SPOILER Ep. 8 The Jedi, The Witch, and The Warlord

“Everything dies. In time, even stars burn out. This is why Jedi form no attachments: all things pass. To hold onto something or someone, beyond its time is to set your selfish desires against the Force. That is a path of misery, Anakin; the Jedi do not walk it.”

- Master, Obi Wan Kenobi




Share your thoughts as the season ends....

​

Death Troopers for realz.





The blade of Talzin.






Very. Nice. Payoff.

 

Everything Ezra and Sabine for me.. loved it. So many fun little things.

the way this ended through makes me wonder how they’re gonna follow some of this up, or if they will even attempt to or just leave them as open-ended.

 

That hit pretty hard.
I don't think Part 1s cold open can be topped, but this one came close. Nightsister Magick, the Blade of Talzin, and FINALLY, TIE fighters.

So much to discuss, I can see where the Nancies are gonna attack, but the overall depth and emotional impact from start to finish, along with the way it ended, this was a very good episode and an outstanding season finale. I enjoyed it as much for what wasn't revealed as for what was.

 

​

 

Another Narnia reference from Filoni! "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord" parallels the first Chronicles of Narnia book "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." As soon as I saw that title I thought for sure we get a reintroduction of the World Between Worlds proper (as in, not some near-death manifestation/visions) given that this is another Narnia reference. Was disappointed nothing came of it.

This ending makes me fear that they may not actually have plans for a season 2. I feel like they would have already confirmed it if it was going to end on such cliffhangers. Yet all they've said is this was planned to be more of a miniseries. And with the music and tone, even Ahsoka saying "it's time to move on" makes me think this was Filoni's way of letting go of Ahsoka's storyline and leaving it up to some future people to toy with and that his upcoming movie is really just going to be Ezra and the mandoverse vs Thrawn and his side witches.

I hope I'm wrong! Just was hoping this series was gonna push things further than "Ezra and Thrawn swap places with Ahsoka and Sabine." Though the potential revival of Dathomir is very exciting. Ultimately, I have positive feelings toward the series as a whole. We got a lot of really cool stuff out of it. Thrawn's introduction on the witch-gold infused Chimera as freak kintsugi nighttroopers chant his name will forever be one of the best Star Wars moments for me.


Adding to the Narnia musings, I found this from reddit:

 

Beautiful episode! Just beautiful but frustrated with Baylan's arc being completely in the air now with no progress at all since the last episode except he found statues pointing

 

As second thread is locked, let's all talk about Part 8 here.

I liked it for what is is but maybe this finale left me quite cold and little disappointed.
Basically for Baylan story and not telling anything about him in this episode (only that interesting shot), like Shin. Now we know his incredible journey has just only a few options. The use of deage and tell what they wanted to explain without changing nothing, leave it there for a cartoon or comic or book, or change all his entire purpose. I really have faith they will continue with their plan. But certainly it's really really sad.

What's curious in an Ashoka show that the more interesting parts are from supporting characters and the most interesting parts are not even exploited. Now, the most interesting characters to know about them are Baylan, Shin and Ezra journeys, like Dathomir part.

Also this finale was quite predictable. After last episode I expected a death of Morgan or another "bad guy", very open interesting arc stories, Thrawn escaping leaving in there some of the main characters and Purgils on the rescue in the begining of season 2, if there is a new season. I don't know, maybe is already all set up for the big movie and we won't get another season of Ahsoka.

Yeah, I liked the episode. Visuals are great and lightsabers are cool, zombies are cool (underused, could have been great use them more in a darker way), nightsisters are cool, and that legend weapon was cool (I don't know all of SW stuff so am waiting to know what it is XD), but the story felt the same of the last 3 episodes. This one had some very weak points like some dialogs, a lot of useless troopers again, slow tempo in talking or walking, leaving Baylan and Shin without doing nothing, destroying that ancient temple, Ezra's showing up with helmet on...


I never complain about fan service. Never. But the owl had enough time to appear before and Anakin was quite gratuitous.


I quote something from @Kestrel from other thread

Aboslutely agree.
The show has been great yeah, but I had the feeling all had a small scale.


Well. This is it. I really liked the show although it has a lot of not exploited interesting parts. As a small story of a group of characters in the whole galaxy was good, following the events of the great Rebels show.

Give me a season 2 and a trailer for Skeleton Crew now. XD

Cheers

 

Now after the series is over, let's go... to say that I am dissapointed with the finale would be understatement.
After looking at the series back as a whole, Ahsoka is bad on Rings Of Power level, but we know where ROP is going with parting shots and setups at least.
It looks good, beside some bad angle shots and many good ones, they clearly knew what they are doing with Stagecraft and locations.
The actors are actually great, with Baylan standing out, Ezra being really good, Mikkelsen killing it with Thrawn and Rosario emboding the Ahsoka pretty well.
The choreography and lightsaber combat looks kinda weird tho at times. While there are iconic shots, most of the fighting has no impact and it just happens.
Ahsoka VS Elsbeth to me felt like natural culmination and rematch waiting to happen since Mando S2 but, it was like the many of Rey VS Kylo Ren and didn't stand out much on it's own. Besides Elsbeth getting "promoted/powered up" and getting the blade of Talzin, which is cool nod for Clone Wars fans but less impactful for casuals, I actually think the fight in Mandalorian was better choreographed and besides it being a stalling plot point, there was nothing to it.

And that's where I am going. The writing is bad paired together with the exactly cryptic storytelling with no pay off that I was hinting at.
Some people called out the bad dialogues and some of the writing since part 1 and I dismissed it, because Star Wars is riddled with straightforward to your face lines, but under it lies a bigger story and themes. Here we have the story unfinished and I have felt like watching a looooong trailer for two months after this season finale.
And the season finale sucks.

• Ahsoka going complete Gandalf to just learn that forgiving is godly and you need to chill more.
• Ezra finally getting back, hooray! Years in the making since Rebels finale, we knew it will happen, it happened. Why does he disembark the shuttle on New Republic ship in Stormtrooper armor? It's time to move on! Honorable mention: Last Jedi made it better with Finn and Rose crashlanding, while Ezra has created pointless tension or did he ditched his clothes and is naked? At least take down the helmet for god's sake
• Thrawn has escaped, another hooray! Something we knew will happen. With lot of caskets that we only can presume are death witches. Well, the zombie armies are not really effective and menacing, as we saw in the finale, so that's first of the pointless set ups for the future, as I am quite lukewarm about it.
  Why is Thrawn so pro empire and what is he going to do in the known galaxy? Why was he written like in Rebels cartoon, where all of his plans and tactics are basically foiled just so he can have the victory in escaping in the last second? Is this the strategic genius? Are the heroes as good? I didn't had that feeling at all. He doesn't need anything more to it, because he's the imperial grand admiral so, long live the empire and casuals and nerds are happy?
  I'll get to this later.
• Baylan... We have a clue and basic motivation, but it's all a setup for another season, set who knows how long in future. Just him for one shot, looking at the Mountain of Doom on horizon with statues of Mortis Gods (with daughter destroyed). Wow! At least some foreshadowing or cliffhanger on what or who he meets there and sets in motion for S2 would be nice. With Ray Stevenson passing, it's even more heartbreaking. He was cool in all the Baylan scenes and he pretty much sold me this new character, because going from finale, there is not much storywise in the grand scheme of things.

I don't wanna be that guy, but I am starting to feel that Disney is so much hellbent on cashing in and execs dictating, that I am not sure how to approach the content anymore. I am looking forward to Season 2 of Andor, but otherwise, I am done with the subscription and being on the edge on my seat for new SW content for the time being.
I wonder what the casuals, and to probably explain what I mean by the term - people who didn't saw Clone Wars, Rebels, Tales Of The Jedi and follow up the lore only through movies and what's in live action now - feel or think when they watch the show?
Ahsoka is pretty much Season 5 of Rebels. But what is left when you strip away the legacy the characters have from those shows and all the references - both visual, dialogue, together with recap fill in quips?
Nothing much. Paired again with this mystery box kind of approach, that is bad since Episode 7 and it's like Lucasfilm went a full retard road this time. It's not even Season 5 but more like an interlude between Season 4 and whatever happens next.

If this show is a setup and it is, what is it a setup for? As it didn't resolved much if anything at all plotwise.
Mando S1 did setup Gideon as overarching villaing and threat, Mando S2 resolved the search for Jedi to train Grogu, setup the cliffhanger for darksaber ownership (hahahahaaa!) for Season 3 having a satisfying conclusion with Din and Grogu finally setlling down in their condo on Nevarro, in peace, until next time. Not to mention post credits scene with Boba for his sidequest series that filled up the blank period between Mando seasons and who knows what was the purpose of our beloved Marshal Cobb Vanth getting saved.
Here, zilch...
We might gloss it over with the strikes happening and marketing being pretty much nonexistant for Ahsoka, but officially, there is no explanation or word about the bigger plan and what Ahsoka is setting up for. Yeah, Filoni is going to make a movie, we know nothing about it and our bright eyed fans on youtube can deduct that Ahsoka Season 2 is happening. OK. What am I supposed to look for, besides another serving of something that looks and sounds like Star Wars to fill up my time in the future?

And to add to the cryptics of writing and storytelling. Sabine's force powers manifesting were expected, I don't have problem with it, of course she ''mastered'' it in dire need as tropes dictate. But sisters hinted at her being dangerous, Ahsoka hinted at her being dangerous, because of revenge and being more open to dark side? Or does she have some vast hidden potential? Why make Ahsoka Gandalf, when it is only cosmetic. Yoda was actually the OG SW Gandalf, with memorable lines like: ''Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger...'' and with the world that was set up back then, you knew everything you needed to know, while Ahsoka deals with it by stating the basics which can mean whatever or dodging it altogether. I can't come up with one memorable line from this show, except for some coming from Baylan (hahaha again, because he get's totally sidelined), that were even used in the trailer.
Baylan is probably the best written and played character, with his story being halfway somewhere in the end, while everyone else just wastes the screentime on obvious and uninteresting.
I am starting to feel that Filoni is great visionary and man to hold the candle after GL, but man, he probably can't write at all.
The visuals and designs overall, are great! No contest. The few things we saw in the show are way more compelling for me visually than rushed out and mixed TROS will ever be. But I am missing the content and substance and it's not that different to me than somehow, Palpatine has returned.

Thrawn was suprised (IF! He might have said, that as Baylan is flawed, he predicted a sort of deception from him and that will again clunkily support his genious strategic intellect if adressed, like me burning the meat in the oven, but say to my wife: "The roast actually went well, because we have the potatoes!''), but as he wanted to escape, he doesn't give a damn. But they have like 10 years of history, presumed, with the Night Witches and Baylan and Shin hinted at them escaping something, but nothing with Thrawn and Witches hints at anything like it. They are just back on Dathomir with slow zombie army.
Ezra was chilling there for years and knows nothing, probably, which is weird, as the Jedi sense a fart across the galaxy at times, but are completely blind to huge powers being in their backyard... of course, our Republic Jedi are excused, because they are blinded by arrogance and deep lore cut of the Jedi temple sitting on the remains of Sith temple.

And not a fan of them tossing in the real life Japanese terms as Lucas and his team already invented creative in-universe answer to those:
There are no samurai, there are jedi, there are no ronin, there are lost jedi who lost their way (we can consider Ventress being ronin as well when she lost her master, before getting new one in Dooku, but nobody would call her that)... apprentice is a Padawan and so on. I can cross over the Bokken term, but it doesn't have any in-universe explanation given by the show at all It's like the manga and anime fans using japanese terms in english language, that are nonsensical to all others besides them.

I didn't wanted or hope to be as negative, but basically, we are left with show where characters move from points A to B and that's it. No explanations, basic foreshadowing that I should care about for some reason and what was said to happen has happened as expected.
I am rating Ahsoka as 6/10 mostly for acting and visuals.

I am looking for return of proper and compelling storytelling in Star Wars.

P. S. with seeing what Tony Gilroy does with Andor and cross examining the rumors about Favreau getting fed up and away after Season 2 of Mando (both S1 and S2 of Mando are well done in my opinion and completely different from what we are getting since Obi-Wan and Mando S3), I am afraid that LFL has a problem with talent and unable to do justice and proper craft with their IPs anymore.
And probably, set up Filoni with a writer's room, I like his vision and ideas, but he probably needs some help :/

 

Random thoughts

I think if there is a season 2, with Ezra, Thrawn and the secret Empire remnants council, Dathomir, Bayla'ns arc (maybe with Ahsoka, about Mortis Gods), could be better than season 2.

So cool watching Ezra building a lightsaber. I was expecting the same model he had first. This would have been epic. Missed oportunity Filoni XD

Have checked the sword . Too long ago since I watched CW. Didn't remember anything about it. Cool indeed.

TIE figthers. Their shots are always epic. What a legendary little ship Lucas created. If I see a TIE fighter, for me is Star Wars.

Is the first time we hear word Ronin in live-action SW? An open door to bring back the amazing character from Visions now he is canon?

Yeah. That is a missed oportunity too. To make something really dark and scary an brutal. But I guess it was not the general tone of the show.

I agree with some of the weak points you mention yeah.
Although in my opinion Ahoska doesn't have the absurd points Obi Wan or Boba Fett had. The acting and worldbuilding have been great. All the directors have gone in the same direction and visually the show is really good.

But now I think we need something with a major scale. Yestarday I saw a couple of minutes from ROTS beginning (in a random net video on Instagram) and, although am not a fan of ROTS, has been a while since we felt that major scale.

 

Ahsoka is over... waiting for the Art of Ahsoka please!

Sadly we won't get closure with Baylan Skoll.... until season 2 whenever that happens due to the actors strike... I knew someone would be left behind. At least Sabine tapped into the force... I gotta watch this episode again, and again... Thanks Filoni for all the fan service. I think I'm gonna watch TCW and Rebels differently until the Art of Ahsoka... loooking forward to the Acolyte and Andor season 2. We are here as fans of Star Wars... lets enjoy Star Wars, lets enjoy these stories....

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 4, 2023, Original Post Date: Oct 4, 2023 ---

Fan theory... Ventress!!!

 

I'd love some live action Ventress, but I kinda hope for old dead characters staying dead and not every villain getting ressurected
Somehow everyone returns, with robot legs for the better or as rotten corpse for the worse.

 

Part Eight – The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord
(Running commentary)​

Morgan Elsbeth promoted with a Gift of Shadow. Getting witch-powers, black eyes, and tattoos. Cool. Girl went and leveled up!
I have said for a while now that bridging the Night Sisters in to live action would be a fantastic expansion of Star Wars, and Ahsoka is doing just that!

Confirmation that Sabine’s family is lost… so very sad.

The breather scene between Ahsoka & Sabine was nice. Some good chatter and bonding; this is either the prep for greater coorperation, or a set-up for a new fall-out.

Huyang staying behind with the ship? I hope the ground assault doesn’t kill him, but I fear he might.

The fight just inside the gate of the tower was cool, but strangely lacked energy. Was Famuyiwa trying to make it look easy so as to set up the harder fight against the undead stormies? The Undead sturmies are quite menacing!
I wonder, will undead troopers be this iteration's version of “OMG Thrawn has cloned his stormtroopers and crew!”, sort of?

Ahsoka & Elsbeth Round 2 was very well choreographed; a beautiful dance.

Zombie Death Troopers are the worst…

Aaaaand, just as I said, Sabine managed to use the force at a critical moment of the finale. Such is writing.

Sabine is going to choose Ahsoka in a surprise reveal.
Yup.
Funny how Sabine is pretty bad at swordfighting I like that you can see the difference in proficiency.

Here comes Huyang to the rescue!

I wonder how Ezra escaped the Chimera?

Funny how the situation is reversed now, at the end of season 1; Everyone who were stranded on Peridea are back in the home galaxy, while everyone who went to rescue Ezra and stop Thrawn are now stranded. It rhymes.


This episode was a solid end to a great season. It wasn't anyting fantastically awesome, but it did the job well. I've been somewhat critical of some of Rick Famuyiwa's episodes in the past, but this one is good; even though it is action heavy, the action is interesting and conveys story, and there's an emotional core to it all. Endings are difficult to do and you did great, mate!

8/10​

 

Finale could have been better but overall very solid and I loved the season. A great show and find Mandalorian S3 and Obi-Wan underrated as those has been brought up.

Only disappointing show overall has been TBOBF

 

I really enjoyed the ride, all the way. My wife and kid saw this 40-something-year-old man every Tuesday transforming himself into a 12-year-old, begging them to be on time in front of the TV at 9 pm Easter Time every Tuesday. They really saw this side of me, thanks to SW.

Lost of surprises in the season finale.

I was really expecting Thrawn leaving with Morgan Elsbeth and Shin but leaving all Jedi behind, in a full victory. Baylan had order Shin to go back and claim her side in the new Empire. I wonder what were Shin's reasons to stay. Elsbeth' sacrifice for the Empire and eventual death was one to remember. Villains sacrificing themselves for the greater evil (or what they consider the greater good) is something we don't see too often.

The 3 Jedi against a small army of stormtroopers felt like a small challenge. However, after the Great Mothers resurrected them, things didn't seem too easy now, right. Ezra's reaction:



And with 3 Great Mothers in Dathomir, we can only think they can continue using their power to make 'others' return. A conversation for another time.

After chapter 7, I really didn't understand Baylan's decision to stay. Amazing that just a few seconds of Chapter 8 gave us a satisfying answer. Wondering why the Daughter was missing her head. The answer cannot be 'because she died'. The father and the son also died.



Also, when Ahsoka tells Sabine 'We are where we need to be' may not be wrong after all. Baylan's quest for power from the Gods of Mortis (or whatever is left from them) may make him a bigger threat than Thrawn. Having Ahsoka and Sabine nearby to keep him in check may have been the will of the Force. And Sabine's apparent unwise decision to go after Ezra may have been the right one.

 

I was not prepared for Ezra and Hera/Chopper reunion. I loved that Chopper recognized him first.

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 4, 2023, Original Post Date: Oct 4, 2023 ---

So, I get why they called this Ahsoka. That being said, if it called was Rebels Season 5. I would've been perfectly fine with it. That's essentially what this season was.

 

Yeah either way

 

I loved this series. It's pretty much a big setup, but that's kind of how the Filoniverse works. I can't wait to see what's next.

 

The green magic effects were the only really iffy cgi in the show. Reminds me of the magic used in early green ranger episodes on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers..in the early 90's