Ahsoka Season One Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2023
- Now that the full first season of Ahsoka is complete, here are my thoughts on how all eight parts worked together! What I liked, what I think could have been improved, and what I'm excited for in the future!
This video was created during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka wouldn't exist. Learn more about the strike here: www.sagaftrastrike.org/
Subscribe for more Star Wars videos every day!
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @starwarsexplained
Support the channel: / starwarsexplain
Tiktok: / starwarsexplain
Instagram: / starwarsexplained
Twitter: / starwarsexplain
Second channel: / @malexclips
Facebook: / starwarsexplained
Discord: / discord
Star Wars Tees: shrsl.com/?~9i83
Thumbnails by: / bryaneward
Mailing Address
Star Wars Explained
1227 Rockbridge Rd SW
Ste 208 PMB 264
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
This channel is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries. - บันเทิง
Something I've only seen few talk about his David Tennant. He really is a great actor and he gives Huyang so much personality. What I really want to know is, was Huyang an animatorinic or was it all motion capture?
Or was it just a fully CGI character like Zeb? Regardless you are right. If there’s one thing Star Wars has done maybe masterfully throughout its life cycle, it is giving droids the best personalities to where you genuinely care about those kinds of characters. It doesn’t matter if it’s C-3PO, R2, K2SO, BD-1, B2EMO, Huyang or whoever else I didn’t mention.
I’m sure it’s practical effects augmented with cgi. But if he was all cgi, that was some damn impressive digital effects.
And it was done with a TV budget @@aaronmichael6792
BB-8 is just a ball with a small head but his beeps and whistles make him so adorable.@@filmobsessednerd
Even the Battle Droids, literal cannon fodder, have their own personalities and funny moments.
I think Eman Esfandi was the real stand out of the series. He captured Ezra perfectly
He had 3 lines, to call it a standout is madness
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
Perfect casting. I hope we see more of Ezra
Like a perfect homosexual!!! When have you seen Ezra run to Sabine arms for protection??? Maybe you saw a different Ahsoka than me
@@bfsbestfightscenes8200where there any??
The highlight for me was the Rebels casting. Mary, Natasha, and Eman were so fantastic in their roles. I really loved them all so much. I’m dying for a Hera centric project because I feel she was a little underused in this show!
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
Seriously? Ezra and Baylan were good but the others were nothing like their cartoon counterparts. Wooden and emotionless
I love the fact that Luthen Rael, the Witches of Dathomir and Jar Jar Binks exist in the same universe.
Give it some credit, we live in a world with people like the Island boys
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
Just like Revenge of the Sith, Young Jedi Adventures, Andor and The Rise of Skywalker are all part of the same timeline. Just think about that.
I was going in a bit blind for this show after finishing Rebels ahead of time, but I really loved Ahsoka. I thought the series was pretty great as a follow-up and with the expansions on the Rebels cast. The show really gave me a lot of great beats I’ve been needing. There are a few threads that could use more hashing out, but it’s still been pretty great as a watch.
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
I think my biggest problem is that Baylan, while he shows up in the latter half and has a neat duel with Ahsoka in episode 7, really has nothing to do when they get to Peridea because they wanted a mystery to hold onto for future seasons/shows. I would've liked at least some mention of how he knew about Anakin/Vader, even if they're saving that story for later (hopefully Tales of the Jedi).
I’ve kind of been feeling this as well; we’ve got plenty of hints of what he wants, more so now with the possibility of Mortis, but we just kind of forgot about him after his last duel.
I don’t think Baylan actually really knew Anakin as much as he implied. He was just saying that to throw Ahsoka off before their fight. I think it was implied he used his powers to read minds often and say things to get the advantage. He does the same thing to Sabine mentioning Ezra shortly after when he never knew him
@@nathanoliva671Baylan never claimed to know Ezra, and wasn't lying at any other point during either conversation, it seems entirely plausible that he knew Anakin at the Temple.
Of course his story is for Ahsoka season 2
@@nathanoliva671 I don't know if Baylan knew Anakin personally. Baylan says "everyone at the temple" knew Anakin Skywalker, as in he was famous and had a reputation.
I've been looking for a review of Ahsoka that wasn't straight "Ahsoka bad, ugh, ugh, ugh." It's nice to know what other people think, but I prefer reviewers like you who discuss what they liked and didn't like and why, while accepting that everyone's views and opinions are valid. In other words, I like civility. Thank you.
Yes I agree. There is too much negativity in the Star Wars fandom.
I definitely agree that I would have preferred watching this as a (longer) animated series. I hope we still get another animated series after Bad Batch is done. Something for the sequel era would be nice.
Totally like a show about Luke and Ben post thrawn heir to the empire war. Build up of snoke/palpatine in the unknown regions. And you could call it Skywalker Jedi Academy or something along those lines
I do wish there were more episodes. I miss the days of 20 episode seasons for shows like Stargate.
@@jordanfrielingsdorf4761pleaae not I would prefer a non canon animated series with tge legends route of luke skywalker where he is not a cuckold
I’d say this is my third favorite live-action SW season after Andor and Mandalorian season 2. Not perfect by a long shot. But I’m so fluent in TCW/Rebels lore that I got all the references and tie-ins without any issues.
Overall, this is my third favorite of the new Disney+ Star Wars shows, alongside Andor and The Bad Batch.
1. Would you all want to see Baylan’s story continue in Tales of the Jedi vs. live action?
2. The Zeffo, the Nightsisters and The Father/Son/Daughter: all powerful Force users residing in the same planet? There’s a story there and I’m here to see Filoni cook.
I’d even just take a novel about Baylan
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
I wanna see Baylon continue in Ahsoka series 2 but I wanna see his past in tales of the jedi
I really liked this series, i was always joyful with every episode. It's not the greatest star wars show, but it was definitely fun. There were some moments in this show that I think would have fit much better as an animated series, weirdly, because to me Dave filonis animated series often build upto some great moments, I mean bad batch season 2 echos death and the clone wars. But i had fun and it reminded me why I love star wars. I really really like Rosario Dawson's portrayal of Ashoka. I felt like she did a lot with her eyes. Also Ezra's actor did great. And Lars as thrawn is still amazing. Also really love you actually criticise it fairly.
Edit: also ray Stevenson as baylan skoll was amazing and I am so sad he passed on. He just made that character work. Seriously every moment of him was gold
While I do agree that the 'limited series' model needs a rework, I think this series could have even benefitted from a few extra scenes of characters talking here or there rather than entire episodes. There were several moments (in the last episode especially) where it felt like there were whole scenes cut. Overall I thought it was great and I am excited for a full rewatch. Very excited to see Shin in a context away from Baylan, her character didn't strike me as much as it did others so I'm intrigued to see what she does when she has more room to shine
Thanks once again, Alex, for your ongoing attention support of the strikes. WGA achieved what seems like a huge victory, and hopefully a SAG-AFTRA win is coming soon!
Right up until the end, I was waiting for Ezra's reaction when he found out (or Sabine told him) that she risked the safety of the entire Galaxy, the return of the Empire, and another war, possibly costing billions of lives, just to bring Ezra back... Which undoes his sacrifice in the first place. He willingly sacrificed himself to prevent that, so it's weird that he has no problem with Sabine undoing that just to see him again. Especially since they made a point to show her dodging the question, clearly building up some tension for when Ezra inevitably learnt the truth.
Ezra’s sacrifice was to protect Lothal. That final season was all about him stepping away from the larger rebellion to focus on his homeworld. That goal was achieved, and the empire was defeated. Taking Thrawn off the board helped achieve that. So I don’t think him making it back to the main galaxy now invalidates any of that. And I assume we will see just why the force led Ahsoka and Sabine to be where they are needed now. Thrawn making it back may be a small price to pay to stop whatever else is coming. So while Sabine made the choice primarily because of Ezra, I think it was also the force guiding her. Ahsoka was too focused on stopping Thrawn and wasn’t allowing herself to be led by the force in that moment.
And this is how to review a series, right to the points. Thanks 👍. I really enjoyed the series.
I personally would've preferred if it was animated or had more writers since it had great ideas but the execution was a little floppy.
More writers often doesn't translate to better work. Creative work is just not something you can throw more moeny and get better results.
@@digitalarsenal5234 I know but I'm pretty sure the show was written only by Dave Filoni and I personally think that some other witter would've been able to properly polish the excellent ideas that Dave has.
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
Wonderful review! Concise, balanced, and leading with affection! I would love to see you do a “WHO COULD THEY CAST?” video of your top suggestions for recasting Baylan, sad a task as that is to consider. I don’t think Star Wars has ever really faced that dilemma before mid-project and it’s fascinating to consider.
Call me crazy, but I think they could totally cast Josh Brolin as Baylan.
Or, Gerald Butler
Iain Glen - Ser Jorah Mormant
on Game of Thrones. Same combo of dignity and brooding menace.
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
*slowly turns and glares in carrie fisher*
All in all a pretty decent start to what could be a big series depending on how things go both within & outside of production
Sabine's issue with the force was in her lack of confidence in herself. She never really believed that she could ever wield it. Facing death was the imputes she needed to allow her to succeed, and now, success breeds confidence, confidence breeds success. Next season her Master/Apprentice relationship with Ahsoka will be much more fruitful.
Didn't Ashoka say she was not going to train her because she was going to sue the force selfishly. Like we don't even know if she going to be a jedi. Please can we just get a cool Mandalorian without them getting a kid Las blade and cool force powers!
@@MrGeorge7823 Yes, that was Ahsoka's fear as Huyang put it. Sabines issue was within herself.
I absolutely LOVED Ahsoka! It's by far my favourite live action Star Wars series, which previously was Obi-Wan Kenobi for me. The story of the search for Ezra and Thrawn has been my most wanted Star Wars story since Rebels ended and this show didn't disappoint in that regard with all the new twists and revelations while also telling a great story of its own. I think visually it's the best a live action show has looked and the most like classic Star Wars it's felt like in a long time. I really hope we get a Season 2 announcement soon because now I desperately want more of this show once the creators are being paid and treated fairly for doing so.
I loved the story this show had to tell about Ahsoka and Sabine. Ahsoka finding enlightenment and closure with her past and Sabine learning to become Force sensitive were two of the best parts for me, and I was even hesitant with that idea initially but they won me over. I love what it has to say about the Force and this show has made me look at Sabine in a new way on so many levels. My love for the character hasn't changed, I just have new additional reasons to love her story. They built up to her using the Force so well and the final moment where she pulls the lightsaber works so well. I think some are just taking the whole "having a lightsaber is not what makes a Jedi" far too literally. While that's true, that doesn't mean using a lightsaber makes anyone less of a Jedi either or that it's a bad thing. Sabine uses the Force to save her life then uses her Mandalorian gear to save Ezra's, finding strength in both sides of her which feels like a very Jedi thing to do. She isn't discarding one in favour of the other, it's just a new skillset added to her repertoire. I loved that Hera and especially Jacen got to be actively involved in the search and just getting to see more of them after so long. I loved the revelations about where Ezra and Thrawn ended up after the jump from Lothal, I was NOT expecting another galaxy but it was a great twist. The new lore about the Nightsisters originally coming from another galaxy were totally unexpected but really fascinating and I'm excited to see how they may play into the future with Thrawn's campaign. I'm also especially intrigued by Baylan and his motivations, the teases just kept me getting pumped and I really want to learn more about him and what's driving him. I'm heartbroken that Ray Stevenson didn't get to see the love and praise he's gotten for his performance as Baylan, I know how excited he was for the character and returning to Star Wars. He truly knocked it out of the park every week.
I do have some mixed feelings about the ending, specifically Ezra making it back but Ahsoka and Sabine getting stranded on Perida. I love that Sabine was able make the choice to do what Ahsoka and Ezra couldn't, save her master. Ahsoka couldn't save Anakin, Ezra couldn't save Kanan but Sabine could save Ahsoka, even if it meant not getting to go back home with Ezra like she wanted. That said, I think I would have preferred Ezra stay with them and they face the threat of whatever is to come there together with Baylan and whatever he seeks but on the flip side, I can see the setup for future stories having Ezra back as proof of Thrawn's return. Like the Darksaber being destroyed in Mando S3, I can see why it was done and the potential it has, it's just not what I personally would have wanted for the characters but I'm content to let it ride and see what happens and see how I feel then.
Across the board, the castings and performances were also stellar. I admit I struggled with Rosario's portrayal of Ahsoka in The Mandalorian S2, something just wasn't clicking for me at first but I grew to like her more as Ahsoka to more we saw of her and now thanks to this show, I can fully see the direction they were going for with her character, which I suspected but seeing her evolve over this series was super rewarding. Natasha Liu Bordizzo was phenomenal as Sabine right off the bat from her first scene and Mary Elizabeth Winstead did an excellent job of embodying Hera as well. Eman Esfandi was perfect as Ezra, my favourite Rebels character, nothing more to add. It's clear the actors really took the time to understand these characters were and what they meant and it really showed throughout the show. David Tennant returning as Huyang was also a stand out and of course, Hayden Christensen is always fantastic to have back. He blew me away with his appearances in this show, having him appear in liveaction with Ahsoka was such a treat as someone who grew up with The Clone Wars. The casting on the villains side was just as spot on. Ray Stevenson (RIP) as Baylan Skoll was phenomenal of course, Ivanna Sakhno crushed it as Shin Hati and Diana Lee Inosanto was so commanding as Morgan Elsbeth in this series, I was blown away by all of them. Lars Mikkelsen was, of course, fantastic as Thrawn, no surprise. It was cool seeing the character in live action and I think his TV portrayal as a villain works a lot better than how he is in books. Zahn just has the benefit of literally being able to type out the thought process of Thrawn and spell it out. You can't do that in TV. That's one of the advantages of that medium that is "sacrificed" to a degree when the character is translated to onscreen but that is true for most IMO. Reading a particular scene from a film in its novelisation versus directly on your screen can provide a lot more context and nuance because the medium has the freedom to take that time to do so. That doesn't inherently mean one version isn't as nuanced as the other.
I definitely think this show would have benefited from a 10 episode season, something like that. The 8 episode structure is starting to feel limiting for these shows as they get more larger scale. The shorter seasons work better for the smaller scale stories IMO. Personal ones like Mando S1, S2 and The Book of Boba Fett that largely take place in one location but the bigger scale ones like Ahsoka and Mando S3 should be getting more episodes. I think they just need to open up the structure a bit more instead of confining themselves to 8 or fewer per season and I feel like that's a question of budget which falls into the corporate side of things than the writers but shouldn't be an issue with Disney IMO. The more time goes by, the more I feel that way whereas I barely thought about that a few years ago. If they can throw a ton of money at Andor and give it a RIDICULOUS budget of $250 million (more than TWICE the total of the budget of any two other seasons of SW combined) and 12 episodes, there's no excuse for the other shows to be getting scraps by comparison. There's a definite imbalance in the support each of these shows are getting
Downplaying the Ahsoka vs Andor stuff online is actually very harmful and just feeding it tbh. It isn't "fair" to compare them in the slightest. A majority of those posts aren't asking simply "Which do you prefer? 'Grounded' or Mystical?" If that were the case, then it wouldn't have even been brought up at all. What they're really asking is "Do you think Tony Gilroy is a god and should write everything in the future and Dave Filoni is a hack or are you just wrong?" There's no middle ground or in between which is very clear in lot of the posts in the language and tone they use describing one compared to the other. It's not just asking which you prefer, you're being asked to pick one or the other and most of the time, usually with the poster having a "correct" answer in mind for you. The real question being asked should be "Why are these two shows being compared at all?" If there's supposedly room for both in the franchise, why is there so much vitriol from Andor stans against literally everything else in the franchise. It's quite telling what the issue is but ignoring it just allows the elitist mentality to continue. I am SO sick of everything, EVERYTHING, having ro be compared to Andor like it's some new stable or gold standard of the franchise when it absolutely is not.
Same. I loved it so much. My favorite live action SW series so far. I'm glad I watched Rebels. Made this even more interesting to watch. Episode 5 was my favorite, I really loved this episode. I hope they announce a S2
I couldn’t agree more about bringing Zahn on to bolster the portrayal of Thrawn
Overall I really did like the series and I found that a lot of the complaints that were levied at the show to be really ridiculous and out of line for people who may not truly know these characters. Don’t get me wrong there are criticisms to the show, but a lot of the stuff I saw particularly with Thrawn in the finale or people continuously criticizing Sabine‘s character just don’t understand who these characters are. Ahsoka Season 1 ranks up there for me with Mando season two and one and then also Andor which is maybe my personal favorite. Thanks for all the coverage for the show Explained!
Thrawn is terrifying despite being an underdog. First Jedi he meets tries to kill him and is made to look foolish. He has military bearing and keeps a number of imperial officers as council. First mission is not Operation Run Away!
This is Grandpa Yawn not Grand Admiral Thrawn.
*Present* Rex hasn't been shown or talked about since 2018. Where is he? Is he dead? Why hasn't there a single mention of him?
Totally agree with you, Alex. I do like the show more upon rewatches. One thing I can say about the show, is that it is the most classic Star Wars show out there. Andor, Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett are all designed to be somewhat different from the main Skywalker Saga, and Obi-WAN didn't quite succeed in being great Star Wars on the small screen. But this show had it all: Jedi, lightsabers, trippy force stuff, dogfights, a journey, master & apprentice stuff, a great set of villains and ended on some big cliffhangers like a good first act in a (presumably) trilogy should.
I am frustrated with the fans, who seem to only be able to complain as infinitum (it's only the loud ones, of course), but your channel really stands out aside from a couple of others, although I think no one puts as much work into it as you do! Absolutely fantastic!
To me I try not to bring too much sophistication and speculation to the new Star War series and content because that can actually take the air out of the tire.
I watch for the similar beats as in the trilogies. Ahsoka brought enough to keep viewers wanting more or maintain interest.
Also I actually watched both Andor and the Ewok Caravan of Courage, again to remind me of range and the other areas of the SW universe.
I think an especially revealing problem with Ahsoka is that we didn't get flashbacks centered on Ahsoka and Sabine's fight over the Siege of Mandalore, or how Ezra and Thrawn interacted over their decade-plus marooned together, yet we did get a whole episode of Anakin Clone Wars flashbacks
1. 4:50 Thrawn's forces destroying New Republic fleets can easily be done at the start of Mando S4 2. I think we need a in between Rebels and Ahsoka book by Zahn featuring Thrawn and Ezra.
I don’t see how people think Ahsoka was too stoic in this series. In Rebels, Ahsoka was definitely established to be a stoic character, if not even more so. Its like people are expecting Rosario to portray clone wars Ahsoka and not the more recent rebels Ahsoka
It’s still unclear to me why some of the Nightsisters went to Dathomir and the rest stayed on Paridea. Schism between the sisters? Mass migration was underway but for all but for some reason the route became closed off? I’m clueless over here 😅
I think it’s possible they were exiled there
Ohh I didn’t notice that 🙃
What a great show. For me the best live-action Star Wars season. Something I appreciate about all the SW Disney+ shows, is the variety! Ahsoka is easily my favorite series.
I suppose in an ideal world a character has a moment of realisation before using the Force for the first time, or does it for a meaningful reason, that shows good writing, but I don't think it's always necessary. Luke pulling the lightsaber in Empire was a survival instinct. Same with Rey in TFA. Sabine had her survival moment to pull the saber to her, but her *real* Force moment was saving Ezra and sending him home. The former moment was only there to set-up the latter, and that force push with the sweeping music worked for me big time. Awesome scene I've gone back to watch a few times. PS: great video Alex
David tennant returning as huyang is awesome, even though the series didn't cover how he survived order 66 and the imperial era.
Can't wait to see more of him, later on.
What really irritates me about the absolutism of choosing between Andor and Ahsoka is the observation that many choose the former simply because "its more adult", and discarding Ahsoka and all other fantasy stuff as childish and inferior because its not real.
That comes across more as insecurity in onself rather than a judgment of quality.
I think a more mature audience just appreciates more mature writing. I still like some content aimed at a younger audience, but star wars could be so much more if they would let it.
@@F0XD1EHit the nail on the head there, it's the mature aspect. I loved both but prefer Andor because it was so fantastically written and acted, not that ahsoka doesn't have good writing and acting, just not on Andors level imo. Ahsoka relies a lot on nostalgia for animated series too which add to the enjoyment of the series which my partner didn't get as much as me.
I appreciate aspects from both shows myself (even as someone who leans more towards Ahsoka as it just did the “Star Wars” feeling better for me) and can appreciate seeing writing fine-tuned. I just don’t appreciate the elitism over it. I haven’t seen it much from the Ahsoka fandom side, but I’ve seen a lot more of it from the Andor side from people putting down other non-Andor shows simply for not being “grounded” or for just having “action” and space fantasy. (Which still makes it hard for me myself to get past the absolutism getting blasted online.)
If we only enjoy what is giving to us without judgment
I love what SW is giving us, certainly the writers and directors have many challenges to make series, movies etc. and also trying to have so many fans to get sometimes just told what it is not good of working for each one of them
Unpopular opinion, I’ve always had a low key hope for the bad guys to win. However I know that will never happen in a Disney Star Wars show. But it still hurts to see the obvious plot armor in certain sequences of the last episode.
Baylan Skoll's quest, could actually be animated.
The sad passing of Ray Stevenson might encourage a full animated backstory(Tales of the jedi) of Skoll and going into future Ahsoka series or movies.
I cant imagine the actor being replaced for live action or being cgi like Leia in Rise of Skywalker.
I agree with you about the way Sabine was finally able to fully control the force. It would definitely be better if she did to save someone else instead of herself. However I also think it wasn't JUST about saving herself. I think she also found balance after getting the trust of her master. Ahsoka is finally committed to Sabine and I think this had a big impact on her balance and connection with the force
I just don’t think there will be long seasons simply due to budget constraints. These Mandoverse episodes costs millions of dollars a piece. And with no box office revenue to reap back costs, I’m afraid we are stuck with 7-8 episode seasons for the more fanatical series with tons of special effects.
Andor can get away with more episodes because the post production cost isn’t as high, doesn’t have force users, magick, or lightsaber fights. It’s just the reality of the situation.
And I’ve greatly enjoyed both the Mandoverse and Andor. There’s no need to have petty wars over which one is better.
Agreed. It's important to recognize the tradeoff.
So many people try to discredit the show over nitpicks. But I thought it was well done. The reunion with Ezra, the return of thrawn, seeing the new republic fleet. I’m so excited for the movie.
Gran Admiral Yawn
Right, some people just don't like anything anymore.
Everything you mentioned was flashy; the issue that a lot of us who wanted to love the show have is that there's no substance. I disagree that this show needed more episodes; it needed to use the 8 episodes better. To be brief, the writing quality was the biggest issue. But I'm glad that people got more enjoyment out of the show than me, particularly bc I went into the series thinking Filoni was the person to save Disney Star Wars 🥴
I made a compilation of best lightsaber fights from Ashoka, check it out!
@@juanhunter7073 sorry it wasn't like Andor
I really think Thrawn of canon and of Legends shouldn't be compared. I've read both book stories and thoroughly enjoy canon Thrawn over Legends. In legends, i feel Thrawn is a cold and one dimensional villain that still doesn't underestimates his enemies. Canon Thrawn respects his allies and enemies and the books show how loyal he is to his people. And i think the show really captured both the show and book interpretation of the character. He doesn't go all in with his resources like other Imperials instead using what is necessary after planning it out. And is only defeated when something unforseen happens. Such as Baylon not being involved like he thought he was going to be. He respects the people under his command such as making sure his troops were aware of the sacrifice they were going to make instead of having them forced into it and showing sympathy towards Morgan when asking her to buy them more time. But he also has the cold calculating side of using Sabine's desire to see Ezra again lead them to him to kill him. He also sees his own faults when referencing his own failing in the series finale. I thought Thrawn was written perfectly. Zahn has stated numerous times that Filoni knows how to write Thrawn. So even if he wasn't hugely involved, he has full control in him.
I do agree on other points you made regarding more time, but what i really liked about Ahsoka is that it didn't waste any time. I was worried Ahsoka was going to follow Mandalorian writing and have Ahsoka and Sabine go several side quests to find Ezra. But instead they gave us straight forward plot from A-B. I agree about the Sabine stuff. I think a couple episodes should have been a bit longer, and that would've been fine.
Overall i think Ahsoka was fantastic. I had my issues as well, but it was so much better than Obi-Wan, Boba Fett, and Mando season 3. And, really, as long as its better than the weaker properties than it's a win in my book.
this. I feel like a lot of content creators are expecting book thrawn, when that was likely never the goal of the creators
Maybe the Master and Apprentice relationship will be explored even further if there was a TV show about the Ghost crew after they reunited with Ezra but that probably won’t happen.
Overall the series was great and I love how it pushed the universe forward. The last episode really missed a beat for me, but I guess that’s how it goes with these limited series
Your criticism is spot on. I think overall Disney+ has cool images, callbacks, Easter eggs, moments - but it fails fleshing out characters, nuanced plot, competent storytelling, reasonable motivations for characters, character arcs in general. I think overall they need to shake up the writers room.
I like the Mandalorian season one and two, Ahsoka was decent. Obi-Wan was average….. at best. But in all honesty, ANDOR Wipes the floor with all of them.
Why? Writing, writing, writing.
Well said Alex.
I still want to know how she reunited with the good professor
While I disagree with much of the criticism, I will say it's pretty fair, which is refreshing. There are a few spots in the writing that feel a little off to me. There's a particular use of the Volume that unfortunately sticks out, though it doesn't really detract from the scene.
That said, I love this series; it's pretty easily my favorite for live action. The first episode works fantastically for me, establishing the atmosphere, pacing, and characters. I love things like Ahsoka acquiring the map and her approach to Home One, seeing Lothal brought to life and getting a sense of Sabine's mindset (which I think is key to her breakthrough with the Force).
I think the pacing is continually great. It has some variation -- for instance generally picking up across the first three episodes -- but always keeps a good amount of breathing room. The opening of Part 5 is especially gorgeous and meditative. The music helps, of course, and the score is another highlight of the season. Having notably different music (or ambient sound) for the intro and title card of each episode really adds to the experience.
Ahsoka's perspective at the end of Part 5 is uplifting and inspiring. It helped me minimize expectations in seeing how the rest of the season played out, and I really enjoyed the time spent on Peridea. At the end I think there is a sense of resolution and (relative) peace, though with clear indications of continuing threads. I would love to see a second season!
Great review, and thank you for mentioning the strikes at the end!
If it had arcs like Andor, giving us a sense of progression and development. While building up to the big moment of Thrawn’s return to the main Galaxy. I think it’ll make it more satisfying and give the writers a goal in mind as opposed to spinning wheels until the last few episodes.
My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this series and can't wait for season 2. Yeah I agree with few issues you had but over all, enjoyed it and will be watching it again. Always enjoy your reviews and insight on star wars things I missed or did not think about, plus helps me explain some thing to my daughter who is current watching clone wars series.
My biggest issue is that it felt like mid season break with his how it ended.
I think being in a life and death situation is what did it for Sabine. Before she wanted to use the Force, now she needed it
It's kind of like how Mutants in the X-men universe often develop their repressed powers under duress.
Reminds me of Luke on Hoth in the snow cave. A similar life or death situation
@@Shawn_Meven when he was taking out the death star
Oh yea thats life or death for more than just him too , trillions were saved due to his actions@@GameTavern2224
I just wish people remembered Kanan years ago never said she didnt have it just she and her mandolorianess was causing the mental issue
I appreciate your point of view. I agree with essentially all of your points. I especially like your comparison of Andor with Ahsoka. They both represent the two sides of Star Wars that make it so fascinating. Star Wars is not a dedicated scifi IP, however it benefits form more grounded entries like Andor and Mandolorian season 1. Shows like Ahsoka allow for that childhood wonder and fantasy in space that makes Star Wars so magical. Also, I couldn't agree more with needing more episodes to tell the story this season wanted to tell. Hopefully the popularity of this season will make Disney more willing to invest in longer seasons so we don't have this issue moving forward.
I really wanted Sabine to stay at Chirrut levels of force use. I think her being able to sense some things, deflect some bolts, other minor force powers would’ve been perfect. Now she’s just another Jedi. And it raises so many questions about her connection in Rebels, and why no one else in the 25,000 years the Jedi have been around never thought to train any random person they wanted. I don’t mind the aspect of the force being for everyone, I just don’t think everyone should be able to access and control it to that extent.
At least not without more development and context, yes, I agree. Sabine's jump from not being able to move a cup to double jumping Ezra like that was too great a leap (heh) and lacked any subtlety. People have said her development in the force was due to her "unblocking" herself mentally, but I can't pinpoint what pivotal event allowed this to happen. So much the characters felt undercooked to me and had they had more going on then the resolution of the half-baked tension between her and Ahsoka could have been that moment, her near death experience and learning from it, really anything so long as it was given time to develop-but it felt like the show actively avoided character work and nuance most of the time.
Sabine Wren - my new favorite character. 💜💚
How is The Bad Batch twice as long? The episodes are shorter in it. It's just a problem of how badly Ahsoka utilizes its time.
Well, not actually twice as long, but each season of "The Bad Batch" is still significantly longer even after accounting for episode length.
I agree with you on having variety. Of course, it gets annoying because since everyone seems to want something different, it seems like people hate every Star Wars that comes out.
As for Sabine's development with the Force, if you think about all the different moments, it kind of leads up to it. Just like how Anakin's turn in ROTS seemed a bit off the first time I watched it.
They definitely could have done a few more episodes. But, on some of the complaints. When Ahsoka asks if Sabine has kept up with her training, I don't think she was talking about their time apart, in this series. I think she was talking about their time apart, before the series. After all, in this series, they didn't actually spend a whole lot of time together. I don't mind how Sabine started using the force. It's very reminiscent of Luke. But I would liked to have seen a shot where Ahsoka looked over and saw Sabine push Ezra, and then return to fighting Morgan. And then comment on it, at the very end. Maybe ask her how it felt. Or something. As for Thrawn. I think they did a good enough job portraying him as a threat. The only people I think who wouldn't understand that would be someone who hasn't watched any other shows. Showing him do any more would actually lessen his character, and make him look like just any other bad guy. But what makes him a great villain is that he's not scary. This is a man who truly appreciated things like Sabine's artwork (which he should have mentioned) or the history of Hera's people. I think he actually respected them. And that's what also made him angry about underestimating Ezra and other Jedi. Because he didn't actually appreciate them or their history. So he was continually beaten by them. And that is an ironic thing about Thrawn. He understands sacrificing, to accomplish his goals. But he doesn't understand self sacrifice. And that's what the Jedi are all about.
Thrawn SHOULD understand self sacrifice though. And quite deeply.
Accepting a very public exile and stripping of his prestigious military titles in order to continue serving his people is self sacrificing. Allowing his reputation to be tarnished to cover for others. He worked alongside force sensitive Chiss children who had to accept brutal exertions to navigate their ships, and was shown to be conscious of their self-sacrifices.
He's motivationally much more nuanced than Rebels or Ahsoka show, at least as far as Zahn writes him, his history, and motivations.
Filoni just makes him...evil. Evil with some class, strategy, etc. But not particularly deep or sympathetic, and with a weird tendency towards force literacy T_T
@@kzbernabeu3674 I'm sure the books are much more in depth. But, to be honest, The books don't matter. I say this because, no matter the story, whether it's Star Wars, Star Trek, Dune, Lord of the Rings, etc. Comparing the two forms (written and visual) is impossible. And when it comes to story telling, you can't rely on one form to dictate how the other is portrayed. Books will always be "better". That's because a book, by its nature, is pure exposition. But when you do that in a movie or TV show, it becomes tedious.
@@johnmiller7682 This is I think too simplistic of a way to look at it. You certainly can compare the two mediums in how they convey information and the spirit of a story. Books aren't pure exposition, authors must think about pacing just like a director or scriptwriter would, just in different ways.
It's my understanding that there were some cut scenes of some length with dialogue between Sabine and Ezra. That may have been a bit of a miss, but I'm sure folks would have complained about it dragging things out too much.
I loved this show! Can’t wait for season 2!!!
The meetup of ahsoka and anakin was too short in world between worlds.
Very nice
I loved the series
Well said, good sir! Pretty much agree with everything. There were some absolutely brilliant moments in the series. I loved the series all in all. Had some small issues (runtime being one), but man there were some great and fun moments.
Baylon Skoll was such a bright part of the show, and Ray Stephenson absolutely stole the show. Love where the story is going with lore and the mystical aspect of the force (just wish that we didnt have to wait years for it)! lol
I enjoyed the series, it was a good opener, hope to see the stakes upped in season 2.
I agree that a couple of episodes could've been added to the second half of the story, but the first half dragged on at it was with just the first four episodes. That part did not and should not have needed to be even longer.
Really enjoy your reviews and I generally agree with your views or at least understand exactly where you’re coming from! I agree, I love andor and I loved Ashoka both different, but Both fantastic in different ways and I can’t wait to see more of both of them! Thank you
This might be a controversial take, but I think the Ahsoka series shows that Filoni understood what Rian Johnson was doing in The Last Jedi (and hopefully bring it into fruition in future seasons and movies): your past failures and those of your predecessors (be they parents, masters, institutions, etc) don’t define who you are. Growth, change, and redemption are possible if we are willing to accept it.
I was like Alex: I enjoyed the first three episodes but I wasn’t completely sold, episode four is what got me into it because it’s when the show started to lean into its themes and really explore them
I would have to say this is my favorite series so far besides clone wars. I like the other worldly aspects and seeing that Ahsoka is special and the Force has plans for her
I think Sabine’s force use was 0-100 way too quick, she should of been able to weakly use the force and not necessarily control it still, like use it only when desperate, like for instance push the dark troopers blaster 3 inches so it misses Ezra but for her to use it once and then it’s like she can just use it perfectly after was a bit overkill
Thanks once again! 👏
i think even though i havent seen rebels i could still tell Thrawn means business. He knew what he was doing and it was clear enough to me that he is a formidable strategist that would blow the new republic away.
Ahsoka Season 1 Total Runtime is 368 Minutes.. Rebels Season 4 Runtime is 352 minutes.
Rebels wasnt longer because it had more episodes because the episodes were half the length.
i do say that episode 8 feel like an mid season finale and for the first 4 episode i was hoping not to see anakin and i wanted tosee sabine talk about her feelings for ezra what ever they are and i want to know if sabine and ahsoka to return home and i wanted so much for ezra to meet jacen on screen and reunite with withryder he is proberply a uncle or dad for ezra
FIloni is a Star Wars expert but he is no Timothy Zahn.
I loved this series; it was great to follow Ahsoka revisiting her past and all the internal conflicts that haunted her. Anakin's involvement throughout the series was absolutely incredible and emotional. The series also introduced extremely interesting new characters, especially the group of villains, which was very well represented by Morgan, Shin, Baylan, and of course, the LEGENDARY Thrawn. Baylan was one of the best characters in the show. Filoni did an excellent job; it was a work truly dedicated to fans of Rebels, Clone Wars, and the Prequel trilogy.
@StarWarsExplained ...
You forget that the Rebellion was still in it's development stage when Ezra spirited Thrawn away into the Unknown Regions at the end of Rebels. This means that most of the now New Republic administration had little to no direct battles against Thrawn's armada. Only Hera and Phoenix Squadron know how dangerous Thrawn can be. Even Chancellor Mon Mothma depends of Hera to tell her who Thrawn is.
Completely agree that a longer version of this would've been better. It felt like the intro arc for a bigger show about what it actually means for Thrawn to return. And maybe that story will still be told in other series/movies, but it made this season feel anti-climactic
I loved this show
It ain’t easy, hunting down an Ahsoka review that isn’t entirely negative. 😮💨
4:52 Thrawns forces crushing New Republic fleets can be done easily in Mando S4.
I overall feel the same way about the season. It would have been nice to have a little more of a hint about Baylan's objective, but it's something to speculate about for now I guess. Maybe it was intentional to just give enough clues that a few possibilities could fit. Seeing how the show is diving deep into the fantasy, not much is reallly off the table yet.
2:45 Actual moment was when Ahsoka contacted her through the Force IMO
100% agree on every point. Fun show with a lot of good but plenty of issues as well. I'm hoping to see them figure that out and apply that kind of feedback to the next season.
I'm glad I watched Rebels. Made this even more interesting to watch
Completely agree with this review. Great season but lots of missed opportunities throughout.
8 episodes is such a weird number, why not at least 10? Star Trek seasons all have 10 episodes. I loved Andor having 12.
Sabine’s problem throughout the season was that she was “trying” to use the Force. By the end, her emotional baggage was no longer holding her back and now she was able to “do” use the Force. It’s exactly like what Yoda says.
I think you put to words what I've been finding it difficult to say. I enjoyed the show and all the build up and the action but then the finale fell short for me. Loved Sabine's journey to the force and i think the way she is forced to save herself from a night trooper and calls her lightsaber to her is a really good way of showing that she is becoming more confident in her abilities, the call back to luke in the wampa cave is nice too. Id love to see more practical sets and less volume screen. Im excited to see more.
True. Same
Take a drink every time Alex says he wishes Thrawn came back to the regular galaxy blew up some New Republic ships lol
It's weird that you think Thrawn should have been a PERFECT BIG BAD right from the start, after what was probably a grueling 10 years of just getting by with what he had and what he was able to build on Peridia. There are huge visual cues showing us how broken everything is. Do you think Thrawn came out of this unscathed at all? For those who are seeing Thrawn for the 1st time we witness a competent Imperial officer who survived without the aid of the Galactic Empire for 10 years and then out matched the Apprentice of Anakin Skywalker to boot.
I think it's safe to say, Thrawn cooked.
I think the implication that he managed to maintain pretty strong forces, get three Nightsisters to do his bidding, keep his army's loyalty, and fix a broken ship in a desolate Wasteland cut off from the rest of the world is insane. He also could have killed the Jedi, he just would have lost way more resources. That was his biggest problem. His escape was never a problem, his resources were. He needs to face a whole freaking intergalactic system after he returns, so of course he doesn't want to waste anything.
I don't get the criticisms that so many have for Thrawn here. He won, did he not? All he was doing was delaying tactics and it worked! Plus, his final speech to Ahsoka genuinely felt like Zahn-written dialogue
This is what I’ve been saying to myself the whole time. Everything Thrawn had done on Peridea was extremely impressive. He and his troops survived the desolate wasteland of Peridea for a decade. The fact he got three powerful Dathomiri witches to do his bidding was impressive enough on it’s own. He rebuilt his mangled destroyer, and kept his troops alive. They revere him so much they not only chant his name, they WILLINGLY laid down their lives to ensure Thrawn was able to escape. If this was any other Imperial, they would’ve died within months, if not weeks on Peridea. Thrawn surviving as long as he did is a testament to how much of a threat he is. I really don’t get where all the criticism is coming from. Thrawn was always two steps ahead, and that’s why he won the whole ordeal.
@@Solo13508 it was honestly an amazing burn on Ashoka, love her obviously, but yep she got got.
For me Sabine wielding the force was also somewhat odd but I got with it. Something changed in the last episode when Ahsoka essentially said to her ‘I can train you to wield your lightsaber better, but I can’t really train you in the force, you have to trust in it’. Her suddenly believing she can hurl Ezra across a massive space was shocking, but it’s her desperation to save him and get him home that just about makes it work, on top of the fact Kanan and Ezra did it all the time so she’s seen how people can use the force like that a lot.
I really enjoyed the show overall, but I agree, more time was needed to have a satisfying ending to certain subjects/plot lines that went without conclusion.
That being said, excited for more!
Bring Timothy onto the writing team for season 2 and hire Nick Gillard for the lightsaber fights. I think you’d be onto a winner 👍💪
3:04 the problem was she was "trying too hard" prior, and now she is just doing.
7:08 You could very easily combine grounded story telling and high fantasy. You just have to treat your story more seriously. For example, you could use the Bodies of Stormtroopers from previous combat encounters and not just sacrifice volunteers. That would make it more believable. Why would anyone throw away their life like that? You could still have the Crew enter the temple and have them wondering about the Dead Stormtroopers lying around, only for them to suprise them through resurrection.
5:40 I would love to get more animated series. I don't understand why people are so against watching animation as adults 🤦🏻
Also animation is cheaper to produce so they can have more story episodes. It's all about the money. 💲
This series accomplished much less than I thought it would. When I first saw the trailer, I thought Thrawn would be found relatively quickly and then the rest of the show would show him waging war on the new republic, or at least making preparations for that. Safe to say I was dead wrong.
100% agree with this review
I would have liked to have Barriss show up.
The reason the animated series have longer seasons is that each episode cost about 10% as much as episodes of the live series. Pretty straightforward economics.
6:02 I’m pretty sure Ashoka’s referring to the time they spent apart before the series began
You have to understand that those who write, Direct & Act don't have much of a say on a series length as its mainly due to what money is available for that series to be done. You want say 16-20 episodes, when the money says 8 only. You also know that as the streaming services are now on tight budgets due to huge losses in profit you have stuck with what you have. So it's understandable why its a 18 chapter series crammed into 8 episodes!
Does it seem like Sabine was used more like a succession tool to develop Ahsoka's maturity and character arc? Rather than it being done in a more balanced way so that both of them have evolved into the version they were attempting to write/portray them?
Now that I think about it, Sabine does sort of come off like she's only apart of it to progress purely just Ahsoka's character
I agree completely about thrawn. I love timothy zahn's books but rebels and ahsoka don't make him seem very unique I feel like most of the tactical decisions he made in ahsoka I could have seen being made by pretty much any other star wars villain.