Ahsoka Ep 7 Review
Fans of Dave Filoni call him many things: the successor to George Lucas, the heir to the Empire of Star Wars; the guy who knows the series better than Disney ever could. Essentially, people have positive things to say about Filoni. That’s why Ahsoka was so hotly anticipated: it was to be his first steps to truly taking the reins of the franchise. However, even great storytellers can stumble. Case in point, the penultimate episode of Ahsoka, which should build on the hype of the return of Ezra and Thrawn, stumbles. The result is an average episode that some fans are unhappy with.
The New Republic is Full of Fools
Back in the main galaxy, Hera’s dealing with the consequences of her defying orders by going to help Ahsoka and Sabine. The New Republic’s having her stand before a board of inquiry that is heavily biased against her. Senator Xiono returns to continually badmouth Hera, seeing her as a rebel when he thinks they don’t need rebels anymore. The most tragic aspect of this is that it shows just how self-destructive the New Republic’s becoming, which will eventually destroy them by the Sequels.
The good news is that Hera manages to get off scott-free thanks to Threepio barging in and announcing that Princess Leia sanctioned the mission. It’s a bittersweet reminder of how Carrie Fisher’s no longer with us and that Leia’s one of the few politicians trying to do the right thing. The whole experience, though, highlights why the New Republic’s destined to collapse from its own arrogance. For the time being, though, Chancellor Mon Mothma’s smart enough to listen to Hera’s fears of Thrawn’s return.
As a side note, this hearing confirms that Ahsoka takes place around or after the events of the third season of The Mandalorian.
An Average Episode With Average Action
From here, the episode tries to build off the hype of Ezra and Thawn’s return last week. However, it would seem that the series failed to do so.
There are plenty of action sequences to be found, with Ahsoka and Huyang following the Star Wars tradition of being chased through a debris field. On the ground, though, the episode could have handled better as the bad guys catch up with Ezra and Sabine. There’s a scene where bandits led by Shin attack the Noti (the Crab People) convoy that evokes the wild west, but it’s not that exciting. Moreover, the moments when Ezra and Sabine fight off the enemies aren’t as well choreographed as they could’ve been. Even Ezra seems to stumble a little; first, he says he’ll rely on the Force to fight rather than his old lightsaber, and while he does great at first, he then gets knocked out. It’s an embarrassing moment for someone that fans hoped would be a lot stronger after ten years in exile.
The one fight scene that was at least worth watching was the rematch between Ahsoka and Baylon Skoll. The show evokes the feel of old Samurai films, taking place on grassy fields like you would find in them. And Ahsoka does better this time, managing to fight Baylon to a standstill before retreating to Sabine and Ahsoka. After that, the three send the bandit’s and Thrawn’s men packing, which should be worth celebrating.
Except it’s not. Thrawn, being Thrawn, was three steps ahead of them, using the time to load his ship for departure.
Anyone who was hoping to learn what Baylon’s looking for on Peridea, though, prepare for disappointment. He barely does anything beyond letting Shin follow her own path away from him.
They Really Need to Stick the Finale
Overall, this whole episode feels like a step down from the excitement of the previous one. Thrawn barely does anything beyond his normal planning. There’s not enough time to focus on the reunion between Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra. And fans still don’t know what Baylon’s looking for, or if it will even matter at this point. In other words, this episode was mid.
There’s only one episode left in the miniseries, so Filoni has to make sure it sticks the landing. What happens next week will decide the course that Star Wars will take when Thrawn returns. Not if, but when. Thrawn will escape exile and menace the Galaxy once more. The real question is whether or not Ahsoka, Ezra, and Sabine manage to make it home. That, and what will be done with Baylon since Ray Stevenson is dead.
