Star Wars: Ahsoka

From the mind of Dave Feloni, Ahsoka is the latest Star Wars show from Disney and Lucasfilm, and it follows the titular Jedi Master hero of the same name alongside Padawan Sabine Wren as they embark on a quest to find a lost friend as well as working to prevent the resurgence of a defeated Empire. It brings the colorful characters of Star Wars Rebels to the live action arena, and the team behind this show did an incredible job of making that transition look amazing! Rosario Dawson returns as Ahsoka Tano for a third time after her initial debut in The Mandalorian, and again in an episode of The Book of Boba Fett. Also, we have Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Ahsoka’s Mandalorian padawan Sabine Wren, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Rebel General Hera Syndulla. All three actresses along with the team of makeup artists breathe life into characters that many Star Wars fans were introduced to in the animated Star Wars universe. Their performances capture the essence of these beloved characters, making it easy for fans to connect with Ahsoka, Sabine, and Hera as they make the transition from animation to live-action in "Ahsoka." This triumvirate is on the hunt for one of the last remaining Grand Admirals of the now defunct Galactic Empire: Grand Admiral Thrawn (whose name was teased in “The Mandalorian” and was featured in “Rebels”).

 The focus of the freshman episodes is on Ahsoka reestablishing her relationship with Sabine after seemingly leaving the latter behind for reasons unknown, digging into the possible whereabouts of their lost friend, and laying the groundwork for peering outside the standard Star Wars galaxy that we’ve come to know and love. 

In regards to the characters, Ray Stevenson who portrays Baylan Skoll demonstrates why he was such a talented actor with a combination of tenderness as well as viciousness that can be expected of a powerful Force user, and his apprentice Shin Hati played by Ivanna Sakhno shows great determination, focus, and a chilling presence. Other characters from the Star Wars animated universe make their way into live action form including a former Rebel turned Governor of a key planet in the “Rebels” series played by Clancy Brown. The live action presence of old favorites is a much welcome reward for Star Wars fans who have followed them through Feloni’s other works: “Clone Wars” and “Rebels.” Also, the inclusion of Morgan Elsbeth played by Diana Lee Inosanto (making her first appearance in season two of “The Mandalorian”) who is an ally of Thrawn and a female human Nighsister (a race of people who had a strong connection to the Dark Side of the Force but used to practice a form of witchcraft, and who had a great animated presence in both of Feloni’s animated projects).

 

Another notable thing that I liked about the first two episodes was how focused the story seemed to be in comparison to other Star Wars such as season three of “The Mandalorian.” Also, there was the sense that they were well paced, and not a single scene was wasted nor rushed. However, if the show so far has one disadvantage, it’d be that the falling out between Ahsoka and Sabine seemed like it was a story that didn’t get the chance to be told, and hopefully we’ll see this play out in flashbacks. As of now, the board is set for the search for a lost friend, the return of a familiar enemy, the expansion of the Star Wars unlike anything we’ve seen before, and the pieces are on the move.