Star Wars Maul: Shadow Lord – Strange Allies review S1 E9
Strange Allies ends with a crazy cliffhanger that seems to foreshadow a not-so happy ending for anyone who survives. Given the nature of said cliffhanger, the only guaranteed survivor is the titular character.
Maul: Shadow Lord hasn’t lacked for excellent episodes. It’s been a stellar series with few if any weak moments. Strange Allies was a dazzling installment that now is in pole position for the best of the season naturally barring what is likely to be an epic confrontation in the season finale.
Dryden Vos contacts Maul with an offer of escape. He’ll provide a ship in exchange for Maul killing Boss Rintero and installing him as the new head of Crimson Dawn. Considering the events in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Maul clearly does see the value in a partnership with Vos. Getting out of the city and past the Imperial blockade is another matter though, which requires Maul striking another alliance with Lawson and Master Daki.
Strange Allies is an intense episode, but Two-Boots provides some well-timed humor to help lighten the mood as he realizes he’s now a fugitive from the law like the various criminals he apprehended with Lawson. Maul places an image in Devon’s mind of a meet up location.
Daki remains one of the more welcome additions to the Shadow Lord as he takes a different approach with the master/padawan dynamic. He treats Devon more like a younger peer who can still benefit from his guidance instead of the end-all/be-all in her life. Daki doesn’t need to be the hammer driving home lesson after lesson. He’s done most of his teaching and now is starting the process of letting her fly on her own.
Taking Maul up on his invitation proves to be a sound strategy as the Eleventh Brother and Marrok are in close pursuit. Daki trusts Devon to make sound decisions but definitely doesn’t trust Maul as he asks his intentions. Back in a reasonably comfortable position of power, Maul is back to being coy and mysterious stating it’s “dangerous times for brave people” and simply wants to help them catch a ride off the planet. He just needs a safe way to get out of Janix if Lawson would happen to know of a way?
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Two-Boots says Maul looks very untrustworthy in the understatement of Strange Allies and possibly the season as a whole. Daki asks Devon if Maul established a connection with her since he was able to place that suggestion in her mind so easily.
The party makes it to their destination with little resistance until they approach the power plant entrance. Maul has Spybot jam the communications and charges into battle deflecting blasts from the speeder bikes while evading the cannon fire from the AT-ST. Rook, Lawson and even Rylee join in on blasting away the advancing Stormtroopers while Maul coldly wipes out the AT-ST. The wildest part of this sequence was this wasn’t even the best highlight of Strange Allies.
Marrok and the Eleventh Brother are quickly closing in now while Maul, Daki and crew head to the underground tunnels. Lawson warns Two-Boots to be leery of a double cross while Maul tells Rook that they’re not doing anything to Daki…for now. He might be shady, but Maul does have some sense of honor or the good common sense not to kill an ally until they’re past the Empire at least.
The path ahead requires the use of a skiff to cross toxic waste. Fortunately, Spybot can guide it over the waste even if it can only carry two people at a time. Lawson and Rylee go first followed by Two-Boots and Vario. They just make it over before Daki senses the Inquisitors who leap into the attack with a fleet of Stormtroopers behind them.
Daki and Devon battle the Eleventh Brother to a standstill while Maul and Marrok clash. The lighting in Strange Allies was remarkably consistent as the vibrant colors in the background prevent the red lightsabers from blurring together. Rook and one of the Mandalorian Commandoes make it across when Marrok realizes the ferrying setup they’re using and destroys Spybot (!). Icarus pulls a Boromir and takes multiple blaster shots before launching himself at three Stormtroopers and plunging them into the toxic waste river.
With their forces dwindling, Daki has Devon cross the toxic river using the skiff as a midway jump pad. Maul makes the selfless play and has Daki go over while he occupies the Inquisitors.
Strange Allies again bucks the trend as Master Daki continues to survive the odds again. As Devon’s mentor and the obvious thread Maul needs to clip to fully bring Devon on board to his way of thinking, Shadow Lord has refreshingly delayed this seemingly inevitable death until the last episode. Holding off on his death will make it more meaningful since Daki has been so likable and not at all like the usual overly stuff masters with their padawans.
Maul sends his double-bladed saber in an arc, wiping out more Stormtroopers and crosses the river himself. The Eleventh Brother just stares and tells the Stormtroopers to inform “him” they’re heading his way.
Strange Allies does not leave that big question unanswered. Rook and the lone Mandalorian Commando scout ahead. As they vanish in the jungle screams and blaster fire start echoing in the distance. Rook stumbles out trying to warn Maul when she’s pulled back out of a sight. The silence is replaced by an all-too familiar heavy breathing.
Darth Vader emerges from the woods. Maul seems rattled, which checks out since he would have no idea of the fate of Obi-Wan’s apprentice. As Vader’s lightsaber ignites, clearly Maul has bigger problems to worry about.
Strange Allies was an action-packed penultimate episode ending with one of the more shocking moments in a Star Wars show since Luke Skywalker’s arrival in The Mandalorian. This was an elite-level episode for Maul: Shadow Lord setting a high bar for the season finale.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
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