Star Wars Subjectivities: Ahsoka

My hot take — you don't need to to be a hardcore Star Wars animated series fan to love this show.

I have dabbled in The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series, but by and large they're not for me. Not through any fault of theirs, though, just that I have a hard time getting invested in any animated show post-Simpsons. I'm also part of the older generations that weren't young and impressionable when they were released.

Now that the first season of Ahsoka is out and finished, there are many who say that it was merely a live-action, fifth Rebels season — to which I say, okay! For die-hard Rebels fan, you will 120% be rewarded for your loyalty and patience with one million Easter eggs, inside jokes, and character reunions.

But for those of us who have merely dabbled in Rebels — or gasp! seen none of it — Ahsoka is still a great show worth watching. I have assembled in support of my argument the top 5 reasons I think everyone can enjoy it. Let's dive in. 

1. Ahsoka Tano is an incredibly interesting — and downright cool — character

Rosario Dawson has done an amazing thing with her portrayal of grownup Ahsoka — she's just so damn cool. The closest thing I can compare her to is David Carradine in the 70's TV show Kung Fu. She, too, is an itenerant practitioner of a powerful monastic form of self-defense, roaming the galaxy to go "where she's needed."

Ahsoka is all knowing glances, deep eye contact, slight smirks, and boundless patience. She has a complicated past — she was Darth Vader née Skywalker's one and only apprentice — and willingly left the Jedi Order, yet still is a Force user who practices what she learned among them. 

There's one scene in which Ahsoka and Sabine sit down and have a heart-to-heart, and Ahsoka is cupping a mug of some beverage, maybe hot, maybe alcoholic. But man, I've never wanted to sit down and have a chat with a fictional character more in my life. 

When she's not being wise or searching out the truth, she's a bad-ass lightsaber wielder and she absolutely loves jumping outside of her spaceship for some intense battle choreography. She's the GOAT.

2. Baylan and Shin show us something new

We see a lot of Jedi and Sith in Star Wars, but we hardly ever get a peak outside of this binary. Ahsoka, of course, comes close, but it's absolutely fascinating watching Baylan and Shin (master and apprentice) practice...whatever the hell they're doing. They're using the Force, but definitely not just for good. I wouldn't exactly call them evil, but they're nt warm and fuzzy, either. Seeing them together evokes a near-medieval feeling of knighthood, right down to the rigid way they use their lightsabers more like heavy metal broadswords than buzzing pieces of technology. I could watch a whole season of just them wandering around training and talking. How did they meet? What is Baylann's end goal? How did he find Shin? Why does Shin always have a smokey eye?

3. THRAWN IS HEEEEREEEE

It's almost a shame Thrawn made his first official canon appearance in Rebels — a lot of folks may have missed it! But seeing him in the flesh halfway through the first season of Ahsoka is positively divine. I could write a whole 'nother post about the spell this blue-skinned man has cast over the Star Wars universe for the past 30 years, but suffice it to say that he's just the living embodiment of efficient and effective leadership.

That may sound boring at first take, but it's exciting to see him in action doing what he does best: strategizing and planning. He's no Imperial stooge that was a nepo-baby at an academy. No, he's a brilliant leader who has overcome a lot of discrimination in This Emperor's Navy. You want to root for Thrawn because he doesn't seem like a bad guy — he seems like a guy who knows exactly what he's doing, and why.

4. Witches.of.Mother.F'ing.Dathomir.

I've said for years that the Bene Gesserit in Dune were Star Wars-coded, and seeing Dathomiri Nightsisters in action only confirms it. They bring a fresh, new mysticism to Star Wars that's similar to yet distinct from the woo-woo Force we all know and love. Also, they're a little bit scary looking, and I dig that about them. And watching Morgan Elsbeth — looking for all the world like an evil Cheri Oteri — harness her nascent witch powers and lead her allies to Thrawn was thrilling. 

5. A different view of Anakin 

Some would say that there's maybe been too much focus on the Skywalkers throughout all of the Star Wars, and honestly, that's probably true. But seeing Anakin (briefly) in flashbacks in the Clone Wars mentor and lead Ahsoka is a fascinating look at a different version of his legacy. Not one of murder, betrayal, and galaxywide domination, but of a young man helping to train someone only a few years younger in a time of almost impossible trauma. You don't have to know all of the details of his and Ahsoka's falling out to know that they were important to one another, or that Ahsoka feels deeply shameful of her connection (and love for) a man that the entire galaxy would grow to revile. 

For a moment, you see what she saw in him — and what he could have been.

Bonus things to love

• You can never have too much Mon Mothma, and there's some good scenes with her trying to talk sense into a very intransigent New Republic senator.
• A C3PO cameo that will warm your heart
• Space whales are an objectively awesome plot device
• The peaky blinder snail inhabitants of Peridea that help our good guys

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo Award-winning podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker.

Recap — Ahsoka Episode 8: The Jedi, The Witch, and The Warlord

The season finale is a blast to watch, but where do we go from here?

We open on a special day — Morgan Elsbeth's promotion! The Great Mothers thank her, she who heard their dreams from across the stars. They give her the gift of shadows as recompense, and in a very a cool scene, physically and spiritually transform her with some witchy face markings, much like their own. The Great Mothers conjure up the Blade of Talzin, which is kinda like a witchy lightsaber., and gift it to her.

It was easy as the beginning of the season to think of Elsbeth as a generic baddie, but the more we've seen, the more we've learned that she's in this for the girls. The Nightsisters, that is, and her home planet and culture of Dathomir. She doesn't care about Thrawn, or the Empire, or whatever the hell Baylan is looking for. For the bad guys, everyone is using everyone else in this show. Perhaps that's the banal, transactional nature of evil. It contrasts mightily with the themes of love, devotion, and friendship found with the good guys.

Rebels Back Together 

Ezra is on Ahsoka's ship with Huyang in the workshop, constructing a new lightsaber. They're playfully squabbling, and then Ezra tells him that his master was none other than Kanan Jarrus. Huyang, being the ancient robot that he is, tells Ezra that he knew him back at the Jedi Temple decades before. In fact, Huyang has been holding on to a lightsaber bit that Kanan also used. Cute!!!

Ahsoka is back up top on her ship, her favorite place these days, and Sabine joins her for a heart to heart. She apologizes to her master for not destroying the map, expecting the worst. But our new Ahsoka the White is gracious, and explains how Anakin always stood by her, no matter what. Ahsoka reaffirms her commitment to Sabine for the long haul. It's a touching scene, this unconditional love. 

Their peaceful chat is interrupted by a duo of Thrawn's TIE fighters, who strafe the ship and force it to crash clunkily on Peridia, their plans now definitely delayed. 

Thrawn Is NOT Playing

Because he knows that Anakin was Ahsoka's master, and because he knows how dangerous Ezra is from ahem, personal experience, Thrawn prepares for a ground assault, willing to take no chances with these errant Jedi. Enoch reports that the two TIE fighters accomplished their mission, but lost contact with them. Thrawn recognizes the sacrifice the pilots made, and what could be seen as a throwaway line, says "Mark their captain for a citation." 

This. This is why his troops love him. Hell, this is why I love Thrawn. He's a fair and just leader, and it's no wonder people follow him to the ends of the galaxy. Sure, he's cold, calculating, and stoic. But he knows how to treat people, something you can't ever say about any other member of the Empire. He's humble, too. When Elsbeth says that the volunteer Night Troopers are doing it for him, he says nope, it's for the Empire. 

Storming the Castle

Our Jedi hop on some of the native horse-wolves and make their way to Thrawn. He rains hellfire down upon them with the Star Destroyer's turbolasers, but to no use. They make their way through the gate and start climbing the tower to be met with a sea of storm troopers. 

And here we learn finally Thrawn's great plan. These are no ordinary troops — they're night troopers. Once they fall on the battlefield, the Great Mothers' dark magic reanimates them. They shamble. They groan. And they definitely don't stop.  

That's right. Dave Filoni has blessed us with zombie storm troopers. And in the scene of them being raised from the dead, we get treated with creepy Beetlejuice-sounding atonal string music. It's perfect. 

Witch vs Jedi

Thrawn dispatches Elsbeth to delay the Jedi, and she follows orders. She meets Ahsoka and they engage in maybe the coolest duel of the season. The Sword of Talzin has a satisfying metallic echo-thunk when it makes contact with a light saber. 

Also, I don't know about y'all, but I had no idea Elsbeth could ball so hard. I don't know if it's the new witchy powers or what, but the fight choreo was so incredibly entertaining. Also hell yeah to this episode for showing us another duel between two 40+ year old women!

Sabine and Ezra separate to go after Thrawn's ship, but they get separated as only Ezra can make the 100 foot jump to the destroyer. Sabine stays behind, and goes to help Ahsoka. 

After a few more moments of fantastic dueling, Ahsoka manages to wrest Elsbeth's sword from her and kills her with it. Such a shame to see her go! 

Thrawn Yeets Himself Out of the Galaxy

Despite our heroes' best efforts, Thrawn uses the Eye of Sion to escape back to the galaxy he belongs in. Ezra is a stowaway, however, and manages to disguise himself as a storm trooper. 

Before jumping to hyperspace, Thrawn reaches Ahsoka on comms and congratulates on her a good try. Then, in an incredibly bitchy move, says 'one wonders how similar" she may grow to Anakin, implying she may turn evil. How does he do it?!!? Thrawn knows exactly how to twist the knife. Fortunately, our girl has done force ghost therapy, so she knows that he's just being spiteful. 

Ahsoka and Sabine return to the surface of Peridia after a space chase in vain, and reunite with the Noti. They're going to be here a while, and it looks like this may a perfect time for them to just train. Could be worse, I suppose. 

Master and Apprentice, Separated 

In the last bit, we finally see Shin, briefly. She's been wandering Peridia, unsure of where to go or what to do. She approaches a bandit camp and raises her lightsaber, though it's unclear whether in attack or as a gesture of wanting to join. That's all we get, though, so we'll have to find out next season!

Next we see Baylan, standing on a huge cliff shape not unlike the Argonath from Lord of the Rings. I had to do some research, but what's he standing on is a statue of the Father, a character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3. The father dwelled in the realm of Mortis along with his kids the Son and the Daughter. 

According to this post by Screen Rant, "the Mortis gods were essentially tied to the Force itself, which is likely why Baylan still hears them calling to him. In any case, it could be that they wish for Baylan to find Mortis itself and act as the new keeper of the balance."

Note: I don't know a ton about the Father & Daughter & Son stuff. 

This makes sense, as all season long Baylan has been talking about how the Jedi and the Sith were doomed to keep going back and forth forever. 

Sadly, however, the actor who played Baylan, Ray Stevenson, passed away this year. It's unclear whether he'll be recast or the story will be scrapped. 

Chopper, We're Home

Thrawn and company make it to the proper galaxy, this time approaching the planet Dathomir. We see the cargo hold still full of what appears to be coffins, but I'm not sure what they're full of. Rumors have it that its fallen Nightsisters. 

Ezra manages to escape the star destroyer, and he meets up with the fleet. He has a touching reunion with Chopper and Hera, who basically was like his mom. It's good to see them reunited. 

Back on Peridia, we see the force ghost of Anakin looking down on Ahsoka and Sabine. 

What Now?

Ezra has switched places with Ahsoka and Sabine, and now how are they going to get home? My guess is something with the World Beyond Worlds? I don't think they're going to be able to get the purrgils, or the Eye of Sion. 

But what I also can't stop thinking about is that now there's precedent for Thrawn being in the canon world of Star Wars. So this is how Filoni does it! Yanking him through to the galaxy at roughly the same time as Zahn did in the Legends Universe with Heir to the Empire, around five years post-ROTJ.

Honestly it's brilliant. Ahsoka has set up a new war arc with Thrawn and I'm thrilled to see where it goes. 

The Math

Baseline score: 8

Bonuses: +2 Seeing Thrawn win is a delight, even though he's a bad guy. He's just so damn smart and calculating.

Penalties: -2 How the hell you gonna end a season like this?!

Nerd coefficient: +2 Fantastic finale and will appease hardcore Clone Wars nerds. I'm not nearly nerdy enough to have understood all of the references in this episode.

Gonk droid count: Zero!

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo-nominated podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker. 

Recap — Ahsoka Episode 7: Dreams and Madness

As we barrel toward the season finale next week, things start to get complicated for our heroes.

This week, we open on a rare daytime scene of Coruscant, the capital city of the other galaxy. It's funny, when I picture Coruscant in my head, it's always a vast, sprawling nighttime scene. Probably because in my head, it's the same as New York City, just more sci-fi. 

Hera has been hauled before the Senate committee to atone for her sins of disobeying orders. Mon Mothma is there, and tries her best to be understanding, and Admiral Ackbar is there but remains silent. Senator Xiono, however, is on a witchhunt for Hera, and calls for her court martial. 

This scene harkens back to the EU, as Xiono basically is taking the role of Bothan council member Borsk Fey'lya, who folks loved to hate for his antagonism and political grandstanding. Even though the EU was scrapped almost wholesale, I love that Filoni is managing to sneak in some of its more important themes and characters (cough Thrawn cough).

A Protocol Surprise to Be Sure, but a Welcome One

All of a sudden, there's a disruption in the courtroom, and we hear Leia's theme begin softly playing. Accompanying this leitmotif is an appearance of none other than our boy C-3PO. It's funny, the Anakin/Hayden Christiansen appearance knocked everyone's socks off, sure, but Threepio absolutely just warmed my heart. 

He barges into the proceedings on behalf of Leia, and of course our favorite princess is here to save Hera's ass. In front of the court, Threepio presents evidence stating that Leia personally authorized Hera's trip to Seatos, and if Xiono has any more beef, to bring it personally to her. 

Afterwards, Mon Mothma lovingly sees through this ruse, but then in a moment of vulnerability asks Hera point-blank how real the Thrawn threat is. She's concerned. 

In a Space Whale's Mouth Far, Far Away

Ahsoka is training with a videotape of Anakin, and it's clear that's she saved this for a very long time. I like this idea of her still honing her Jedi skills, epecially now that's she's come to terms with him and his legacy, and where she falls alongside it. 

We learn that he made more than 20 of these lesson-recordings. With a sharp exhale, Ahsoka admits to Huyang, "He was a good master."

I saw a meme yesterday that was like "Anakin was only 23 when he became Vader. He shouldn't have been a sith! He should have been at the club!" I laughed, but there's a kernel of truth to this sentiment. He was so, so young. Wise behind his years, yes, and a formidable warrior. But he was such a baby in terms of world experiences. 

Arriving to Peridia

Ahsoka drops out of spacewhale hyperspace into an artfully laid trap above the planet — hundreds of space mines. In a very upsetting scene, our beloved purgill are getting attacked left and right. It takes just a few seconds, but the entire pod says "screw this" and jumps back into hyperspace, leaving Ahsoka and Huyang to navigate through the rest of the mines. 

As the emerge unscathed, fighters are launched to track them, and Ahsoka, impersonating her best Han in Empire, heads into the debris field to shake them. She finds a cozy spot and they hide out, buying time to figure out their next move and scan for Sabine.

Thrawn Gets the Surprise of His Life

One of the first things you learn about Thrawn in the Zahn trilogy (and later in Rebels) is that he's a cunning foe because he prides himself on learning as much about an enemy as possibly — background, culture, art, history. 

So while he knew that Ahsoka was a Jedi, when he finds out that Anakin was her master, you can almost see the exact second his jaw hits the floor. Just for a moment though, as he's a consummate tactictian and always, always has that cool blue demeanor. He also takes solace in knowing Anakin — if she's like him, she'll be unpredictable and dangerous.

Noti Caravan Life

Sabine and Ezra are in the Noti caravan, and she's catching him up on the past ten tumultuous year of galactic history. Here again we see Filoni doing the lord's work of trying to insert little plot bits that will help the sequel trilogy make even a slight bit more sense. "So Palpatine died?" Ezra asks. "That's what people say," replies Sabine.

EXCUSE ME. He was thrown down a mineshaft. The second Death Star exploded. Sigh. I guess this means that somehow, he'll return 20 years later. I have to laugh to keep from crying. 

Ezra has missed a lot, but there's so much more that she's not telling him. Good guy that he is, he doesn't press. Meanwhile, I'd be like YOU HAVE A PLAN RIGHT?!?!

The Great Mothers Help Thrawn Once Again

Thrawn's reliance on the Nightsisters and their ability to use the Force and magic is interesting. Not being a Jedi himself, dealing with them has always been his weakness. It's unclear what the Nightsisters are getting from their alliance (besides maybe a free trip back to the other galaxy), but they're definitely devoted to him. 

He asks them to find Ahsoka's location within the spacewhale bone graveyard, and they quickly set to work. I found myself really enjoying their use of magic — it compliments the magic we see with the Force (because that's all the Force really is, isn't it?). 

As Star Wars fans, we can take the Force for granted — lifting rocks, pushing enemies back, hearing voices. So seeing it in a new way underlines how truly remarkable this type of power is. They find her almost instantly, and Thrawn dispatches fighters to track her down.

The Battle Begins

Shin and Baylan have located Ezra and Sabine, overlooking their caravan from a hilltop. In a surprising move that I didn't see coming, Baylan tells Shin to kill them, and then to take her place in Thrawn's coming empire. 

She's blindsided — but Baylan merely tells hers that his path lies separate from hers. He gives her a parting lesson: Impatience for victory will guarantee defeat. 

This bummed me out! I liked their dynamic, and they seemed to care about each other. Also what does Baylan have up his sleeve? I had a feeling he wasn't entirely bad. Maybe that's why he was just using Thrawn and not eager to join the ranks of an evil empire.

A Rebels Battle If Ever There Was One

Shin and her goons race down and attack the caravan, and the battle begins in earnest. Ezra instructs the Noti to circle the hermit crab wagons and they make their stand. Shin confronts Ezra and Sabine, and in a scene straight of Rebels, he comically makes a last minute appeal to distract her before attacking. I'm not sure why this scene took me out of it, it was just a bit corny. It wouldn't have been in a cartoon, but it is in real life. 

Meanwhile, Ahsoka is skimming the planet's surface and spots Baylan. She jumps down and they begin to fight, as well. 

Both of these concurrent battles are fun to watch, but they both end in stalemates. Ahsoka escapes back onto her ship so she can go help Ezra and Sabine. Once there, they run Shin off instead of killing her, which was an interesting choice. (And one I'm glad of, as I like her character.)

This was part of Thrawn's plan. There's no need for him to keep his troops there. Their real mission is nearly complete — loading up the ship and getting ready to leave. 

Another Reunion

Ahsoka is reunited with Ezra, and it's heartwarming. Now what are they going to do?! The only way back to the other galaxy would be via the Eye of Sion. That is, unless the purgill come back, though if I were them, I'd be down with these humans. 

It's clear that the season finale next week is going to be a cliffhanger. I sure hope we get a season 2 — surely we will, right?

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The Math

Baseline score: 7

Bonuses: +3 Threepio cameo! Ahsoka is back to her sly and sassy self. Some very good fighting.

Penalties: -3 There's a frustrating lack of plot progress despite how much happens in this episode. We're still no closer to knowing what Baylan is doing, or what Thrawn is loading into the ship, or how our heroes are going to get home.

Nerd coefficient: +2 I've decided my new favorite thing is how Sabine uses her beskar armor kind of like how John Wick is always pulling up his bulletproof jacket to cover his face.

Gonk droid count: Zero!

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo-nominated podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker. 

Recap — Ahsoka Episode 6: Far, Far Away

 Episode 6 really delivers the goods as we meet Thrawn in the flesh for the very first time!

We open in purrgil hyperspace, with Ahsoka and Huyang telling old tales. Huyang's skill as a storyteller, we learn, is why our beloved franchise begins with the infamous preamble "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." Spoken, of course, on the way to a faraway galaxy ensconced in the maw of a space whale.

We're Off to See the Witches

Sabine awakens in a holding cell, encountering Baylan and shouting that they had a deal — she'd give up the map if he'd agree to take her to Ezra. 

It's not quite that easy, though — he knows that she can still be of use when it comes to her obsession for finding Bridger. 

The Eye of Sion exits hyperspace above the planet Peridia (and not, in fact, "Druidia" from Spaceballs, which is 100% what I heard watching for episode for the first time Tuesday night without subtitles).

It's the ancient homeworld of Elsbeth's ancestors, the Dathomiri Nightsisters. Encircling the planet isn't a ring of dust or ice like Saturn, but rather of MOTHERFREAKING PURRGIL BONES. This is a VERY metal moment in Star Wars, and I'm here for it. It seems the purrgil are not unlike our salmon, and return home to pass away, crushed into bone dust around an ancient planet.

The Nightsisters harnessed the purrgil, hopping between galaxies like the badasses they are. We're only like 5 minutes in and this episode is already incredible. 

When Shall We Three Meet Again?

Our bad guys fly a brilliant gold shuttle reminiscent of yet another Spaceballs reference (Lonestar's Winnebago!) down to the surface of the planet to rendezvous with none other than Night Sisters! 

Seeing them in live-action is INCREDIBLE — so creepy, so eerily voiced. This, we find out, is how Elsbeth manufactured the map/McGuffin device so central to the show's plot. She heard their call across the galaxy and it worked! I loved loved loved this scene. The sisters are giving Bene Gesserit in the best possible way. 

Elsbeth knows there's an ulterior motive — Thrawn has summoned them. He chose well to ally with these witches. They notice the reek of Jedi — not just Baylan and Shin (who seems utterly shocked by the existence of more than one witch) but also Sabine, their prisoner. 

Insight into Our Dark(?) Jedi

As the witches leave, we're left for a scene with just Baylan and Shin. Finally, we get more insight into who these people are, and what they're all about. I've been referring to them as dark Jedi throughout these recaps, but I wasn't sure. Turns out, they're just mercenaries! 

Baylan is a former Jedi, having been raised the traditional way in the temple. We learn of his trauma, of watching Order 66 unfold before him. 

But unlike traditional Sith masters and apprentices, their relationship doesn't seem to be one of obeisance and blind subservience. He listens to Shin, and provides guidance, but doesn't demand blind obedience. He's fatherly and kind, not unlike Anakin and Ahsoka, as he listens to her questions and criticisms. 

I don't think he's a dark Jedi or a Sith, but I do believe he's trying to live outside the stark strictures of history. He mentions the rising and falling and the repeating natures of it all — he wants to break free of it. In this way, he's similar to Ahsoka's stature outside the order. Using the Force, but in pathways yet unforged. 

A Meeting 33 Years in the Making

Thrawn. THRAWN! First introduced in May 1991 by Timothy Zahn, and beloved by Star Wars fans throughout the intervening years. Once relegated to Legends status, our lord and savior Dave Filoni resurrected Thrawn into canon in Rebels — and here in this episode, we shall meet our Admiral in the flesh, played by his voice actor Lars Mikkelson. 

Ever one to make a grand entrance, Thrawn descends upon the scene in his Star Destroyer — a mightily imposing scene that had me guessing at how precise their sublight engines and repulsor lifts were. As Elsbeth, the Nighsisters, Baylan, and Shin meet step to meet him, we're presented with an awesome display of might.

Lining the floor of the hangar, we see a legion of stormtroopers, their masks cracked and repaired, their bodies lined with red stripes signifying we know not what. We get an up close and personal glimpse of Enoch, Thrawn's number one, his stormtrooper looking for all the world like a Party City Mardi Gras mask — but in a badass way, of course. 

The music is blaring, the Thrawn theme is echoing, and we're here, folks. We're here. We're meeting Grand Admiral Thrawn in the flesh, and it was so worth it. 

He's so blue. And his eyes are so menacingly red. Thrawn has been in exile for 10 years — that's an incredible amount of time! And it accounts for his slightly dirty uniform, as well as his stormtroopers' cracked visages. These soldiers are called night troopers, which is interesting. They've been living without support or reinforcement for a decade, no wonder things are in disrepair. 

What has this man been doing?!?! I have SO many questions, mainly from a supply chain point of view. The quartermaster in me really wants to know how he's been feeding these troops, keeping his Star Destroyer in fuel. 

A Kink in the Bad Guys' Plan

Our Bene Gesserit admit to Thrawn that there's a loose thread — the presence of Sabine, a familiar name to Thrawn as he knew her and Ezra back on Lothal. 

Thrawn greets Sabine, and thanks her for the part she played in freeing him from exile. Oof, that burns! Yes, it's technically her fault that Elsbeth & co could find Thrawn because she didn't destroy the Nightsister map. But it's complicated! 

Thrawn agrees to let Sabine go after Ezra, but of course she's going to be tracked. She mounts a howler (like a wolf horse) and traipses off into the brush of the planet, warned by Enoch to be wary of nomads. 

She gets ambushed within seconds (hey, she was warned!) but manages to impressively defend herself against a handful of natives. Her scanning equipment gets destroyed though, so she's in a pretty bad spot. 

Ready to Meet Your New Favorite Star Wars Creatures?

Lost and confused, Sabine stumbles across what can only be described as Peaky Blinders Hermit Crabs. They're called Noti and I'm obsessed. 

Like Leia befriending the Ewoks on Endor, she earns their trust and notices one wearing a rebel insignia — they must know where Ezra is!

I LOVED these little creatures. They really help capture that old Star Wars magic of strange and beautiful sentient beings. 

The creatures bring Sabine to their encampment, and we finally get the reunion we've been waiting for. Ezra is there, looking for all the world like Moses. He's been living among the Noti, we assume, and it's adorable.

It was a little hilarious that they didn't dive into the details of her arrival or her (lack of a) plan for getting off Peridia. But after missing each other for 10 years, sometimes you just want to have a moment of pleasure. He's NOT going to be happy when he learns she completely made his self-sacrifice moot in a moment of weakness. 

Bokken Promises

Tracking Sabine, Baylan and Shin find remnants of her scuffle. Shin asks after this Ezra, and we learn from Baylan about a type of Jedi called Bokken — ones trained after the fall of the temple. So Ezra, obviously, but also Luke! She asks if she's one, and Baylan replies no. He's training her to be something more than a Jedi. More clues! I remain fascinated.

Another Problem for Thrawn

Thrawn is told by the Nightsisters that the thread of fate has spoken — a Jedi is on the way via purrgil. He's understandably pissed, and immediately guesses that it's Ahsoka. He's been burned before by these space whales, so he charges his crew to eliminate it with prejudice. Little does he know that an entire pod is on the way. 

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The Math

Baseline score: 9

Bonuses: +100 Thrawn's live-action debut was perfection.

Penalties: 0 I can think of none. This episode had me absolutely giddy.

Nerd coefficient: +5 This is the first piece of Star Wars content in years that really captured the old-school magic. Nerds everywhere, rejoice.

Gonk droid count: Zero!

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo-nominated podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker. 

Recap — Ahsoka Episode 5: Shadow Warrior

Episode 5 will of Ahsoka will go down as one of the all-time great pieces of Star Wars content. 

Here we are — Ahsoka and Anakin, meeting in the World Between Worlds. Master and Padawan, separated by decades and a legacy of shame. What is there to say?

Turns out, a lot — though it will take the form of (imaginary?) time travel to enable Anakin teach Ahsoka her final lesson (since she left the Order before becoming a Jedi Knight). 

Also, Hayden Christiansen is KILLING it as Clone Wars Anakin! He didn't voice the animated character, but damn if doesn't replicate nearly perfectly.

But first, is the World Between Worlds real? Who can say! Is Anakin a mirage? We don't know! But he serves to help heal Ahsoka in this episode, and that's all that really matters. 

These Two Were Children

Anakin presents Ahsoka with a choice: to live, or to die. To help illustrate this, the two time travel back to the start of the Clone Wars, when Ahsoka was 14 and Anakin was 19. They were thrust into a galactic civil war, both teens trying to make sense of everything. 

Seeing Anakin de-aged and Ahsoka portrayed by a literal child really drives home the severity (and absurdity!) of their situation. It was easy while watching the Clone Wars to forget about this — cartoons by their nature are generally more light-hearted than their live-action counterparts.

But watching a young Ahsoka deal with the ravages of war and death was heartbreaking. (Thank God Filoni didn't put this young actress in a skimpy tube top, too). 

What Was Wrong With The Jedi?!

Lots of people talk shit about the Jedi, but I've seen myself as a Jedi Order apologist for a while. I respect their position, their way of life. But this episode really drives home how messed up the Jedi became towards the end of the prequels. Anakin himself states that they're no longer peacekeepers — they're now warriors.

But who appoints teenagers as generals in an army, no matter how skilled in the force they may be?

Watching Ahsoka as a teen really shows how unfair this was to everyone involved. — to the clones, to the Jedi, to all of the innocent bystanders across the galaxy. Palpatine really orchestrated a number on the entire galaxy. 

I know lots of people get tired of the Skywalker saga, but seeing it through Ahsoka's eyes invigorates it, and shows just how multifaceted Anakin's downfall truly was. Yes, the clunky dialogue and silly CGI give the prequels a bad name, but the story is truly Shakespearean. There's a reason these stories are still being made 50 years later.

Hera Still Searches

Hera, Jacen, and Carson's X-wing squad arrive too late, and they find no trace of where Ahsoka or Sabine went — or even if they're together, as a despondent Huyang remarks. Hera spends the episode convincing Carson to not give up quite yet as they make endless patrols and sweeps of the sea. 

But! Her son is the offspring of a Jedi (they finally mention Kanan!), and he eventually starts hearing lightsaber hums intermixed with the sound of the sea. This gives them the heart to continue searching, and with good reason — Ahsoka is out there and still alive. 

Unfortunately, the New Republic fleet enters the system, and it's time to distract them.

Choosing Not to Give In

Ahsoka has been struggling for years because of her connection to Anakin — as his only Padawan, she feels responsible for (or at the very least, adjacent to) his fall to the dark side. 

As they duel, he gives her the choice to give in to her anger and revenge — this, it seems, is her ultimate test. Briefly, her eyes turn red and Sith...

But she chooses not to give in to hate, fear, and anger. She succeeds where he failed, and will live to see another day.

She chooses life. 

It's no surprise that when she is fished out of the inky black drink on Seatos by the X-Wing marine rescue squad, she will eventually return as... Ahsoka the White.

We're Going A-Whaling!

With the map destroyed, the only way for Ahsoka to get to the next galaxy over to find Thrawn and Ezra is to hitch a ride with the Purgills. You read that right. Ahsoka steps outside her ship (she's gettting really good at this) and approaches the largest creature — then flies straight into its mouth.

(As an aside, I've been an avid Moby Dick lover for years, and I'm not going to lie, I found myself fantasizing about a space book of roving Purgill hunters. 10/10 would read!)

We can only assume that she's reaching out with the force to the creature and confirming the coordinates, but when Huyang asks her if she's sure, she says hell no!

But she's trying — and is ready to go find her friend.

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The Math

Baseline score: 9

Bonuses: +3 De-aged Anakin! Young Padawan Ahsoka! Purgill pod!

Penalties: -1 Non-Clone Wars fans won't be as moved, but they'll still understand why this episode is a big deal.

Nerd coefficient: +1 million This was literally our glimpse into a live-action Clone Wars.

Gonk droid count: Nary a one. That's okay, though.

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo-nominated podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker. 

Recap — Ahsoka Chapter 4: Fallen Jedi

The tension ramps up as we get closer and closer to Thrawn's appearance — and an old friend appears in the final moments.

The latest episode opens with our heroes hiding in the red-leafed forest of Seatos (I love the idea of a planet with just one season instead of one clime — autumn forever!). Huyang is busy at work tinkering with the ship to get it back online. David Tenant continues to be absolutely charming as Ahsoka's co-pilot/servant/friend. 

A Difficult Choice

Ahsoka and Sabine discuss their predicament — if they can't retrieve the map from Elsbeth, they may have to destroy it. And with it, their last chance of finding Ezra. Sabine is crestfallen at this thought, despite Ahsoka's admission that it may be necessary to prevent Thrawn's return and becoming...HEIR TO THE EMPIRE. 

That's right. She said it. The title of Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, the very first entry in the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels. While Disney chose to scrap the majority of the plots of the 150+ novels in the EU, Thrawn was salvaged — thank the maker. 

Huyang Works Out

The enemies close in and launch a surprise attack as Huyang is outside the ship doing yet more repairs. As he's ambushed, he holds his own in a droid fight absolutely for the ages. Is Huyang the ur-droid of Star Wars? He's as powerful and sassy as K2SO, as diplomatic as Threepio, and as useful as R2-D2. 

Sabine and Ahsoka rush to help, charging off after Marrok and Shin.

Hera Comes The Calvary

Denied backup, Hera leaves Home One without authorization. She's a rebel, after all, and won't sit idly by while her friends are in danger. And she's not alone — she's got a squad of X-Wing pilots who believe in her enough to join in going AWOL. Including everyone's favorite space cop, Carson!

Calculating The Path to Thrawn

Elsbeth and Skoll insert the map into the stone remains and witchy astral projections shoot out into the sky, immersing them in a 3-D depiction of the galaxy. 

With that, the internal clock of the episode starts ticking. As soon as the calculations are complete, the Eye of Sion can make the ulti-mega-hyperspace jump to Thrawn — and Ezra. 

Two Against Two

Despite Huyang's advice to not separate, Sabine heads off to battle Shin Hati while Ahsoka takes on the mysterious Marrok. Both duels take place in the same autumnal forest locale, and it's giving dark and foreboding Starkiller vibes from The Force Awakens.

We get the rematch between Sabine and Shin that ended with Sabine in the hospital last time — but I could watch these two fight forever. The intensity is unmatched, and I fear I will never tire of two female characters engaged in epic lightsaber duels. Ahsoka makes quick work of Marrok, and runs after the map, leaving Sabine to continue with Shin. 

Two Former Jedi Meet

Ahsoka gets to the map, only to find Baylan. Here we see two former Jedi meeting, both representing the light(ish) and dark(ish) sides of the Force. Baylan admits that Thrawn's return will spark another war, but speaks cryptically about how it will create something greater. 

Ahsoka will not have it. They raise lightsabers and fight — again, I remain so enthralled by the stolid, old-timey way both Baylan and Shin wield their weapons, as if they're swinging broad swords in medieval England. Ahsoka grabs the map but it sears her hand, and she drops it. 

Sabine Nooooo

Meanwhile, Sabine and Shin are going at it, but Shin manages to throw a dirty smoke bomb to distract her and skirts away. Both run up on the Ahsoka/Baylan duel, and Ahsoka, distracted by Sabine, uses the force to push Shin into a plinth. 

This results in her being flung off the cliff, her fate unknown.

Sabine is left holding the map, and Baylan expertly manipulates her. One would say he even plays her like a fiddle. She's too afraid of destroying it for fear of losing Ezra forever — even if it means Thrawn may return. Sabine capitulates as she turns it back to Baylan. He then swiftly destroys it, ensuring that no one can follow them as they head to Thrawn. He takes her prisoner, but promises to reunite her with Ezra. 

Too Little, Too Late

Hera and company roar into the system and attempt to disable the Eye of Sion, but it's no use. In an absolutely brutal scene, the Ghost and the 5 starfighters get absolutely wrecked by the enormous engines as the Eye of Sion makes the jump to hyperspace — two pilots even die. Sabine is aboard the Sion, alone without friends headed to an entire different galaxy.

It's done then. The bad guys are on the way to Thrawn.

The World Between Worlds

The camera pans down to the crashing waves, and we expect to see Ahsoka clinging to a craggy cliff face or treading water trying not to drown. But instead, she's in a dark space, ethereal and luminous. This is no ordinary place. It's not even reality as we know it. 

Fans of Rebels will recognize the Word Between Worlds, a sort of mystical Force plane where all of time and space converges. It's not clear how Ahsoka ends up here, as the portal to it is found on Lothal. There must be another way, or perhaps Ahsoka is nearly dead, her spirit somehow occupying this mystical space. 

She hears "Hello, Snips"— Anakin's nickname for her — and she turns around and sees age-appropriate force ghost Anakin. Not Vader. This is redeemed Anakin Skywalker, as the show takes place after Return of the Jedi. 

And the best part? It's Hayden Christiansen. In the flesh. He smiles. She's in disbelief. The last time they met was during the Empire, when she battled a loathsome Darth Vader. Seeing him like this means that's how she realizes he was redeemed. 

It's so good. 

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The Math

Baseline score: 8

Bonuses: +2 Incredible lightsaber duels in the episode

Penalties: -1 I'm a pretty big Star Wars nerd and had to Google some things to understand every part of this episode.

Nerd coefficient: +5 Hayden Christiansen as REDEEMED ANAKIN IN THE WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

Gonk droid count: 2 moving, at least 3 without legs

POSTED BY: Haley Zapal, NoaF contributor and lawyer-turned-copywriter living in Atlanta, Georgia. A co-host of Hugo-nominated podcast Hugo, Girl!, she posts on Instagram as @cestlahaley. She loves nautical fiction, Vidalia onions, and growing corn and giving them pun names like Anacorn Skywalker.