In the “Ahsoka” recap, Ahsoka reconnects with her former Master in the World Between Worlds while Hera searches for answers…
By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer
Sometimes it feels like “Ahsoka” is two steps forward and then one step back with every other episode.
Last week saw Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren engage in a battle with Baylan Skoll’s apprentices in an attempt to stop Morgan Elsbeth from mapping out the coordinates that would lead her to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s location. Sadly, Ahsoka was able to stop the transmission of the map briefly but she was poisoned by some kind of witchcraft left behind by Morgan Elsbeth, which left her unable to battle back against Baylan Skoll in a lightsaber duel.
He eventually struck a blow that sent Ahsoka tumbling off the side of a cliff before convincing Sabine not to destroy the map because he would guarantee her safety to board the ship that would not only find Thrawn but also reunite her with Ezra Bridger. Broken and emotionally spent, Sabine agreed before handing over the map as she was taken prisoner under Baylan’s protection with the massive hyperspace ring known as the Eye of Sion darting across the galaxy to find Thrawn and Ezra Bridger.
As for Ahsoka, she awoke in a dreamlike trance in the World Between Worlds where she had a reunion of her own with her former master, Anakin Skywalker.
That’s where we pick up this week except it feels like a whole lot of treading water, especially with the scenes between Ahsoka and Anakin. That reunion felt so special a week ago but it almost feels wasted by the time this episode concludes.
There’s also a secondary plot where Hera Syndulla searches the oceans on Seatos in an attempt to find Ahsoka — with an assist from her Force sensitive son Jacen — but that’s largely all she’s doing in the entire episode. The story doesn’t really advance much until the end when the mission becomes clear again to find Thrawn, Ezra Bridger and now Sabine Wren as well.
While it was great to have Hayden Christensen back as Anakin Skywalker for another episode, what should have been a moment between master and padawan to settle their history together ultimately ended up as an extended trip down memory lane that doesn’t really pay off — or make much sense if we’re being completely honest. That said, it was still nice to see these two together again even if the payoff wasn’t what we wanted.
For now let’s get to our full recap for “Ahsoka” episode 5….
PART FOUR: SHADOW WARRIOR
In the wake of the Eye of Sion tearing off in hyperspace bound for another galaxy where Grand Admiral Thrawn has supposedly been lost, Hera Syndulla arrives on the surface of the planet Seatos where she finds a grief-stricken Huyang clutching onto Sabine Wren’s Mandalorian helmet.
Huyang can only mutter about telling Ahsoka and Sabine that they needed to stick together but obviously they didn’t listen and now the droid fears both may be lost forever.
When Carson Teva arrives, he informs the general that they need to report back soon or the New Republic will be looking for answers. He mentions that Senator Organa — hello Leia! — can only cover for them for so long before the Senate grows tired of their absence.
Hera tells Carson that she’s not leaving until she has answers about what happened to Ahsoka and Sabine — and thankfully her son Jacen is there to lend a helping hand because he’s standing at the ledge near the ocean when he hears a peculiar sound reverberating alongside the crashing waves.
He hears a lightsaber battle — and with some focus Hera begins hearing it, too.
Remember, Jacen is the son of Hera Sydulla and Kanan Jarrus — a Jedi knight and the person who trained Ezra Bridger. Kanan died during the rebellion but his abilities and Force sensitivity have obviously been passed along to his son.
With that faint sound, Hera decides it’s worth exploring so she orders Carson Teva and his X-wing fighters to scan the ocean while she does the same from her ship, Ghost. One way or another, Hera isn’t leaving Seatos without knowing what happened to her friends.
In the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka comes face to face with her former master Anakin Skywalker, who is there to greet her along with the news that the reason she’s visiting him right now is because she lost a fight. Ahsoka’s memory is foggy but Anakin promises her that she lost — otherwise she wouldn’t be there.
As Ahsoka begins to remember, Anakin tells his former Padawan that it’s time to complete her training, which is an odd observation considering she split from him and abandoned becoming a Jedi before he transformed into Darth Vader. Anakin then tells Ahsoka that she needs to make a decision whether or not she wants to live or die — and that’s apparently a choice he hopes to help her make.
So with that, Anakin ignites his lightsaber and forces Ahsoka into a duel with him.
Of course, Anakin says he still has a few tricks he never taught her — and with that he slices out the glowing bridge platform beneath her and she falls through time.
When Ahsoka reappears, she’s a teenage version of herself fighting alongside Anakin during The Clone Wars — this time in live action versus the animated version where these two characters first became acquainted. Ahsoka is shocked at the loss of life while watching so many soldiers get cut down as she and Anakin run forward towards the enemy. We even get a brief return from Captain Rex, which is another favorite from “The Clone Wars” animated series.
It’s through these warring memories that Ahsoka becomes conflicted about her training as a Jedi to become a force for good and a peacekeeper but it seems like she’s only been bred for war.
Another flashback takes Ahsoka to the Siege of Mandalore where she’s fighting loyalists to Darth Maul — although sadly he doesn’t make an appearance — but this past Anakin’s transformation to Darth Vader so he never actually lived through this with her. Still they are both there and Anakin tries to explain to his Padawan that she’s not just one thing — no Jedi is only a peacekeeper because war necessitates fighting if that’s what is required.
Anakin explains that hers is a complicated legacy tied to him as well as his master Obi-Wan Kenobi and even dating back to Obi-Wan’s master Qui-Gon Jinn. Like it or not, Ahsoka is part of that same lineage and legacy, which might be what she fears the most because Anakin eventually succumbed to the Dark Side before taking up the mantle as the monstrous Darth Vader.
In one particularly haunting moment, Ahsoka sees Anakin charge off into battle and he actually flashes into Darth Vader before they both return to the World Between Worlds. This time around, Anakin is the same one who helped execute Order 66 where the Jedi genocide took place at the orders of Emperor Palpatine. Anakin ignites his lightsaber again — this time a glowing red — and he battles with Ahsoka but she eventually gets the upper hand and turns his blade against him.
But Ahsoka refuses to kill her former master while finally confessing that she’s completed his training — she wants to live again. A moment later, Anakin is gone and Ahsoka slips through the World Between Worlds and now she’s deep under the ocean.
It’s not totally clear what Anakin’s purpose was during those scenes, particularly because Ahsoka never seemed to struggle with her desire to live or die but it was still nice seeing those two back together again, even if only for a brief few moments.
As Ahsoka lays under what could have been a watery grave, an X-wing pilot retrieves her from the ocean and places her on Ghost where she can recover.
When she awakens, Ahsoka learns that Sabine disappeared without a trace and as she goes outside, she’s greeted by Jacen and Hera. Ahsoka hugs Jacen and thanks him for finding her — and he explains that he heard her in a lightsaber battle.
Realized that this boy is strong with the Force, Ahsoka appears impressed but for now she’s got business to handle with his mother so they send him with Huyang to check out the Fulcrum while they discuss finding Sabine.
Ahsoka picks up the shattered remnants of the galaxy map and she’s able to trace a memory of Baylan Skoll convincing Sabine Wren to join him on the Eye of Sion so she can find Ezra Bridger. Realizing that Sabine is now a prisoner and the hyperspace ring is headed to where Thrawn is located, Ahsoka realizes she has no other choice but to find her way to that other galaxy far, far away.
In a bit of too perfect timing, Ahsoka spots a herd of Purrgil — the space whales that can travel between star systems — and that gives her an idea. Ahsoka wants to commune with the Purrgil the same what that Ezra Bridger did years earlier, which led to the creatures carrying Thrawn’s ship to a distant galaxy far away from the one where the rebels were trying to overthrow the Galactic Empire.
Now Ahsoka hopes to use the same method to convince the Purrgil to carry her ship to wherever Thrawn, Ezra Bridger and now Sabine Wren are located. Before she can leave, the New Republic fleet arrives looking for answers, which requires Carson Teva to play interference to allow Ahsoka time to commune with the Purrgil.
Of course, Hera Syndulla also receives a message from Mon Mothma telling her that she needs to report back to Coruscant along with Ahsoka to essentially stand trial for her mutiny against orders. If she’s convicted, Hera will be stripped of her rank and bounced out of the New Republic army but she’s got bigger concerns right now with Ahsoka trying to get to Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren.
Ahsoka eventually breaks through with the Purgill and so she leads her ship into the mouth of the biggest space whale in the herd as they fly out of the atmosphere. The New Republic fleet watches as these space whales ascend upon them before they all light up and race off to another galaxy.
Just before leaving, Ahsoka apologizes that Hera won’t be able to come along but she promises to find answers wherever she’s headed. Hera just asks that she returns safe and sound, hopefully with Ezra and Sabine alongside her.
Now it appears that Ahsoka will soon find herself in the same galaxy where Thrawn and Ezra Bridger have been stuck for the better part of the past decade with Morgan Elsbeth and her crew arriving there just ahead of them. This sets up for another epic reunion — although it’s safe to say this one won’t be nearly as cordial, especially if Ahsoka comes face to face with Baylan Skoll again or even with Grand Admiral Thrawn.
“Ahsoka” returns next Tuesday night at 9 p.m ET for a new episode on Disney+
