Ahsoka Ep 8 Review
Ahsoka Tano has come a long way from being the scrappy Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. She’s been a Jedi, commander, rebel, and ronin in her life, and her story’s far from over. This chapter of her life as she regains her faith in the ways of the Jedi and in her late master, though, has come to a close. With Ahsoka and Sabine now reunited with Ezra, it’s a race against time to get passage home before Thrawn and his Nightsister allies can escape. Alas, those who hoped to see all the heroes return safely will be in for a disappointment, with the same going for those who wonder what Shin Hati and Baylin Skoll have to do with any of this.
Reconciliation Over Past Mistakes
After reuniting with his old comrades, the first thing that Ezra does is go aboard Huyang’s ship and start building himself a new lightsaber. In the previous episode, he refused to reclaim the one he left for Sabine, saying that it was hers now, and while some hoped to see Ezra fight purely using the Force, this is a better solution to his weapon problem. What’s more, Ezra’s new lightsaber looks very similar in appearance to the one that Kanan Jarrus wielded, down to the blue blade. Not only does this show the respect he has for his mentor and father-figure, but by doing this, Ezra demonstrates how much his prowess in the Force has improved during his exile. For all intents and purposes, he’s now a Jedi Knight much like Luke.
In addition to the fanservice of building a new lightsaber, this moment also helps Ezra learn how bad things have gone for Sabine since they last met. The Empire’s purge of Mandalore wiped out the family she worked so hard to reconcile with, as well as almost wiping out the Mandalorian people as a whole. This shows why Sabine was so desperate to reunite with Ezra; he was one of the few people left she could call family. In addition, it’s through this that Huyang explains why Ahsoka stopped training Sabine: the overwhelming grief she felt from the loss of Mandalore made Ahsoka afraid that she would embrace the Dark Side.
Now that Ahsoka’s made peace with her past and the life her master led, though, she’s come to see how bad a move that was. As she and Sabine get a moment to apologize for their wrongdoings, Ahsoka admits she should’ve stayed at Sabine’s side no matter what. This is referencing the fact that Anakin stood by Ahsoka even when their fellow Jedi refused to believe in her, and she realizes her fear prevented her from honoring what Anakin did. What’s more, the experience teaches the two the lesson that Huyang’s been trying to hammer home: that they are stronger together. While some people might not be happy about Sabine learning to become a Jedi, this episode affirms that this decision will stick. Hopefully, the next time we see Sabine, she’ll have greater skill in the Force, though that might be a long time.
Thrawn Escapes…But So Does Ezra
From the getgo, Thrawn’s return from exile was never a matter of if, only when and how. Everyone knew that the best of the Grand Admiral’s would return to the Star Wars Galaxy, regardless of the heroes efforts. The real question was if the heroes would be able to escape, as well. The short answer is that only a few of them got to go home.
The climactic battle of this episode, and the series as a whole, has Thrawn throw his Stormtroopers and Morgan Elsbeth at the three Jedi. While Morgan puts up a good fight, having been imbued with the Nightsister’s magick, it’s the Night Troopers that become the big problem. Many fans suspected that they were called “Night Troopers” because they were corpses reanimated by Nightsister magick. This episode confirms that notion. As the three finish carving them up, the Great Mothers bring them back as undead, almost unstoppable soldiers. What’s worse is that it’s all but confirmed that the cargo that Thrawn’s loaded onto his ship is thousands of those same undead warriors. That will pose a deadly problem for the New Republic when Thrawn announces his inevitable return. What’s worse is the fact that only one of the Jedi that tried to stop his escape makes it home.
In a bittersweet sense of irony, only Ezra Bridger manages to make it onto Thrawn’s Star Destroyer. Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang are left to watch as Thrawn’s forces make the jump back to their galaxy, leaving them stranded on Peridea. However, their situation is nowhere near as hopeless as one might think. Ezra knows where his friends are, and will assuredly tell the New Republic even as he tells them about the threat of Thrawn. Thus, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang find their own way home.
While some might have wanted to see all the heroes return home, seeing Ezra make it back after a decade in exile is just as satisfying. When he reunites with Chopper and Hera after all those years, you can tell they’re on the verge of tears. Hopefully, this will set up Ezra as the main, or one of the main, heroes for Filoni’s upcoming film.
Baylin and Shin did Poodoo
Now, for the bantha in the room: Baylin and Shin. Despite all the hype built up around them, despite the speculation about their role in the finale and the goal’s they’re pursuing, Baylin Skoll and Shin Hati have no relevance whatsoever. Shin wanders off to join the group of bandits she met earlier, while Baylin continues seeking out this mysterious power he talks about. However, while it’s implied to have something to do with the Mortis Gods, the show never confirms what Baylin’s looking for. And since his actor, Ray Stevenson, passed away earlier this year, we might never see Baylin in live action again. Unless Disney is willing to recast him, the story of Baylin will have to continue in the form of comics or novels, which is sad. He was one of the best parts of the series, and knowing we may not see him onscreen again is disappointing.
Bring on Heir to the Empire
While the finale doesn’t quite stick the landing, Ahsoka does end on a pretty satisfying note. Ahsoka and Sabine are stuck in another galaxy with no telling when they might return, but this won’t be the last we see of either. Their story will continue in some fashion soon. For now, though, their part in this big, post-Jedi story that’s been brewing since the start of The Mandalorian is at an end. Now is the time for the return of Thrawn.
Also, the title for this episode seems like a reference to The Chronicles of Narnia.
