After a premiere that did a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setting up the central arc of the series – and re-introducing* our central characters after some time away – the third installment of Ahsoka was more concerned with reinforcing a few key plot points and making sure that our central duo were placed in a position where they would have to rely on each other (something that seems to be a bit difficult for the pair to handle on any given day) with no true support coming their way in the interim. Much like the best of Star Wars, our heroes are alone and facing seemingly insurmountable odds. But with focus and teamwork, they will hopefully be able to make it out in one piece.
*A common complaint I’ve seen online in the week since the series launched has been that for folks without any knowledge of Rebels, it’s particularly hard to follow the series. And, while I haven’t watched much of Rebels, I did do a lot of homework to familiarize myself with the characters and key plot points that might become important – such as the existence of Purrgil and their connection to Thrawn and Ezra’s disappearance at the end of Rebels. I certainly think that complaint is founded – if you have zero knowledge of any of Rebels, Ahsoka will likely be incredibly hard to follow. And while I don’t think you need to have seen Rebels, there’s definitely homework necessary to fully grasp the characters, relationships, and story being told, which is a gamble on the part of Disney (albeit one that the MCU wing of the company has made time and time again of late, to very mixed results among the fanbase, alienating some of the more casual fans in the process). On the one hand, Dave Filoni means Ahsoka to be a continuation of Rebels and he has not been shy about saying so. On the other, Ahsoka was previously introduced into live action Star Wars via series that didn’t require the same homework required by this series to understand the goings on. So, I’m intrigued to see if Ahsoka inspires more folks to check out Rebels or if that lack of foundational knowledge ultimately turns people off to the series.
My one complaint with the episode is something that is absolutely not unique to Ahsoka. In that space battle, as cool and fun as it was to watch, there were zero stakes. As is so often the case these days, we knew precisely which ships would make it out in mostly one piece (that would be Ahsoka’s, Shin’s, and the Inquisitor’s ships) because those are the characters who still have story to be told. It takes some of the anticipation and excitement out of a fight when you know the results of the battle before it even begins. But still, this episode wasn’t about battles between our heroes and villains. Rather it was about moving the necessary chess pieces into place so that we could enter the true narrative center of the tale: With Ahsoka and Sabine on Seatos, with our villainous crew surrounding them and no official aid from the New Republic coming their way, we’ve gotten to the place where the next crucial step in the tale is the confrontation between Ahsoka and Baylan (and Shin and Sabine – gotta have the apprentices battle it out), all while awaiting the arrival of Thrawn. Oh, and then there’s the mystery of Ezra – which I suspect many folks believe they have solved after last week’s premiere.*
*It’s awfully fortuitous that the Inquisitor that goes by Marrok doesn’t have to show his face, isn’t it?
On the other side of the galaxy, we’ve gotten the chance to see just how much the New Republic government has put their heads in the sand and is refusing to accept that the Imperial remnants they have integrated into their workforce might still include Imperial loyalists who are actively working to undermine the fledgling government. It was lovely to once again see Genevieve O’Reilly reprising her role as Mon Mothma – now Chancellor of the New Republic – even if it did make me miss Andor a bit. While Mon Mothma was so willing and able to sacrifice everything to ensure a Rebel victory in the war, it appears that she’s now unable to maneuver with the same ferocity and focus while hampered by a government made up of opportunistic individuals who never made those same sacrifices and who only care about a galaxy where they can exist in peace and prosperity. Their inability to understand that threats continue long after the fighting ends – something it appeared, from the look on Mon Mothma’s face, that was not lost on the new Chancellor even if her hands are tied by the whims of her Senators and her tenuous grasp of power in the new government – is precisely what will allow the Imperial remnant to fester and eventually develop into the First Order. While I find much of the sequel trilogy to be a narrative mess, it is nice to see that series like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian are taking steps to bridge the gap between the end of Return of the Jedi and the rise of the First Order, showing the clear hand the New Republic’s mismanagement of personnel and power had in their rise.
So, in a table setting episode with some strong character beats – the relationship between Sabine and Ahsoka is absolutely fascinating to watch develop, with Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo absolutely sensational at portraying their tentative movements toward reconciliation without fully dismissing the layer of hurt and distrust that continues to simmer just under the surface of their interactions – Ahsoka continued its strong push forward. The clear central thrust of the series – Thrawn is coming – has been essential to ensuring that the story continues on a clear trajectory, which has made these initial episodes feel taut and focused in a way The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett often didn’t. And, with strong performances keeping the story churning in a believable way (seriously, Dawson and Bordizzo are so darn great, I could watch a buddy series about them traveling the galaxy and trainings – oh wait . . .I think we’ve already got one of those), Ahsoka seems poised to be a bright spot in the Star Wars cannon.
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