Carson Teva’s appearance raises questions about Ahsoka’s timeline
Warning: This article contains spoilers from Ahsoka season 1, episode 4.
A fan-favorite character from The Mandalorian made a surprise appearance in Ahsoka‘s fourth episode, “Fallen Jedi,” but his appearance raises questions about the show’s timeline. Prior to the Ahsoka premiere, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, the actress who plays live-action Sabine Wren, said that “Ahsoka runs along the same timeline as The Mandalorian season 3, and the shows are all connected. There’s just so many parallels.”
This timeline seemingly worked well as Ahsoka could pick up after Ahsoka Tano’s duel with Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian season 2 and would explain why Ahsoka, Sabine, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and other key characters in Ahsoka are absent from The Mandalorian season 3.
However, Carson Teva’s appearance in “Fallen Jedi” raises questions about whether Ahsoka actually does take place at the same time as The Mandalorian season 3.
When Pirate King Gorian Shard attacks Nevarro in The Mandalorian season 3 episode “The Pirate,” Greef Karga sends a transmission to Carson asking for the New Republic’s aid in clearing out the pirates. Carson goes to Coruscant for the New Republic’s support and resources to aid Nevarro. Since Nevarro isn’t yet a member of the New Republic, the galactic government is unable to help.
Carson makes a strong case for New Republic intervention given the documented history of an Imperial presence on Nevarro, including stormtroopers in the streets, TIE Fighters flying over the planet, Imperial occupation under Moff Gideon, and now the pirate invasion.
Carson sees the connections between these events involving Imperial remnants in the Outer Rim and the greater threat they represent and has been trying to get the New Republic to take action before it’s too late. He has to go to Din Djarin and his Mandalorian covert to save Nevarro instead, and by the end of the episode, Carson discovers that Moff Gideon never made it to trial, with New Republic security failing to keep him captive.
In Ahsoka, Carson and several other X-Wing pilots join Hera Syndulla as they travel to the planet Seatos to investigate the Imperial activity linked to the potential return of Thrawn. This followed the New Republic denying support and resources to Hera in this investigation.
After they arrive at Seatos, Carson, Hera, and the other pilots see the Eye of Sion for themselves, and a couple of the pilots are even killed when the Eye of Sion jumps into hyperspace, though, fortunately, Carson and Hera survive.
Ahsoka and The Mandalorian season 3 taking place concurrently makes less sense with Carson appearing around the midpoint of both seasons. Carson is a talented man, but even he can’t be helping Nevarro and helping Hera at the same time.
If the events in Ahsoka happened first, it seems like it would’ve been worth mentioning when he went to the New Republic for help on Coruscant as another example of unchecked Imperial activity. Imperial remnants having a massive hyperspace ring that can travel in between galaxies isn’t the kind of thing Carson would leave unmentioned.
Given this, it makes more sense for Ahsoka to take place after The Mandalorian season 3, or at the very least after the events of “The Pirate” episode. The New Republic’s refusal to help with Nevarro would’ve made Carson even more eager to help Hera with her investigation.
Ahsoka‘s remaining episodes will hopefully clarify the timeline in relation to The Mandalorian season 3. Carson’s appearance also raises questions about whether Zeb Orrelios will be in Ahsoka, with Zeb being closely connected to many of Ahsoka‘s characters and with The Mandalorian season 3 revealing that he and Carson are both members of the Adelphi Rangers.