As with any project in a universe like Star Wars with fans spanning generations, Ahsoka was always destined to be divisive amongst viewers. After more misses than hits from Star Wars under the direction of Disney, fans have been feeling somewhere between skeptical and cautiously optimistic.
With the beloved creator Dave Filoni taking the reigns on this project, ready to finish the story of his own creation (the character Ahsoka Tano), it seemed like a course correction could finally be in the cards. The question we expected to be asking was, is it any good? Instead, now that the first four episodes have been released, we ask a more immediate question – who should even be watching this show?
Warning: spoilers ahead.
Ahsoka Is Not For All Viewers
Just like they did with The Book of Boba Fett, Disney has yet again created a show that promises one thing based on its title and seems to deliver another story completely. While Ahsoka is in this story, it would be inaccurate to say that the first four episodes feel like they’re telling her story. If anything, this is the story of Sabine Wren.
For those who are uninitiated, Sabine is one of the main characters in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels, which was targeted toward a pretty young audience. Many die-hard fans of the universe likely haven’t seen this series in its entirety, which is a source of much confusion when watching Ahsoka. Without knowledge of the story told in Rebels, a lot of important context will be missing for the viewer.
To further compound the issue, the most confusing part isn’t even explained in the Rebels series. It’s revealed that at some point, Ahsoka trained Sabine as a Jedi, and for some undisclosed reason, that training did not continue. In the premiere episode, Ahsoka and Sabine are brought together again, and soon training recommences.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo in ‘Ahsoka’
In other words, this show could’ve used a more detailed opening scrawl. If you’re a fan who’s hazy on the events of Rebels, we strongly recommend finding a recap video to catch up before diving into Ahsoka. For the type of viewers who just like The Mandalorian, but aren’t super well-versed in Star Wars overall, we recommend skipping this one completely.
Is It Otherwise Worth Watching?
In the first three episodes, the series struggled to find its footing. It felt weighed down by the necessity to wrap up loose ends from Rebels while sowing the seeds for the future of the Star Wars universe. Episode four finally manages to create some exciting moments that seem promising for the latter half of the show, but after the shaky start, it’s hard to recommend this series to anyone besides die-hard Star Wars fans who tend to watch regardless of critical reception.
Ahsoka is streaming now on Disney+.