Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Season 1, Episode 4
"Pride and Vengeance"
Writer: Amanda Rose Muñoz
Director: Nathaniel Villanueva
Cast: Voices of Sam Witwer, Wagner Moura, Dennis Haysbert, Vanessa Marshall, Chris Diamantopoulos, Gideon Adlon, and Richard Ayoade
The most plot-heavy episode of the series yet, "Pride and Vengeance" comes along at arguably just the right time — just shy of the series' halfway point — to bring a couple of early plotlines to a head as a way to clear the deck in advance of a significant turn for the series.
The Ol' Switcheroo
One of the things I appreciate about this series in its early goings is its pacing. There's a world in which Maul's vengeance plot against Marg Krim could occupy the entirety of the first season, yet it effectively gets resolved here, in the cold open of the fourth episode. It also does a nice job of playing with audience expectations in the process, opening with a focus on Vario as he arrives on Oba Diah wielding a concealed blaster before quickly narcing on Maul to the first Pyke Syndicate guard that greets him. Savvy viewers can guess pretty quickly that whomever Vario proceeds to stun in the back isn't Maul, but legitimate questions remain as to what extent Vario is in on whatever ruse is unfolding.
Sure enough, the stunned "Maul" that is dragged before Marg Krim turns out to be one of his Zabrak henchmen (I honestly don't know if it's Scorn or Icarus and I don't think it matters) shortly before the real Maul dramatically reveals himself at the back of the assembly, pulling his lightsaber from Krim (and a chunk of Krim along with it). Easily dispatching all but three of the Pyke goons, Maul taunts the dead Marg Krim, offering a little insight into his actions between his last appearance in The Clone Wars finale and this series, revealing that he turned to Krim — at the time, still technically a functional ally as a former Shadow Collective associate — for assistance only for Krim to try and kill him. Turning to the surviving captain of the Pyke guards, Maul tells him he is in charge now — but he answers to Maul.
Back on Janix, Devon reunites with Daki, who is eager to get off the planet now that the arrival of the Empire is just a matter of time. Devon, out of equal parts "well-meaning morality" and "personal vengeance," argues that, as Jedi, they have a responsibility to take down Maul, even if they themselves are fugitives in the eyes of the Empire. In another sign of the show's smart pacing, the ensuing brief conversation between the two debating the matter could have been stretched out for an entire episode, but instead, Daki quickly comes along to Devon's side and sends info on Maul's location to Lawson (neatly building off their interactions in the last episode).
Let's Make A Deal
Lawson is, of course, eager to act on Daki's info and bring Maul in. Two-Boots, however, just looooooves the Empire (and/or protocol), to the point where Lawson has to literally turn the droid off to stop him from contacting the Empire, thereby going into action without his partner. He does have unknown backup in the form of Daki and Devon, who follow along behind Lawson and the TDF as they penetrate Maul's subterranean headquarters.
Maul, of course, is ready for them. Vario — who was in on the Pyke ruse — delivers a holoprojector to the assembled TDF forces, through which Maul makes Lawson a deal: building on their shared desire to leave the Empire out of things, he will leave Janix City alone if Lawson allows him to continue to operate out of it unimpeded. Honestly, it's not a terrible deal, largely because it's essentially the same understanding the TDF had with Vario and Nico Deemis before Maul showed up. But Lawson, of course, rejects it, prompting a fight between the TDF and Maul's forces. Daki, sensing the presence of Maul despite the holoprojector, leads Devon into a confrontation with the villain. After some verbal sparring in which Maul continues to espouse his theory of Jedi exceptionalism, the lightsabers come out.
Daki manages to get in a decent hit on one of Maul's cybernetic legs, but Maul ultimately gets the upper hand, leaving it to Devon to save her master at the last minute. This prompts Maul to tell Daki he's lucky to have her by his side, a line dripping with foreshadowing. The arrival of additional TDF units forces Maul's forces to fall back and Maul goes with them, leaving Devon and Daki alive. As the TDF forces fan out, Maul and his coterie escape through some tunnels, sensing something has changed. Lawson is reunited with Two-Boots, and apologizes for turning him off. Two-Boots, in turn, asks Lawson for forgiveness as, in the skies above Janix City, an Imperial Star Destroyer ominously arrives on the scene.
Force Facts
- Maul pulling his lightsaber from Marg Krim's side and killing him in the process has shades of Snoke's death in The Last Jedi.
- Similarly, the leadership setup Maul establishes with the Pyke's here — leaving one of their own in charge but answerable to him — is essentially what he has in place with Crimson Dawn as of the end of Solo.
- The TDF officer who gives Lawson the intel from "Uncle Daki" is named Wade; he's been hanging around in the background of TDF scenes all season.
- Daki appears to be wearing some kind of flight suit under his cloak.
- Whatever his earlier suspicions, as of this episode, Lawson learns Daki and Devon are Jedi.
- When Maul's spybot droid detects the arrival of the Empire off-screen, the "code" sound used by the Imperial probe droid in The Empire Strikes Back can be heard.
- Vario can be seen fleeing through the tunnels with Maul's gang, so he's apparently still with them.
Maul/Vader Fight Probability Index: 20%
The Empire has landed! Is Vader with them? Probably not! But he could be!
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