Ahsoka (SPOILERS possible)

[Dave]

I was holding out hope it was in fact going somewhere, but I find it the heart of arrogance on Filoni and Lucasfilm's part to feel so assured they will have the opportunity to continue this into another season, or show, or film in the future.

I was kind of thinking the same thing. 

I'm not sure how Disney greenlights Star Wars streaming series, but I was under the impression that there was no contract in place or any guarantee of a second season.  Maybe Filoni thought he nailed it, but I think this series was just okay, and I'm probably biased towards the positive because its Star Wars.  I think Filoni is best as an adviser Like Lucas was on "hero's journey" mythology and what makes Star Wars Star Wars.  I'd much prefer they find real writer/director talent like Tony Gilroy to own a whole series like they did with Andor.

I know they've talked about a movie event tying this all together, but I'm not sure how interested anyone is going to be in a movie that ties together the sloppiness of Mando season 3 and Ahsoka.  They're going to have to get a much stronger narrative to make that interesting.

I agree with you Nick that not everything needs to be tied up at the end of a season, but I was left a bit dissatisfied with the storytelling.  Maybe I need to know a little more about Thrawn's plot with the casket/crates to feel real dread.  Maybe I need to know anything about what Baylan is up to in order to care even a little.  Maybe I needed a better character growth journey for Ahsoka.  There was good eye candy and the plot didn't have holes in it, but there was room for improvement.

I'd probably rate this first season a 5.5 out of 10.

[Muftak]

I'm not thrilled with the amount of loose threads this season ended with, but the idea that we needed 10 tidy neat packages is also obnoxious to me. I'm super curious to know what ending for Thrawn people wanted? Especially when they could continue this at some point in some way. I think anything definitive with Thrawn at this point wouldn't be fair to his character.

As I'm typing this I'm remembering that Muftak and I do not agree on how storytelling needs to work.

I'll give the show a 7.5 of 10. I'm happy with that. Hope we get more. If not I'll wonder what happened to some of these characters for sure. And I'll be arrogant with Filoni and assume Ahsoka and Thrawn will get more story eventually.

Yes, we were pretty diametrically opposed on Mando Season 3. And I feel no ill will for it. I like a good debate.

The ending I would have liked for Thrawn would have been Ahsoka and friends coming up with a plan to stop him, enacting that plan in spectacular fashion, and him getting away anyway because he was 3 steps ahead of them the whole time. Instead he ploddingly gathered the containers that had been available to him for 10 years, ploddingly docked with the Eye of Scion, then left without ever any tension or hope that the heroes would pull off a happy ending.

I wasn't looking for 10 packages of tied up loose ends, I know how serial storytelling works, but the only story that started, developed, and got completed in this season was the Hera insubordination subplot. It didn't mean Hera's story was done, it just had a completed arc whereas nothing else did.

And I hope you seek out better storytelling in the future instead of arrogantly thinking this is worth your attention, you can do better Nick!

[GrandMoffNick]

That's fair. I overstated 10 tidy packages. But I'd rather hope to see more Baylon (however they'd do that now) and what's up with the Mortis statues than have them end it somehow because Filoni doesn't know if he's gonna get to finish it.

I hated Dave's (JD member) take on Shin. I'll take her kinda less than amazing ending with the hope there's more of her than another boring Inquisitor.

I think what I'm trying to say is I didn't love the finale, but I'd rather they leave stuff open to continue even if the don't, over too many completed arcs because it may not get another run.

I can't believe how many good stories you missed Muftak by not finishing Clone Wars and Rebels. You can do better.

[Jeff]

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/11/star-wars-ahsoka-dave-filoni

Interesting tidbits:
- Filoni is now chief creative officer at LFL
- Filoni is still exploring a possible second season of Ahsoka
- Filoni is still working on his Mandoverse film

[Muftak]

I like this idea. He could be a better story guy and producer guy than he is a screenwriter guy or director guy. Promote him far away from the front line.

[StBrianOfMinneapolis]

So does anybody think Shin knows what Baylan's Goals are? It seems like she doesn't.

Baylan seems cool, or maybe he just thinks he's cool? He clearly knows about the force trinity, but he kind of seems like that "cool guy" you know who's pretty tiresome when you consider all his BS.

[Jeff]

I don't think he's the type to fill Shin in on all his plans.

It's kind of a bummer that they were clearly setting this all to go somewhere with Baylon but then at the same time they don't seem to have any definite plans for an Ahsoka Season 2?  All of which is also complicated by the untimely passing of the actor.  I'm hoping it was just writer strike related things that caused some kind of delay in confirming/moving on to a Season 2 as I'd like to see more of Baylon/Shin's story (and everything else going on in Ahsoka's finale).

[Dave]

I don't think he's the type to fill Shin in on all his plans.

It's kind of a bummer that they were clearly setting this all to go somewhere with Baylon but then at the same time they don't seem to have any definite plans for an Ahsoka Season 2?  All of which is also complicated by the untimely passing of the actor.  I'm hoping it was just writer strike related things that caused some kind of delay in confirming/moving on to a Season 2 as I'd like to see more of Baylon/Shin's story (and everything else going on in Ahsoka's finale).

Maybe they can have a recast actor get his face fried by force lightning and keep the story going.  I do hope they at least figure out where Sabine and Ahsoka end up.  Leaving them in the distant universe seems lame.

[Jeff]

I'm hoping it was just writer strike related things that caused some kind of delay in confirming/moving on to a Season 2 as I'd like to see more of Baylon/Shin's story (and everything else going on in Ahsoka's finale).

Speak of the devil...  a tidbit from the announcement of a Mando & Grogu movie:

"The Mandalorian & Grogu will lead Lucasfilm's ongoing feature-development slate, including films helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Dave Filoni, who is also currently developing Ahsoka Season 2, among those in the works."

So I guess we will get an Ahsoka Season 2 eventually...

[StBrianOfMinneapolis]

I don't think he's the type to fill Shin in on all his plans.

That seems true. Wasn't he speaking to her in general teams about his mission on that planet? That's where the story seems clunky. Shin isn't totally in the dark. BAylan has big plans and is clear about that, but Shin doesn't get any details. That confuses me on why he has her around. A master doesn't always have to be straight forward with details as we've seen before. So, this is either an interesting new dynamic for a master and apprentice or ... worse.

Maybe its time for a rewatch. Hopefully it's not more confusing after a second time.

[Nicklab]

The road signs pointing towards a return to Mortis seem to be there.  The Father had wanted Anakin to take his place.  He brought balance to the Force, and embodied both the light and dark in the World Between Worlds.  Ahsoka was resurrected during the Mortis arc by the sacrifice of the daughter, who was the embodiment of the light.  Baylan is seeking out the Mortis gods, too.  So where does he fit in?  And how does that story continue to develop?

[77Skywalker]

This was enjoyable