S01.E05: Part Five - Shadow Warrior

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Ahsoka confronts her past, while Hera and her allies undertake a rescue mission.

Dropping Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 9pm EDT/8pm CDT/7pm MDT/6pm PDT.

[paigow]

I was waiting for an X-Wing to fly through and knock Anakin off the bi-frost...

[Sakura12]

So she's become Ahsoka the White now. Are we going to get another Sabine pick up to bookend Rebels? She should also think about taking on Jacen as a padawan since he has actual talent for the force. 

I do like that even Jedi have special abilities that not every Jedi can do. Ezra has an ability to communicate with force sensitive animals. While Ahsoka does not. And is just hoping the space whale can read her intentions. 

So we got Anakin walking her through their death and destruction. And she chose not to go for the kill this time. I'm still wondering where Morai is and who pulled her into the World between Worlds. Is it Morai since she was the one that showed Ezra the battle between Anakin and Ahsoka and that's how he saved her 

I did like Anakin saying she got old like Rex did when they met up again. Speaking of Rex is that all we are getting of him. 

[paigow]

Hera [Helicopter Mom] is not going to have Jacen live the NO ATTACHMENT Jedi life... If he becomes a Padewan, Ahsoka has to move in with them...

[Sakura12]

2 minutes ago, paigow said:

Hera [Helicopter Mom] is not going to have Jacen live the NO ATTACHMENT Jedi life... If he becomes a Padewan, Ahsoka has to move in with them...

Ahsoka is not going to teach him to be a Jedi she's going to teach him to be himself. 

[Fool to cry]

Loved it. Loved the flashbacks. Hayden did a good job of being Clone Wars Anakin. I don't know if it was all in Ahsoka's head. If it was Jacen wouldn't hear it.

Man Mary Elizabeth Winstead is wearing the hell out of those pants.

[magdalene]

It was alright but not exciting like last week. I just don't have the emotional connection to Ahsoka that is needed I guess.

My two favorite characters in this show were not even in this episode. Which did not help.

[Raachel2008]

I’ve just binge watched all five episodes and I loved this one. I adore Rosario Dawson and I’ve enjoyed her Ahsoka since her first appearance playing her. The whole Anakin/Ahsoka part was great and kid Ahsoka was good.

I never really followed the Clone Wars or Rebels that close but what exactly makes people think Ezra is alive? That he was not killed etc?  And are he and Sabine supermeglose or what? Because seems like utter stupidity to not destroy the map. 

The visual of the whales was something. 
 

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Raachel2008

[Tuggy]

We finally got the Ahsoka that we love, from TCW! Too bad she seems to be gone again but damn, It felt good. I think Ariana Greenblatt did a very good job, even though it would have been really nice to have Ashley Eckstein back for this bit. 

Nevertheless, even though this episode was fun, it did not amount to much. There is no clear point to the flashbacks and Anakin's "lesson". The only good thing is that they finally decided to hitch a hike with the space whales, as many thought they should. 

9 minutes ago, Raachel2008 said:

I never really followed the Clone Wars or Rebels that close but what exactly makes people think Ezra is alive? That he was not killed etc?  And are he and Sabine supermeglose or what? Because seems like utter stupidity to not destroy the map. 

Yeah, that comes from Rebels. But they are going a bit out of their way here to catch newbies up with the story, what with Jacen having a nice exposition dump when talking to his mom... 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Tuggy

[tkc]

General...

Edited September 13, 2023 by tkc

[thuganomics85]

Should have known those space whales could come into play!  Not only that, but save the day!

Still not sure if it's the nostalgia talking, but despite whatever flaws the Disney era has, I continue to think Hayden Christensen seems much more natural and comfortable playing Anakin now than he did during the prequels.  I thought he actually captured the more quippy and humorous Anakin that we saw in the animation series, and his rapport with both versions of Ahsoka were one point.  If nothing else, I've really been glad that he's gotten some form of redemption with these series (this and Obi-Wan) and will be looked more fondly upon than if he never got the chance to reprise the role.

Ariana Greenblatt was great as the younger version of Ahsoka.  Her post Disney Channel career is off to a pretty solid start, to put it mildly.  This, young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War AND a sizable role in Barbie?  Yeah, if she plays her cards right, this might just be the beginning for her.

Captain Rex!!

Carson was a trooper for sticking through the thick of it (even if he questioned a good portion of it), and buying Hera some time in the end.  Hopefully Hera goes to bat with him as well once the New Republic council starts doing their classic political bullshit on all of them.  Ugh, bureaucracy!

It's so weird that despite being a robot prop, there really are times where I can almost see David Tennant's face during certain Huyang lines or reaction shots.  The voice and the body really match perfectly here.

Hopefully we will check back in on Sabine, Baylan, and the rest of the gang next week!

[Anduin]

I called it! Yeah, seemed pretty obvious, but it's always nice to be right. :)

Nice that we got mention of Leia, but I wonder if we'll ever see her. Millie Bobby Brown is just a little too young and these days blonde for post-Endor Leia, while Vivien Blair is far too young. Daphne Keen? But she's in the Acolyte. Oh well.

Anyway, the whole thing was as good as usual. Looks like Hayden just needs good writing and direction to bring out his strengths.

Trivia: Ariana Greenblatt was in 65 with Adam Driver. Sadly, that movie didn't live up to its premise, but that was what happens when you don't have a good writer and director.

[johntfs]

So... no Wes Chatham in this ep either?  So, what I'm getting is that the final shot will be..

 

Ahsoka, addressing a bunch of Imperials: "Who can take us to Grand Admiral Thrawn?"

Chatham: "I am that guy."

End series.

[paigow]

5 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

I never really followed the Clone Wars or Rebels that close but what exactly makes people think Ezra is alive? That he was not killed etc?  

Hera & Sabine know that Ezra made a Whale powered hyperspace jump to remove Thrawn [and himself] from the battlefield. Thus, if Thrawn is still alive, then Ezra also should be...

[baldryanr]

5 hours ago, Tuggy said:

We finally got the Ahsoka that we love, from TCW! Too bad she seems to be gone again but damn, It felt good. I think Ariana Greenblatt did a very good job, even though it would have been really nice to have Ashley Eckstein back for this bit. 

If they were willing to dub her voice, perhaps, but she wouldn't be a good choice for showing up on-screen.  One big point is how Ahsoka was essentially a child soldier during the Clone War, so they needed a teenager.  They could always pull a Last of Us and cast the voice actors as random minor characters.

4 minutes ago, paigow said:

Hera & Sabine know that Ezra made a Whale powered hyperspace jump to remove Thrawn [and himself] from the battlefield. Thus, if Thrawn is still alive, then Ezra also should be...

I mean, since they were together the worst case scenario is Thrawn capturing Ezra after the jump and torturing him....

[jcin617]

8 hours ago, Fool to cry said:

I don't know if it was all in Ahsoka's head. If it was Jacen wouldn't hear it.

If it was in her head, Jacen would "hear" it by connecting to her emotions / mind.  However, that wouldn't explain how Hera could hear it - unless Jacen was acting as a conduit of sorts.

[MissLucas]

Well, I'm glad I managed to remain un-spoiled for this one. Seeing a Clone Wars/Rebels real life version of Ahsoka was quite something (and Rex!). And now she's Ahsoka the White - was that mystic poncho and the light grey tunic stashed away in her Jedi starship?

I saw Hayden Christensen for the first time in 'Life as a House' - so I always blamed his performance in the prequels on writing and directing. Glad to see that he finally got to play a version of Anakin that gave him more to work with.

Ahsoka hitching a whale ride was not exactly a surprise but I had expected Hera to join her. Though the reasoning Hera gave for staying behind makes perfect sense. It will be interesting to see how much time of the remaining episodes will be dedicated to the plot in Peridia (and if Thrawn manages to pull off his comeback of course).

Huyang/Tennant had some unexpected emotional moments. First at the cliff holding Sabine's helmet but also later when Hera asked about Ahsoka's master. I don't know how they pulled that off but it was as if he looked surprised by the realization that she did not know about Vader/Anakin. "Intense" - indeed!

So now that they really brought home the fact that Ahsoka was essentially a child soldier whose CO/father figure turned mass-murderer we might get less complaints about her stoic demeanour. Especially as it seems she has left that behind at the ground of the ocean.

Shoutout to Captain Carson Teva for holding off the Republican fleet and bringing some comic relief while doing so!

Edited September 13, 2023 by MissLucas

[Ziggy]

2 hours ago, johntfs said:

So... no Wes Chatham in this ep either?  So, what I'm getting is that the final shot will be..

 

Ahsoka, addressing a bunch of Imperials: "Who can take us to Grand Admiral Thrawn?"

Chatham: "I am that guy."

End series.

Nice!

But I really want to see Wes Chatham!!!!!

[AimingforYoko]

10 hours ago, Fool to cry said:

Man Mary Elizabeth Winstead is wearing the hell out of those pants.

Oh, you noticed those shots, too?

[Sakura12]

Ariana Greenblatt is sure getting around playing the younger version of Gamora and now the younger Ahsoka. As well as being in the Barbie movie. 

This is also shows how great an actor Tennent is, because he's bringing so much to Huyang with just his voice.

Ezra took Thrawn with him when they hitched a ride with the space whales. So if Thrawn is alive it makes sense for them to believe Ezra is as well. However I think Ezra may have joined Thrawn. He was always very impressionable and trusting of the bad guys. He trusted Hondo a pirate and Maul. 

Ahsoka was more zen and subdued in Rebels. So I see this as more of a progression from that. She fought and was almost killed by her former Master/brother. That had to mess her up even more. So this push in the between Worlds is what she needed. She was just surviving, not living. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

And are he and Sabine supermeglose or what? Because seems like utter stupidity to not destroy the map. 

They’re family and she’s a Mandalorian. Just thing what Din would do to get to Grogu. 

I may be the only one but I don’t see her not shooting the sphere as a big deal. It took a lightsaber held through it to melt it in half. I took the idea of her shooting it to be a desperate, and most likely fruitless, attempt at a Hail Mary. I didn’t think Baylan was at all concerned she could desmtrpy it. If he truly thought the sphere was in jeopardy he could have just used his powers. 

[Fool to cry]

I'm ashamed to admit it did not occur

2 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Well, I'm glad I managed to remain un-spoiled for this one. Seeing a Clone Wars/Rebels real life version of Ahsoka was quite something (and Rex!). And now she's Ahsoka the White - was that mystic poncho and the light grey tunic stashed away in her Jedi starship?

I saw Hayden Christensen for the first time in 'Life as a House' - so I always blamed his performance in the prequels on writing and directing. Glad to see that he finally got to play a version of Anakin that gave him more to work with.

Ahsoka hitching a whale ride was not exactly a surprise but I had expected Hera to join her. Though the reasoning Hera gave for staying behind makes perfect sense. It will be interesting to see how much time of the remaining episodes will be dedicated to the plot in Peridia (and if Thrawn manages to pull off his comeback of course).

Huyang/Tennant had some unexpected emotional moments. First at the cliff holding Sabine's helmet but also later when Hera asked about Ahsoka's master. I don't know how they pulled that off but it was as if he looked surprised by the realization that she did not know about Vader/Anakin. "Intense" - indeed!

So now that they really brought home the fact that Ahsoka was essentially a child soldier whose CO/father figure turned mass-murderer we might get less complaints about her stoic demeanour. Especially as it seems she has left that behind at the ground of the ocean.

Shoutout to Captain Carson Teva for holding off the Republican fleet and bringing some comic relief while doing so!

 

58 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

Ariana Greenblatt is sure getting around playing the younger version of Gamora and now the younger Ahsoka. As well as being in the Barbie movie. 

This is also shows how great an actor Tennent is, because he's bringing so much to Huyang with just his voice.

Ezra took Thrawn with him when they hitched a ride with the space whales. So if Thrawn is alive it makes sense for them to believe Ezra is as well. However I think Ezra may have joined Thrawn. He was always very impressionable and trusting of the bad guys. He trusted Hondo a pirate and Maul. 

Ahsoka was more zen and subdued in Rebels. So I see this as more of a progression from that. She fought and was almost killed by her former Master/brother. That had to mess her up even more. So this push in the between Worlds is what she needed. She was just surviving, not living. 

I'm ashamed it hadn't occurred to me before the episode how Ahsoka would feel after finding out what Anakin had become and how that would weigh on her in the decade since. Of course she would feel guilt and of course she would be reluctant to pass on his teachings!

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Oh, you noticed those shots, too?

I was having Incredibles 2 Elastigirl flashbacks!

[johntfs]

2 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Ariana Greenblatt is sure getting around playing the younger version of Gamora and now the younger Ahsoka. As well as being in the Barbie movie. 

This is also shows how great an actor Tennent is, because he's bringing so much to Huyang with just his voice.

Ezra took Thrawn with him when they hitched a ride with the space whales. So if Thrawn is alive it makes sense for them to believe Ezra is as well. However I think Ezra may have joined Thrawn. He was always very impressionable and trusting of the bad guys. He trusted Hondo a pirate and Maul. 

Ahsoka was more zen and subdued in Rebels. So I see this as more of a progression from that. She fought and was almost killed by her former Master/brother. That had to mess her up even more. So this push in the between Worlds is what she needed. She was just surviving, not living. 

I don't see Ezra straight up joining Thrawn.  Thrawn was the dude who was trying to destroy the Rebels, who lead Ezra to Palpatine and Ezra took him away with space whales when Thrawn started a bombardment of the city.

That said, I could see Ezra and Thrawn joining forces against a clear, common enemy.  Maybe the Star Wars version of Fred Saberhagen's Berzerkers (powerful machine intelligences dedicated to wiping out all organic life).

Honestly that would be a pretty decent way to move Ahsoka and the Rebels character "out of the way" of the eventual canon.  Why weren't Hera, Ahsoka and Sabine helping out when the First Order first showed?  Because they're busy helping Thrawn fight Super-Skynet.

[tennisgurl]

I was waiting for the space whales to come into play, but I didn't think that Ahsoka was going to hitch a ride with them, luckily she has been brushing up on her whale! I love the space whales so I am thrilled that we get more of them, that's the kind of Lisa Frank science fiction I love from my Star Wars. 

I know that the use of past characters has been controversial in the Disney Star Wars shows, but I'm really glad that actors that got unfairly maligned are getting time to shine. I have always thought that Hayden Christensen was a good actor and a solid choice to play Anakin, he was really let down by poor writing and direction, so I am really glad that he's getting to give being Anakin another shot. He really took to playing a more Clone Wars style Anakin, much more fun and quippy, but he really easily slipped into the darker Anakin, I hope that this second chance will give him some better memories of the franchise. I especially loved those shots of Anakin going back and fourth from Anakin to Vader, that looked really cool. 

Captain Rex! Hopefully that's not the last we'll see of him. 

I might ask if that was possibly all in Ahsoka's head, but considering Jacen heard what was going on. Hera better grab a "So Your Kid is Force Sensitive" pamphlet soon.

Big Kudos to Carson for holding the fleet off so that Ahsoka could get away and for having to explain this really weird situation to his boss. 

[Shanna Marie]

It looks like the weird, plastic mask-like deaging was either intentional, for creepy and unsettling purposes, or because the deaging CGI didn't play well with the World Between Worlds CGI because Anakin looked a lot more natural in the Clone Wars scenes.

39 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I have always thought that Hayden Christensen was a good actor and a solid choice to play Anakin, he was really let down by poor writing and direction, so I am really glad that he's getting to give being Anakin another shot.

Between this and the Obi-Wan series, it's becoming more clear that Christensen was not the problem in the prequels. I think he perfectly played what was written. The problem that he was written as a whiny brat. Here, we finally see Anakin having the kind of charm he'd have to have for people to have been willing to follow him at all.

10 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

It's so weird that despite being a robot prop, there really are times where I can almost see David Tennant's face during certain Huyang lines or reaction shots.  The voice and the body really match perfectly here.

Yes! Sometimes it's just so Tennant that I find myself wondering if he did mo-cap instead of just providing the voice.

6 hours ago, baldryanr said:

They could always pull a Last of Us and cast the voice actors as random minor characters.

Animated Anakin got a cameo in The Mandalorian already, but since he was buried under one of those rebel dome helmets, they could easily use him again. I don't know about other voice actors, aside from the ones who also play the live-action versions.

46 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I might ask if that was possibly all in Ahsoka's head, but considering Jacen heard what was going on. Hera better grab a "So Your Kid is Force Sensitive" pamphlet soon.

As I recall from Rebels, The World Between Worlds is an actual place, so while someone is in there, they're not physically present in the "real" world, so that whole thing was taking place on a different plane of existence. That's how Ezra was able to save Ahsoka from the duel with Vader, by physically pulling her out of the "real" world and into the World Between Worlds. I don't think Ahsoka was necessarily floating in the water all that time. Then again, they did pick up a signal, though maybe that was the signal of the portal that remained partially open and that she later returned through. Jacen must have picked up on what was coming through the portal. Hera may have picked up on that through her link with her son.

Or something like that. The Force is very much a "soft" magic system that doesn't have hard and fast rules and mechanics, so it could be just about anything.

[Tachi Rocinante]

A-Jonah Tano?

[paigow]

The whales that transported Ezra wrapped their tentacles around the ship. So not sure why Ahsoka guessed / was instructed to enter the mouth. (Filoni flexing his CGI budget?)

[Raachel2008]

9 hours ago, paigow said:

Hera & Sabine know that Ezra made a Whale powered hyperspace jump to remove Thrawn [and himself] from the battlefield. Thus, if Thrawn is still alive, then Ezra also should be...

Should be being the key words there? How do they know Thrawn didn't kill him or that the trip itself didn't kill him?

I mean you fought the damm war, you know what the Empire is, you just had proof of how far imperial loyalists will go and that there are in every level of society. You have to be extremely selfish to do what she did. It is not even a matter of 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'; it is the matter of your need outweighing the need of millions (billion?).

 

[Sakura12]

Thrawn is a calculated villian he doesn't just to do stuff to be evil. He will lose battles just to see how the other side works together. He studies people and cultures to know his enemies. He's basically evil Sherlock Holmes. He wouldn't just kill Ezra, he'd want to use him to help whatever his plans are. Which is why I think he could've convinced Ezra to join him. So Sabine is not going to get the reunion she thinks she's getting. 

Ahsoka acting stoic and grumpy fits for me. We saw how young she was in the flashback. She was a child solider that has never stopped fighting in wars. All she knows is death and destruction. Her transforming into Ahsoka the White shows she finally has hope again. So we might see the old Ahsoka going forward. 

[tkc]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

The whales that transported Ezra wrapped their tentacles around the ship. So not sure why Ahsoka guessed / was instructed to enter the mouth. (Filoni flexing his CGI budget?)

Ahsoka used too much orca when speaking with the purgill.

[johntfs]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

The whales that transported Ezra wrapped their tentacles around the ship. So not sure why Ahsoka guessed / was instructed to enter the mouth. (Filoni flexing his CGI budget?)

The ship would have been sealed and pressurized against vacuum.  Presumably (haven't seen the ep yet) Ahsoka was not sealed and pressurized against vacuum.  She was instructed to enter the mouth so she wouldn't die.

[MissLucas]

If I'm offered the choice between being wrapped Laocoön style in purgil tentacles or safely tucked away behind giant baleens for a hyperspace jump I'll chose the later. Also: Thrawn's ship would not have fitted inside a purgil.

Lady Tano sure knows how to accessorize - her headpiece also changed. I wonder if someone has already analyzed the new design.

Is Hera really in trouble? There should be several recordings of Elsbeth Morgan's giant hyperdrive ring built with elements from the New Republic. Are TPTB just going to ignore that or handwave it away?

[ribboninthesky1]

2 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

Should be being the key words there? How do they know Thrawn didn't kill him or that the trip itself didn't kill him?

I mean you fought the damm war, you know what the Empire is, you just had proof of how far imperial loyalists will go and that there are in every level of society. You have to be extremely selfish to do what she did. It is not even a matter of 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'; it is the matter of your need outweighing the need of millions (billion?).

 

Not to mention that Sabine is the reason Morgan and Baylon got the map in the first place.  If she had done as Ahsoka said in episode one, and figured out how to read the map without taking it home, this would be a whole different series thus far. 

I keep wondering why I'm supposed to care about Sabine, but I'm a casual SW viewer and not into the fandom.  I'm mostly watching this for Rosario Dawson. I'm sure Sabine will be forgiven/redeemed or whatever.  

[Kel Varnsen]

I think this was the best episode for me so far. Hera is way more interesting than stupid Sabine (and not just because of the pants), and Captain Carson is always fun when he shows up.  Too bad neither could come along in the whale.

A couple of questions though, does Ahsoka know that Anakin turned back to good at the end of Return of the Jedi? For that matter is it common knowledge or did Luke just keep that to himself? 

Also the battle on Mandalore, I thought that was the empire that destroyed Mandalore (like after the events of the prequels) when they were in full evil empire mode, so why was Ahsoka there? 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Kel Varnsen

[MissLucas]

8 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Also the battle on Mandalore, I thought that was the empire that destroyed Mandalore (like after the events of the prequels) when they were in full evil empire mode, so why was Ahsoka there? 

This was before the Night of a Thousand Tears. It's the Siege of Mandalore when Darth Maul together with a zealot faction of Mandalorians had kicked off a civil war on Mandalore - notice that Ahsoka finishes off a Mandalorian wearing a Maul inspired helmet. Ahsoka joined forces with Bo Katan and they managed to defeat Maul and his followers at the end of Clone Wars right before Order 66.

The Night of a Thousand Tears happened later.

[Morrigan2575]

20 hours ago, Tuggy said:

We finally got the Ahsoka that we love, from TCW! Too bad she seems to be gone again but damn, It felt good. I think Ariana Greenblatt did a very good job, even though it would have been really nice to have Ashley Eckstein back for this bit. 

I would have loved that, at least Ariana (or her stunt double) kicked ass at the fight sequences...Rosario Dawson not so much.

I did love the Anakin/Vader and TCW stuff. Hayden did well but, I've long since realized I love Matt Lanter's Anakin, Hayden gets love by extension. 

And now we have Ahsoka the White...I love sci-fi/Fantasy but that was a little too on the nose 😄

I figured the Whales would bring them to Ezra, although I thought it would be more than just Ahsoka making the trip.

Where the heck is Morai? It seems very weird we haven't seen her yet. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Were they implying Hera heard the sabres too? Or did she just believe Jacen? I was surprised she just left him there on the cliff. 

I have to laugh again at "Anakin" thinking he's got the better of older Ahsoka when she battled Vader to two stalemates far younger. Of course, they might have been holding back in the first round. It was *on* when the red sabre came out! I had to replay the scene a couple of times because I was flabbergasted how she swiped the sabre. That was a brilliant sequence. Funny that Mister Chosen One never could beat his Master or his Padawan. 

It's funny because now we have the original actor playing Anakin, but we have actually had more time with animated Anakin that the original needs to be more like him. 

When did Carson become so pissy?

I was hoping they were going to pull a Raiders of the Lost Ark with the map and Ahsoka's burned hand. In a way, they kind of did. I'm not sure we needed so much mystery. "Is there a chance they took her on the hypership?" Not an unreasonable and fairly sensible question. I'm not sure watching the hypership jump to another galaxy isn't 'evidence of remnant Imperial activity.' Ahsoka saw the map. They'd believe her. 

What is Ahsoka's role in the New Republic? There's only her and Luke as 'jedi' left. It's not like they can be ordered around.

I did not expect that they were going to ride *IN* the space whales! I was hoping Hera and Jacen would be going.

23 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Ezra has an ability to communicate with force sensitive animals. While Ahsoka does not. And is just hoping the space whale can read her intentions.

For sure. More than that, Ezra could ride the wolves too iirc.

21 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

I never really followed the Clone Wars or Rebels that close but what exactly makes people think Ezra is alive?

In the finale, they all saw Ezra basically summon the space whales to take him away. They knew the whales wouldn't have eaten him or anything. Sure, he might not be alive, but the entire franchise is predicated on 'a new hope.' 

13 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I don't know how they pulled that off but it was as if he looked surprised by the realization that she did not know about Vader/Anakin.

I'm curious as to how many people actually do know. There's no reason Hera would. Baylan somehow does. The Senate didn't find out until Episode 7? or between 7 and 8. So it's not widespread for a while now. 

9 hours ago, johntfs said:

That said, I could see Ezra and Thrawn joining forces against a clear, common enemy. 

I've entertained this idea myself, and I would very much be all in. To be fair to Sabine, Ahsoka, and Hera, there's no reason for them to think Thrawn wouldn't be an enemy. However, I think it would be a waste of "Thrawn" for him to just be the show villain. It's also too pat for Baylan to think, "oh, we're going to go get Thrawn and bring him back and start over". Too easy and simple. Same thing with the Night Sister. She's going to try to dump them all for her own ends. With Baylan not really being 'sith', it's almost guaranteed he, Ahsoka, Sabine will be on the same side. Now, will that also be Thrawn's side? 

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

A couple of questions though, does Ahsoka know that Anakin turned back to good at the end of Return of the Jedi? For that matter is it common knowledge or did Luke just keep that to himself?

Ahsoka should have already met Luke, no? He could have said something given who she was to Anakin. I would think Luke would have tried to assuage her guilt or give her some closure. I don't think he would be going around telling everyone. Although, given how Leia got booted out of politics for being 'the daughter of Darth Vader,' maybe he should have said something. 

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Also the battle on Mandalore, I thought that was the empire that destroyed Mandalore (like after the events of the prequels) when they were in full evil empire mode, so why was Ahsoka there?

Already been said, but this was the 'siege of Mandalore'. More detail - Anakin gave back Ahsoka her lightsabres. Note that the double blades were the blue ones. We saw that scene in TCW. Anakin sent her off with Rex. This was when Maul figured out Palpatine was grooming Anakin to be the next Sith Lord. 

Then Ahsoka beat him like the bitch that he was in the rafters of the dome.

Edited September 14, 2023 by DoctorAtomic

[Kel Varnsen]

53 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Ahsoka should have already met Luke, no? He could have said something given who she was to Anakin. I would think Luke would have tried to assuage her guilt or give her some closure.

So it sounds like it's not really clear if she knows or not. Which is too bad since I think the scene plays out a bit differently if she knows. Then again I am not really sure was that like the Jedi spirit world, or was it Ahsoka's dream or was it something where it was supposed to be ambiguous. Because again it obviously plays differently if that is Anakin's force ghost vs some kind of hallucination.

[norcalgal]

20 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Ariana Greenblatt was great as the younger version of Ahsoka.  Her post Disney Channel career is off to a pretty solid start, to put it mildly.  This, young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War AND a sizable role in Barbie?  Yeah, if she plays her cards right, this might just be the beginning for her.

Man, I hated her screechy, bratty character in Stuck in the Middle so much. Glad to see she was indeed just playing a character on that show.  I wonder if Ariana or   Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream) will have the bigger post Stuck in the Middle career. 

[DoctorAtomic]

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

So it sounds like it's not really clear if she knows or not. Which is too bad since I think the scene plays out a bit differently if she knows. Then again I am not really sure was that like the Jedi spirit world, or was it Ahsoka's dream or was it something where it was supposed to be ambiguous. Because again it obviously plays differently if that is Anakin's force ghost vs some kind of hallucination.

I'd say it's likely she knows because I think Luke would want to tell her. Maybe she said something like, "fighting him was hard for me; I can't imagine what you went through." "Well, in the end, Anakin came back to us." How could it not come up?

[Tuggy]

With Ahsoka's "We'll see where it goes" and the fact that I struggle to feel invested in the Thrawn/Ezra quest (even as a TCW and Rebels fan), I would find awesome if the whales ended up somewhere completely different and the rest of the series is just Ahsoka happily exploring this new amazing place and living the hell out of it 😁

[absnow54]

43 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'd say it's likely she knows because I think Luke would want to tell her. Maybe she said something like, "fighting him was hard for me; I can't imagine what you went through." "Well, in the end, Anakin came back to us." How could it not come up?

It seemed like she knew in the Boba Fett episode. She fondly compared Luke to his father, which I don't think she would have if she thought he died as Vader. Which just reminds me that we were deprived of Ahsoka learning about and meeting Luke. I had thought we might learn more about it in this series, but...

[MissLucas]

38 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

It seemed like she knew in the Boba Fett episode. She fondly compared Luke to his father, which I don't think she would have if she thought he died as Vader. Which just reminds me that we were deprived of Ahsoka learning about and meeting Luke. I had thought we might learn more about it in this series, but...

This is still my pet peeve about Filoni's universe. After Luke and Ahsoka's first meeting was just handwaved away in Bobba Fett's show I had hoped we would at least get to see Ahsoka meeting Obi-Wan in his show or in the third season of the Mandalorian in another baffling detour - in a flashback or flashforward, I'm not picky. I just wanted to see her talk to somebody in the know about Anakin. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know if Ahsoka is a 'talk it out' person though. I don't think she would have popped up in Kenobi because, while they certainly were in a ton of Clone Wars battles, they weren't on the same level as her and Anakin. Kenobi didn't really go to the mat for her prior to her walking away from the order. So I don't see her seeking him out. 

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

It seemed like she knew in the Boba Fett episode. She fondly compared Luke to his father, which I don't think she would have if she thought he died as Vader.

I was thinking of that scene too in my prior comments. However, I don't think they had more of a two line conversation about it either. 

Ahsoka seems more like a "we're moving on" type of person, than dwelling on anything. Given she has been straight through from the Clone Wars-Vader-Fulcrum-Beat Maul Like A Bitch-Rebellion, and now we've got all this noise with Thrawn & Ezra, she probably never really had a chance to lounge around and really reflect on anything. 

[FierceCritter]

On 9/13/2023 at 3:21 PM, Sakura12 said:

Thrawn is... basically evil Sherlock Holmes.

Coincidentally, Lars Mikkelsen plays a sociopathic blackmailer with an intelligence near or equal to Sherlock in the Benedict Cumberbatch series.

On 9/12/2023 at 9:10 PM, Sakura12 said:

I do like that even Jedi have special abilities that not every Jedi can do. Ezra has an ability to communicate with force sensitive animals. While Ahsoka does not. And is just hoping the space whale can read her intentions. 

Potential spoiler for SW:Visions

Spoiler

In The Visions series, as an infant, Ahsoka is shown to have the ability to if not communicate with, then influence animals.

 

[DoctorAtomic]

I like the idea that Ahsoka just went up to the whale and just hoped he got the gist of what's going on. "Oh, you need a ride? I guess so. Let's go! Hop in."

It's more in line with Clone Wars Ahsoka. She's not really methodical. 

[paigow]

48 minutes ago, FierceCritter said:

Coincidentally, Lars Mikkelsen plays a sociopathic blackmailer with an intelligence near or equal to Sherlock in the Benedict Cumberbatch series.

So there is another villain ALMOST at the same level of Moriarty???!!!

[tv-talk]

So what was the actual point here? That Ahsoka met up with Anakin and finished her fight training? Is Anakin now the gatekeeper of life and death, if you can defeat him you live but if not you die? Is the total purpose of whatever that was that she comes back a better warrior than before? It seemed that way to me.

[MissLucas]

I've seen plenty of interpretations - that's either a sign of great writing or of murky writing, YMMV.

I'm going by the title of Shadow Warrior for a Jungian interpretation. Ahsoka had to do some shadow work - i.e. facing her shadow. In that context the shadow is a combination of traumas, guilt and fear that resides within.

For Ahsoka it was her guilt about leaving the Jedi Order, leaving Anakin and later leaving Sabine. But also her trauma and guilt about the things she experienced in the Clone Wars. The Clones that perished under her command - someone pointed out that during the scene where Ahsoka comforts the injured/dying Clone Trooper the score references her last scene in the Clone Wars series where she is standing among the graves of all the Troopers she had not been able to save. Add to all that her conflicted feelings about her legacy as a Jedi and as Anakin's Padawan - cleverly picked up by Baylan Skull - and it's no wonder she ended up conflicted and out of balance, both figuratively and literally in that fight. 

Part of shadow work is integrating the shadow after having faced it - faced being the key word, not killed. Ahsoka drops the lightsaber in the end and chooses to live and move on. Someone on YT pointed out that the scene where the WBW vanishes and Ahsoka sinks into her reflection or vice-versa is a visual representation of that integration of the shadow.

But hey, I've also seen interpretations that the lesson was  a metaphysical buttkick by Anakin to his Padawan and it comes down to 'Snap out of it and go back to fight!'

 

[Kel Varnsen]

2 hours ago, tv-talk said:

So what was the actual point here? That Ahsoka met up with Anakin and finished her fight training? Is Anakin now the gatekeeper of life and death, if you can defeat him you live but if not you die? Is the total purpose of whatever that was that she comes back a better warrior than before? It seemed that way to me.

I am still not sure if that was actual Anakin (like his force ghost) or if it was in Ahsoka's head or if it was something else. I even asked a guy at work today who loves Star wars and has watched the cartoons and he wasn't even sure.