The online discourse over the first half of the eight-episode run of “Star Wars: Ahsoka” was fairly locked in. Much of it centered around the masked figure of Marrok, some of it was around the links to “Star Wars Rebels,” and there was the usual griping that comes with any modern “Star Wars” (aside from “Andor”).
With the show’s fifth episode released this week, however, that discourse has blown wider open with discussion ranging from Anakin and his de-aging effects to varying reaction to the recent episode, and even some other left-of-field complaints.
The fifth episode features not just Hayden Christensen’s return as Anakin Skywalker with the help of digital de-aging, but also includes flashbacks to “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” with extended scenes involving a young Ahsoka and a glimpse of the Siege of Mandalore.
Some complaints range from this piece about the physical limitations of The Volume technology impacting the lightsaber fights and those flashbacks, to this piece about the muted color palette and dark overall lighting.
The reaction to the episode has been varied. Digital Spy points out that it only “served to highlight the wider problems we have with the show.” The Ringer wanted more Ahsoka emotional action and less about the search by others for her character. Kotaku says it “has moments of brilliance and of beauty, but it gets bogged down in messy dialogue and confusing storytelling”.
Others are much more upbeat with Den of Geek dubbing it “one of the most artful, cinematic, polished of the series so far” with an ending “that invokes what made the Original Trilogy so brilliant in the first place”. Almost all call it a nostalgic treat for fans of the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” cartoon.
The big question is what happens next week – the fifth episode wraps up a lot of story elements thus far, leaving Thrawn, Ezra Bridger and more to make their debut next week in the sixth episode.
The series has just three episodes to go, with the finale set to air on October 3rd. Check out a newly released promo for the series which Disney+ has posted.
