Every time an episode of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episodes seven and eight of season one, ‘Call to the Oblivion’ & ‘The Creeping Fear’. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Melissa T. Miller
This penultimate episode drop before the finale next week finds our various groups of heroes, villains, and temporary allies all on the move, but still on the planet Janix. I don’t have a lot to say about the various plotlines, but I did experience a lot of feelings and random thoughts while watching everyone run around, so I’ll just list those.
– Should I know who this other Inquisitor is? I didn’t really think the hooded figure at the end of last week’s episode was going to be Darth Vader, but that would have been cool.
– I wish I could read Aurebesh (aka Star Wars font) on sight, or had time to pause and translate everything. Maybe I’ll work on that skill, it seems like it would make me (more) fun at parties.
– Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Hera Syndulla aka Space Mom (and also Rook Kast in this series), told me in an interview that the Rebels cast all recorded their lines together, which made me really happy. I wonder if that’s how it’s done on Maul too. I like thinking of her, Sam Witwer, and the others hanging out together.
– I really, really like Jedi Master Eeko-Dio and am very worried he’s going to die / make the ultimate sacrifice. What I’m not sure of, and not going to overanalyze right now, is whether I like him because he speaks in fewer riddles than your average Jedi or because Dennis Haysbert’s voice is just so engaging. I do contemplate switching to Allstate anytime I hear those commercials.
– Apparently lightsabers steam when they get wet, as we found out as Maul and the Inquisitors jumped through a waterfall. I’m filing that away for the next time I contemplate whether they’re actually made of light, plasma, or other materials. I am a scientist and also have a science of Star Wars podcast, so I am constantly noticing things like this and having discussions with other geeks about them. See, I am fun at parties!
– The section with Maul looking at his reflection in puddles and experiencing traumatic flashbacks to being abused by the Emperor are impactful. There’s the usual Star Wars intercut of scenes that really drive home what a dark place he’s in emotionally. But him getting up over and over again has me rooting for him, this Dathomirian really wants to live! But definitely needs therapy. Is there therapy in a galaxy far, far away?
– In general, I find myself rooting for Maul in all the lightsaber battles. Fair enough when the opponents are stormtroopers and Inquisitors, but it’s a far cry from 1999’s cheers as the two pieces of his body fell down a shaft in The Phantom Menace.
– Droids who can’t act or play it cool are so funny to me. Two Boots carrying around a mug and being surprised that people recognize him without his boots is also a delight in the midst of the heaviness.
– When Dino Jedi Force-pushes a speeder bike into a transport ship, I had a real moment of deja-vu. In Live Free of Die Hard, John McClane / Bruce Willis launches a car at a helicopter in a similar way. When Justin Long’s character seems amazed, he simply says “I was out of bullets.”
– I am still wondering what year this series is set in and had just been thinking about where it fits compared to the Solo timeline (a movie I love), when they mentioned Dryden Vos to close out episode 8. Yes please, Paul Bettany, hope to hear you next week!
Eric Onkenhout
This week’s episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord further explored Maul’s internal struggles while being hunted and grooming Devon to become his apprentice. We also see how relentless the Empire can be as gunship after gunship arrives loaded with stormtroopers just for one man. It seems like the Empire is rolling out the new TK stormtroopers a lot more in this series, whereas in The Bad Batch, that switch from clone trooper to stormtrooper is still brand new. The cityscape and the underworld scenes are causing me to constantly remind myself that this isn’t Coruscant, it’s Janix.
Devon Izara may not want to join Maul, but I fear she won’t have a choice. Star Wars loves to kill off mentors, so if Master Daki doesn’t make it, she’ll have a better chance of avoiding the Empire working as a team with Maul (dubious though it will be). Maul reminds Devon of this in Call to Oblivion. Little by little, each time they face an adversary together, whether it’s the Empire or inquisitors, Devon feels that much more comfortable next to Maul. Soon, she will see there is no other way.
Maul’s right hand, Rook Kast, warns that Devon is clouding Maul’s judgement and that her allegiance is with her master. One way Maul could get around this is to kill Daki without Devon knowing he did it. That could certainly influence her decision and her future. While Maul is figuring out what to do with Devon, he’s also fighting two battles of his own. Externally against the First Brother (Marrok) and the Eleventh Brother (Crow), and his internal struggles of self-image and his purpose, both due to the trauma he’s been put through by the hands of Darth Sidious.
Crow first appeared in Tales of the Jedi, where he is killed by Ahsoka, but here he is the lead inquisitor. It appears Marrok was assigned to eliminate Maul, failed to do so, contacted his superior for backup, and then Crow arrived. I find it interesting that with someone of Maul’s caliber, the Grand Inquisitor isn’t the one joining Marrok. Not only his caliber, but his history with Sidious. I would think Sidious wouldn’t want to take any chances. Why not send Vader? Perhaps Sidious doesn’t think Vader is ready for such an assignment so early into his Sith career?
While briefly separating himself from the pair of Inquisitors, Maul collapses face-first into a puddle of dirty water, pathetic, with his damaged leg. How he has fallen. He looks at his reflection full of self-hatred, but also sadness, like he’s disappointed himself. But it’s not all his fault. Sidious took him away from everything he’s known, killed his brother, and tortured Maul. Betrayed him. Maul’s trauma is all-consuming. One has to wonder what would happen if Maul had a mentor who would teach him to let go of his vengeance. Somewhere between now and Star Wars Rebels, Maul’s vengeance switches to Kenobi. He has enough of it to go around.
I really feel for Two-Boots. He’s programmed to follow the rules and welcomes the Empire as the ultimate rule-setters; instead, they treat him as another faceless droid. If he were capable of facial expressions, I’m pretty confident you could see his realization. I’m not really sure what role Rylee is playing, other than to evoke an emotional pull for Lawson and showcase Devon’s ability to protect, which she initially fails to do but later recovers.
Up to this point, I’m not a huge fan of Vario’s character and am failing to see his purpose. I’m sure that will become more evident in upcoming episodes, but it was cool to hear him drop Dryden Vos’ name. Kebris’ rebellion and exit were quickly ended as he was shot down by an imperial LAAT/i. Maul doesn’t seem to have a huge army; at any given time, we only see a handful of Mandalorians and Zabrak’s in his company, and it’s even less now with Icarus gone.
You just get the feeling that if Maul doesn’t leave Janix, he will be captured, and/or Kast will decide she’s had enough of Maul’s obsession and leave. But what about being the head of a criminal syndicate? That seems to be put on the back burner for now, but I hope that story arc returns. I’d love to see how Maul gets to where he is in Solo, and maybe that’s where Vos comes in. Next week features the final two episodes, which is insane but also sad because this series could easily be ongoing. The intensity can only go up from here.
Paul Naylor
We’re getting towards the end of this impressive first season of Maul – Shadow Lord – and episodes 7 and 8 were fantastic. In the two episodes (“Call to Oblivion“) and 8 (“The Creeping Fear“), the Empire intensifies its hunt on Janix, leading to significant – and somewhat surprising – character development for Maul through a dark side vision quest.
Some of the main developments in Episode 7 included the Inquisitor Marrok (First Brother) being joined by the Eleventh Brother, also known as The Crow, to corner Maul and the Jedi survivors.
Master Daki and Lawson attempt to rendezvous with the children. In the chaos of an Imperial raid, Rylee is captured, forcing Izara into a reluctant alliance with Maul to fight back the stormtroopers.
Maul’s forces engage the Inquisitors in a brutal duel and during the fight, one of Maul’s Nightbrother henchmen is killed.
Maul’s cybernetic leg is damaged during the confrontation. To escape, he uses the Force to bring down the cave ceiling on the Inquisitors, causing a separation that sends him deeper into the planet’s bowels. And deep within himself too!
Two-Boots finally realises the Empire’s lack of protocol and shifts his loyalty to assist the Lawson family.
I’m used to not enjoying the 8th episode of a Star Wars project, so it was great that this was among my favourite chunks of Star Wars ever.
Seeing Maul stranded and injured, and experiencing a “hellish” vision quest, we got to revisit his many years of trauma. These flashbacks included being taken by Darth Sidious, his training, his “death” on Naboo, and the loss of his brother Savage Opress.
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Maul is seen crying and apologizing to his younger self. He vows to stop Sidious from causing similar suffering to others, shifting his motivation from pure selfishness to a broader vendetta.
The episode ends with a major tie-in to Solo: A Star Wars Story, teasing the involvement of Qi’ra or Dryden Vos and explaining how Maul begins his ascent as a crime lord. Will we be seeing the evolution of Maul’s involvement in Crimson Dawn?
Superb episodes, including highlights of the nightmarish vision of Sidious/Palpatine and the fragility of Maul, I’m really looking forward to the final two episodes on May 4th.
Season 2 can’t come soon enough.
Greg McLaughlin
Maul’s defeat at the hands of the two Inquisitors and subsequent journey back to the remains of his band I think was the large portion of these two episodes. You certainly see him run a gamut of emotions and visions of the root cause of his misery, Sheev Palpatine.
I’m not sure we’ve seen some of this before, as the visions show a much younger Maul being tempted by Palpatine against the wishes of his brother, Savage Opress. We see him falling short of expectations and being harshly punished. It certainly adds to the understanding of his torment and desire for revenge, that has driven him through all the iterations we see on screen.
Perhaps though the most telling to me, is when he apologizes to the reflection of his younger self and says ‘I won’t let this happen to anyone else.’ I think it gives the Emperor’s desire for more powerful apprentices a shade of habitual abuse and the goal to stop that cycle. What a powerful moment in our understanding of what the dark side of the force is.
This is of course, a series about Maul, but I keep finding Jedi Master Daki a bit one dimensional. It’s not his story, but while everyone else around him gets painted with larger brushstrokes, he leaves be a bit thin. I keep hoping as Devon gets pushed to an inevitable edge, will his arguments do much to keep her on the side of light.
Sander de Lange looks at all the reveals and easter eggs in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord – The Guide: Chapter 7 ‘Call to the Oblivion’
Sander de Lange looks at all the reveals and easter eggs in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord – The Guide: Chapter 8 ‘The Creeping Fear’
Hear Mark Newbold and Mark Mulcaster discuss Chapters Seven and Eight of season one on Making Tracks Reaction Chat: Maul – Shadow Lord Episodes 7 & 8
Watch Brian Cameron and Paul Naylor discuss episodes 7 and 8 on Your Weekly Star Wars News Recap For 3rd May 2026 | Good Morning Tatooine
VIDEO TO BE ADDED
