Ahsoka | Star War: Episodes 1 and 2
The first and second episodes of Ahsoka were released on August 23, 2023, and this post reviews and explains these two episodes.
At the beginning of the first episode, a starship is shown and this ship is a Jedi Eye. The Jedi are those who would have died in a war thousands of years ago, but some of them survive to prevent the destruction of the world.
This could show that slowly hope is bleeding into the universe and that we’re going be steering away from the more Centric colors this first intro is led with. That also happened at the start of the Mandalorian as well and that was to highlight how things were changing. Among them, we get the combat Droids that we meet throughout the entries and can also spot the helmet of Marak. In episode 2 Marik fights with an inquisitor’s blade showing how a lot of the villainous stuff in this are remnants of the Empire.
Now timeline this actually happens right after the events of the Mandalorian season 2 a soccer episode in which we saw her arresting the magistrate and learning more about Thrawn. In regards to Rebels, this is said to be the quote-unquote fifth season of it and though it doesn’t pick up immediately after it it’s connected pretty closely to the events of that. We even get a sort of shot-for-shot remake of the ending of the season come episode 2 with Sabine touching Ezra’s mural before turning around to see Ahsoka.
The shuttle arriving is Akin’s evader dropping in on the Death Star with a rampant smoke echoing how he made his entrance. There are also two Jedi-type figures here which riffs on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arriving at the beginning of Phantom Menace. Now both Balen and Shin are master and apprentice and they do lots of subtle things with them to highlight this fact. Bailin is way more restrained with his use of the dark side whereas Shin is aggressive and quicker to go and fight. This was something we saw most notably with Anakin and Obi-Wan as the former just used to rush in the fights whereas the ladder held back.
Also might be reaching but I thought the line. Now the captain arrives to arrest them after realizing they’re just Imperial remnants but yeah not a great player mate I guess Captain hell just assumed these were disguised as Jedi and couldn’t actually wield the force but yeah it’s a bold strategy that that doesn’t really pay out. now they kick the crap out of them and while Shin savagely busts them up Balin calmly walks through the corridors killing the rebel forces. Now sadly Rey Stevenson who played Balin passed away earlier this year and the guy absolutely crushes it in this role which makes it suck knowing that he died before receiving all the love that he would have gotten for this.
The episode actually ends with a direct tribute to him and it’s really sad knowing this is going to be such a big role for him that he never got to see. Now Balin ends up rescuing Morgan from his cell which feels very reminiscent of Leia’s rescue in A New Hope. Morgan tells him that Ahsoka is now looking for a MacGuffin to find thrawn and it’s from here that we then cut to the title sequence. The entry is also titled Master and Apprentice which ties in not only with Balin and Shin but also with Ahsoka and Sabine who will talk more about in just a bit. We actually joined Asoka arriving at a temple on Darkhana.
He noticed that dotted throughout the area we have figures that are holding atriums and that their hand positions even reference the one from the Zeppo tombs. Theorizing that these were an ancient alien race that studied the force in the Galaxy the man also brought up the triquetra which appears throughout both episodes. Episode 2 is actually called Thailand Trouble and this itself is a reference to the witches from Macbeth. Now the inside of the temples are adorned with wall markings and these somewhat make a return in the credits to provide the art style of that. They kind of rip on the ones from Jedi Survivor and also seem like a golden version of the world Between Worlds.
Now outside of the Tomb, she’s ambushed by HK droids which I want to say are the evolution of Magna Gods. Used as handsome by General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith they also carry the lightsaber-blocking Electro staffs that they did too. Upon being beaten they decide to self-destruct and this later causes a bit of a panic when they’re trying to hack one in episode 2. We can also see some calamari commanders and as a species, they became high-ranking ones among the rebels in their four New Republics. Realizing they need to figure out how the globe Works they then head out to Lothal to seek out Sabine.
Who watches her run rings around the security forces that have been ordered to take her in and it’s clear that there no one’s a real match for her. Now she’s living in the lothal communication Tower which fans and Rebels will instantly recognize. This location was a hangout of Ezra before he joined Ghost and we can also catch some little things to make at home. Feels like it’s sort of The Next Step Up from the one that the Jedi Knights had during the Clone Wars and their starfighters would of course darken these and then head out. Bailing clearly shows his conflict as he States there are so few Jedi left and it would be a shame to lose more in clashing with Ahsoka.
Now we end with the station almost being completed and I’m guessing the next episode that’ll be finished off before they head out looking for Thrawn. However, the next episodes will be released every Wednesday and now we will post the next episode as well.
FAQs
Yes, Ahsoka joins Sabine with her.
Ahsoka (TV Series) has eight episodes.
The leading role in Ahsoka is Rosario Dawson who plays the role of Ahsoka Tano.
