Marrok theories be damned, Episode 4 of Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars streaming series, Ahsoka, provided just about everything a fan of the franchise could hope to see in 40 minutes or less. Wonderfully choreographed lightsaber duels, heroes doing what’s right instead of what’s easy, an homage to the samurai films that inspired the franchise, complex villains and the sort of twists that have largely been missing from some of the more recent theatrical efforts combine to make “Fallen Jedi” a very entertaining,–and tantalizing–end to the first half of the first season of Ahsoka.
Without counting minutes, it seemed as though half or more of the episode was spent watching warriors clash their lightsabers against the beautiful backdrop of Seatos with each battle carrying its own weight. Though fairly quickly dispatched by Ahsoka, the mysterious Marrok slowed the former Jedi down and ultimately separated her from Sabine (when are these guys going to learn to listen to Huyang??). Better prepared and fully armored, Sabine was able to survive her rematch with Shin by relying on her training as a Mandalorian though the extended duel kept her from having her master’s back. It’s Ahsoka’s battle with Ray Stevenson’s fascinating Baylan Skoll, however, that deserves the attention.
Clearly deeply connected to the Force, Baylan is the type of non-traditional villain that the franchise has been missing. While he’s no Jedi, he’s a man who though he’s lost his religion still holds on to some of the tenets of the faith. He serves the will of his benefactor–for now–but harbors no ill will for neither Ahsoka nor Sabine though as indicated in his first appearance, he also won’t hesitate to take on whatever challenge is presented to him. Though his own agenda is yet to be defined, he seems far to complex of a character to simply be serving Morgan and his past seems far too interesting to simply have him killed off quickly. Though Ahsoka and Sabine are the series’ leads, creator Dave Filoni certainly hit a home run with Baylan.
And finally, no discussion of the episode would be complete without addressing Ahsoka’s surprising return to the World Between Worlds. While the nature of how she arrived there remains a mystery, her presence there–and the presence of her former master–is a promise of a whopper of a next episode. Knowing that Filoni was behind the camera for next week’s Part Five only makes the week-long wait more tantalizing. Ahsoka has been part “what happened” since Rebels and part “unfinished business” and it now seems that Ahsoka may just find herself in the same scenario she talked Ezra out of when he hoped to use the World Between Worlds to save Kanan.
Ahsoka has quickly become “must see TV” for Star Wars fans because it, like Star Wars Rebels before it, draws on what made the first three films so memorable; however, Filoni has proven capable of not just rhyming with the fun beats of the original trilogy but also adding to the mythology. While Tony Gilroy’s Andor stands as a shining example of how to make a Star Wars show that’s not very Star Wars, for fans of the original trilogy (and don’t ever forget that’s exactly who Filoni is) Ahsoka is the Star Wars you’re looking for.
