(I hope it’s clear which Rebels episode I’m referencing, because otherwise this title just looks grammatically incorrect.)
You know the saying “No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans?” It’s not true for me; I love this franchise despite its flaws. But I’m certainly far more critical of SW content than I am of almost anything else. I just expect so much from it.
Maybe that’s why I love SW movies so much. Being able to sit back and absorb an entire two-hour story every other December defined my high school years. With weekly TV releases, there’s more time to pull scenes apart before you reach that long-awaited climax.
But sometimes it’s nice to stop looking for faults. Every so often, a piece of media will come along that just leaves me feeling happy.
Enter Ahsoka episode 6.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still here to write a proper review. But this was such a good episode in so many ways, much like the previous one. Ahsoka has truly hit its stride, delivering strong emotional connections and reunions that hurt in all the best ways. Episode 6 marks a turning point in this show – the end is beginning.
A long time ago…
In the same way Sabine wasn’t in episode 5, Ahsoka only appears briefly in episode 6. Master and apprentice aren’t by each other’s side yet.
This entire show is wonderfully cast, but Rosario Dawson is the crowning kyber crystal of it all. From her speech patterns to the way she leans on her arm, it’s as if she was born for this role. No one else could’ve brought Ahsoka Tano to life the way she has.
We learn a delightful bit of SW lore in this opening scene. Huyang begins a story that he used to tell to Jedi younglings, starting with “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”
This line works well as a title and a nice transition to Peridea – a planet as far away as you can get – but there’s so much more to it. As an audience, we’ve been greeted with this line at the beginning of every SW movie. Huyang casually reveals that his stories and ours start the same way.
Canonically, we can’t forget that every SW tale we’ve ever heard takes place in a distant past. Are they truths, or are they legends? Maybe the movies are all stories passed down to future generations of Jedi children, details changing with time. What parts might have been altered over the years? How much is accurate anymore?
It’s minor, but what a gift has Huyang given us in his singular line.
Enemies all around
It’s a good thing SW is well aware of how badass the Nightsisters are. They appear in many different areas of the universe, but this episode is the most explicit of the Ahsoka show. While it’s already been said that Morgan Elsbeth is a Nightsister, they come out in full force here. These are the character designs we recognize from The Clone Wars. They offer such a unique brand of magic and mystery to any SW format.
It’s disappointing that there wasn’t more focus on how Baylan and Shin view the Nightsisters. There’s just one line where Shin whispers “Witches” to Baylan, but it’s so empty of emotion. Given Baylan’s history with the Jedi, it would be interesting if he was admiring, intimidated, or maybe even a bit afraid (and therefore protective of Shin). But no, the two of them just coexist with the Nightsisters without incident.
I’ll talk more about Baylan and Shin in the next section because they’re such bland characters. But when it comes to antagonists, this episode delivers in the best possible way.
Enter Thrawn.
I’m getting chills just thinking about him. When his ship appeared overheard – his ship, the one Ezra made disappear twelve years ago – you could feel the weight of what was unleashed. As always, I took notes while I was watching this episode, but the moment Thrawn took his first step onscreen I couldn’t focus on anything else.
The return of Lars Mikkelsen here was so excellent. We’re continuing our trend of the Rebels crew appearing perfectly in live-action. Just hearing Thrawn’s clipped voice made me long to rewatch Rebels for a fifth time.
He’s a careful, calculating villain who’s masterfully written. Thrawn’s origins date back to the 80’s and the SW Extended Universe, but his current presence cannot be undervalued. Filoni revived a brilliant character in Rebels, and it’ll be thrilling to see where he goes from here.
Not Jedi, not Sith – not anything
Finally, we’ve learned some information about Baylan and Shin that goes beyond “He used to be a Jedi.” It’s not much, but it’s something. In this episode, Baylan speaks more at length about the ideals he’s previously touched upon.
Talking with Shin, Baylan explains to her that he’s grown weary of the universe’s cycles – the Jedi rise, the Jedi fall. The Empire rises, the Empire falls. He’s out to try and end the monotony. This gives him some motivation, but it still leaves the viewer wanting.
Learning from Thrawn that Baylan was a General in the Order, is a nice detail. Despite this, however, there’s still so much unknown about him. What exactly happened to him during Order 66? What has he been up to since the fall of the Republic?
Beyond these questions, though, arises the larger issue – who on Earth Tatooine is Shin? When did Baylan pick her up? Why did he take an apprentice? And does Shin have any characteristics besides not blinking?
A frustrating part of episode 6 is when Baylan mentions Ezra. He defines Ezra as a “wild Jedi” not properly trained in the Temple, and Shin asks “Like me?” But Baylan shoots this comparison down instantly, claiming that Shin is to be more than simply a Jedi.
This would’ve been a neat parallel, and in a way it still holds. But it brings up another question: what exactly are Baylan and Shin? They said they weren’t Jedi back in episode 1, but they haven’t called themselves Sith either. If they’re something in between, the red lightsabers are a false alarm. The two of them wielding any other lightsaber color – or having different shades – could’ve been a good touch. But no, this is likely as much as we’ll ever learn about them. And it’s not enough.
It’s the little things
This is an episode, much like the previous one, that will go down in SW history. It’s rolled out the red carpet for the return of two major players from Rebels, both of whom have destinies that will extend far beyond Ahsoka. But there’s a great deal here that’s just – to put it simply – charming.
In a way, much like the first episode, this one is a callback to Rebels – not as directly, but in spirit. This is shown in Sabine’s endearing relationship with her howler and the tribe of snail people that Ezra found. The balance of comedy and emotion is reminiscent of Rebels in the most perfect way. It’s what the show did best, after all.
(And it’s a well-done parallel to have Sabine forge a connection with the howler, given that Ezra’s usually the one who bonds quickly with animals.)
There’s also the Nightsisters, an arrival that never feels like fanservice. And the purrgil bones floating in space around Peridea are SO cool. It’s nice touches like this that make SW so iconic, but they lend especially to Ahsoka. We might have straightforward dialogue and drawn-out scenes here and there, but atmospheric details like these ones make it all worth it.
Jedi Dawn
(Get the title? Get it?)
And here it comes, the moment this entire show has been working towards.
Enter Ezra.
Eman Esfandi portrays this character so well. He carries himself like Ezra, but he even sounds like him. And Ezra still carries his scars!
Ezra’s Rebels callbacks were the most heart-rendering lines I’ve heard from SW in a long time. They both came from his final message in the show’s finale. The last thing he ever told Sabine was “I’m counting on you.” His last words to his family were “I can’t wait to come home.”
Here, in Ahsoka, the first thing he says to Sabine when he sees her again is “I knew I could count on you.” And his closing line in the episode is “I can’t wait to go home.”
Ah, my heart.
I’ve said before that I disliked how this show tried to pretend like Ezra and Sabine were always siblings – just call them best friends. It’s more true to their relationship. But oh man, the hug. The emotion in that scene was so tangible. This is what I’ve been yearning for since the ending of Rebels.
Getting Ezra back is going to be something of a challenge, but Ahsoka and Sabine have come this far. Ezra is finally going to see Hera again, he’ll learn that Jacen exists… it’ll be amazing.
Stepping back from the nostalgia, though, this episode showcases one of the more disappointing aspects of Ahsoka – it’s so short. We might be getting a second season, but this first one has only eight episodes. Sabine found Ezra so easily. I thought she’d use the Force somehow to locate him, but that’s not the case.
There’s been a lot of emphasis pre-Ahsoka on finding Thrawn, as Sabine and Ahsoka firmly believed that where he ended up, so did Ezra. But I couldn’t help imagining a scenario where they found Thrawn but learned that Ezra left him a long time ago. Then their search for him would be even harder.
It’s kind of funny that Ezra is still on the same planet as Thrawn. It makes sense; I guess they wouldn’t be able to travel anywhere far. And I get that Thrawn has limited troops and isn’t going to waste any by hunting down someone who isn’t an active threat. But still, the fact that Sabine finds Ezra in less than a day is awfully convenient. Thrawn must be really unworried about him.
What comes next?
Ahsoka never faced Thrawn in Rebels. She disappeared at the end of season 2, and he arrived at the beginning of season 3. Their paths are finally going to cross, and this could be the matchup of a lifetime. Ahsoka hasn’t dealt with anyone like Thrawn before.
We should also be getting an Ahsoka-Ezra reunion next episode. After all, Ahsoka was the first one who swore to bring Ezra back. In “A World Between Worlds,” the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Rebels, Ezra and Ahsoka’s paths crossed for the first time since the season 2 finale. They were forced to go their separate ways again, but Ezra told Ahsoka to find him when she made it out. Ahsoka responded “I will. I promise.”
It’s time for Ahsoka to finally fulfill that promise and do what Sabine said in the last line of Rebels – bring Ezra home.
But with Ezra found, it’s Hera I’m worried about now. She has a connection with Leia, which is something, but things aren’t looking good for her when it comes to the New Republic. She’ll probably have to defend her actions in the next episode. And given the response she received in episode 5 when she tried to explain her position, Mon Mothma might be her only ally.
This would be the perfect place to finally bring Zeb into the show. We already know his character model exists from The Mandalorian, and that he’s working with the New Republic. If Hera’s in trouble, Zeb would definitely be ready to defend her. And maybe we could see Kallus, too.
My theory is that these senators won’t believe Hera. They’ll threaten to suspend her, but Hera won’t accept it. She’ll quit instead and take the Ghost with her. Zeb and Kallus will still call her General, and Hera will take them with her as she sets off to form the Resistance.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer it if Hera didn’t get fired, but that really wouldn’t be the worst possible outcome. Given her fundamental role in the Rebellion, having her be at the forefront of the Resistance would be amazing. And then she can rally up some ships to help Sabine and Ahsoka in the show’s final battle!
I can’t wait for episode 7. It might have taken half of its runtime, but Ahsoka is becoming the major event it was always meant to be. It’s been a tribute to Rebels in every way – let’s hope it continues to deliver.
As always, here are my live notes across this episode.
