Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord: Chapter 9: Strange Allies
What is it ? : Maul speaks with Dryden Vos and makes a deal, that he will eliminate Dryden's boss and install him as leader of Crimson Dawn if he gets Maul off Janix, however the meeting point for the transport is outside the city and the Empire has locked it down, so Maul wonders if Lawson knows a way out of the city.
Lawson, Devon, Daki, Two Boots and Rylee rest, and Devon has a vision of Maul, which the group realises is sending her a meeting point, and they head for it worried it may be a trap. The Inquistors continue to track the group.
Meeting up with Maul they come to an agreement, Maul will get them off the planet if they get him to the pick up point for the transport. Lawson knows a way out of the city, and leads them to a transport station, however if is heavily guarded by the Empire.
So Maul defeats all the Stormtroopers and the Walker guarding it, allowing them to slip into a tunnel leading out of the city. They discover a body of water like a lake in the tunnels, and the only way across is a small repulsorlift platform which can only carry 2 people at a time, so they begin shuttling across.
However the Inquisitors arrive with Stormtroopers and a fight breaks out, between the remaining forces and the Stormtroopers, and Maul, Daki and Devon against the two Inquisitors. As everyone else has crossed, Devon is next, leaping to the platform and across, holding it in place for Daki next, and finally Maul, even though a number of their force has now been killed.
Emerging into the forest outside the city, only Maul, Daki, Devon, Rylee, Two Boots, Lawson, Vario, Rook Kast and one other Mandalorian remain. Rook and the Mandalorian go ahead to scout through the fog, but gunshots are heard and the group readies itself for combat.
Rook stumbles back to the group, telling them that something, someone is out there, and she is dragged into the fog followed by the crunching noises of breaking bones.
A mechanical breathing is heard, as Darth Vader steps from the fog, engaging his Lightsaber. . . .
High Points : Okay, lets me honest, that final moment, the reveal of Vader is amazing. The rest of the episode is pretty good, the fight at the subterranean lake is action packed and enjoyable, but much of the rest is just putting pieces into place for the finale. But Rook Kast getting dragged into the fog, and force choked, as Vader emerges, his breathing signalling his arrival, and then his visage illuminated from beneath by the red glow of his lightsaber. It's stunning, something I rewatched a few times.
Low Points : As I mentioned above, a lot of this episode is just putting everyone in place for the end of the season, Lawson's group and Maul's group are working together, Dryden Vos is coming to their rescue, the Empire is in close pursuit, and now Vader is facing them. It also strips away Maul's gang, so at this point it's only him and Vario left. It's done fairly well, but feels familiar as this is what Star Wars series tend to do before the finale.
So what do you really think ? : A solid episode, which had the reveal spoiled to me before I watched it, but the implementation of that reveal still was amazing. And as the news sites are all reporting, this is the geeky confrontation we've been waiting for, for the past 27 years. Maul vs Vader. Although I have to say, it doesn't bode well for Maul, as not only has he struggled with Inquisitors, one of whom we see easily defeated by Ahsoka elsewhere. But also we know that he tells Ezra and Kanan he will need their help as the inquistors will summon Vader on Malachor in Rebels, so we know he knows he can't stand toe to toe with Vader.
Final Words : So, one episode to go, and it's Vader vs the gang, and to tell the truth, Vader is our boy, and I'm kind of happy to watch him kick seven shades out of the gang, even though obviously they'll need to escape him.
Score : 9/10
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