Part Six: Far, Far Away

This episode may appear relatively laid back in comparison, but it sets up the ultimate conflict that no doubt will resonate in the last two episodes of season one.

The theme is all creatures great and small. In a hostile world where there are a few who amass power, and others who desperately predate to survive, there are still others who use guile and wisdom to endure.

A great many other strategic questions are answered, including how the Purrgils would know to jump to this galaxy and for what purpose. Turns out, one person's purgatory may well be another's reverent sanctuary.

There is also sadly, at work here, a cabal of people who deliberately write reviews designed with prejudice to denigrate. It would be nice if such people would find a life more productive.

The main problem with this episode is that Sabine just isn't fun. She hasn't had any major growth arc. She gets ambushed in this episode and even though she's not wearing a mandalorian helmet and takes a bunch of direct shots she basically just shrugs it off. Nothing involving her feels like it has any stakes, despite every character insisting that all of her decisions have terribly weighty stakes. It's very ham-fisted and distracting the way every character tries to make her feel bad about her choice in an earlier episode, even though nagging her about it makes 0 sense for their characters.

Ray Stevenson does alright with his lines, and Lars is fine too. But the real star of this episode is rat-horse, which is almost immediately charming despite it having no plausible reason to act as nicely to Sabine as it does.

The problem this series runs into is I don't care about Ahsoka and I don't care about Sabine. It's not like this episode on its own is jarringly bad, but it was this episode where I finally decided this series really just is too dull to even enjoy for the spectacle.

Sabine arrives at her destination as Ahsoka follows.

I am relieved that the plot has moved from where it was lingering for the first five episodes and the introduction of certain characters is a positive.

I still find it difficult to keep interested in the story as there is a lot of exposition dialogue that I feel ambivalent about. For me we need to see something happen that does not involve reflection on the past or build up to characters we are yet to see. I appreciate I might feel different had I watched Rebels.

I think the best scenes involve the character Baylan Skoll, as you feel like it's laying the foundations of what is to come and just about keeps me wanting to find out what happens next.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo carries it well for the majority of the time and Lars Mikkelson adds a much needed presence.

Visually it continues to be beautifully designed. I love the battered Star Destroyer and the look of certain characters. As good as a certain ___location looks, I think it needed something significantly different to convey that we are in a different galaxy. What that would be though I have no suggestions. The art designers involved in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise are very creative, so maybe Disney should have consulted them.

This show continues to surprise me each week, giving us great episodes with great visuals, a great soundtrack, great action, great characters, and a great story & script. But where this series excels the most... Is the fan service!

It's turning-out to be one of the best pieces of Star Wars media that we've gotten in a long time, being great from a technical perspective, while appealing to the fans of the franchise, and the stories and characters inside of it. And one of the best things about it is that it all feels natural. A lot of attempted fan service in recent movies and shows (looking at cinema and TV on the whole here) features actors or characters that feel unnecessary and forced-in. But, the Ahsoka series manages to properly execute the fan service, while having it feel natural with the story.

It's just such an incredible way to take the journey set-up by the finale of Rebels, half a decade ago!

I never watched the animated shows. Clone Wars or Rebels. So I have no attachment to any of the characters. The biggest complaint most people have brought up is not knowing any of the characters or plot lines they throw you into.

But to me, my biggest complaint is the lead character being so incredibly boring. This is of no fault to Rosario Dawson. She is doing what is on the page. But she shows no emotion, she moves and talks very slow. She is a Jedi so she seemingly has no base desires or interests other than "the greater good". And even when she is fighting she moves very slow.

I was wondering why this episode seemed so much more interesting than the previous ones and it's due to it having the least amount of Ahsoka. Sabine has her own writing problems, but at least I understand her motivations. Ray Stevenson continues to steal every scene he's in. And the actor who plays Thrawn has me excited as well.