Maul keeps doing what Maul does best in these next two episodes: leaving a trail of bodies, smashing lives, and reminding everyone in his orbit that bad decisions tend to have consequences. Meanwhile, our Jedi and lawmen slowly start to crack under the pressure. The show is still holding up, even if Episode 3 takes a breath and Episode 4 slams the gas pedal back down with a fresh body count and a new piece looming over the board.
Spoilers are being kept to a minimum here, though that gets trickier in a prequel where the destination is already tattooed on, uh, one’s face. Predictability can hurt a story like this if it leans too hard on the mystery box routine, but so far the show knows how to keep moving without tripping over its own destiny.
Episode 3 is the pause before the next lightsaber blade goes in. Consequences settle, doubts start creeping into Twi’lek padawan Devon, and Maul is more than happy to play Sith mentor like a cat batting around a wounded mouse it has no intention of letting live. Hard to blame Devon for looking permanently one bad day away from a meltdown. Captain Lawson, meanwhile, gets to juggle duty and family life, which is always fun right up until a fallen Sith Lord shows up and turns everything into a disaster movie. After a close call, Two-Boots, naturally, is itching to push that ‘Call Papa Palpatine Button.’
Episode 4 gets the machinery moving again as Maul’s revenge tour crosses another name off the list. The tension spikes as the Jedi and the police find themselves with no real option except to butt heads before the Empire arrives to make everybody’s day even worse. The action is measured rather than nonstop, but when it hits, it lands, and that restraint does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
That’s one of the show’s biggest strengths so far: it understands pacing. It also understands that Maul has plot armor the size of a small moon, so the fun isn’t in wondering whether he survives, but in watching how much damage he can cause on the way to the inevitable. His enemies are interesting enough to keep the whole thing from becoming a foregone conclusion, even if the prequel structure means there’s always a little narrative dead weight hanging over the story. The road is still entertaining — we just know exactly where it’s headed.
The lightsaber fights are another plus for this show, and the choreography is well planned out. When the Force is used, it’s used in a smart way that puts some of the live-action TV shows to shame. Still looking at you, The Acolyte.
Disney is releasing all 10 episodes in a two-per-week pattern. I’m not sure if that speaks to their confidence or lack thereof, but I appreciate it. Too much to watch, and so little time.
Anyway, I’m continuing to look forward to the next set of episodes. See y’all in the next one.
***
English (US) · 