plot is filled with so much suspense that maybe, sometimes, it is okay to forget what the other characters are up to.
Final Score- [7/10]