Have you watched episode five yet? If not, you should reexamine your priorities and read my analysis of episode four instead. Then, you should watch episode five.
Over 12 years ago, Ahsoka Tano was introduced to the “Star Wars” fanbase as the animated Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. Initial reception of her character left much to be desired, but in the years since, Ahsoka has become the favored character of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” She has also defined every episode of “Star Wars Rebels” that she’s appeared in, and she has made herself a beloved character in both comics and books. (For those that haven’t read E.K. Johnston’s “Ahsoka,” I would highly advise it. It’s an excellent look into Ahsoka’s life after Order 66, and Johnston’s writing is generally pleasant to read.) Now, “The Mandalorian” has brought Ahsoka Tano to live action for the very first time. While her lekku were a bit shorter than I had anticipated, that was the only part of this episode that fell short of my expectations.
Overall, “The Jedi” was the best episode of “The Mandalorian” run thus far. While this episode’s humor didn’t quite match up to the hilarious incompetency of the Imperial officers and stormtroopers in “The Heiress,” the storyline, implications and acting of this episode place it on a pedestal that will be tough to topple. Dave Filoni clearly demonstrated not only his understanding of Ahsoka’s character, but his understanding of storytelling and “Star Wars” as a whole. The faults of this episode, though present, are few and far between.
The main problem with “The Jedi” was the fact that while it felt like an important episode for the overarching plot, it was still far too close to a filler episode. The episode possesses a legendary character whose story extends across nearly the entire canon continuity of Star Wars, and it skillfully ties in both the past and future of the Jedi Order. Yet, at the end of the story, Din and Ahsoka part ways, and Din once again embarks on another journey to find Grogu’s forever home.
(On that note, do I have opinions on Baby Yoda’s new name? Absolutely. Do those opinions exist as anything other than confused noises and squinty eyes? Not really. Regardless, Grogu it is!)
Din and Grogu now have a new destination, and this episode only adds to the scavenger hunt vibe that has permeated the second season. The fourth episode did an excellent job of introducing a new storyline that might disrupt the hunt, but “The Jedi” readily returned to the mold. Something beyond references to long-beloved characters and teasers of spin-off series would have been welcome, but the absences of such were not detrimental to the episode.
Amidst excellently executed action sequences, a “Clone Wars”-esque village plotline and beautifully orchestrated musical references, Ahsoka drops references to past events and future possibilities in a way that Bo-Katan Kryze only hinted at. “The Jedi” used Ahsoka’s knowledge to expertly tie “The Mandalorian” into the prequel era of “Star Wars” and the Jedi Order as a whole, and it is fitting that Filoni was the mastermind behind it all.
Regarding past characters, Ahsoka speaks of or references the fanbase’s three most well-known characters of the Jedi Order during the “Clone Wars.” In explaining the Force to Din, she directly quotes her grandmaster, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in “A New Hope.” She also explains how she knew Yoda, which informs Din of how she is immediately aware of Grogu’s importance. Finally, Ahsoka mentions the very reason that led to George Lucas creating her character: Anakin Skywalker.
While telling Din why she will not train Grogu, Ahsoka gives viewers insight into her feelings towards Anakin after their duel on Malachor. She still considers him to have been the best of the Jedi, yet she wholeheartedly blames his tendency towards attachments as the reason for his fall. It is a surprisingly Jedi-like stance for someone who left the order when she was 17 years old and who clearly stated as a 32-year-old that she was no Jedi. Even though Ahsoka was not a member of the Jedi Order when Palpatine ordered the annihilation of all the Jedi, she is clearly still one of the only living remnants of the Order in the post-Empire era.
Finally, the moment that the episode was arguably building up to is the reference of a non-Jedi character, but one who is infamous both in Legends and in canon. Grand Admiral Thrawn, a Chiss Imperial officer, is introduced to the canon Star Wars universe through “Star Wars Rebels” and the trilogy of novels by Timothy Zahn. (If you haven’t read any of Zahn’s work, it’s all phenomenal. I’m particularly partial to the second book, “Thrawn: Alliances.”) Viewers last saw Thrawn as he was catapulted into Unknown Space alongside Ezra Bridger, a Jedi Padawan who was found and trained by Kanan Jarrus, a survivor of Order 66, 14 years after the fall of the Republic.
Throughout the latter half of “Star Wars Rebels,” fans came to love Ezra, and this introduces the question of whether we will also be seeing him brought to live action in the near future. If Thrawn and Ezra are introduced, then maybe we’ll also get Sabine Wren thrown into the mix as well. Filoni’s involvement in creating (or in Thrawn’s case, evolving) these characters for “Star Wars Rebels” means that there is no one more qualified to develop them for live action. “The Mandalorian,” as Filoni’s current “Star Wars” project, would be the perfect place to introduce them, or to at least set up a new series that centers around their continued storyline.
“The Mandalorian” season two has already brought beloved characters to life and weaved in preexisting “Star Wars” storylines. It has grown far beyond the horizons of the first season, and its ambition does not seem to be stopping. Many questions about Grogu’s future, the Mandalorians’ political turmoil and the galaxy’s current state are currently floating around; this only puts more pressure on the last three episodes of season two to continue the trend of greatness. One can only hope that, like Ahsoka’s live-action appearance, these episodes will live up to the legacy of greatness, and that future seasons will continue to expand on what makes “Star Wars” such a beloved franchise.
