On May 25, 2018, my sister and I were sitting in a movie theater near our grandparent’s house. We were visiting them for the week, but I had still been determined to watch Solo the very day it was released. As the Lucasfilm logo appeared on the screen, I leaned over to my sister. “I’m not ready for this,” I whispered. She hushed me, and the movie began.
From the ages of 13 to 17, 2015 to 2019, I was in the theater every December (or, in 2018, May). Even when my feelings about the new Star Wars movies were mixed, they always felt real. I measured my life from year to year, new release to new release. I can still recall the moments I forced myself to remember, mentally repeating that I could only watch them for the first time once.
I’ve loved The Clone Wars and Rebels tremendously – and I started both of those shows after I’d finished the sequel trilogy. But still, it was hard for them to match the emotional intensity of the movies. The end of Rebels and season 7 of The Clone Wars did it for me, though. It’s been a while since I’ve genuinely felt excited and teary over the prospect of a new SW release.
Suffice it to say: the end of episode 4 of Ahsoka gave me those feelings. The anticipation and fear of watching Star Wars… I’ve missed it.
Oh, I was looking forward to the Ahsoka show from the moment it was announced. I think I always knew it would be intense for me, thus my avoidance of any trailers. But I still didn’t realize just how much I was looking forward to a certain moment until it played out onscreen.
But let’s back up – there was more to this episode than that part.
Two almost-Jedi crash onto a planet…
I’ll get this out of the way – I really dislike most of the Ahsoka dialogue. Every episode has some good lines, but they’re always overshadowed by the most empty, obvious quotes. Characters will constantly explain what they’re doing while doing it, subtlety has gone the way of the mythosaur, and there’s hardly any point in trying to analyze a scene when you’re being told exactly what its intentions are.
But not every line is like this. Ahsoka asking Sabine “can I count on you” at the beginning of this episode killed me. The reference to Ezra’s last words to Sabine, as well as the hanging threat that they could have to sacrifice their path to him, was painfully well done. And I enjoyed that “Heir to the Empire” line regarding Thrawn – it’s a little on the nose in reference to Thrawn’s first canon appearance, but I’m not complaining!
(I’m just left wondering what’s going to happen with Thrawn. Currently, we only have 26 years to go before The Force Awakens, but we know Thrawn isn’t around for the First Order… right? There’s been a lot of build-up associated with his return, but what’ll happen to him after that?)
While Sabine and Ahsoka were doing their thing, I loved that we still got to stay in touch with Hera. She’s a rebel at heart; of course she’ll do whatever is needed for her family. And we got so many Rebels throwbacks! The Ghost is the biggest one, but getting to see Jacen in the copilot’s seat with Chopper looking over him – it echos the final scene of Hera at the end of Rebels so perfectly. But this time, instead of watching her and Jacen at the end of their story, we’re watching them sail into a new adventure.
Also, Jacen saying “I have a bad feeling” later on is just lovely. Please tell me we’re going to get Ezra to train this kid.
Seatos: throw a rock, hit a lightsaber wielder
The first half of this episode made me think it would be like its predecessor, giving us The Action Episode, Part 2. But I quickly realized I didn’t much care if that turned out to be the case. There’s a difference between spaceship battles and lightsaber duels, and I am very fond of the latter.
I was surprised by how much I was feeling the tension in both Sabine and Ahsoka’s separate battles. The different forms of lightsaber fighting were great, and this felt like the music was finally finding its place. Original movie music is deserved when original movie moments are happening.
So, Ahsoka killed Marrok… and? Did we ever learn anything about this character? I feel like his only purpose came from finally giving Shin the briefest hints of a personality, since she seemed somewhat distraught when he died. But it’s not like we’ve seen her and Marrok interact before, so why does that even matter?
At least we got to an Ahsoka-Baylan duel – which didn’t feel very satisfying. Baylan still isn’t developed enough as a character to feel like a compelling antagonist, and his fighting with Ahsoka this early on is odd, too. You’d think, if Baylan is supposed to be the big bad of this show, that you’d build up to him and Ahsoka fighting near the finale. You’ve spent all this time watching them grow in power, and then you get to the climax. But no, they’re fighting already.
I did really like Baylan’s line about Anakin often talking about Ahsoka. I’ll take any links between Anakin and Ahsoka that I can get, but this one was especially sharp.
Hopefully, this show won’t try to make Ahsoka redeem herself for walking away from Anakin. This scene and Baylan’s lines felt inclined in that direction. I already went over this in my review of episodes 1 and 2, but the point boils down to the fact that Ahsoka has already atoned for this. That’s exactly what “Twilight of the Apprentice” was for her. So I hope Ahsoka won’t harp on that fact too much.
This is where the danger begins
In Shin and Sabine’s duel, I liked the trope subversion. Sabine loses her lightsaber and reaches out, as if to grab it with the Force. But when Shin mocks her, Sabine shoots her with her Mandalorian weapons. Sabine might still be training to be a Jedi, but she’s Mandalorian through and through.
Slightly later on, there’s the scene where Shin emerges alone from the forest and Ahsoka, briefly, thinks that Sabine has been killed. It’s a good surge of emotion from her, but the ham-fisted dialogue detracts from it. Instead of her saying “Sabine” when she sees Shin, why not have her say “No” or just look at Shin in horror? Let the audience decipher some stuff for themselves.
But yeah, this is the point where things go from bad to worse for Ahsoka and Sabine. When Baylan knocked Ahsoka off of the cliff, I thought for a moment that he had cut off her hand. That would’ve been interesting, given that losing limbs is a Skywalker trait, but that’s not what we get here.
Sabine’s conflict after Ahsoka’s defeat is exquisitely done – I genuinely felt her conflict when it came to handing over the map. And, shit – did this show just confirm that the Wrens are all dead? I guess that makes sense given the Mandalorian Purge, but… wow. It really adds a lot more weight to Sabine’s quest for Ezra.
I know we might not get it, but I’d love it if Sabine played with the dark side for a bit while she and Ahsoka are separated. It’d make for a great conflict when they face each other again.
And now we’re here… at the last scene.
I can’t even describe my emotions.
“Hello, Snips” will be haunting me for weeks
Ahsoka waking up in the World Between Worlds was unexpected – I’m looking forward to seeing the show’s explanation for how exactly she got there. But even when I recognized her location I still didn’t see this coming…
A voice calling her Snips, Ahsoka turning around… and it’s him.
I’d been previously aware that Hayden Christensen would be in this show, but I’d expected him to appear either in flashbacks or as a Force ghost later on. Showing up in the World Between Worlds certainly wasn’t on my bingo card, but it works!
And Ahsoka calling him “Master” at first, but when she sees him she says “Anakin,” not Skyguy, and there’s that expression of disbelieving joy crossing her features as she says his name…
And then the episode has the nerve to end with Vader’s theme.
I’m getting emotional just thinking about it.
Overall, though, this scene made me really appreciate this episode’s title. Most of them have been pretty explicitly named (although thankfully, unlike Kenobi, this show actually HAS episode titles). But this one makes you wonder – who is the titular “Fallen Jedi?” Is it Anakin, who succumbed to the dark side? Ahsoka, who walked away? Or, very cleverly, is it both of them?
What comes next?
The ending of this episode keeps making me forget that other stuff happened. But yes, we’ve taken some major steps when it comes to locating both Ezra and Thrawn. Sabine is currently with Baylan and Shin and Morgan, having used the hyperspace jump, and Hera wasn’t able to reach them in time. And Ahsoka is… somewhere far off.
And she’s seeing Anakin again, and they’re finally live-action together, and we could actually get that hug we’ve never properly seen –
Oh, but I have my doubts that things will go so smoothly for the two of them. After all, that scene wouldn’t close out with the Imperial March for nothing.
My prediction is that episode 5 will open with Anakin and Ahsoka reuniting, all seemingly well. But then, as they progress deeper into the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka will have to face who Anakin has become – in one fashion or another.
Initially, my theory was that Ahsoka is somehow existing in the space between life and death. She’s meeting Anakin after his defeat on Mustafar, where he’s also half dead and half alive, and they’ll only have so long together before they both have to return to the real world.
My best friend informed me of the theory that this Anakin is a version who defeated Obi-Wan at Mustafar. If that is the case, I can imagine the angst as Ahsoka realizes this. Maybe she’ll even have to duel Anakin again, which would be extraordinarily painful.
I’m definitely curious as to which period Anakin this is. He certainly looks like ROTS Anakin, but that only begs the question: when from that movie? Is he Vader yet? There are six months between Ahsoka leaving the Temple and the events of ROTS, and Anakin just told Ahsoka “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” So there is the possibility that this Anakin comes from that post-season 5 and pre-ROTS time frame. Ahsoka interacting with Anakin while she knows the events of his future but he doesn’t… oh, that could hurt.
Either way, I’m looking forward to the next episode and dreading it at the same time. Like I said at the beginning of this review: I missed this. I honestly preferred when Star Wars was only movies in the theater, because then I could just watch them the day they came out. Now, with my schedule busier, I have to make active plans for each new episode. It’s fun and intimidating all at the same time.
I don’t know if I’m ready for the emotional upheaval episode 5 will bring, but this is what I’ve been waiting for for so long. Let’s hope my fears will be worth it.
Once more, here are my live notes from this episode.
