Warning: This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka on Disney+.Ahsoka reaches its season one conclusion with a mixed reaction ranging from expected outcomes, illogical pacing, and a whopper last second reveal that will throw fandom into a tizzy. Episode eight, niftily titled “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord,” has our valiant heroes racing to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) imminent escape from exile on Peridea. Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) receives a dark “reward” and proves her unyielding loyalty to the swashbuckling end. Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) finally finds her Force groove while making a fateful choice. Baylon Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and his badass former padawan Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) get mere crumbs of screen time in the biggest disappointment. The finale is uneven at best but does set up intriguing possibilities.
“The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord” opens with Thrawn’s transfer of the catacomb caskets to the Chimaera completed. He orders Captain Enoch (Wes Chatham) to lower the Eye of Sion from orbit above the temple tower. The Great Mothers give Morgan the Gift of Shadows which transforms her to a Nightsister. She’s also awarded the Blade of Talzin, the sword of Darth Maul’s mother, for her efforts.
Meanwhile, on the T-6 shuttle at the Noti village, Huyang (David Tennant) helps Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) craft a new lightsaber similar in design to that of his master, Kanan Jarrus. A guilty Sabine faces Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) for her actions that brought them to Peridea. But Ahsoka does not chastise or blame her. She swears to stand by Sabine just as Anakin (Hayden Christensen) did for her. Their warm moment is interrupted as two TIE fighters swoop down to attack.
The shuttle is hit but prevented from falling on the Noti by Ahsoka and Ezra. Sabine lurches it forward to destroy the TIE fighters but greatly damages the ship. Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra then ride towards the Chimaera to stop Thrawn from leaving. He anticipated this move and has a squad of Night Troopers waiting inside the temple. The Jedi easily cut them down but Thrawn’s alliance with the Great Mothers shows its purpose. They use dark magic to bring the fallen back to life.
Morgan’s Dark Reward
Disney+
Thrawn doesn’t underestimate Ahsoka. He orders Morgan to go below and prevent them from reaching the ship. “For the Empire” are his final words before the Chimaera locks into the Eye of Sion and begins to rise away from the temple. Morgan whispers, “For Dathomir,” as she races to engage the Jedi. It’s lightsabers versus the fiery Blade of Talzin as Morgan and Ahsoka have an epic duel. Sabine and Ezra race to the tower but face significant resistance from the undead. Sabine unlocks her power and uses the Force to grab her lightsaber while being choked. They reach the top to see Thrawn getting away.
Sabine tells Ezra to jump, and she will Force push him across. He makes it to the ledge, but Sabine doesn’t follow. She turns back to help Ahsoka, who can now concentrate fully on Morgan. She swings low and slashes Morgan through the stomach, killing her. Thrawn opens fire to destroy the tower. Huyang arrives in the nick of time to save Ahsoka and Sabine.
The Chimaera reaches the purrgil bone rings with the T-6 right behind it. Thrawn radios the shuttle and commends Ahsoka for her tenacity. But also taunts that perhaps her fate will be like her master’s as she’s trapped on Peridea. The Chimaera jumps to hyperspace before them. Thrawn succeeds in his escape with Ezra hidden on board. He knocks out a Night Trooper and steals his uniform.
Related: Ahsoka: 10 Questions We Have Going Into the Final Episode
Sabine Unlocks Her Power
Disney+
Ahsoka and Sabine return to the Noti but aren’t distraught. They had failed to stop Thrawn, but at least Ezra made it home. On another part of Peridea, Shin reaches the nomad marauders’ camp on a howler. She ignites her lightsaber to join them. Further away, Baylon stands on a gigantic statue of the Father from the Mortis gods, the arm pointing to another tower in the distance.
Thrawn arrives in orbit above Dathomir. The Great Mothers join him on the bridge as they return home at last. The camera pans down to reveal the Chimaera’s hold filled with caskets of their soon-to-be reanimated army. On her New Republic cruiser, Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) waits in the docking bay, guns drawn with troops. An Imperial shuttle lands with a Night Trooper emerging. Chopper races to greet Ezra as he removes his mask and smiles at a shocked Hera. Back on Peridea, Ahsoka sees the white owl Morai on a nearby rock. She informs Sabine it’s time they move on. Sabine senses something and stops, but ignores her feelings. As they walk away together, Anakin’s Force ghost appears behind them.
Several plot elements and themes were expected from previous hints. The Nightsisters of Dathomir’s power to raise the dead has been known since the Clone Wars animated series. Thrawn’s plan of resurrecting his fallen soldiers was obvious. Huyang had begged Ahsoka and Sabine to always stay together, but their previous history had the troubled master and padawan inclined to go their separate ways in times of distress. Ahsoka abandoned teaching Sabine after the purge of Mandalore. Years later on Seatos, Sabine gave the star map to Baylon and voluntarily left with him in a desperate hope to find Ezra. But she makes the correct choice here and fights at Ahsoka’s side when she’s about to be overcome by the Night Troopers. Their bond will undoubtedly grow as Morai, the mystical convor owl of the Mortis god Mother, continues to guide Ahsoka’s path in exile.
Related: Star Wars: How Do The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and Dave Filoni’s Movie Connect to the Sequel Trilogy?
Ezra’s escape gives warning to the New Republic of Thrawn’s strategy. It was also heartwarming to see him back to old tricks. Young Ezra frequently wore Imperial uniforms to infiltrate on Star Wars Rebels. Thrawn’s next move with his undead army should be more complex. I’m pretty sure zombies can’t fly spaceships. A good guess would be him reuniting with Captain Pellaeon (Xander Berkeley) and taking command of the Shadow Council’s Imperial remnants. This is a logical precursor to the birth of the First Order. Mikkelsen is perfect as Thrawn. I sincerely hope he becomes the overall villain of the Dave Filoni-verse.
The Consummate Tactician
Disney+
Now let’s get to the bad. The Chimaera’s glacial pace leaving Peridea makes zero sense. Thrawn, the consummate tactician, knows Ahsoka’s shuttle is down. He has a fleet of TIE fighters and a star destroyer. Why not just annihilate the Jedi before they ride to the tower? The show infers that he doesn’t want to take any chances, but that’s ridiculous. Filoni has Thrawn continually letting Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra live when he could’ve defeated them.
It’s borderline criminal to have Baylon and Shin largely absent. We still don’t have a clue what Baylon is seeking; Filoni needed to reveal something concrete. The appearance of the Mortis Gods is meant to stir fan imagination but feels like a cop out. It’s not difficult to surmise how Ahsoka and Sabine can get home. Ahsoka hitched a ride inside a purrgil’s mouth to reach Peridea. She’ll be able to do it again. Anakin, in Revenge of the Sith ghost mode, will help her prepare for whatever baddie Baylon unleashes. It is cool to see Hayden Christensen popping up in the new Star Wars TV series.
Ahsoka season one was filet mignon fan service for continuing the Clone Wars and Rebels storyline. That’s fine by me. It’s fantastic to see the animated characters magnificently realized. Filoni just needs to give adequate development to Baylon and Shin. They are fascinating. I wouldn’t be surprised if Morgan is somehow brought back. Baylon will have to be recast after Stevenson’s tragic passing. He was phenomenal here as a dark Jedi outside the stale Sith ideology. Whoever replaces him has to have the same gravitas and formidable medieval knight presence.
Ahsoka is a Lucasfilm production. Season one can be seen in its entirety on Disney+.
You can view the original article HERE.
