Here we have, in episode 5 of Ahsoka, quite the bit of character building and for those not familiar with the characters a bit more on the back story of Ahsoka Tano — primarily her involvement in the Clone Wars and her connection to a certain Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker.
Having been defeated in battle near the end of Episode 4, Ahsoka was in a state we could best describe as between worlds, as she heard and then saw her old master, Anakin. This episode picks up from this moment and follows a very particular kind of “training” where Tano relives some of her experiences during the Clone Wars and spars against Anakin, first with he as the mentor he once was but, as the events continue, him becoming more like Vader to a point where he forces her to commit to the choice to live.
This takes up half the episode and, if you lose yourself in it, can get quite intense. Again, I only know the basics of Ahsoka’s history, but I knew enough to understand the importance of seeing Anakin again, in whatever capacity this really was — was it just a dream? Was she dying and had she become one with the force only for Anakin to basically say “it isn’t your time to be here yet” or what?
I don’t actually know, and that’s kind of great. I should reiterate that Star Wars is a fantasy first and foremost, and while elements of Ahsoka as a show may not be for every Star Wars fan I do still feel the fantasy aspect is being played into very well and this is honestly a bit of fresh air.
As this fever dream bit of fan service ends, Syndulla succeeds in finding Ahsoka who recovers pretty quickly for someone who’s been adrift in a freaking ocean! Works well enough for the plot given they have a job to do.
With the trio of baddies + Sabine having gone to another fucking galaxy and the map object destroyed comes a question of just how our protagonist is going to get to where Grand Admeral Thrawn is supposed to be? That’s where the evil trio warped to, right? Turns out that was set up in episode 3 in the form of Space Whales. You know, Space Whales that can warp through hyperspace!
Apparently these played a role in the events that lead to Ezra, Thrawn and all the other stuff that is in the other galaxy being in said galaxy, or, again, so my understanding of the plot it. Haven’t watched Rebels and don’t care to so, meh.
I’m not even going to criticize it because, it’s more peak level fantasy from this particular Star Wars story, and it’s so absurd as to be just great – Ahsoka, using the force, talks to one of the whales, puts her ship in its mouth and then away they go, into the unknown!
I just can’t get over it. Hyperspace traveling Space Whales! It’s fucking insane and I kind of love it. I keep being amused at how much I thought I might hate this series and I’m instead enjoying it! No, it’s not perfect, but I’m honestly not writing these to rip into it, nor am I doing them to praise the show. It is what it is, but at the end of the day I can watch it and just enjoy it for what it is which is, in and of itself, something I rarely afford myself the chance to do.
Let’s see how this pans out next week.