IR TV Review: STAR WARS - AHSOKA - EPISODE 8 (“The Jedi, The Witch And The Warlord”) [Lucasfilm/Disney+]
The progression of "Ahsoka" has been one of acceptance but also of tolerance. Building to the season finale was tricky since there was little room for resolution in the timeline, just transference of information. The middle point obviously broached the Anakin issue within Ahsoka which was necessary for her progression (but less has happened on that front in terms of opening up any new powers than one would have hoped). That said, as the episode draws to a close, there is an essence that more could be done. The cinematic concepts were sound throughout the season but it was unusual that Dave Filoni himself did not direct the final episode. Rick Fujiyama did those honors and while acceptable in the final push, though encouraging new lore, the episode did not seem that all that exciting. The lightsaber play of the three Jedi leads seems slow compared to prequels. These moves should be faster.
Granted one understands that Dawson and her compatriots are not professional trained sword fighters but even the Emperor had a more vivid fighting style in the prequels (and McDarmid was older than they were at the time -- though likely it was a body double). While the climax of this final episode pointed to the very thing Ahsoka was trying to prevent, the open ended progression does speak to another season but almost in a novelistic approach. There are a couple lines that Hui Yang mentions to Ezra which are undeniable in the lore but the set up makes what comes next unsure. The final shot points to something else in the lore also but it could be a misdirect depending how deep into the lore (again) Filoni would want to explore in a possible Season 2. The only question with the pulling back on the content Disney+ is creating is if the story will go through to the logical end with the supposed Filoni wrap up movie. Alot of things hang in the balance but it is great it has moved this far. However, all that said, the superlative of the final episode was constant but not riveting. B
By Tim Wassberg
