Star Wars: Ahsoka will probably make more sense later

It’s been difficult for me to gather my thoughts on Ahsoka as a whole project (reviewing separate episodes was easier, mostly). I liked each individual episode and I liked the ending. The finale in particular was thrilling and beautiful and I can’t wait to watch it again.

However, if you isolate Ahsoka and look at the series as its own separate entity from everything else … most of the magic fades. Clearly, this show had a very specific agenda — to get its characters to the end so that the next show could eventually pick up where it left off. And there’s not much more to it than that in some areas.

To be clear, I do not think The Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels are required viewing ever or in the specific context of this show. One thing the show does a fine job with is giving viewers enough context (showing more than telling) to understand relationships between characters, their history, and their motivations. Many will disagree with me on this, but I’m sharing my opinion, not a fact.

It was my hope that this series would have a beginning, middle, and end filled with heart, lore, and fun. And it did its very best to accomplish all these things. But while I did not hate the show — I’m just happy we’re getting as much Star Wars as we are at all — from the very beginning, it felt like all it wanted to do was take its characters from Point A to Point B so the next thing could swoop in to take its place. Many people are fine with that, and I suppose there is no point in dwelling on the issues I have with this.

I have accepted that this show was not created to tell a complete story within the larger story of Star Wars. The show seems to only have been made to bridge different stories together without telling a good story on its own. The bigger the “Mandoverse” gets, the more often this is going to be the case with new shows. I suppose it’s time I get used to it.

I get the feeling the things we didn’t fully understand in the series will make more sense once more of these shows have their turn in the short-lived spotlight. How else are they going to get people to come back again and again for the next new thing? We all know we’re going to keep returning. If these shows are simply meant to be short chapters in a longer epic tale, we might as well see it through to the end.

It’s not what I want these shows to be, but I’m not in charge, and just because it’s not what I imagined doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth watching. Any Star Wars, to me, is good Star Wars, because it could have all ended years ago. We’re lucky, really. I remind myself of that in moments I wanted something I didn’t get in a show or movie. Creators don’t owe us anything. They’re making art that we get to enjoy. That’s good enough.

All episodes of Star Wars: Ahsoka are available now exclusively on Disney+.

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