‘Ahsoka’ Episode 5 Recap/Review

This is a spoiler review for Ahsoka.

The first part of the latest episode centers on finding Ahsoka and Sabine. Three X-Wings remain, as well as the Ghost, and Hera is out trying to track down her friends. She ends up finding Huyang and there is an emotional moment with Sabine’s helmet, lamenting the fact that they didn’t stay together like he asked. It’s a moment well-played by Tennant, and capitalizes on his long history as a Jedi helper. Ultimately, Jacen is able to hear what is happening to Ahsoka in what we assume is the World Between Worlds.

Within the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka comes face to face with Anakin. They fight each other, with Anakin wanting her to choose to live or die. As a result, we return to key battles within none other than the Clone Wars. Specifically, one of Ahsoka’s first battles with Anakin during the Clone Wars. She has to face her fear of losing people and having to lead people into battle, which can get them killed. This leads in to what Baylon threw in her face; her legacy of death and destruction. Ahsoka desires none of that. She wants to be a peacekeeper. Anakin wants her to find the balance of it all, and never give up.

The second battle leads us to the Siege of Mandalore. A battle Anakin had never seen, so Ahsoka ends up enlightening him. He’s proud of how far she’s come, and reminds her that she’s passed down everything he’s ever known. This flashback sequence is about her legacy. A legacy of death and destruction, alongside Anakin’s own powerful and dangerous past. Frustrated, he brings Ahsoka back to the beginning of the episode, only this time as dark side Anakin. She gets to fight the Vader Obi-Wan fought, and she wins. In turn, Ahsoka chooses life. This brings her adventure in the World Between Worlds to an end, and is later pulled out of the water by some of the X-wing pilots.

When Ahsoka wakes up, she’s without her headgear, and the outfit she’s typically been in. She takes a broken piece of the map, and performs psychometry, a technique used to sense the echos of a scene that had already occurred. She finds out what happened to Sabine and informs Hera. Hera has to fend off the New Republic, after being told by Mon Mothma the Senate committee she spoke to is looking to revoke her command. Regardless, Ahsoka figures out a way to follow Sabine, through the purrgils. She ends up trying to communicate with them, and ends up having Huyang stick the Fulcrum into the mouth of the largest one. Together, they take off with the purrgils on their migration path, leaving Hera and the New Republic behind.

The Clone Wars sequences are some of the best-looking Star Wars scenes on Disney+. They aren’t extensive sequences, but they’re well-directed and edited, a feat I never thought Filoni as a director would ever reach. Christensen finds the balance and nails The Clone Wars Anakin we all know and love. He looks great in the traditional armor, and Arianna Greenblatt playing Ahsoka alongside him is incredible. She nailed the iconic role perfectly.

I would be remiss to not talk about Dawson’s performance thus far in the show. Five episodes in, and I’ve had qualms with the way Ahsoka is potrayed on screen. Which isn’t necessarily a fault of Dawson’s at all. But it all opened up in this episode, showing us what Ahsoka has been dealing with before her appearance in The Mandalorian. It’s why she failed at training Sabine the first time. She’s been haunted by Anakin falling to the darkside, and wondering if that’s where she’ll end up as well – her legacy. Baylon threw that in her face in Episode 4, and it gave a name to why Ahsoka has felt different, not just because she’s older.

After leaving the World Between Worlds, Dawson presents a lighter Ahsoka, one more willing to take chances and jump into the unknown. The smile on her face is the biggest because she’s no longer held back by her fears. She is everything Anakin is and more, because that’s what the master and apprentice relationship was always supposed to be about.

Unfortunately, this episode was not all sunshine and rainbows. Ultimately, it might have been better off being two separate episodes. That’s because the episode feels split by Ahsoka’s rescue from the water. Mainly in the efforts of the writing, the closing half is more succinct, and not as fluid as the opening half. It’s a telling point because it feels like Filoni got side tracked by having to include more characters than just Ahsoka and Anakin. Ultimately, though, there were some cool call-outs. Leia Organa is mentioned as the senator we all know and love, and I never thought we’d get to hear Kanan Jarrus’ name in the show. The live action shows have always wanted to forgo mentioning past loves, and I was glad to hear that change. It is interesting to hear Huyang mention him as Kanan, and not Caleb, though.

Ultimately, this episode of Ahsoka gives me a lot to love. Even diving deep enough to have Temuera Morrison voice Captain Rex for a few lines, just gives you those little moments of detail that matter to the watches-everything Star Wars fan. Letting Christensen take over a small bit of The Clone Wars role is awesome, even if it’s just as Ahsoka’s demon. But, ultimately, seeing the master and apprentice duo together, finally in live action, takes the cake. But it is most definitely not without flaws. Filoni could have used another set of eyes on the script to really take it beyond what it is now, and hopefully, that’s something Star Wars can improve on for the future. But this episode is worth a second watch. –Katie Rentschler

Rating: 8.5/10

Ahsoka‘s first five episodes are streaming on Disney+ now. New episodes air Tuesdays at 9 pm EST.