Disney’s been hitting it out of the park with the Star Wars TV shows recently. Especially compared to their newer Marvel shows, the offerings from the Star Wars section of Disney+ are consistently entertaining and enjoyable. “Andor” is still one of my top favorite TV shows ever. But today we’re looking at something a little more recent: “Ahsoka.”
I was really excited for this show going in. The later seasons of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” — the debut of the character — are still very close to my heart as extremely solid pieces of television. And after seeing “Ahsoka” make the jump to live action in the second season of “The Mandalorian,” I think myself and others were very hyped for where her story would go next. I feel like “Ahsoka” mostly delivered on that hype.
The show felt like a direct love letter to “The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars: Rebels,” the latter of which I still haven’t seen. I should probably fix that. The show has the scent of Dave Filoni all over it, in a good way. As I have watched more and more of his work within this universe, I’ve appreciated Filoni more and more as a solid storyteller. The whole aesthetic is delightfully tuned, from the logo and closing credits to the design of minor characters like the Noti crab people and Captain Enoch.
The characters were all well-done and really interesting, with some standouts being Shin and Baylan, Anakin Skywalker’s cameo, and Ahsoka herself. Not to mention Grand Admiral Thrawn, who deserves an entire essay on his own.
I firmly hold the belief that Thrawn is the best antagonist in all of Star Wars. He may not match the pure icon status of Vader or Sidious, or the combat prowess of Grievous or Maul, but Thrawn possesses a tactical prowess and calculating mind that we haven’t seen since the Super Tactical Droids in the Clone Wars. But unlike those, Thrawn is a biological being, with a far more flexible viewpoint and adaptable strategy. Thrawn’s mastery of tactics is unparalleled, and he’s known for being able to learn everything about his opponent and use that knowledge to exactly calculate their probable actions. I could gush about Thrawn for a million years, but I’ll save things like his prequel comic or his mysterious Chiss origins for another article.
If I had any complaints about the show, my key one would probably be the ending. It’s a great ending, but I would’ve loved for it to have resolved about maybe 20 percent more. It leaves a lot dangling, and I would’ve liked a little more of, for example, the Dark Jedi’s plan or what was in the Chimaera’s cargo to be revealed. But as is, I still cannot recommend this show enough. The design is excellent, the characters are interesting — except Ezra, but was he ever? — and the soundtrack is memorable and unique, bringing something completely new for Star Wars.
4 out of 5 Big Oles
