I have to preface this post by saying I’m feeling franchise fatigue at this point, that is I can’t muster up any excitement for anything by the Mouse House which is basically most things on Disney+. But after two excellent Star Wars-related shows The Mandalorian and Andor, and the good-but-not-great Obi-Wan, I was curious to see this one.

SPOILER ALERT – I might be discussing certain plot points here, so consider this a warning if you haven’t seen it yet.

The show is set after the fall of the Galactic Empire where former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Admittedly, I’m not as familiar with this character so my hubby and I actually watched a few videos to prep for the series, which essentially summarized her journey as depicted in The Clone Wars and Rebels series. Created by Dave Filoni who’s had a long history with the Star Wars animated franchise, the show assumes viewers are familiar with Ahsoka’s journey, so there’s no excessive backstory. Right from the start, we see an older and wiser Ahsoka, portrayed with a Zen-like calmness by Rosario Dawson. It’s quite a departure from the snarky, feisty, impulsive young Ahsoka depicted in The Clone Wars, at least based on the few clips I saw in preparation for this.

The first episode, titled Master and Apprentice, starts with an action sequence that showcases Ahsoka’s lightsaber-wielding skills and Jedi prowess. She was Anakin’s apprentice after all, that is before he became the big bad Darth Vader. Like most Jedis, she’s got an Android ally named Huyang, who during the Jedi Order built lightsabers for the younglings. If his voice sounds familiar to you, it’s because Huyang is voiced by Dr. Who‘s David Tennant. I quite like the banter between Ahsoka and Huyang, though the robot professor can be such a smartypants.

We’re then introduced to a major character on the show, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), who ditches a ceremony being held in her honor. Bordizzo is quite convincing as a rebellious young woman and the speeder bike chase sequence shows she’s got spunk. I could see how others might not warm up to her right away as the free-spirited Sabine isn’t immediately likable, but Bordizzo is charming enough to make me curious about her character arc. At times the Australian-based actress of Chinese & Italian descent reminds me of Jessie Mei Li‘s Alina in Shadow & Bone, though not quite as edgy.

I’m still sad that Ray Stevenson is no longer with us. He’s got the right gravitas and stature as the dark mercenary Baylan, who was a former Jedi who survived Order 66. He didn’t get enough screen time but I’m hoping we’ll see more of him. Unfortunately, his minions and ally Morgan Lisbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) aren’t all that memorable.

Well, apart from the dynamic intro, the episode’s pace decelerates at an alarming rate that grinds the story to a halt. There is supposed to be an ominous threat to the galaxy but it feels very low-stakes and Filoni’s direction barely carries any tension or suspense. I don’t mind talky scenes, but unlike in the far superior Andor in which even the quietest scenes carry a lot of weight, the conversations here aren’t staged in an interesting way to sustain my interest. The first episode is barely an hour long but felt almost two hours, plus the plot involves yet another map [yawn].

The second episode, titled Toil and Trouble is helmed by Steph Green, who has directed episodes of acclaimed shows like The Man in the High Castle, Watchmen but also the derided The Book of Boba Fett), There is more screen time for Mary Elizabeth Winstead as General Hera Syndulla, but so far she’s not that interesting of a character. There’s not much improvement in terms of pacing… the second episode is about 15 minutes shorter than the first but again, it feels much longer.

In the third episode, Time to Fly, we finally see Ahsoka and Sabine (now sporting a cute pixie cut) travel to a distant planet looking for Admiral Thrawn. The hyperspace docking ring looks cool though it reminds me of the ring-shaped docking ring in The Expanse series. Still, no sight of the big bad enemy, as Sabine continues her lightsaber training from both Huyang and Ahsoka. It echoes the time Master Yoda trained young Luke Skywalker… with Ahsoka instilling wisdom to Sabine about the dark side: Anger and impatience can give a quick power boost – but they cost a Jedi their balance – which is what happened to Anakin himself no matter how gifted.

It’s also interesting to see Sabine struggling to connect with the Force, though Ahsoka assures her that ‘training and determination’ matters more than talent. I think that scene makes Sabine more relatable than in the previous episodes.

Now, I think those more familiar with the animated series might get more out of the show. As a casual SW fan, I was confused as to the importance of the characters they kept mentioning that are not yet seen, i.e. Admiral Thrawn (why is he so immensely feared??) and Ezra (why does he matter so much to Ahsoka? Whatever happened to him??)… even after three episodes, the show hasn’t given me enough clues or reasons to make me care about these characters.

Oh and while we’re at it, I was also baffled as to how a human character could survive a lightsaber stab through the torso? She was stabbed at close range too, but was only knocked out for a few days and fully recovered. Maybe ardent SW fans can explain why Qui-Gon Jinn died when he got stabbed by Darth Maul with a lightsaber? It seems too convenient that some lightsaber wounds are more lethal than others [shrugs]

If I were to rate the first three episodes, I’d give it 2.5/5 stars. There are parts I like but the sluggish pace is problematic. I wouldn’t call it boring per se, but it’s slumberous and barely captured the magic of this lucrative and expansive space saga the way The Mandalorian or Andor did.

I wish I could say the performances save the show but that is not the case here. I like Dawson as an actress and I think she’s perfectly cast as Ahsoka, but for some reason, her acting here is perhaps too serene that it feels really lethargic. There is a scene where Hera meets the New Republic senators and its Chancellor, Mon Mothma (Genevive O’Reilly) which only reiterates just how good Andor is and how phenomenal O’Reilly is in that show. It’s hard to muster up excitement with this level of low energy, though I think it’s more of the fault of the writing than anything else. The production values are good, I especially like the sets and cinematography, but there is nothing that really wows me so far. Even the space chases aren’t as exciting as in other Star Wars movies/shows, but then again, the action hardly matters without an involving narrative.

That said, there’s enough going for it to keep watching. There are five more episodes left so I really hope they’d pick up the pace and make this show worth watching as a whole. The final episode of S1 is helmed by Rick Famuyiwa who’s directed some of the best episodes of The Mandalorian, so here’s hoping!

Have you watched AHSOKA series yet? I’d love to hear what you think!

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