Why is Ahsoka so intent on maintaining the old Star Wars order rather than forging a new one? (2023)

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The latest Star Wars franchise could give the franchise a boost. Why is she clinging to her deadlocked story?

AndMelanie McFarlane

television critic

Posted Aug 23, 2023 12:00 PM ET

Why is Ahsoka so intent on maintaining the old Star Wars order rather than forging a new one? (1)

Ahsoka Tano – Star Wars: Ahsoka(Disney/Lucasfilm)

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"The past is the past. Keep going."

When a series quotes your thoughts, it's hard to tell that the creators are aware of audience skepticism. Note that frames are important. exist"Ahsoka,The relevant scene is Hu Yang, the Jedi robot architect (voice)David TennantAs he does in the animated version of the character) to Sabine Lane (Natasha Lau Bodizzo), his former apprentice, the rebellious graffiti artist Manda LoRosario DawsonAhsoka is not a Jedi.

However, "Ahsoka" doesn't matter. . . It is the longing of quality fans.

Sabine is reluctant to join Ahsoka's mission because she doesn't think her old master will accept her, but we know he will, and so does Hu Yang. This is the standard Reject the Call step in Joseph Campbell's Hero's JourneyAs a "Star Wars" building.

What series creator Dave Filoni didn't know was how many Ahsoka viewers grew up with Dawson's Force character in his excellent animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone WarsOr watch her develop into an experienced operator"Star Wars Rebels".

Why is Ahsoka so intent on maintaining the old Star Wars order rather than forging a new one? (2)Sabine Lane (Natasha Liu Bodizzo) in Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney/Lucasfilm)To make up for it, "Ahsoka" plunges into an exhibitionist quagmire of nostalgic fan-service, beginning with a classic opening crawl. This has already shown his intention. In the past, as reflected in Star Wars titles such as"Obi Wan Kenobi”、“”Mandalorianer" And "Boba Fessel book"It's not going anywhere. Such thinking could stall the much-needed development of this team.”

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Why "Andor" dared to go the distance while most high-profile "Star Wars" adaptations failed

Ahsoka doesn't matter, but like Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Boba Fett spin-off, it's something audiences will want to see, regardless of narrative consistency. Ahsoka, Sabine Lane and General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) have all established storylines in an animated series that will delight many Generation Z "Star Wars" fans. I grew up watching this anime series. They're also one of the few female-centric lead cast teams we've seen on the show - certainly the only ones other than Leia Organa with extended dialogue, agency, and longer screen time.

But essentially, they're the shiny new link in the chain of The Mandalorian, which, despite the mayhem of season 3, still commands goodwill thanks to the attractiveness of its main character.

The same may be true of "Ahsoka".

Why is Ahsoka so intent on maintaining the old Star Wars order rather than forging a new one? (3)Caption Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney/Lucasfilm)

In "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels," audiences followed Ahsoka Tano's development from a young Togruta Jedi apprentice to a traitor with whom she shared a relationship.Strengthand their education. As many die-hard fans pointed out in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, the Force rewarded them by absorbing them into the Jedi blood, which Rey summoned at a crucial moment.

However, if you haven't seen the animated series yet, you will have an emotional connection to Ahsoka and Sabine's main mission, which is to find their ally Ezra Bridger and his lost counterpart, Imperial Marshal Thor. Dragon (Russ Mikkelsen, because bad (The characters need nothing more than Mikkelsen) could be missing.

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While Dawson's character has previously appeared in The Mandalorian and Boba Fett, those who only watch Disney's live-action series Star Wars will be meeting Sabine for the first time. And Hera, what we've seen of them, also gave them their identity as a pendant bracelet box. The former is ordered to ride a bullet train, and the latter delivers a "Shh, kid" speech via hologram before entering a rescue facility and proclaiming himself General.

For a fuller explanation, consult your trusted online Star Wars encyclopedia of choice. Of course, Disney wants you to immerse yourself in the storyline of The Clone Wars and Rebels with this series. For this purpose, the application collects a number of basic doses and simply asks you to take a few hours to facilitate understanding. . . Several more hours will be broadcast in the coming weeks.

While that doesn't mean it's the first "Star Wars" series, prompting us to look back at the history of the franchise to understand it better, it's possibly the series with the most respected premise. It's another reminder of how franchises like Star Wars capitalize on exploring the galaxy through the eyes of characters we're unfamiliar with - such asCassian Andor.

Nevertheless, given the "Andorra"Backed by what we know about Star Wars, the return of the familiar digital explosions, glowstick sword fights, and honest melancholy of finding a personal touch feels like a step backwards.

These characters have fewer levels when transitioning from animation to live action.

The reason for this is to recognize the different connections between the creators of "Andor" and "Ahsoka" and this universe. Tony Gilroy applies his background in conspiracy-driven action thrillers to Diego Luna's rebellious origin story, while Feloni sticks more directly to old Star Wars methods like this.

Still, like Feloni and Jon Favreau working together on The Mandalorian, we have an opportunity to use lores ingrained within us to renew our perceptions of these myths. Like The Mandalorian and Boba Fett, Ahsoka is set years after Return of the Jedi, when the galaxy believed Imperial fascism was defeated and the planets were still figuring out their own place in the new universe. Democracy.

On a critical note, her protagonists aren't Jedi Knights, leading to certain aspects of her personality being unfamiliar to most people. The Mandalorian uses this associated mystery to explore the gray areas of mythology, long portrayed in black-and-white morality.

"Ahsoka" could do the same with Dawson's Chasers, the equivalent of Harvard dropouts among the remaining forces in the galaxy. He is neither a Jedi nor a Sith fan. But even as she reminds those who bring up the Jedi Order and its protocols that the Jedi Order no longer exists, this Ahsoka clearly acts like she's on the brink of decline. Remember how Luke Skywalker's passion grew stronger the closer he got to the Master? like that.

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It's not Dawson's fault or anything Mark Hamill did in those enduring movies. If anything, Ahsoka allows her to exude a slightly higher level of optimism compared to the stoic performances of actors like Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson, while still capturing the overall feel of the show. Ray Stevenson's former Jedi Beran Skerr and his apprentice Sin Hatey (Ivana Sakhno) do the same thing, giving in to the fake Luke Skywalker shown in the Disney series and telling them how their mercenaries should behave.

Why is Ahsoka so intent on maintaining the old Star Wars order rather than forging a new one? (4)Beran Sker (Ray Stevenson) and Sin Hardy (Ivana Sakhno) in Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney/Lucasfilm)While most of a series is acted and written, Ahsoka uses these characters to tell a story about their existence and what they mean to us. The animated series softens the sentimentality of Ahsoka's character and the rest of the remaining Jedi, making the shows popular with people of all ages. Since "Ahsoka" essentially puts us in the scene at the end of the second episode of Rebels, the escalation of these characters in the transition from cartoon to live action is somewhat disjointed.

It also speaks to the assumption that fans are content to leave these stories as they are, as if the spirit of Star Wars were preserved in carbonite, rather than trying to refresh a half-century-old framework to withstand the elements breathe fresh and fresh elements. Unpredictable energy... and if that seems like too much for you, remember that Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, is also around 50 years old. Sometimes even what we think we know can turn out to be more than we expected, making things that stood still become believable again.

The new episode of Ahsoka premieres at 9 p.m. will air Tuesday on Disney+.

read more

Disney Star Wars

  • How Ahsoka Tano's Star Wars fails in The Mandalorian, even beyond the casting controversy
  • How I came to love Ahsoka Tano, an exiled Jedi-Jedi who shouldn't exist
  • The success of The Mandalorian makes spin-offs inevitable - albeit at the cost of originality

AndMelanie McFarlane

Melanie MacFarlane is Salon's television critic. Follow her on Twitter:@ Mike TV

more thanMelanie McFarlane

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