Ahsoka (2023)

I had never watched Rebels until after I heard this series was coming. I had only watched part of Clone Wars. The animated stuff just didn't hold my interest. The storytelling was uneven and the tone was all over the place, but I enjoyed it more often than not. Ahsoka Tano started off as an annoying character created to give little kids someone to connect with on Clone Wars, but they had the time to make her much more interesting. After two episodes, you can certainly understand what is going on in Ahsoka even if you hadn't watched those two series, but the story loses a lot of its impact without that connection. This is very much a sequel to Rebels, which could cost them viewers. As a fan of the show, however, I'd actually like to see the Ghost crew back together. We already had the Zeb cameo in The Mandalorian, so we know he is still alive.

 

I feel like I should circle back and watch Rebels.

 

It is worth a watch on its own. I binged it fairly quickly. Some of it gets weird, delving into some of the mysticism of the Force. They handled connections to the larger Star Wars story well. I think the first two episodes of Ahsoka work okay without it, but watching Rebels enriches the experience.

 

There is one thing that I'm still trying to untangle from the end of Rebels and the first two episodes of Ahsoka.

Spoiler

Rebels ends with Ahsoka coming to Lothal for Sabine, with the latter's voiceover stating that it is time to bring Ezra home. Most people seem to think that scene is reproduced in live action at the end of Episode 2 of Ahsoka. They dismiss that Ahsoka's costume isn't exactly right and that there is some dialogue added, but I'm wondering if they are two different instances of the two women joining for the same mission. I think this because Sabien isn't Ahsoka's padawan during Rebels. She was trained by Kanan on that show, with some help from Ezra. I always thought that final scene in the animated series was right after the defeat of the Empire, with the current storyline being a few years later. Perhaps I'm reading it wrong and it is the same scene. One thing is certain. I've spent way too much time thinking about it.

 

I have another, more immediate question:

Spoiler

Who’s running around in the inquisitor’s armor?

I’m sort of thinking that it’s Ezra Bridger, turned to the dark side.

 

The recaps posted by @Regan MacNeil and @2muchcoffeeman are hugely helpful and appreciated. I’ve seen bits and pieces of the animated stuff but glad I watched before diving into the new show. Gonna watch this weekend.

 

Spoiler

That’s not Ezra. We learn from Rebels, Obi-Wan and others, there’s a lot of inquisitors. And it would be a giant F U to fans to erase Ezra’s sacrifice by suddenly making him a bad guy

 

The first two episodes were slow but I enjoyed them. I wish I read up on Ashoka before watching because my wife hasn’t watched Rebels yet. I didn’t realize this was going to be Rebels The Sequel.

I do have a question why they decided to adjust/add to who trained Sabine.

 

I don't think they did that. I think the idea is that Ahsoka trained her between the time of Ezra's disappearance and the beginning of this series.

 

Spoiler

The theory I have heard is that it is Ezra, but he will eventually come back to the light. Remember, he did briefly give into the temptation of the dark side through the Sith holocron in Rebels. He found himself a long way from home with Thrawn, who may have been able to manipulate Ezra. He also struggled with temptation with Maul. The Inquisitors are fallen Jedi, many of them with a lot more training than Ezra got. His master was no more than a padawan when Order 66 happened. I don't think it would be out of line with what we saw in Rebels at all. That said, if they had him go bad and stay that way, yeah, that would be an issue.

 

Spoiler

What if it’s Mara Jade?