The Ahsoka series on Disney Plus has had its share of epic moments, moments that could give any Star Wars enthusiast pause, regardless of whether they’re a fan of the titular character or not. I mean, the mere inclusion of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker should be enough to sell the series, not to mention the introduction of new badass antagonistic figures like Baylan Skoll. Heck, even Grand Admiral Thrawn’s live-action debut is an occasion to get irrationally excited over — as diehards are prone to do — so why has the series been so divisive among viewers?
My first instinct was to blame it on the ever-contentious Star Wars community. We galaxy far, far away devotees have an infamous reputation for never agreeing on a single point, or finding anything resembling consensus in the fandom. It was a problem with the prequel trilogy, as it is a problem with everything Disney produces these days. And I have a feeling that it will continue to be a problem for future generations of creatives. And so, despite the fact that I’ve immensely enjoyed Ahsoka and its slow-paced narrative, I’ve come across a lot of negativity on social media — and social media being what it is, none of those arguments have been particularly compelling.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I admit that I may have been too quick to dismiss them.
You see, what startled me after watching the penultimate episode last week was the realization that I’d already watched through almost 90% of the series, and felt as though the story had hardly even begun. While we definitely enjoy a more laid-back story (mostly because it reminds us of Tony Gilroy’s brilliance with Andor) it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Dave Filoni has mistaken well-paced storytelling with… well, abject dullness.
Sure, it’s cool to have Anakin back. The visual callbacks to his Star Wars journey across the years can bring any fan to ecstasy. His interactions with the live-action Ahsoka Tano is a dream come true for many stans. But at the end of the day, Ahsoka isn’t really expanding on Star Wars lore so much as it is tentatively trying to weave together a makeshift narrative, and using nostalgic callbacks or cameos (like Hayden’s appearance) to justify its existence. Again, I have nothing against bringing back Christensen for more of Anakin Skywalker, but the fact alone isn’t going to save a lazy story or its shallow characters.
This is seven episodes of television we’re talking about. I can remember a time when every week and every episode of a series completely upended the world on its head and tried to do something memorable with the story. With Ahsoka, all of these episodes start to blend together, until even the most ardent gatekeepers have trouble telling them apart. Besides the obvious fact that the show has been building towards a particular climax, that of confronting Admiral Thrawn in another galaxy, is there anything else that truly sets it apart?
It’s easy to forget that this is the first time the canon timeline has actually gone to an extragalactic place. Can you imagine all the possibilities in the hands of a more skillful storyteller? This is a chance for Star Wars to break away from the curse of the Skywalkers and go for something novel, something fresh. A story that people might actually be interested in, not one whose twists and developments they could see coming from a mile away. But no, of course they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even barring the obvious lack of any attempts whatsoever to be novel, Ahsoka doesn’t go out of its way to be memorable or iconic. We’ve had almost a dozen lightsaber duels up to this point, and none have been particularly engaging. You might as well be watching the same scenario play out over and over again, with a different coat of paint coloring the artificially-crafted background. There are chase scenes with no sense of urgency, there are duels with no risk of consequences, and there are worldbuilding nuggets too quickly overlooked to be of any significance.
The biggest problem with Ahsoka, and by extension Disney’s Star Wars, is its refusal to be bold. Say what you will about Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, but that was probably the last Star Wars project to not play it safe. Now, I’m not necessarily saying that it worked, or that it was a great or a terrible film, but it did take the characters and the story down a different path. I miss the days when we had Genndy Tartakovsky going completely looney tunes and producing something like 2003’s Clone Wars cartoons. I miss the unhinged lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. Now, we have stories that take one step forward and two steps back, never more, never less.
These new creatives strive for realism, forgetting that Star Wars is essentially about space wizards who fight with color-coded, fluorescent lightbulbs. Sure, the drama is there and the characters may occasionally work, but what’s the point of telling a story in this iconic fictional world, one ripe with opportunities, if you’re just going to rehash everything and feed it to the audiences over and over again?
Let’s face it, folks; Ahsoka isn’t a great television show. It’s not even a decent Star Wars story. This was just an excuse to bring an ensemble of fan-favorite characters to live-action, and the world wouldn’t miss it if it never got renewed for a second season.