Although many anticipated a conclusive ending to “Ahsoka’s” season finale, the eighth episode came across as more of a prelude. Rather than wrapping things up, “Ahsoka” propelled its narrative, locating Thrawn, presented by Lars Mikkelsen in a live-action role after lending his voice for the “Star Wars Rebels”. Thrawn is set as a significant adversary to the New Republic with his dark farewell, “Long live the Empire.”
Connecting Dots with “Rebels”
Reflecting a balance, the finale was released precisely nine years post the debut of “Rebels”, the animated series. This animation paved the path for what Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm’s animation mastermind, and Jon Favreau introduced in their live-action series. Interestingly, “Rebels” made its debut a year prior to Lucasfilm launching its movie trilogy with “The Force Awakens”. However, with the film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” not meeting box office hopes, a sort of stagnation occurred.
Shift to Streaming Platforms
In their ambition to bolster their streaming platform, Disney, which owns Lucasfilm, channelized its “Star Wars” ventures towards Disney+, incorporating series like “The Mandalorian” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” with Ewan McGregor, which was originally envisioned for the big screen.
Setting the Stage for Future Endeavors
“Ahsoka” has strategically established a spectrum of characters and antagonists, crafting endless possibilities for forthcoming narratives. However, there’s the somber news of actor Ray Stevenson’s sudden passing. He brilliantly portrayed the Jedi-turned-mercenary, Baylan Skoll. Though digital marvels have previously resurrected characters, the most prudent choice may be to find a new actor for the role.
Finale Highlights
The climax was generously packed with dynamic scenes, particularly featuring Ahsoka (played by Rosario Dawson), Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Ezra (Eman Esfandi) displaying their prowess with lightsabers against a battalion of zombie stormtroopers. Additionally, Ahsoka’s extensive duel with the witch Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) stands out as one of the series’ most skillfully executed fight sequences.
Looking Forward
It has been made public that Filoni will helm a “Star Wars” film exploring this galaxy segment. From the onset, it was palpable that “Ahsoka” was conceptualized to serve this larger objective and to bridge certain gaps in the Star Wars chronology.
At one point, the Star Wars franchise seemed to have misplaced its way to cinemas. But “Ahsoka”, with its engaging eight episodes, might have potentially reinstated it.
