SPOILER Ahsoka - Part 2, Toil and Trouble

Another fabulous cliff-hanger... but don't fret, next week's episode is only 30 minute long... 7 days till then.... no binging allowwed but bingers will find a way to bing in OCTOBER... NO PATIENCE PADAWAN... HAHAHHEHEHE... week to week episodes enable us to communicate rather than, one and done... sorry Netflix gen... haha... I'm a BOOMER... HAHA

 

And I'm very happy about that. I was a bit worried that with the eight-episode format, these two were going to act as sort of a Rebels recap and we wouldn't start really moving forward until the next episode. There are obviously some references and callbacks, there has to be, and we're likely to get more considering how important it is to the plot of this show... but it really feels like these characters, though somewhat still together, have moved on from that era, and I think that's important.

 

We don’t quite know if she isn’t, at least not fully. Huyang suggesting she doesn’t have quite the aptitude, but it also doesn’t mean she can’t. He still seemed…rather encouraging on her continuing the training, which suggested to me it was still possible.

I’m curious to see how her story will resolve in this though. What path she’ll take.

sidebar, I remember seeing the trailers and thinking that this show would be them coming back together after Rebels’ epilogue, but the ending of this episode shows “no, we’re making a few changes to that shot”….and honestly I’m ok with them. The white cloak and staff Ahsoka had in that were a bit odd to me, and her cloak here looked more practical (and no staff. Why the staff in Rebels?)

 

Great second episode! I liked that Hera had a lot more to do, and Baylan adds a ton of gravitas to the role. (RIP Ray...) Granted, gravitas doesn't mean effectiveness, but it goes a long way initially. (I also like how the antagonists have a better functioning relationship than our heroes.)

The acting is good and the staging is pretty good, but this episode, alongside last week's episode and Filoni's first showing in The Mandalorian have made it pretty clear so far that Filoni really needs to work on his fight scene staging and choreography. Maybe it's because he set the bar so high in animation, maybe it's the stilted angles, maybe it's because it seems like Rosario Dawson is doing the fight scenes, but there's been something...off to me in every fight. It's like they're not quite animated or as well choreographed as the PT, but not as organic as the ST, but not as Samurai-esque as Filoni would want like the OT. They're just weird to me. I'm sure they'll improve, but I'm not sure how just yet.

Still, another really solid episode. Ahsoka is off to a great start! Now, a great start doesn't mean a great finish, just like how a great finish can come from a bad start, but it does mean that the people behind the show have their hand on something. Let's hope they can keep it. 9/10.

Between Sabine's explicit Jedi training and Huyang's comment, I thought the show was saying the exact opposite. I felt like they're saying that yes, Sabine is Force Sensitive, but she's got some blocks (both mental and just naturally) that won't allow her to be the Jedi that Ezra was (or Kanan was...or Ahsoka was...) yet, if ever. Huyang's line felt incomplete, or at least misinterpreted, IMO. To me, Huyang is saying that just because Sabine doesn't have the aptitude for The Force doesn't mean that she doesn't have the capability to be a Jedi, to the point that he's basically the one who picks Sabine off her feet, tells her to reach out to Ahsoka, and says "get back to training."

Gandolf reference, maybe?
Part of me wonders if we haven't fully seen the Rebels ending just yet, and this is sort of a fake-out. Like here, we're seeing Ahsoka the Grey, the non-Jedi who feels forced to work with her former apprentice. Maybe at the end we'll see Ahoka the White, Jedi Master, coming to work with her former (?) apprentice who herself is a Jedi Knight now?

 

Filoni also took a dive into retcon taking from GL, but story has changed and it isn't the first time when something like that happened.
I have just recently noticed again that the hypersleep chambers are completely different from Aliens to Alien 3 for example, as long as it services the story, I am fine with it.

Overall, the show is great so far! After 3 recent dissapointments except for Andor, we've got good looking visuals, show that feels like it deserved my D+ subscription and coherent and meaningful story!
Not to mention that the casting is perfect. I have seen some nitpicks around the internet about dialogues and delivery and some things working in animation and not in live action, but come on, it's Star Wars.
I was eyeing myself for such instances during the watch, but nothing really jarring. Sure, that Lothal capital platforming and scenes, taken almost straight from the animated show looked a bit sterile and more fantasy like, but it works in the show.
And so far, I did love it all. Azadi cameo from Clancy Brown was awesome.

Top stuff! Forget the Unknown Regions, we are going to another galaxy!
This alone and the journey of both the heroes and villains made my excitement skyrocket!

Two questions and anticipations at this moment:
– forget Thrawn, I want to learn more about Baylan! And how he ended up here, with padawan, orange lightsabers and Marokk, who we clearly suspect is an ex-inquisitor by his attire and weapon of choice alone. Can't wait to get to know more. Sadly, Rey Stevenson is great in the role and while losing real person is heartbreaking, if his story doesn't end in this season, it would be even more heartbreaking for me as I already want to get more of this character.
– I hope we will learn more about Ahsoka's past and see some reflection. I agree with some people, that this is not the Ahsoka from Clone Wars, clearly, she is already different in Rebels and in that book, that got adapted in a way in Tales Of The Jedi. She's been through a lot, playing it safe and trying to be collected, calm, strategic. In Rebels, she stated that she is no Jedi, like Baylan did, also, said that to Huyang in Ahsoka. But why she took Sabine as a Padawan even tho she is stated to not be a natural adept for such a role, then adheres to some of the rules like if she's making it up on the go.
There is clearly some conflict in her. There was not much of a space for her character development in contrast to Sabine and Hera is basically Hera, therefor I hope that we will get more of that.

In the end, amazing! I was afraid after Mando S3, but so far, Filoni is killing it for me. Combination of classic and new, like watching the old animated shows and the foreshadowing and building up to something is definitely here, which makes me looking forward to the next episode and not just waiting week by week for appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn and probably be dissapointed like with Moff Gideon.
I care about the characters, the characters are greatly portrayed, no stupid fluff – which is something I don't tolerate in limited subscription series, we are not in the 90s, watching a season of 22 episodes with 45 minute footage and self contained story of the week.
I really hope we won't get into any stupid side mission with some stranded orphans in space for example, on the way to Ezra and Thrawn.
Also, majority of the things from trailers already ended up in these episodes and I presume, that Episode 3 will involve the duel between Baylan and Ahsoka with some dialogue exposition, so looking forward to be surprised afterwards!

P. S. Thumbs up on the episode not ending on Ahsoka and Sabine going into hyperspace and there was a foreshadow and sneak peek into Elsbeth's grander plots (and back to the beginning of Episode 1 learning from Mandalorian, yes, I am interested in seeing the heists of getting the bad guys out of the prison!)

 

Yeah, that was the vibe I got. I’m open to either path, but I think if she does become a Jedi, that could be another powerful statement of the Force’s connection to people and that someone could achieve it. Or she could drop it. We shall see but I’m curious to see what will happen.

I suppose, especially given the drawing he later did. I’m not…overly fond of the Gandalf comparisons, at least how Dave used it in that image (Dave…Gandalf did die, he was just sent back by the Valar…he was essentially an angelic being/spirit that was bound into a physical body), but I giess I can see that. Still weird image with the staff though

 

More greatness.

It was cool to see a less grungy Correllia. Great reminder that these planets have... weather. It's not always just rainy or sunny, lol.

Chopper in live action is fantastic. They really nailed making him more of a bucket of bolts than most other astromechs we've seen, if that makes sense.

I talked in the E1 thread about how much I like Baylan and Shin. The Inquisitor hasn't sold me yet... they're okay, but so far I'm not sure why their role here couldn't have just been Baylan or Shin (obviously this could be discovered later). But Morgan has really intrigued me now! Very cool to see Dathomiri stuff like this in live action (surely we won't see Merrin, right?). "Morgan" obviously has Arthurian connections. Not sure where "Elspeth" comes from, though I do know of Elspeth Tirel, the white mana planeswalker in Magic the Gathering, so perhaps both names are just meant to be evocative of magic, given her Nightsister connections. Alternatively, Morgan le Fey was instrumental in the fall of Camelot... if Ahsoka really is meant to be a lead in to an upcoming Heir to the Empire movie, Morgan Elspeth may end up being a very important character indeed.

 

I really loved it. It was the right balance of explaining the parts of Rebels that mattered and moving the story along fast enough to keep meet interested. Watching Mando might be more of a prerequisite than Rebels IMO.

Ray has always been one of my favorite non-super star actors and he's so great here it breaks my heart he's gone. The Sabine casting is perfect. It's a shame she cuts her hair, it's such a great look on her. Can't wait to see more.

 

Felt like Rebels Season 6 where we have no idea what happened in Season 5. And I love a good mystery. Lets get'em Scooby!

 

RIP - Ray Stevenson.... you are Legend.​

 

Hey, who's cutting onions?

 

How is Sabine still alive... is she FS??? ...just joking... haha awaiting @Lord Phanatic take!!! Shin Hati fanboy!

Another villain is rescued en route to NR trial? (Moff Gideon/ Morgan Elsbeth)

Spoiler

Hayden Christensen is listed as an actor in this series....

The Shin Hati and Sabine duel reminded me of the Kylo Ren duel with Rey at the end of TFA... Sabine should have tapped into the dark side... can't wait for part 2 of the duel...

 

I very much get that as long as new Star Wars exists, people are going to find a way to complain about new Star Wars, but I'm surprised at how many... "Oh so the whole first two episodes is just the epilogue of Rebels, we didn't need to see that." posts/tweets I'm seeing in other corners of the internet. It isn't widespread, but it's been mentioned enough for me to take notice of it.

It doesn't make any sense to me. It's not as if the story is halted in an attempt to get there. The show does a great job of filling in holes that need to be filled in while also pushing the story of Ahsoka (the show) a lot further than I thought they were going to up to this point. It's very much its own thing, and to simply write it off as an extension of the ending of Rebels is entirely unfair. The ending mural scene of Rebels should technically be considered (and also quite literally is) a part of Ahsoka, not Rebels... yet some people are treating it as if it's the other way around.

 

Indeed.

And, I think that makes sense. To get to this story, a lot needs to happen. Let alone the out of universe stuff such as catching up non-animation-watching audiences, but also we need to account for almost the entirety of the Galactic Civil War. This show (wisely, in my opinion) doesn't rehash that for the fortieth time and instead focuses on telling a new story with characters some of us already know.

 

Ahsoka ep. 2 – Toil and Trouble​

Oh, nice! We’re going back to Corellia! (I thought the factory planet in the teasers and TV spots looked familiar).

Hm… I wonder… are we setting up the Yuuzhan Vong, or something, with the distant galaxy stuff?

Cool! They’re reusing concept art from Solo:ASWS

Yeah… conversations writing/storytelling is not Filoni’s thing, unfortunately.

Ok, so… Sabine is pissy with Ahsoka over something that happened off-screen, right? Presumably, Sabine followed old Ahsoka on som damn-fool idealistic crusade? (The Ahsoka the White thing, I assume?)

Hahaha! Sabine’s aptitude with the Force would fall short of all padawans that Huyang have known! Funny!

Hera and Chopper is an old couple, and just like any pair, the “husband” doesn’t know where things are at, and the “wife” has to find it for them. Lovely!

Chopper saves the day and puts a tracker on Hati’s ship; sweet!

Denab System, you say? Hm… is it too much to ask that we get a Lando reference/cameo

I wonder how an Inquisitor (Marrok) ended up in the service of the ex-Jedi, Baylan Skoll?


Good episode; a bit small and sparse in content, but it landed very well with Sabine’s Mando-gear montage scene. Cool.


Observation, and I don’t want to sound pissy, but I’m not sure I’m entirely sold on Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Hera, to be honest. Granted, she’s had mostly rather weakly-written dialogue scenes at this point, but still. I hope she lands better later on.

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 23, 2023, Original Post Date: Aug 23, 2023 ---

The mural -- identical to the live action version -- was present at Star Wars Celebration in London, and it was beaufitul. It really looked like a piece of stone in a museum, or something.