Part Four: Fallen Jedi

This episode is definitely an improvement over the previous episode in terms of plot progression, but the quality of everything else stays the same.

We are halfway through the show and I still don't particularly care about any of these characters, especially the titular character that's supposed to be the protagonist and the main character. More and more, it feels like I'm just watching a Sabine show or just a show about a group of rebels or something and not Ahsoka. I haven't watched her animated show, and I shouldn't have to since it's the live-action's job to make me care about and understand these characters. Which has been doing a pretty bad job in my opinion. Like with the Mandalorian, you'd have no doubt that Din is the main character and the protagonist. Even in the awful Boba Fett show, you still see who's the protagonist and why the show is named after him.

But here? I still have yet to feel that way about Ahoska's character. It feels like the creator left the heavy-lifting part of actually making you care about characters to the animated shows. Which doesn't work since I and I'm sure many others haven't watched.

Like it's a fair demand to expect you will who the main protagonist is and you care about her halfway through the whole thing right? But at least, with the ending scene of this episode, we might get to know more about Ahsoka's past hopefully.

I think the bigger problem is that they gave Sabine a character arc and Ahsoka is just kinda there. I think this is the reason why it feels like she's not the protagonist, she doesn't particularly have a character arc or a conflict to overcome. She had some conflicts about Sabine in the first two episodes but she already overcame them in the same episode.

I also didn't really like the direction and the editing of this episode even more than the previous one. Especially with the first fight scene where you don't even see wtf is happening. It gets better after that and the next lightsaber fight scenes are decently shot and edited at least, but the first one is just atrocious. They should get better directors and editors and someone who actually knows how to shoot fight scenes.

I also hate this trope of characters just waiting and staring at their enemy when they have every opportunity to attack them and do damage to them, even when the enemy has their back to them. Like even if you missed and the enemy anticipated and deflected your bullet, at least try? At least try shooting at their head first when they have their backs to you and don't even know you're there instead of just yelling "stahp!"?

Nevertheless, this is probably the most interesting the show has been so far, but it's not amazing either. I mean yes, compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi this is a masterpiece production-wise alone, but on its own, it just has been meh so far. At least the plot moved forward a lot in this episode and a lot happened here and the ending made me a little more interested to see what happens next. But like I said, the uninspired directing and editing, the half-baked characterization that makes you think you're watching the second season of the show and missed all the characterization, and a lot more problems on the writing part just make this show above mediocre and just meh and way less interesting and exciting as it should be.

So far I've posted so-so reviews for the show, as it's been slow moving, slow dialogue and predictable. This has been the first interesting and good episode.

The dark Jedi (?) actually have some dialogue that provide more character depth. The plot is not entirely predictable. It was interesting!

The pace of this episode is also what we were expecting from the start. I hope it continues!

Lastly though, the series, while called Ashoka, doesn't seem to be about her journey as much as Sabines. Perhaps that will change, but fans tend to get annoyed with the bait-and-switch approach to storytelling. Had they taken this approach with Andor, it would have failed. It's also why Mandalorian S3 wasn't as strong as the first two; it was not really about Mando in the end; was it.

=)

Wow. This is the kinda Star Wars we need. Just like Andor, the characters feel real, engaging, and methodical. There is good storytelling here that went unseen in Mando season 3 that I hope Lucasfilm really expands on. Peter Ramsey is a fantastic director for Filonis writing. The action is grounded and keeps you guessing. The cinematography like the overhead shot of the map was so well done. And we finally get some good lightsaber action. I hope this tone continues on and we can feel the next part of the story really pull us in. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased from a tv episode on Disney plus. Can't wait for the second half!!

This show so far as been a treat. It's worked for the most part, and ultimately feels like it's going to some great heights. This episode kept that going and I'm pretty stoked. But idk, there's just something about it.

I'm caught up on practically everything Star Wars, and have been a fan for all my life. I'm not a sequel hater or prequel hater, or anything like that, I embrace new and old Star Wars, despite knowing the problems with it, and try to keep an open mind. I feel like I need to preface that.

This episode was good. It wasn't great, unfortunately, but it paved the way for a hopeful second half of season 1. The stakes were high but I think this episode needed to take more risk? I feel like there were so many things that happened, and they could've been much better executed, both in terms of writing and in terms of action. What we got isn't bad, but I don't know it just feels kinda plastic?

The action editing sequences, for example. We see the clash, but we don't really see the choreography much. Sure, there's nice lighting, cool colors, great practical effects, but I want to see the fight on a more broad scope. I hope that's not asking too much, but I want to physically see the fight playing out from a wider view. It connects the characters to their environment, and it feels more atmospheric, as well as simply being a showcase of solid fight choreography. This show hasn't really convinced me that the choreography is great. I'm sure it is, but I want to see it.

Last little gripe is just the writing. The characters still don't feel like the characters, but rather impersonations. Ashoka is different, but I still need more convincing for Sabine and Hera. Why is Hera's kid here? Why do some of the conversations feel cut short? It just sounds like statements rather than conscious dialogue. I might be overthinking it though, so definitely keep an open mind and go in with your own expectations.

Theres a lot to unpack not just from this episode but from the entire series so far. We've been with this story for 3 weeks now and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel!

The team around Filoni have been able to piece together a story that is part new and part legends, so many of the comments and issues surrounding the series so far have been down to the pacing. So far its living up to my expectations, this is a prequel series to a large scale feature film. The story that is being told in this is the hunt for Ezra and Thrawn. Not the conclusion to the Heir to the Empire story line. To get to the point that we are now proves that this is running at light speed. The attention span of many audience goers these days may be the reason that a weekly series is being impacted in the way that it is.

There are so many moments that bring me back to George Lucas' Star Wars but the one thing that is lacking is the saber fights. I totally understand where Filoni wants to take the styles to be far more Samurai but i need a full flashy saber battle from the prequels! This maybe down to the style of practical effects that are being employed today compared to the blue screen sticks but we are getting there with the style that Ahsoka has but just dial it up another 20% and then i think we'll be there.

At the point that this story had been left im truly hopeful in what is to come. My only theory that can be added to the fire is if its possible that the world between worlds is where all of the force sensitive being reside in the living force. Able to travel to any point in time and appear but to return as Ahsoka did may drive a lot of conspiracies!