– Spoiler Review –
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, this show, and those it continues stories from, wouldn’t exist. Consider supporting the strikes here.
After Ahsoka Tano’s journey through the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka takes us back to the main story, and in doing so, makes for its best episode yet as familiar faces return and we explore a brand-new galaxy in “Part VI: Far, Far Away.”
The latest Ahsoka episode only has the titular character appear during its opening moments, as she and Huyang enjoy the ride with the purrgil pod to the new galaxy, discussing the truth she shielded from Hera Syndulla about Sabine Wren’s choice to go with the bad guys to the new galaxy. She makes a point to suggest it’s a training failure Sabine put finding her friend above the galaxy’s fate and Huyang rightly counters, it’s maybe exactly what the Force wanted from her in that moment. There scene ends as he begins to regale her a tale from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (which now it finally is for them) with the history of their own galaxy. When “Part VI: Far, Far Away,” ends, and I found myself quite enthralled with all it entails, it wasn’t hard to personally equate the lack of Ahsoka to the episode’s success, as while her trip through the mystical realm and seeing Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker again were absolute delights, returning to the main story and exploring something new, as well as getting more time with the new characters, felt like a stronger presentation and focus. It helps familiar faces make their big returns, both in their own unique way which feels fitting for them and opens tons of interesting questions about their nearly 9 years in exile here. Exploring more of the motivations for Morgan Elsbeth, Baylan Skoll, and Shin Hati also helps round out the newer characters, which were beginning to feel lacking the last time we saw them in Part IV, and it only increases my investment for what comes next. The new galaxy, and the planet Peridea itself, didn’t completely feel outside of the galaxy we know, but it was unique enough and had a haunting sense of abandonment, besides the new friends Sabine makes, which offered the opportunity for theories and open wonder of its history, potentially tying its fate with the galaxy we know thanks to what we learn here. This plays into the theme Baylan Skoll expounds for his motivations, of the endless cycle of Empires rising and falling, of death and rebirth someone else mentions later (seen starkly with the purrgil bone filled rings around Peridea), that maybe even in this galaxy, something similar happens/ed as well.
When Morgan, Baylan, Shin, and Sabine arrive at Peridea, they shuttle down to an ancient structure and land, meeting three Grand Mothers of the Dathomiri, so think Mother Talzin but even higher in rank. It’s through Morgan, as they approach the Grand Mothers, we learn it was the witches who rode the Travelers, aka the purrgil, to the galaxy our heroes and villains call home. So which came first, chicken and egg style, the name Dathomir from their time in this galaxy or the planet Dathomir and in the main galaxy? Either way, the episode doesn’t spend too much time worrying about all the history from before time was recorded, but the hints open up a galaxy of opportunity, and instead forges onward, revealing the Grand Mothers called to Elsbeth in her dreams, to come to them, and she obviously did her job very well, making her story about more than serving Thrawn and helping her people. The witches scoff at Sabine’s presence, saying she reeks of Jedi, and have her locked away, which Sabine takes as betrayal by Baylan of their deal for her to see Ezra Bridger, while they tell Morgan she must be patient for Thrawn’s arrival. Sabine tries to use the Force as they wait, but is unsuccessful again, while Baylan and Shin take the time to discuss what’s happened and what he plans next.
There are two very good scenes with Baylan and Shin this episode, one while they wait for Thrawn’s arrival and another as they track down Sabine after Thrawn agrees to let her go find Ezra, both which tell us a lot about them. Shin’s unsure of their future, of what they can find on what looks to be a desolate planet, while Baylan seems happy almost, filled with peace and purpose, at their situation. For him, as he talked with Ahsoka back in Part IV, he sees Thrawn starting a war as his chance to start fresh, and we learn here he’s tired of the cycle of Republics rising and falling and Empires rising and falling in their place, wanting to stop it, the memories of the Jedi Temple burning when he was younger the catalyst and now stark reminder of his goals. If the stories are true, there’s a power here which he hopes to tap into, which means he sees the power and squabbles Thrawn and the New Republic cling to are far too fleeting as he’s correct about the cycle, and whatever he’s hoping to gain here will be absolute power none of them can imagine. Is he the one to really look out for, as while Thrawn will keep the galaxy distracted, Baylan will be doing something far more deadly and sinister to remake it in his image, without cycles? Is that way the powerful Great Mothers are eager to leave, as this greater power is something they can’t fight any longer? And what hope does Baylan have of embracing it? For Shin, there seems to be a growing sense of disillusionment with Baylan’s goals, mainly through Ivanna Sakhno’s talented acting, as she doesn’t see or hear what’s supposedly calling to Baylan, instead seeing the might of Thrawn’s forces and feeling a growing concern about the possibility they’ll be stuck on this planet, in this galaxy, forever if they don’t return in time. Fans hoping for Sabine and Shin to be friends, or more, should be taking this as a sign of a potential break between Shin and her Master, who claims he trained her for something more than being a Jedi, as she’s clearly not ready to accept blindly what he still has to offer. I look forward to seeing what Baylan thinks is out there on Peridea, what the Grand Mothers and everyone else seems to be running away from, while I’m interested to see how Shin reacts to any success or failures by him, and thankfully this all stems from gaining perspective on their motivations finally.
Shin and Baylan’s initial conversation, as well as Sabine’s attempts with the Force, are interrupted by the arrival of a Star Destroyer on the horizon…the Chimaera, outfitted with new gold plating where it took damage, its symbol still mostly visible underneath! I was worried they would save Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return for the final moments of the episode (though that honor went to someone else!), but he features quite prominently instead, as the Chimaera pulls up to the structure and we see his Night Troopers arrayed in greeting, with their mismatched or damaged armor, led by Captain Enoch (Wes Chatham), who has the most gold-plating of the group, including a sinister, mask-like face on his helmet. Through their chants of his name and the Kiners’ excellently haunting organ-containing theme for him, Thrawn strides towards his welcoming committee, with Lars Mikkelsen looking the part and continuing his chillingly smart, cool, collected performance from Rebels. He isn’t surprised about Morgan’s arrival or his belief in the Witches’ magick to produce this outcome, seeming assured and even pleased they can get back to the main galaxy now. There is a surprise, the team’s prisoner, Sabine, whom of course Thrawn recognizes and requests to see, but he doesn’t seem to feel it’s as consequential as the surprise he gets later on, as the episode ends.
Sabine and Thrawn’s conversation is a delight, as he can’t believe why she’d throw away the fate of her own galaxy simply to save her friend and she is sure it’s beyond his comprehension. Thrawn’s changed, to a very small degree, considering he’s working so closely with mysticism now, but maybe his experience with the Bendu, a strange Force-related creature whom told Thrawn of his purrgil-filled fate before it happened, helped open him up to the possibility, while he might only see the Great Mothers as a means to an end to return home. Mikkelsen and Natasha Liu Bordizzo play off each other well, especially as he’s almost gleeful to let her go, to honor Baylan’s promise to her, and let her find Ezra. She’s suspicious of course but embraces it, seeing the opportunity for what is and not worrying about the consequences again, even as Thrawn casually reminds her she may be stranded on the planet forever. She sets out on the mount they give her, a rat/dog/horse type combination that grew on me (and my wife loved almost immediately), and Sabine, as the episode goes on. She’s interrupted by local nomads, who attack her and she’s forced to fight them off, though loses the location data they gave her on her quest, forcing her to set out on her own until the mount comes through with its search for water. Moments after she leaves, Thrawn tells Baylan and Shin they can follow her, which is when we first start seeing some cracks in Shin’s trust over Baylan’s ideals, as the Grand Admiral wants them there when she finds Ezra so they can kill them both. Considering they plan on leaving and never returning, it seems petty for Thrawn to want to do this, to have them killed, but when it’s later revealed he doesn’t care whether they live or die because they should be gone before it matters, it makes a little more sense for his decisions. Hey, might as well take out Ezra and even Sabine if he can, regardless if he’ll be there to verify it or not, right?! Definitely makes one wonder, as he claims their numbers have dwindled since arriving on Peridea, how much trouble or not Ezra has been for Thrawn over the years…
Sabine’s mount’s search for water leads to them encountering a local native of the planet, the Hoti, a small, snail-like species which often hide in their shells around trouble, blending in with the rocks nearby. Sabine doesn’t speak a lick of their language and they don’t seem to understand her, but the one she’s talking with recognizes the Rebellion’s symbol on her armor, showing off one their own on a medallion around their neck. She doesn’t put it together until they show her and then she’s shouting Ezra’s name at them, which leads to the main one calling for others in the area to show themselves and they begin discussing, Ezra’s name heard a few times in all of their chattering. They motion to her and her mount, who initially wanted to eat them, to follow, taking them to a little village full of more of their people and shell-like structures for living. While a shelled species isn’t quite new to Star Wars, the most recent being the engineers of the Colossus in Star Wars Resistance, I quite loved their design overall, as well as their little clothes and seemingly well-thought out society, which we learn are nomadic in nature, never staying in one spot too long; their clothes remind me of what Hobbits wear and their nomadic nature reminding more of the Harfoots in the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. As she takes in her new friends, a man is seen leaning against a structure behind her, remarking, “Knew I could count on you.”
EZRA FREAKING BRIDGER! I wasn’t quite at the same level (turn down your volume!) as Ezra’s biggest fan, but I was nearly in tears as Eman Esfandi’s face lit up in a smile at seeing Sabine after all these years, and I definitely got at least one tear as the Kiners bring in his theme as the two hug. Sabine does her best to avoid answering any important questions, but she at least gives him the knowledge his plan actually worked, which makes a lot of sense he didn’t know. Esfandi immediately feels like Ezra, even after all these years and living with snail-people in a different galaxy, as he captures the character’s exuberance and positivity with his smile alone, while his joking manner with Sabine, and how Bordizzo brightens up around him, is infectious. While it helped most returning characters were in similar enough outfits since the last time we saw them, Ezra’s got a whole new look and even despite it, Esfandi makes viewers certain they are looking at the one, the only, Ezra. What has he been doing these past nine years? Was he harassing Thrawn and his plans? How long before they parted ways after arriving? How long has he not been bothering Thrawn, whom seems unsure if he’s even alive? I imagine we’ll get a lot more about his time away next episode, while Sabine might actually have to reveal what she did to get to Ezra and how it might leave them stranded here forever, despite Ezra’s assurances seeing Sabine means he’s going home. It’s exciting to finally see the character, played so well by Esfandi, and the little we got here left me eager to see where he, and this series, will go from here. Just wish Disney and other companies would pay their writers and actors fairly, as we get your excitement, Eman, and sorry you can’t let it all out.
We return to Thrawn, whose Night Troopers are packing up what looks like pods or coffins from the structure’s catacombs, and he’s confronting the Great Mothers about some brand new information they didn’t see: Ahsoka Tano lives, despite what Baylan told Morgan, who assured Thrawn was the case. He’s no fool when it comes to Jedi at this point and scolds Morgan with some refrained fury for ever believing Ahsoka could be dead without actually seeing a body. He takes that anger and directs it toward a course of action, telling Morgan to destroy any approaching purrgil since the Great Mothers know she’s traveling inside of one them, while he requests all available information on the target so he can plan a course of attack if she makes it through the initial salvo. Included in information he requests: Ahsoka’s Master, but in a scene from the canon novel by Timothy Zahn, Thrawn: Alliances, Padmé Amidala told Thrawn Ahsoka was Anakin’s apprentice. Did he…just forget, as it has been nearly three decades since then? If not, and this show claims he never knew, it makes me worried it’ll even claim he and Anakin never even worked together (and later he and Darth Vader did as well, with Thrawn even deducing who was behind the mask). Look, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the book, though I felt it was one of the last good Thrawn novels, but why with another potential retcon here over such a small moment?! It’s so easy to support Star Wars publishing, which without Thrawn wouldn’t even exist in the first place, but Dave Filoni has proven a pattern of disregard for stories which came before. The Bad Batch incident with Kanan Jarrus’ backstory wasn’t the worst, as the rest of the comic it tore up could still easily happen, but the recent big, discriminatory changes to the Ahsoka novel for his Tales of the Jedi project were hard to ignore, and now we have this moment as well. It doesn’t ruin the episode, but a quick look on even Wookieepedia could’ve revealed Thrawn already knew such information, so is this just a case of people unwilling to tell the people in power “No?” Just because Filoni is considered George Lucas 2.0 doesn’t mean he can’t be told, ‘hey, they met, change one line of dialogue’; it really is a simple fix and, like I said earlier, could help the company because it would make people invest more by purchasing said book, potentially. I felt like Thrawn’s introduction here relied on viewers already knowing who he is as well, be it his canon or Legends background, either from their own experience or using the fans’ knowledge again, but if you rely on people knowing, don’t seemingly ignore what came before, especially in a promised unified canon and in a book by the author who originally brought the character to life in the first place. Also, Thrawn has largely been the exact same person his entire life, as the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy proved to boring effect, so hopefully, beyond his reliance on dark magicks now, there are some other changes to the man.
Here are a few other things:
- The case against Rosario Dawson and her family was never truly resolved, as it was only due to the court not rescheduling that the charges were dropped, so this is still an outstanding issue if and when the plaintiff decides to reopen things. This disclaimer will come with every episode reminding readers of this, as it’s the very least we can do for trans fans of the Saga.
- The Great Mothers Klothow, Aktropaw, and Lakesis, who seem to talk a lot about the threads of fate, are named after the Sisters of Fate or Moirai (close to Ahsoka’s owl friend, Morai) from Greek Mythology: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.
- I am a HUGE Uncharted video game fan, having played the original when it came out on my new PS3 back in 2008 dozens of times (and again when Trophies were added), and spending countless hours with the following games and their online multiplayer modes. In fact, I am in the middle of an Uncharted: Lost Legacy playthrough, so the moment Grand Mother Klothow started talking, I knew it was Claudia Black, who plays Chloe Frazer in the game series! She should be well-known to genre fans for her roles in SG-1, Farscape, and more, and it’s a delight to know she gets to play one of the most powerful Dathomir witches we’ve ever met.
- The soundtrack for the first four episodes is out on Spotify for your enjoyment, including Sabine’s rock song!
- Bottleneck Gallery teased a Rebels poster for October on their site, but the social media posts about it have been deleted. Keep your eyes peeled!
- Jennifer Getzinger, who directed this episode, has also directed everything from Mad Men, Westworld, Daredevil, and more! Hopefully this isn’t her last time doing Star Wars!!
Ahsoka’s “Part VI: Far, Far Away” so big, wild, weird, and sees the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger, making for the show’s strongest episode yet.
+ Eman Esfandi is Ezra Bridger
+ Thrawn’s menacing as ever
+ Strangeness of the new planet/galaxy, Sabine’s journey
+ Giving Baylan, Shin, Morgan more purpose
– Maybe retconing again
– Hopefully relying on magick isn’t the only change for Thrawn
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
AHSOKA REVIEWS
Season One: Part I: Master and Apprentice / Part II: Toil and Trouble | Part III: Time to Fly | Part IV: Fallen Jedi | Part V: Shadow Warrior