RELEASED - THE RETURN OF MAUL - RELEASE VERSION

Production code 208, final episode number TBD (somewhere in Season 2).

Comprising Brothers and Revenge.

These episodes I think mark the turning point where this show starts to get absolutely brilliant. This whole plotline is great, so I’m convinced it’s the right move to get it kicked off so early. Great Maul stuff, great Obi-Wan stuff, great Ventress stuff. Peak Clone Wars, great emotion, great action.

I’ve made three changes beyond the episode merge:

I’ve truncated everything before Lotho Minor. We don’t need Dooku and Grievous’ discussion because they’re mainly talking about Savage, who’s less focal than Maul. Also, it’s better if this whole Return of Maul series of events is more of a suprise to the Sith, for better impact when Palpatine cleans house. We don’t need Savage fighting through a few locations before Lotho. We don’t need Anakin and Ahsoka having dinner (especially because this has Ahsoka’s older-looking character upgrade).
I’ve heavily trimmed Lotho Minor, removing lots of wandering, snake banter, the pendant going faulty, the ‘fire breathers’ (even though they’re cool) and Savage slaughtering Lotho’s scrappers. None of it’s vital. He just meets the snake, who leads him to the right place then tricks him into the trap.
I’ve cut the scene of Ventress on Tattooine seeing Savage’s bounty. The main reason for this is because she’s not yet a bounty hunter in my version of events. (This change is the most major canon impact of my restructuring.) Instead, she shows up unexpectedly (though Yoda’s implied there’ll be a suprise visitor), and it’s not a huge stretch to assume she’s felt something in the force. I actually think this works a bit better, and it also makes her now-later journey to Tattooine and decision to become a bounty hunter more of a reaction to her failiure here and fear of Savage and Maul.

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Phew! I feel all productive. The next episode, the Boba Fett arc, might take a little longer as it’s a three parter. Should be this weekend sometime.