Ahsoka answers some questions in the season finale but ends on a cliffhanger, which sets up another season or Dave Filoni’s movie.
It more or less had to end this way. Obviously, there are questions that I get into below the photo. However, Dave Filoni left some room in there for some very happy surprises for Star Wars Rebels fans. Maybe, maybe not. I guess it depends on having a certain point of view as a wise Jedi once said. Overall, it was a satisfactory ending. Would I have made some changes to the finale? Oh, certainly. This just goes without saying. But at the end of the day, I have full faith in Dave Filoni when it comes to the larger Star Wars storytelling.
Spoilers will follow.
Kevin Kiner uses all the right classic John Williams cues in the episode. It’s always great to whenever the series calls back to the Force theme. What I wasn’t expecting and this was a great surprise: Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) tapping into the Force and proving herself as a Jedi. I certainly wasn’t originally sure what to make of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) making Sabine her apprentice at first. But now, a Mandalorian Jedi exists once again! If only Sabine’s family hadn’t been destroyed in the Empire’s purge of Mandalore. If only Kanan Jarrus had known he was training not one–Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi)–but two Jedi as a member of the Ghost crew. As for Ezra, Sabine’s Force powers are why he was able to reunite with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Chopper.
Huyang (David Tennant) helps Ezra build a new lightsaber. Ezra gifted his previous lightsaber to Sabine so he needed a new one. It especially came in handy this week between the Night Troopers and Zombie Troopers as I’m calling them. Can we make that a thing? The Great Mothers worked their magic and even gave Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) the Blade of Talzin. Ahsoka and Morgan go at it and while Ahsoka loses a saber, she ultimately wins the battle against the Nightsister.
After trying to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), both Ahsoka and Sabine are defeated in their efforts to reach his ship. They have no choice but to turn back to Peridea. My question is: will the purrgil rescue them before Dave Filoni’s upcoming movie. Or will their rescue come during the upcoming film. It’s not surprising that Dave Filoni decides on this route but at least Ezra is finally home!
After seeing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) in the World Between Worlds and in last week’s episode as a holo recording, I loved the way the episode ended. Sabine senses “shadows in the starlight.” We never truly got to experience Anakin as a Force Ghost. The LEGO Star Wars specials don’t count. After the sequels, Shadow of the Sith explains why Anakin’s Force Ghost is not in the sequel trilogy. As much as I enjoyed the sequels, not getting an Anakin force ghost was one of the worst parts of those films. Listen, I love that they brought Yoda (Frank Oz) back and it’s understandable as to why we didn’t see Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) in those films. However, it was a missed opportunity in not using Anakin and Ahsoka more or less makes up for it. Would I have loved to see more? Oh, definitely.
Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) are among those left behind in galaxy far, far away. Shin ends up with the nomads. As for Baylan, is standing on The Father’s finger. The Daughter represented the light side while The Son represented the dark side. As far what he is pondering, who knows. Maybe he’s on the path to becoming a Jedi again or maybe he wants to walk away as Ahsoka once did. He alluded to a legend he once heard about at the Jedi Temple. In any event, whatever remains of his story can only be told in comics or book form with Ray’s tragic passing earlier this year.
It’s more or less a satisfactory finale. Things would be better had Ahsoka and Sabine made it back to the galaxy. The fact that Anakin’s Force Ghost is watching over them makes you wonder what more Sabine will learn in her training between now and the upcoming film. There will be some time before their next appearance.
Some notes:
- Thrawn notes that he once fell to a single Jedi and won’t make the same mistake again.
- Morai makes an appearance after Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang return to Peridea. Morai is The Daughter’s totem.
- If you can read Aurebesh, Baylan’s wrist features the names of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, C-3PO, and Ben. Whether its his hitlist or the VFX folks messing with Star Wars fans remains to be seen. It’s a fun easter egg.
- The Disney+ banner says season finale, not series finale. Will we be getting a second season or will Dave Filoni tie up loose ends in his upcoming movie?
- The Blade of Talzin hasn’t been on screen since Mother Talzin wielded it in battle against Mace Windu in The Clone Wars.
- Dathomir makes a live-action appearance now that Thrawn is back in the galaxy.
- There was a missed opportunity for a Kanan Jarrus Force Ghost.
CREATOR/HEAD WRITER: Dave Filoni
DIRECTOR: Rick Famuyiwa
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, Carrie Beck
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Karen Gilchrist
CAST: Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, Ivanna Sakhno, Diana Lee Inosanto, David Tennant, Lars Mikkelsen, Eman Esfandi, and Hayden Christensen
GUEST STARRING: Wes Chatham, Claudia Black, Jeryl Prescott Gallien, Jane Edwina Seymour, Nican Robinson
All episodes of Ahsoka are streaming on Disney+. Episode 7 – Grade: 4/5
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