After four retreads of old story reels, it’s time for a new adventure. And, after a protracted absence since the end of season 5, it’s time for the return of Ahsoka Tano! Why are we wasting time on preamble?
“If there is no path before you, create your own.”
1. Set pieces
The episode begins with Ahsoka riding a malfunctioning speeder down many levels of Coruscant before eventually crash landing on a mechanic/pilot’s platform. This sequence is somewhat indicative of what we’ve seen from season seven thus far, which is a renewed emphasis on action sequences. I’m not sure if this is totally due to the stunning new visuals available to Dave Filoni and co., but the action sure looks fantastic. There’s a part of me that is a little upset that with limited time left in this series, we are dedicating so much to pure visuals without much storytelling, but if it looks this good, it is hard to argue it too seriously.
2. The Underworld
The lower levels of Coruscant have been used in various media, specifically novels, in the past, but they have long been a favorite ‘potential destination’ for Star Wars television. George Lucas developed a show called Star Wars: Underworld, for which over 50 scripts were written, that took place in the lower levels. It is the one place in the Star Wars universe where class seemingly matters more than race or political alignment, and so it’s an interesting setting. We don’t get too much of that here, but there is a sense that these neighborhoods, though not far at all from the halls of the Jedi and government, is basically another world. I like that this continues to broaden the universe.
3. “My older brother”
It is interesting to see how uneasy Ahsoka is while talking about her past as a Jedi. It is unclear if this is due to the pain it causes, not wanting to be identified with the group in this relatively lawless land, or because it is so unheard of to leave the Jedi that she is ashamed. It could be all three, but anyone paying attention has to see that Ahsoka isn’t just your average citizen.
She specifically refers to Anakin as ‘my older brother,’ which is a nice insight into their relationship, and a further turning of the knife for their interactions in Rebels. Ahsoka’s reluctance to identify with her past is a very relatable decision, though one that is likely going to change before the season is over.
4. The sisters
Trace and Rafa are folks who do whatever they need to in order to get by, though Trace seems to have a far stricter moral code than Rafa does, or at least isn’t as hardened by life as her sister is. Trace is looking to help Ahsoka as soon as they meet, whereas Rafa is instantly distrustful of anyone or anything. This dynamic is a little played out, but works as a template for which Ahsoka can play against.
While Trace and Ahsoka can formed a bond, it is made clear that Ahsoka is ‘the other,’ and will never be as close to Trace as Rafa is, and so has no real place there. This is how Ahsoka feels everywhere at the moment, and knows she has to move on.
5. A necessary, though slight, episode
This episode was not exactly one that moved the plot forward or gave fans exactly what they want to see from Ahsoka’s return. But there needed to be something about where she’s been and what she’s been doing, and this episode laid that out with relative ease. Hopefully, now that we are past all of this, we can get to the larger, overarching plot of this season sooner than later.
