I'll level with you, I kinda forgot this show was a thing until we got a trailer for it about 2 or 3 months ago. Now of course me being the dark sider that I am and somehow as each year passes more and more a formerly Darth now just Maul fan, I knew my ass was gonna sit down week after week for this show. I was justly rewarded, taking on more of a noir style lens before shifting into the action style animation we have been watching for almost two decades we pick up kind of in a grey area with Maul's timelime sometime after Son Of Dathomir but years before Rebels as he is slowly but surely reinstating himself in the criminal underwolrd and is seeking a pupil, an acolyte if you will, where we meet a tight knit of supporting characters including two jedi knights and a police captain who gets swept up in the mix. The first thing I gotta get out of the way is the animation, holy bawls this animation! Combining classic Clone Wars style with an added dimension of brushstroke visuals straight out of Visions, I'm not only proud of the animators for doing something this different but am here to say this is a resounding superior style to an already excellent basis we've seen in recent years of Star Wars animation. It's no secret the voice cast top to bottom is great, I'd be here all goddamn day talking about how, I still don't know how, Sam has just kept climbing the Everest of voice acting for Maul with quite possibly the most flowery dare I even say Shakespearian dialogue yet in this universe. It's unreal. Gideon Adlon as our prized apprentice Devon is great, we've seen fugitive Jedi before but she brings a new element and stance that is highly welcome and the fact we're getting season 2 of this has me glued for upcoming news regarding her character. Dennis Haysbert as her master Daki gets to ride that line between sagely Jedi Master and something unknown not only conflicting with his student but also working side by side with Maul for their survival which is shall we say unique. Further compounding that we are introduced to Lawson played to silky smooth effect by Wagner Moura, a lawman firmly planting his pole on the wrong damn hill not only contending with Maul and his mandalorians but also trying to stave off the Empire which he has no love for, we spend a good amount of time with him seeing his home life, character, and resilience even in the most dire straits which makes him a fine addition to our Star Wars family. For a 10 episode season (bit by bit we'll get back to 20 episode seasons one way or another) it's paced damn near perfect, hooks you in almost immediately, builds more and more with stakes and developments with each episode, and caps off simultaneously in a mental finale and yet a more subdued conclusion. Or at least a season conclusion not a series conclusion obviously. I will admit I think episode 5 was a lull but I will never say it was bad, it just seemed like they pumped the brakes when everything before and after keeps revving up to more awesome moments. I need not tell you any and I do mean ANY duel with Maul is glorious, it really puts it all into perspective how much progress we have made since season 1 of The Clone Wars back in frick-frakking 2008. I just loved it to bits, I think this really was the Lucasfilm project I was anticipating most since The Acolyte, and if Shadow Lord can get another season why not The Acolyte? I require more dark side media in my life gawd dyammit! But oh how the party is not over yet in a galaxy far far away, but until that special moment I give this 4 stars, 9/10, and I got a new release for you coming up this Friday.
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