Ahsoka Ahsoka Episode 1.06 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

The harder sci-fi approach to SW might work better in some novels than in film and TV, where I agree the tone is much more about fantasy and action.

I suppose a more sci-fi approach could potentially work in films, but they have to be careful how they approach it. You don't want to secularize mystical concepts like the Force too much.

However, I think fans often misunderstand how Midichlorians were used in the PT. They were a sign that the Jedi had become corrupted and loss their connection to the mystical aspects of the Force.

In Lucas's ST, he would have explored the more mystical aspects of the midichlorians, connecting them to the Whills.

 

Indeed. They're doing a bit. They've both been dying to see each other for years but they thought it would be funny to be nonchalant and act like it's not a big deal to see each other before giving each other a big hug. I get that but it didn't totally work for me. That might be because after they're done pretending to be nonchalant and too cool for school their emotional hug still doesn't feel as powerful as I expected it to feel.

Obviously the scene works very well for some. It's a your milage may vary situation.

 

That kind of friendly ball-busting attitude is a sign of deep affection in a lot of cultures. And despite their too-cool-for-schmaltzy-PDA words and actions, their eyes don't lie. You could see in their faces how deeply happy they were to see each other. Ezra is positively beaming, as is Sabine, though there's a real undercurrent of guilt in her face, as she comes face to face with the person whose heroic sacrifice she just...potentially undid. It's a complex character scene, and I think it was done with a nuance that's rare for Star Wars. Filoni's getting very good at writing and directing, IMO. And this is one of those scenes that proves it, for me.

As well as history and culture. Beginning with ANH, Star Wars was very much very concerned with echoing real world history and culture, including the depiction of that history and culture in past films and serials (via westerns, samurai movies, WWII films, etc). And I think that feeling of being grounded in real history and culture stems from George's anthropology background. This is a major flavor of Star Wars that's under-discussed, in favor of a fantasy-scifi pastiche discussion. But it's barely, if ever, sci-fi/ speculative fiction. It's a blend of myth, fantasy and historical fiction, more than anything else. And it oscillates mostly along that spectrum.

 

You're absolutely right! While I understand that this brings back unpleasant memories, it also helps me embrace this particular portrayal of the character more fully. So thanks for pointing it out

 

Love this artwork.

 

You all are taking crazy pills.

 

Mmm, pills...

 

https://screenrant.com/ahsoka-poster-confirms-baylan-mission-kill-skywalkers/

 

All I wish was that hyperspace was consistent across the board. It annoys me to no end that it isn’t. But my mind is annoyed by the small things

 

Only a 9 for this one.

It's a very simple thing, but I'm glad the episode starts with Ahsoka and Huyang. Especially when viewing immediately after Shadow Warrior, it's nice to have a gradual entry to the different tone of this one. Ahsoka giving Huyang the choice of story, after her earlier quip about which is the best and her realization about Sabine, implies her reopening to possibilities.

I like the framing of an internal story for the episode, and Sabine is the first person we see 'within' it -- following her journey through literal and figurative cells as she seeks to follow through on her fateful choice, but ends up needing new connections to reestablish an old one. Her first dialogue could've been tweaked a bit. Baylan's right that she's impatient, but I think it could've been clearer that what Sabine wants at that point is at least more information, something to give her a sense of progress and thus avoid reflecting on her choice.

Beyond that, I have no issue. The stone cell at least having a view is a nice touch, and I like Sabine making another attempt with the Force, as a mental step in the right direction. From her query about the "ride", I wonder if she was thinking of a speeder. There's a nice tech-to-nature dynamic as she's already without her helmet, the scanner gets busted, and it's the Jedi weapon that ends the bandit fight.

I love the time spent with the Noti village; it's an example of the show taking its time while now building to the finale. The reunion with Ezra is a joy to see, and actually a bit more emotional for me on subsequent viewing. Shifting to the pursuers, the stuff with Baylan here is very intriguing, as he's seeing a world of dreams and old stories come to life. I especially like the sincerity Stevenson gives to reflecting on "the idea" of the Order.

The ending scene essentially brings the episode back around to Ahsoka, and brings me to more of the great design work. There's a nice mix of whimsical and serious elements, with the howler being effective at both. It's cool to see more Nightsisters in live action, a choice for Peridea that nicely builds on the witchcraft thread (no pun intended) from earlier episodes. Thrawn's debut is great, and basically every shot of the Chimaera is awesome.

There's a lot in play for the next two episodes, though with enough space, I think, that each thread is still clearly discernible.

 

The frigid episode for fans of non-attachment.

@Bor Mullet

 

There was this undeniably cool vibe to Peridea, with the ruins and seeing how the other side of the map stone circle was subtly different from the one in ‘our’ galaxy. I don’t know if this description makes sense to anyone else, it felt like we’d travelled along an abandoned Roman trade route to a far off colony after the fall of Rome. A small outpost and arrival point connecting the two galaxies, but take only a few steps further outside and things get less and less familiar. Barbarians survive in the No-Man’s land near the ruined outpost, remnants of that distant trade route before it fell into dereliction. For some reason that aesthetic really appeals to me, a distant remnant of familiar civilisation on the brink of the unknown, reflecting real history in a heightened fantasy environment.

The Nightsisters helped immensely with that feeling as well. They’d always been this interesting orthogonal faction, but learning there was once a ‘Witch Kingdom’ (of Angmar? Filoni’s Tolkien appreciation bleeds through again) adds a hidden depth. It makes me wonder about Talzin, since she ‘spoke with the voices of the ancestors’ just like the three witches here (and that trio of witches was a lovely archetype, harking back to Macbeth or the Fates of Greek mythology). Does that make here a distant descendant who survived in our galaxy, or some offshoot who abandoned the rest of her coven? A lot nuanced retroactive possibilities that expands a past character through subtle implications.

That’s the episode all over. I was thinking as I watched that so much happened or was revealed, then checked the time to see I was only 15 minutes into the episode. This is densely packed without feeling rushed in the slightest.

My favourite hanging thread is the mystery of what Thrawn’s troops were transporting from the temple to the star destroyer. There was no one solicit attention called to this, no dialogue mentioned it. Just the relenting march of background troopers moving hovering crates in the rear of shots, drawing the eye and leading to wonder. It might turn out that they’re just transporting supplies or weapons, rather than some deeper artefacts. But that’s part of the great sense of implication, of learning anew what’s important in this strange galaxy, far far away.

 

Instant upgrade

 

My opinion of this episode has grown with every viewing. There was something magical about Huyang saying "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away." While Thrawn's appearance was a bit off, maybe it is the unnerving look of Ronald Regan, but his voice is even more chilling. Sabine and the howler had special comedic timing since the two cycle riders in Mando S1. Finally, Ezra which makes this ep almost perfect.

 

I rewatched this one along with Part 7, and noticed that one of the screen wipes during Sabine's trek has a panning wind sound with it. This was also used back in Part 2, after the action on Corellia.

 

After ep 5 I waited til the last episode aired to watch any more so I’m playing catch up.

Just a couple random thoughts I had during this episode.

Though I still don’t care for the character, this live action/mature/Rosario version of Ashoka is pretty good.

I thought giving it a rest for three weeks would give me fresh eyes but no, Sabine still annoys me. She’s so desperate to find Ezra that she hands over the map to later hear Thrawn say “that singular focus will reshape your galaxy.” And “you gambled the fate of your galaxy on that belief.” But when she finds Ezra the reunion seems distant and she refuses to answer his questions.

It’s not just Ezra. Her relationship with Ahsoka is not one I feel like getting invested in either. I’ve never seen Rebels but it feels like Filoni just assumes I have and that I care for these characters already so no work needs to be done to give me a reason to want to care.

The Nightsisters were very eerie. It was neat to hear a bit about where the witches came from. Morgan’s transformation was cool. Nifty little blade she got as payment.

What power/path is Baylan looking for? More info about his search andultimate goal would be nice. I think he’s a little too trusting that Thrawn will keep his word and has no reason to be.

The show does not explain how Thrawn is a threat. Again assuming people have all watched the cartoons. An arrogant senator wants to court martial Hera over her actions bc of Thrawn but you can’t give any explanation as to why she fears him enough to do what she did?

 

I know plenty of people who’ve never seen Rebels, many of whom have never even heard of it, and they all perfectly understood the Ahsoka show, understood and felt the emotional depth of the character dynamics, and accepted that Thrawn was a major threat. So please, for the love of all that’s sane in the world, can we dial down this rhetoric about the show not working for anyone but Rebels fans?

 

I'm curious about this, specifically what they felt was effective about him (as I think that perspective is worth noting).

 

Hype men and women. Other characters saying that he is a major threat and that his return would reunite the Imperial warlords and start a war with the New Republic. Their fear of him makes him someone to fear. Because the characters in the story know their world better than we do.

 

Where exactly was I speaking for anyone but myself? Nice that it works for your friend who also hasn’t seen Rebels. But it doesn’t for me and that’s all I said.

 

I wasn’t responding to you directly, wobbits. If I was, I would’ve quoted you. So no worries. As for the debris field thing, that’s a criticism of mine. I wasn’t somehow…attributing it to you?

I’m a little confused about the tone. I wasn’t trying to provoke anyone. I was just talking about a few of my critiques of the show. And your posts got me thinking and then…posting. Generally just the way things work around here.

Anyway, sorry if there was a misunderstanding.