Star Wars’ Latest Spin-Off, ‘Ahsoka,’ Features Rosario Dawson Facing Off Against a Sinister Plot

Star Wars as science fiction entertainment has evolved from its humble beginnings as the scrappy mythmaking of visionary director George Lucas into a much larger ecosystem of elaborate storylines and extravagant world-building funded by the deep pockets of Disney. This has brought forth both good and bad movie properties, from the polished existential rebel questioning of 2016’s “Rogue One” to the misguided, second-guessed sequel trilogy that began with 2015’s “The Force Awakens.” Television series can allow for even greater depth and intricacy when diving into the sci-fi universe, and Disney Plus has, for the most part, garnered critical accolades and sizable profits from its Star Wars shows. In 2019, “The Mandalorian” blasted off successfully with its rip-roaring, adventure-per-episode premise, especially due to its introduction of a young Yoda-like character named Grogu. Two more seasons of the show have since aired, and additional shows like “The Book of Boba Fett,” yet it was last year’s “Andor” that really demonstrated the studio could create a program with a more adult tone and theme. Its latest Star Wars-focused show is called “Ahsoka,” based on a character first introduced in the pre-Disney animated movie “The Clone Wars” (2008). Full disclosure: I have not seen every Star Wars film or streaming show, but I am familiar with its main characters and storylines. As a budding Jedi, Ahsoka was the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker, later to be known as Darth Vader. The timeline of the new show is much later, with Ahsoka (a bland Rosario Dawson) now a roving Jedi who has discovered a plot against the tenuously peaceful republic by the defeated forces of the empire. Ray Stevenson in ‘Ahsoka.’ Copyright Lucasfilm Ltd.We are told of this sinister plot via an opening crawl of text, and it’s comforting to see one of Lucas’s folksy stylistic touches used again, albeit for a smaller screen. From there, we get other hallmarks of the original trilogy in the two premiere episodes: awkward acting, upstanding androids, holograms, cool spaceships, and many, many lightsabers. Early on, there’s even an O.K. Corral-type fight in a narrow futuristic hallway, much like at the start of the original movie and the end of “Rogue One.” What we don’t get as viewers is the sustained seriousness or moral inquiry of “Andor,” only a few lines about how former employees of the evil empire are integrated into the new free society. The recurring motif of master and apprentice is also addressed, particularly as Ahsoka needs the help of her former trainee in order to decipher a spherical map and retrieve a destroyed droid’s memory. This youth is the bratty, sulky Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and one wonders if there is really no one else whom Ahsoka and her Republic cohorts can reach out to for help. Conceivably, this theme of strained teacher/pupil relations will receive more incisive development in the coming episodes, with Darth Vader’s appearance later in the season portending some real soul-searching on Ahsoka’s part. No mention of a new Star Wars entertainment can be complete without mention of its fresh batch of “dark side” evildoers. “Ahsoka” introduces us to a Jedi-for-hire working for the Empire, Baylan Skoll, and his protégé, Shin Hati. The recently deceased British actor Ray Stevenson plays Baylan, and he brings an impressive stature and gravitas to the role. As Shin, Ukrainian-American newcomer Ivanna Sakhno creates a compellingly shifty character, and it will be interesting to see where she takes the role. Rounding out the baddies, we have sort-of witch Morgan Elsbeth — last seen in season two of “The Mandalorian” — an as-yet-unidentified figure clad in black with a grill mask, and Grand Admiral Thrawn, who will appear in subsequent episodes. Here’s hoping they bring some much-needed zest to a series that shows promise but lacks a “Force”-ful personality.

Star Wars’ Latest Spin-Off, ‘Ahsoka,’ Features Rosario Dawson Facing Off Against a Sinister Plot

Star Wars’ Latest Spin-Off, ‘Ahsoka,’ Features Rosario Dawson Facing Off Against a Sinister Plot

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