For every way that Ahsoka has felt very, very Star Wars-y, there continues to be the personal touch that creator Dave Filoni has always put on his work for Lucasfilm. And so, while Episode 7, “Dreams and Madness” has plenty of lightsaber fights, space scenes, a touching reunion between friends and even a cameo from everyone’s favorite protocol droid, it once again gives us something new to think about hope we see come to fruition at some point.
There’s no questioning that Baylan Skoll, played magnificently by the late Ray Stevenson, has quickly ascended the hierarchy of very impressive characters created and curated by Filoni. In case you missed the declaration, he’s no Jedi but as we’ve learned through his relationship with his apprentice, Shin Hati, and their ongoing mission in the service of Morgan Elsbeth, he’s no Sith either. Skoll is rather a pretty damn enlightened Force user who saw the Jedi order for what it was: a wonderful idea that fell to pieces as the galaxy changed around it. Skoll wants something “more” and he has eaten a lot of shit from some pretty evil people in order to get to the far reaches of ANOTHER galaxy to find it and now, with whatever it is he seeks just outside of his reach, he imparts one last piece of wisdom to Shin and abruptly bails on Elsbeth and Grand Admiral Thrawn. For as long as we’ve seen the Master/Apprentice relationship in Star Wars (and if you’ve watched Filoni’s animated series, that’s a lot), we’ve NEVER seen something remotely similar to what Skoll just pulled here…and it is fascinating. Is he displeased with Shin? Has he taught her everything he thinks he can? Whatever this man wants on Peridea, it was worth losing everything to find.
Balancing out the separation of Baylan and Hati is the reunion of Ahsoka with her apprentice, Sabine, and, of course, with Ezra. While it takes all of the episode’s run time to get there, Ahsoka’s warm embrace of Ezra feels incredibly authentic and wonderfully earned. It’s hard to remember sometimes that much of Star Wars has always centered around wonderful friendships and this warm and fuzzy moment reminds us just how important to their survival these friendships have been. Sooner or later, however, Ahsoka and Sabine are going to have to come clean with Ezra…
Speaking of coming clean, with–as Thrawn points out–time working against the trio of heroes how long will it be before one of more of Ezra’s secrets will come to light. As fans of Rebels may remember, Ezra has quite an interesting history with Dathomiri folks and owes a debt to the Nightsisters. His being on their ancestral home of Peridea simply cannot be a coincidence. It’s possible, no matter how terrifying, that he and Baylan could be on a collision course and Ezra’s bill may just come due.
Episode 6 of Ahsoka, “Far, Far Away” left fans feeling pretty fantastic…and we should all have a bad feeling about that. Dating back to his work on Star WarsRebels, Dave Filoni has occasionally chosen to end seasons of his series with two-part blockbusters. Those blockbusters, however, don’t typically go well for the heroes and often leave things unresolved until the two-part premiere of the next season. With only two episodes left in the first season (to be directed by Geeta Vasant and Rick Famuyiwa, respectively) of Ahsoka, things are trending in that direction again.
With most of the action taking place on Peridea, “Far, Far Away” gave us the first Star Wars story set outside of the galaxy far, far away we’ve all come to know and love and that means, to some extent, all bets are off. No matter what you think you know about Star Wars, things are likely to be a little different in this new galaxy. And indeed despite intentionally layering in some of the familiar Star Wars tropes like marauders reminiscent of Tusken Raiders and horseshoe crabs who dress like Jiminy Cricket reminiscent of Jawas, Ewoks or whichever strange species you want to compare them to, something just ain’t quite right on Peridea. Revealed to be the ancestral home of the Nightsisters of Dathomir–a group of witches who have already been well-established to view and use the Force quite differently than groups like the Jedi or Sith–Peridea, as explained by Baylan Skoll, is a place of great and terrifying power. “Far, Far Away” reveals just the tip of that iceberg as any further exploration of it takes a back seat to the reunion of Sabine and Ezra and the return of Thrawn. However, as wonderful as Ezra looks sporting a beard reminiscent of his father’s, as perfect as Lars Mikkelsen is bringing his Thrawn to live-action and as terrifying as Thrawn’s Chimaera full of some interesting-looking Stormtroopers is, Ahsoka isn’t done with Peridea just yet.
First and foremost, it’s made very clear that Ahsoka and Huyang–who may have been revealed to be the narrator of every Star Wars story we’ve ever been told–are indeed on their way to Peridea thanks to the Purrgil. Ironically enough, while Sabine and Ezra are entirely unaware that Ahsoka is on her way, Thrawn is, as Thrawn does, preparing for the possibility of her throwing a monkey wrench into his long-gestating plans. The Grand Admiral has already indicated that he’s low on troops and it now seems only a matter of time before Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati face off with the reunited, Ahsoka, Sabine and Ezra, who could do quite a bit of damage to the Heir to the Empire’s plans.
And so it seems that “Far, Far Away”, while a very neat episode of the ongoing Filoni-verse narrative in its own right, is the calm before a very nasty storm and likely the conclusion “second act” of the New Republic era of stories. Though the cavalry, in the form of Ahsoka, is coming to Peridea, there’s almost certainly nothing she can do to prevent Thrawn and his minions from making the jump back to the galaxy from whence they came. Expect, as is often the case in Filoni’s stories, for the heroes to suffer–and perhaps even die–as they fight valiantly against the evil Empire. While Filoni has done a masterful job of putting his own spin on Star Wars, specifically the Force, he still loves to follow the path laid out by George Lucas and the master storytellers from whom he drew inspiration. So, if Ahsoka is the end of the second act of a larger story–in the way that Attack of the Clones, The Empire Strikes Back and The Last Jedi were in their corresponding trilogies–the next two episodes are going to hurt.
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’sAndor 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.
Patient storytelling is becoming a staple as Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s New Republic era of stories continues to unfold on the small screen. While the urge for all action all the time is undoubtedly present, the creative teams behind the Mandoverse properties continue to follow the way of the Jedi and the latest episode of Ahsoka, “Time to Fly”, is another example of their patience.
Picking up right where the two-episode premiere left off, “Time to Fly” opens with Ahsoka, Sabine and Huyang tracking the warp drive transported off of Corellia in “Toil and Trouble.” However, instead of having the heroes hop out of hyperspace and enter into battle with Morgan Elsbeth and her band of Force-wielding mercenaries, Filoni and director Steph Green (who also directed episode 2) wisely invest some time into the master and apprentice relationship between Ahsoka and Sabine. Additionally, through Huyang–voiced the wonderfully talented David Tennant–a clear picture of Sabine’s not-seen-onscreen struggles to become a Jedi is painted. Meanwhile, as Hera plays politics with Chancellor Mon Mothma and some New Republic talking heads only to get stonewalled, the stunning failures of the new system to be any better than the old system continue to pile up.
And so while it was 20 minutes into a 35-minute episode before any big action took place (and that was a very fun dogfight), seeds have been sown that will certainly pay off not only over the course of the remaining episodes of Ahsoka but also over longerform narrative taking place in the Mandoverse. Unfortunately, that’s a fairly tough sell that’s further complicated by the fact that not everyone watching Ahsoka is incredibly well-versed in the preexisting relationships between the Star Wars Rebels characters. That having been said, enough exposition and work is being done to do most of the heavy lifting for the uninitiated audience even if they don’t quite know why Jacen Syndulla is a much better candidate for being a Jedi than Sabine.
Asking the audience to be patient for the third episode of an eight-episode series shouldn’t be asking too much, especially since it seems all the pieces have been put into place for the Peter Ramsey-helmed Episode 4 to be bursting at the seams with action and lore before Filoni resumes directing duties in Episode 5. With most of the major players having converged on Seatos, it looks as though that Baylan vs. Ahsoka lightsaber duel is right around the corner…but what of Sabine’s second chance with Baylan’s Dark Padawan? The seeds were all smartly planted. Patience, you must have.
Ahsoka featured the return of Diana Lee Inosanto’s nefarious Morgan Elsbeth. First seen in Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, “The Jedi”, Elsbeth was the magistrate of the small, walled city of Calodan on her home planet Corvus. The episode revealed that Elsbeth was loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn and had some knowledge of where he had disappeared to. In the hopes that finding Thrawn would help her find Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano sought out, battled and defeated Elsbeth, who proved a capable adversary. When last seen, Elsbeth was headed to a New Republic prison for her crimes as an Imperial Loyalist.
The first episode of Ahsoka, “Master and Apprentice”, reveals that not much has changed for Elsbeth since she was last seen. While headed to trial for her crimes, she’s freed by Dark Jedi mercenaries Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati. By the end of the second episode, “Toil and Trouble”, Elsbeth’s plan to find Thrawn by following the Path to Peridea is revealed. The first two episodes also touch on something even more sinister: Elsbeth is a descendant of the Nighsisters of Dathomir!
Who are the Nighsisters of Dathomir?
First introduced in Season 3, Episode 12 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Nighsisters are a clan of witches from the planet Dathomir–the same planet from which Darth Maul and Savage Oppress’ Zabrak species hailed. While neither Sith nor Jedi, the Nightsisters were adept Force users who gave little care to the duality of the Force so often chattered about in Star Wars projects. The clan was often caught up in the Sith’s plans, however, due to their powerful connection to the “magick” they wielded. Darth Sidious coveted Maul, the son of the Nightsister’s leader, Mother Talzin. Another powerful Nightsister, Asajj Ventress, became the apprentice of the fallen Jedi-turned-Sith Count Dooku before being betrayed. Upon returning to her people, Ventress was hunted down by General Grievous who massacred the Nightsisters, putting an end to their small civilization.
The revelation that Elsbeth is a descendant of the Nightsisters instantly makes her a much larger threat than she was previously revealed to be and gives Ahsoka further room to explore different interpretations of the Force. Elsbeth is seen tapping into the familiar green magical ichor that the Nighsisters manipulate as part of their connection to the Force. Using the ichor to help power the map to Thrawn, Elsbeth speaks of finding the lost Grand Admiral among an “ancient people from a distant galaxy.” One of Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni’s favorite themes is exploring alternate explanations and understandings of the Force. It’s something he explored through not only the Nightsisters but also Bendu. Elsbeth’s connection to the Nightsisters provides an immediate reminder that while the Jedi (and thus the audience) have one very strict interpretation of the Force, it’s not the only interpretation and it seems possible–even likely–that Ahsoka is about to unveil another new take.
In the ranks of voice actors, Clancy Brown stands as a legend. Over the course of his four-decade career, Brown has voiced more popular and familiar characters than most people realize. While he may be best known for voicing Mr. Eugene H. Krabs, Brown has also dubbed as Lex Luthor, X-Men villain Mister Sinister and multiple characters in the Star Wars universe including Star Wars: The Clone Wars baddie Savage Oppress. As Ashley Eckstein fans know well, rarely do voice actors get to bring their animated characters to life; however, in the Disney Plus streaming series Ahsoka, Brown was given the opportunity to do just that.
Episode One of Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars streamer, entitled “Master and Apprentice”, saw Brown bring the character of Ryder Azadi, who he voiced on Star Wars Rebels between 2015 and 2018, to life. Once an Imperial governor of Lothal in the early years of the Empire’s reign, Azadi became a loyal supporter of revolutionaries Ephraim and Mira Bridger and was later imprisoned for his betrayal to the Empire. Later, Azadi befriended and aided their son Ezra and his Rebel friends in their efforts to liberate Lothal from the Empire’s rule.
In “Master and Apprentice”, Azadi is revealed to once again govern under the now free Lothal and is seen presiding over a ceremony in which a monument to Ezra is being dedicated. Azadi was often one of the funnier characters on the long-running animated series and Brown is given an opportunity to play up some humor in live-action as his plans to have Sabine Wren help dedicate the monument go–predictably–awry. It remains to be seen what role, if any, Azadi and Lothal may play over the rest of the 8-episode series but given the importance of the setting to the particular cast of characters at the heart of Ahsoka, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see more of the character as way to further understand what’s become of Lothal since it was last seen.
When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted in 2016, it became the first Star Wars movie without the trademark opening crawl. In an interview with Variety, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy explained that the narrative crawl, which was created by Dan Perri and first appeared in 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, was “indicative of what those saga films are,” and that non-saga films, like Rogue One would begin “with just the title.” Perri unloaded on Kennedy for the omission and the President took note.
“Frankly, it is a huge mistake, because the image is so iconic and it’s so important to tens of millions, hundreds of millions of fans. I couldn’t imagine it starting without that. It’s foolish.”
Dan Perri on omiiting the opening crawl from Rogue One
During 2023’s Star Wars Celebration, Kennedy revealed to EW that “the crawl’s coming back” with the caveat that “the crawl is for movies.” Either Dave Filoni didn’t get the memo or he just went full honey badger because Episode 1 of Ahsoka, “Master and Apprentice”, was preceded by the traditional opening crawl, albeit with one minor difference.
The EVIL GALACTIC EMPIRE has fallen and a NEW REPUBLIC has risen to take its place. However, sinister agents are already at work to undermine the fragile peace.
A plot is underway to find the lost IMPERIAL GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN and bring him out of exile. Once presumed dead, rumors are spreading of Thrawn’s return which would galvanize the IMPERIAL REMNANTS and start another war.
Former Jedi Knight AHSOKA TANO captured one of Thrawn’s allies and learned of a secret map which is vital to the enemy’s plan. Ahsoka now searches for the map as her prisoner, MORGAN ELSBETH, is transported to the New Republic for trial….
Albeit in red text rather than the traditional yellow, Filoni’s decision to attach the crawl to the beginning of Ahsoka–and to follow it up with the traditional shot of a ship in space–makes a strong statement about how the heir to George Lucas‘ empire feels about his new series.
The Filoni Ascendancy has begun. Following the sequel era of Star Wars films–an era seemingly plagued by the lack of long-term planning as to how the trilogy would unfold–fans of the franchise hoped desperately that someone would come forward and take control of whatever it was that Star Wars was to become. With the debut of Ahsoka, the next installment in Dave Filoni‘s New Republic era of stories, there’s no longer any question about who should have dominion over the franchise.
The master and apprentice relationship is as foundational to Star Wars as nearly any other aspect. The Jedi and the Sith, for all their differences, are both beholden to the tradition of taking on apprentices, and, for quite some time, it’s been pretty clear that Dave Filoni was, in almost every way, the apprentice of George Lucas. Filoni worked closely with Lucas as he created two of Lucasfilm’s most widely beloved projects in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. And, over time, it became clear that more than maybe anyone else who had worked on Star Wars projects, Filoni truly understood what made Star Wars tick. Not EVERY episode of those series was perfect but they resonated with fans so well because they were longform narratives that more deeply explored the things fans so dearly love about Star Wars. When he made the jump to live-action with The Mandalorian, Filoni brought many of those characters with him and as he continued to dig into what Star Wars was, it started to seem as though he was coming to understand it better for himself. And again, not every choice was perfect and not every episode was for everyone but his passion for the material was built into everything he created or helped create. With Ahsoka, it seems clear that the learner has become a master.
Appropriately enough, Part One of Ahsoka is titled “Master and Apprentice.” That title is equal parts appropriate to the relationship between Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren, the relationship between Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati and Filoni’s ascendancy from apprentice to master. There’s no small irony that Filoni has staked his claim as heir to the empire in a series that will seemingly begin an adaptation of Timothy Zahn‘s beloved Thrawn novel nor is it a coincidence that Filoni’s best work to date comes with Ahsoka Tano at its center. Ahsoka is not only Filoni’s most popular creation but also the one he seems to have taken the greatest care in curating over the years. Much like wielding the Force, directing takes not only talent, but training, and is best done when the director is calm, at peace and feel the flow. Reuniting her with the cast of StarWars Rebels has seemingly put Filoni at ease and the result–at least through the first two episodes–is peak Star Wars.
From a storytelling standpoint, Ahsoka acts and feels like a fairly straightforward continuation of the overarching plot of Star Wars Rebels. While those who haven’t watched the animated series can quickly be caught up to speed, there are enough Easter eggs, nods, references, call backs and appearances packed into the first two episodes to make devoted Rebels fans feel rewarded. Filoni’s growth within his craft as a director is evident here as he continues experimenting with shot choices and finds wonderful ways to bring familiar locations like the road to Lothal and the Communication Tower into live-action. However, it’s not only when he’s playing around with familiar characters in familiar locations that he’s at his best.
In the past, Filoni has made it clear that many of the action sequences in Star Wars Rebels took inspiration from the Indiana Jones films and he doesn’t hesitate to go to that well again in Ahsoka. One of the opening episode’s most beautiful sequences finds Rosario Dawson’s former Jedi tomb raiding during a scene wonderfully reminiscent of Indy’s Well of Souls expedition. Paired with the very A New Hope-inspired introduction to Ray Stevenson‘s Baylan Skoll and Ivanna Sakhno’s spicy Shin Hati, Filoni demonstrates an ability to by homage to what’s come before without stealing or making it too rhymey, which was a common complaint among fans during the sequel trilogy. Imitation and creation. And Filoni is getting very, very adept at pairing those two tools to great effect.
It’s not all about familiarity in Ahsoka, though, as the series–specifically in the second episode directed by Steph Green–looks as though it will continue the New Republic narrative that’s so far been spun in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. “Toil and Trouble” calls back to The Mandalorian’s revelation that Imperial Loyalists have infiltrated all levels of the New Republic and that today’s good guys were probably just yesterday’s bad guys. Thematically, the episode examines the postulate of horror vacui that’s been building in the Filoni-verse series and–with a bit of shocking twist–reveals Morgan Elsbeth’s true nature and her plan to retrieve Grand Admiral Thrawn and install him atop the New Empire. By the end of the shorter second episode, it seems clear that Ahsoka is destined to be a convergence point of “what came before and what’s really possible” in the Star Wars universe, just as Filoni explained it would be.
And just what might really be possible moving forward as Filoni grows in confidence and ability as a director is a thrilling mix of everything we always loved about Star Wars set on a new and fertile narrative landscape. The first two episodes hint strongly at Ahsoka taking the audience on a journey not only to new places but to new interpretations of long-held beliefs about the way things work in the galaxy far, far away and that’s exactly what the franchise will require to stay alive and well.
While fans have been largely engaged in the big brand TV series produced by Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios for Disney Plus, they have long bemoaned the awkward release schedule that has seen them debut at 3:00 AM ET/12:00 AM PT. Now fans can cross another thing off of Bob Iger‘s to-do list after returning to Disney.
Disney’s next big streaming series, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Ahsoka, will become the streaming service’s first major offering to debut during the traditional TV time period known as “prime time.” Originally set to debut on Wednesday, August 23rd at 3:00 AM ET/12:00 AM PT, the Rosario Dawson-led series will now roll out its two-episode debut on Tuesday, August 22nd at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM ET.
To be clear, it’s not just the premiere that will inhabit the prime time time slot as Disney is committing–at least with Ahsoka–to the 9:00 PM ET release. Fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones franchise can attest to the power of the late evening release which allowed for far more viewers to watch the newest episodes and be part of the “water cooler” conversation the next day. The awkward middle-of-the-night releases have often left everyone other than the hardest of hardcore fans on the outside looking in and avoiding social media as not to be spoiled until they could get home from work and catch up. On the surface, this looks like a no-lose scenario for Disney as they look to get their streaming poop in a group.
The next entry in Dave Filoni’s New Republic era of stories, Ahsoka, is now less than two weeks away from its Disney Plus premiere. The series, which will see star Rosario Dawson reprise the role of the former Jedi, will not only move the Mandoverse story ahead but also serve as a sequel toStar Wars Rebels. Ahsoka will feature the live-action debuts of Rebels characters Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn and could also pull off any number of surprises so needless to say, there’s a lot of story to tell. It looks like Lucasfilm is happy to give the story room to breathe as it’s not only an eight-episode series but also has a very generous runtime for its two-episode debut.
According to Cryptic4KQual, a Twitter account that has a well-established track record for reporting accurate runtimes of Disney Plus projects, the two-episode premiere will run for a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes including credits and just shy of 90 minutes without. Feature films such as Zombieland (87 minutes), Attack the Block (88 minutes) and Stand By Me (89 minutes) made 90 minutes feel like plenty of time to tell a compelling story and these two episodes are just the opening act for Ahsoka.
Following the two-episode debut, Ahsoka will continue to release on a weekly basis for the next six weeks with the final episode streaming on October 4th as Lucasfilm is sticking with Wednesdays for their Star Wars releases.
The series has already built some significant buzz and looks to be a pivotal chapter in the ongoing Mandoverse narrative.
Set after the fall of the Empire, Star Wars: Ahsoka follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
