The Star Wars franchise has never been short of quality television shows on Disney Plus. From their first Disney Plus original series, “The Mandalorian,” to their newest one, “Ahsoka,” the story of a galaxy far, far away expands even further — this time to a different galaxy.
The conclusion to the first season of “Ahsoka” aired Tuesday, Oct. 3, and left the ball in Disney’s court. Spoilers ahead!
Ahsoka — played by a fantastic casting choice in Rosario Dawson — was always an interesting choice for creating a full story, with the 11 combined seasons of 2008’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and 2014’s “Star Wars Rebels” seeming to hint at the creation of an eventual Ahsoka led series.
“Because of the epilogue that I did in Rebels. Definitely, all signs are indicating that there’s a continuation,” “Star Wars Rebels” and “Ahsoka” showrunner Dave Filoni said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“Ahsoka” follows the titular character’s journey looking for a map that would allow her to search for her missing friend, Ezra — who previously went missing after fighting the final big bad of “Star Wars Rebels,” Thrawn.
In the first minutes, we see the Grey Jedi effectively use her lightsabers for both combat and practical use — a great introduction to who Ahsoka is as a character.
We are also introduced to Ahsoka’s relationship with past characters — or lack thereof. She only interacts with the droid, Huyang, as they merely escape several self-destructing guards on the map.
Throughout the series, relationships mend, bend and break as the old gang — consisting of Ahsoka, Sabine, Huyang, Hera and Chopper — are tested with new troubles. The group has to decide if searching for Ezra will lead to a dead end and if it’s even worth the risk to be faced with Thrawn once again.
The constant push and pull of Ahsoka and Sabine’s friendship was one of the most gripping aspects of the show, with their training having several callbacks to Luke’s training with Obi-Wan.
Some new faces include fan favorites Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati — two former Jedis and current mercenaries working for Morgan Elsbeth. Both are very well-written characters who have also become some of my favorites — with their Master-Padawan relationship outside the Jedi order captivating fans.
However, not much information has been given about these two characters. Their past and how they met remain a mystery, and their future ends on a cliffhanger. The last episode displays how they’re similar in many ways and different in many more, with Baylan deciding that Shin’s training with him is finished, and the two go their separate ways.
Watching iconic characters interact on screen once again felt beautiful to watch. From Hera and Jacen coming to terms with his force sensitivity to seeing C-3PO mention Princess Leia to Chopper’s returning antics, it was a gift to “Star Wars Rebels” fans.
It was amazing to see Ezra’s return and how he fit right back in with the group. It also felt mind-blowing to see Hayden Christensen’s return to Star Wars to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker.
“When I got the phone call to talk about being a part of the Ahsoka project, I was thrilled,” Christensen said in an “Ahsoka” behind-the-scenes featurette.
All in all, “Ahsoka” was a great addition to Ahsoka’s character and her arc to becoming a master. Every character was well-written and had a great story arc. That being said, because the series tried to tackle many plot lines and different character arcs, it ended on enormous cliffhangers for almost every character.
And while yes, it is essential for a show to reel you back in for the next season, it ultimately just didn’t feel like the series had a satisfying ending. Overall, it was a great series but had room for improvement, and I can’t wait to see what comes of it!
Rating: 4/5 stars
