Ever since I was a kid, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” has been one of my favorite shows because it had themes children’s shows today do not normally have.
Premiering Aug. 22 with the first two episodes of the season, “Ahsoka” works as both a continuation and love letter for the animated serieses, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.” The show works to continue the story of the main character, Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) as she was last seen in season three of “Mandalorian.” While the show does not fully focus on Ahsoka herself, it does balance telling her story, as well as characters from the animated series of Star Wars in a way that does not feel like it’s stealing too much of the spotlight from the title character.
This new spinoff series focuses heavily on Ahsoka as she tries to stop the arrival of a new empire through bringing back the long-thought-dead Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). The series also finally turns many of the characters from Rebels to live action, such as Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
This may sound confusing at first, but to fully understand everything going on in the show, it requires watching “Star Wars: The Clones Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels” and “Mandalorian.” All three shows have plotlines and characters that interweave throughout the show to create a unique story.
One of the standout performances is from Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), a fallen jedi from the time of the Clone Wars. The way Baylan was portrayed on screen is one of a stoic man that is not quite a jedi, but not evil enough to be a sith. By the end of the series, his character feels so memorialized in Star Wars, making him another great character in the Disney era of the universe. Sadly, in July of this year, Ray Stevenson passed away and is unable to see the appreciation that the Star Wars community has for his character.
As a big fan of all the animated series produced in the universe far far away, this show fulfilled all of my love for those series in live action. The nostalgic fifth episode gave the Clone Wars fans exactly what they wanted through scenes reminiscent of episodes in the show. It also helped Rebels fans, as they finally got the resolution they have been desperately awaiting since the show ended back in 2018. “Ahsoka” perfectly wraps up both the plots and characters into a show so that every fan of the franchise can find something to enjoy.
“Ahsoka” was written for the fans through its style and the characters involved. It combines what everyone loves about the animated series and the other live action shows. It has the perfect balance of including all of Star Wars media. If you are as much of a fan of the animated series as I was, you will enjoy this show for everything it has to offer.
