There are two ways to structure a penultimate episode of a serialized series.* The first has the series’s climactic moment happen, allowing the characters the chance to breathe a bit and deal with the fallout in the finale. Think the final three episodes of Breaking Bad, where the climax of the series happened in the third to last episode and everything that occurred after was a response to those events. Now, this version is used rarely these days (although I certainly prefer it), as shows tend to want to “go out with a bang” and audiences have been conditioned to expect that a finale is where all the fireworks go off. This means that the true conclusion of a series sometimes lacks the ability to resolve all the emotional beats of the series in the final episode since so much is taken up with resolving the plot. Although, there are shows that have pulled it off with aplomb – see The Americans for a recent excellent example. It appears that Ahsoka is in the latter camp, as we still have to have our confrontation between our titular character and her Imperial White Whale in next week’s finale to truly have any sort of narrative resolution. Although, it’s definitely looking more and more like the main conflict of the series won’t actually be resolved at all.
*I should note that this refers to series finales, not season finales, which are an entirely different animal. Seeing as Ahsoka has been a limited series – eight episodes and then we’re done – the coming finale is the series finale.
I had gone into Ahsoka knowing that the series would likely lead to the upcoming Dave Filoni-written Star Wars film dealing with all the loose threads within this corner of the Star Wars universe, but I had also hoped that it would be telling us a complete story as well. Something like The Mandalorian, where we meet some new characters in live action who will matter in that film, but where the story was a completed arc. However, considering all that has been laid out here from a plot perspective – the New Republic not wanting to recognize that there is an Imperial Remnant (save for Leia and Mon Mothma, of course), Thrawn’s complex plan for returning to the correct galaxy with a bunch of cases from the Witches’ catacombs, our three heroes trying to get back home, Sabine and Ahsoka’s relationship as Master and Apprentice, the wavering relationship between Shin and Baylan – there’s way too much to resolve in any satisfying manner in a single episode. While I certainly think we’ll get a resolution to the Shin and Baylan side of the story – I’m still sticking with my theory that Shin is going to walk away from her Master and team up with Ahsoka in some way (I mean, she’s the gray wolf of the pair, plus the series needs to – unfortunately – write off Ray Stevensen from future stories), there’s no way this series has the runway to resolve Thrawn’s gambit in a way that makes sense or feels complete.
My best guess? Thrawn and Morgan make their jump back, stranding our heroes, and bringing a horrific threat to the galaxy to be resolved in the forthcoming Filoni film. It makes narrative sense – even if I find it incredibly annoying that we aren’t getting a complete series but rather a prequel to a film, especially since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes mean the delay in receiving that film is likely long enough to mean we’ll forget a lot about what has happened in this series before we ever get that film. As with all my predictions, I absolutely could be wrong, but I honestly cannot see a conclusion to this series that wouldn’t read like a major violation of the show, don’t tell rule of writing. Do we have time for Thrawn’s plan to be revealed in an organic manner that doesn’t involve him acting out of character and pontificating? Do we have enough time to dispatch with Baylan – and learn his true plan for power, which apparently included cutting his Apprentice loose and leaving her to fend for herself – and Shin? Do we have time to find a viable way to stop Thrawn’s army, which while smaller than it once was, is still formidable for a single ship and 2.5 Jedi? Do we have enough time for our heroes to get home and explain to the New Republic what they encountered? We really don’t.
Which is why I was surprised that this episode didn’t start doling out answers. Now, again, that’s not a requirement of a penultimate episode, but I thought for sure this episode was going to be about more than just reuniting Ezra, Sabine, and Ahsoka. Again, not a complaint – it was a fun reunion, we got to see a happy Ahsoka for the first time this season, and we were treated to a touch more character development for Shin (which is another reason I’m thinking she’s going to turn on Baylan next week and defect to Ahsoka). We also got to see Thrawn learn the key piece of information about Ahsoka – that Anakin was her master – that he believes will give him the upper hand in their battle to come.* All important stuff. But this is the penultimate episode of the series. I had expected a bit more to happen, a few more threads to be tied off.
*In the Star Wars novelization, it’s left up in the air whether or not Thrawn knows Anakin is Darth Vader, although it is implied that he figures it out. It appears that the series is confirming he does know Vader’s true identity – which is something the rest of the galaxy is still years away from learning at this point in time.
Having said that, I still find myself excited for the finale. I want to see Ahsoka face Thrawn. I want to see where the series will leave these characters – will we get a true resolution or merely a stopping point leading to a larger story that will be told in the future? Will we get another appearance from Hera and Mon Mothma, as they are forced to confront Thrawn’s arrival and the New Republic’s shockingly lax preparations for any sort of situation such as this occurring? Or will things be wrapped up so nicely by Ahsoka that the government is able to keep its head in the sand and keep ignoring the Imperial Remnant influence, as we know they will continue to do regardless of Thrawn’s success or failures next week? There are still many larger, universal questions to be asked outside of the series – but I do hope we get some answers next week, as the series presents its finale.
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