Ahsoka Part Five: Shadow Warrior Thoughts
Part Five starts with a bang and ends with a meh. But Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen and Ariana Greenblatt shine as The Clones Wars bursts into live-action.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding this episode of Ahsoka. Lucasfilm decided to release Part Five in theaters, and one wonders if that was to test the waters of Filoni’s theatrical prowess and if the long-time animation director truly has cinematic chops. So what’s the verdict? Mixed.
A Tale of Two Halves
I appreciate the idea of 30-minute Star Wars episodes, and the format suited The Mandalorian, especially as a serialized space-western. But Ahsoka, the character, has always been special to Dave Filoni; therefore, Ahsoka, the series, is trying the Game of Thrones/House of Dragon formula where the episodes are however long they need to be. Of course, “Shadow Warrior” being released in theaters added hype, so it had to be a weighted episode. And for almost 30 minutes, it lived up to the hype.
Of course, the best 30 minutes involved Ahsoka meeting Clone Wars Anakin in the World Between Worlds. From the moment when Anakin remarks Ahsoka got old and lost her fight, the episode belongs to Hayden Christensen. Rosario Dawson is not even a part of the majority of his scenes. That role is given to Ariana Greenblatt, Disney’s go-to for playing young versions of beloved alien characters (young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War). I cannot stress how impressive Ariana Greenblatt is in these scenes. She is not just playing Young Ahsoka; she is playing a Young Ahsoka with Older Ahsoka’s mindset and mannerisms, and she nails it. While Hayden and Rosario are great to bookend, Greenblatt’s chemistry with Christensen sells the history these two characters have and the closure Ahsoka desperately needs from her Master.
The last time these two met, Anakin/Vader tried to kill her. Ahsoka acknowledging who he became without taking away who he was is a perfect final interaction (if it is the last interaction). Also, this is Hayden Christensen’s best as Anakin, so I would not mind seeing him again, especially if Ariana Greenblatt is with him.
Then, the episode slows down…considerably. It was odd to have everything with the World Between Worlds take place in the first half instead of peppering throughout the episode as Ahsoka chooses to live and continue fighting (for her Padawan and the galaxy). The rest of the episode is the characters playing catch up and waiting for them to realize they can use the Purrgils as we slowly reach the end. Ahsoka uses her Force echo to learn that Sabine went with Morgan and convinces a giant Purrgil to give her and Huyang a ride to the other galaxy.
Everything with the New Republic could have been cut as it reiterated how inept they were during this time (although I do appreciate the Leia reference). Is this all Genevieve O’ Reilly is going to do this series? Mon Mothma, you disappoint me.
Hera Syndulla Continues to Be Held Back as a Character
Ahsoka: “Sorry you can’t make the trip.”
Hera: “It’s ok. Jacen’s too young to travel between galaxies.”
Ahsoka Part Five: Shadow Warrior
It’s meant to be funny, but it’s not. Hera continues to be sidelined as a character (and Chopper by proxy). Worse, she continues to be defined by motherhood instead of a General. She will likely lose her command. And then what? She will be the only main character left out of the action and left with answering questions from Jacen to serve as exposition. Perhaps that bothers me the most; her character has only served as a vessel for exposition. She is being weighed down by her son and the memory of Kanan and getting zero character development.
Bringing The Clone Wars to Live-Action
Let’s go back to the beginning-of The Clone Wars. There was speculation that we would see some Clone Wars scenes amidst the rumors of a young Ahsoka casting, and the episode did not disappoint. Yes, it is with the Volume, but those are extras in 501st Phase I armor, not CGI like the Prequels. It makes it more personal and conveys Ahsoka’s connection with the Clones and her trauma from that period. More importantly, it gets this across without being too inside baseball for those who did not watch The Clone Wars. For example, we do not see Temuera Morrison’s face but hear him as Captain Rex (welcome to live-action!) during The Seige of Mandalore, the last arc of The Clone Wars season seven. And that’s all we need. With Anakin there, we get an explanation of the battle from Ahsoka.
Even though the pacing of “Shadow Warrior” is uneven, the information provided for casual Star Wars fans is well distributed, specifically in these Clone Wars scenes. Anakin and Ahsoka’s big brother/little sister relationship comes across clearly, and so does Ahsoka’s guilt over his fall to the dark side (an excellent detail that Filoni jumped to the Seige of Mandalore where Anakin did fall shortly after). The dark side eye transition as Anakin is fighting Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds is also a thing of beauty.
The World Between Worlds Worked!
Speaking of that place…I have not held back my disdain for The World Between Worlds in Star Wars, at least as it was presented in Rebels. But using it as a transition point between the Living and Cosmic Force (or life and death) was perfect. In Rebels, Ezra entered through a temple on Lothal. To keep Darth Sidious from accessing it, Ezra closed the portal and let the temple collapse. But there was no way that was the only portal. The question is, did Ahsoka find another portal (underwater), or is The World Between Worlds solely in the Cosmic Force? Jacen sensed and heard the fight between her and Anakin, but it also seemed like Hera did too. These aren’t questions that need to be answered (in fact, it’s probably best to leave open for interpretation), but it is another layer added to something that already was a big mystery.
Once More With Feeling For Kevin Kiner
I have already stated how impressive Kevin Kiner’s transition from an animated to a live-action composer has been, but his score is part of why this show has cinematic moments. Kiner will likely compose the score for Filoni’s film (although we cannot count out Ludwig Göransson, who is responsible for The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett themes) so that his score is consistently a high point in these episodes is nothing but good news.
I assume next week we leave the galaxy far, far away behind to another galaxy even farther away. Will this be the episode we finally see, Thrawn or Ezra (or both)? Part five somewhat worked without a villain (the New Republic was a secondary antagonist), but it’s time to get back into the main action with our three baddies.
Originally published at http://creditsandcanon.com on September 13, 2023.
