3 ways Sabine and Ahsoka’s bond showed progress in “Time to Fly”
Though we’re only 3 episodes into Ahsoka, the characters have already showcased many of their qualities and flaws. Similarly, we’ve also got a good idea of where their relationships with each other stand. Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano started at odds with one another. Their reunion was a bit on the cold side, and it seemed as if they would continue to lock horns till the end of the season. However, it was good to see that Dave Filoni decided to forego the typical tension and irreconcilable differences that have become characteristic of Master and Padawan relationships in Star Wars. In part 3, “Time to Fly,” Ahsoka and Sabine’s bond shows significant progress. Let’s take a look at some of the promising signs of harmony between them in Part 3:
Much more patience
Both showed much more patience with each other. Ahsoka clearly understands that Sabine won’t learn everything overnight. Instead of complaining about Sabine’s stubbornness and hoping that she would change, Ahsoka did what any great Master would do by helping Sabine get back into the groove, without wasting time by pointing out how rusty she is. Even when Huyang pointed out that Sabine didn’t do very well in lightsaber drills, Ahsoka decided to give her a chance to learn something new, using the Zatochi technique.
More honesty
Sabine deserves credit for being very honest with Ahsoka. She didn’t hide her disappointment with herself and hoped that the situation’s urgency would help her training move faster. In response, Ahsoka is equally honest in pointing out that these things don’t happen overnight and that it’s going to take her longer. Honesty with one another will go hand in hand with helping to foster more trust in their bond. Whatever their issues were in the past, they can overcome them if they’re willing to hear each other’s truths.
No unrealistic expectations
One of the best parts of the episode was Ahsoka and Huyang’s conversation about Sabine’s progress. Huyang is more focused on Sabine’s talent as a force user or the lack of it. It’s a matter of the Midi-chlorians even though Huyang didn’t explicitly say that, but we can make it out. Sabine isn’t Force-sensitive in the way that someone like Ahsoka or Anakin Skywalker is, but Ahsoka believes in her, and better yet, Ahsoka has no unrealistic expectations from her. She doesn’t need Sabine to be a Jedi, she needs “Sabine to be Sabine.” Similarly, Sabine can trust Ahsoka’s judgment in choosing the correct methods to help her learn, even if that means blindly doing something completely out of her comfort zone in her saber training.
If these two opposites are to continue working together successfully, they’ll need to continue being honest with each other and communicating well. So far, it seems like that’s the direction they’re headed. Ahsoka is in a good place mentally, especially because, unlike her masters, there’s really no specific ideology that she adheres to anymore. She can train Sabine on her own terms without having a Jedi Council to answer to. Sabine will thrive if Ahsoka continues to be a master who will never give up on her or try to change who she is.
Ahsoka is streaming now on Disney+.