We are almost halfway through the Ahsoka Tano series with episode four, “Fallen Jedi.” This episode had the worst start of the series but the ending more than made up for it.
The Beginning
I found the start of this episode to have too much of a tone shift from the end of episode three, where our heroes are not in a great spot but were not low-key stressed at each other. The mood shifted suddenly as they prepared to assault the ground base.
They did just realize there was a ship that can potentially reach Thrawn, but I was surprised the idea of destroying the map entirely had not occurred to them previously. Sabine made a bad decision at the end of this episode, but that decision could only be made after Ahsoka didn’t immediately destroy the map when she found it. Or when she did not chase down Shin instead of saving Sabine.
“Can I count on you,” Ahsoka asked.
“You know you can,” Sabine said.
I understand the idea of foreshadowing, but this was incredibly on the nose. I knew right then Sabine would make the wrong choice regarding the map.
While this isn’t an issue with the tone, it is a “dozen clicks” to the shuttle from the reflex point. If a click is the same in the Star Wars universe as it is here, that’s a kilometer or around 7.5 miles. Did they sprint the whole time? How did they maintain their direction? When Shin and Marrok decided to stop and wait for them, were they just hoping Ahsoka and Sabine followed a straight line?
I know, I know. It is science fantasy, not science fiction. But that’s still a long run!
The Fights
Now that we got the parts that bugged me out of the way, let’s talk about the fights. They more than made up for the start of the episode, even without the help of the twists at the end of the show.
Fight #1: Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang against attackers
The first fight was more of an appetizer. Huyang fighting against the assassin droid was far more fun than I would have expected. I loved that he disabled the ship to call for help and that Ahsoka understood instantly. I also loved the shot of her lightsabers igniting in the dark of the shuttle.
Sabine and Ahsoka quickly took care of the assailants, showing their skill in combat. Sabine may only be at the start of her training with a lightsaber, but 30 years as a Mandalorian warrior was on full display here with her blasters. She also used her armor to deflect blaster shots, which has to be next to impossible for someone not trained in the Force.
Fight #2: Ahsoka and Sabine against Marrok and Shin
The second set of fights took more skill. Ahsoka squared up against Marrok. If you’ve seen Tales of the Jedi, you’d know Ahsoka fought an inquisitor when she didn’t even have a weapon, so I thought the ending here was inevitable yet satisfying. I was not expecting him to turn to green gas upon death, however. I hope that gets explained in the upcoming Tales of the Empire.
Sabine’s rematch with Shin was fun and also pretty. Sabine was clearly more prepared than she was in their first battle and wisely started off with the blasters this time instead of the lightsaber. She showed more movement when dodging than in the first episode, as well.
We saw a hint of Force use by Sabine at the start of the third episode when she managed to fight Ahsoka while blinded, if only briefly. They teased it with the cup later in that episode, and again in this fight. She put her lack of ability to good use against Shin though, tricking her and shooting her instead. I laughed out loud.
Fight #3: Ahsoka Tano versus Baylan Skoll
The last fight is what we’d all been waiting for. It was beautifully done, brutal, and emotional.
When I watched it the first time, I thought Baylan did not like Ahsoka. In hindsight, I think the opening words and his continued taunts for most of the fight were only to throw her off balance. He read Sabine very easily after the fight; it would not be hard to guess he’d be able to do the same with Ahsoka. His opening line about Anakin speaking highly of her was neutral, and her response probably gave him the information he needed to get under her skin.
What if the person you trusted most and who taught you the most became one of the most evil people in the galaxy? Slaughtered everyone else you knew? Helped a dictatorial empire consume everything? Baylan was right; that did leave a mark. Ahsoka looked predatory in this fight and not entirely like a Jedi of the Light as a result of all the feelings his comments dragged to the surface.
It is clear now after seeing all the episodes at least twice that Baylan knew far more about his destination than he let on with Morgan or Shin. He really did believe in a greater plan, and likely did find it unfortunate he’d have to kill Ahsoka to accomplish it.
In the final moments, Ahsoka seemed to slide even farther from her balance upon seeing Shin but not Sabine. That throw into the stone pillar was out of anger and sadness. The perceived loss of her Padawan proved too much, and although she had a cool Force push against Baylan’s lightsaber, she still fell.
I wondered why Ahsoka only used one lightsaber during this battle and the one with Marrok, but later learned Baylan would have the advantage against two lightsabers. Here’s a video by The Stupendous Wave explaining this and how Ahsoka developed this knowledge.
The Ending
Baylan had such control in this episode. Immediately after mercilessly shoving Ahsoka off the edge, he managed to defuse the fight with Sabine. He went straight at her weakness too by mentioning her family, Ahsoka’s abandonment, and Ezra being the only one left.
I don’t think Sabine could have destroyed the map, even if he was unsuccessful. It took a few seconds of his lightsaber to kill it and I am not sure a single blaster bolt would have done anything other than ping it off the edge of the cliff at best. Then he’d have the map and probably kill her.
Adding Shin’s Force choke was a nice touch. It shows she’s very in tune with the Dark Side, and also communicates Baylan is true to his word.
We all thought the episode was done here, but were surprised by the World Between Worlds after a gorgeous transition from the sea to the glass-like platform. Then we saw Anakin, and it ended. Talk about a rollercoaster!
Final Thoughts
This show was fun to watch, even in the slow bits at the start. I wish I’d seen more of The Clone Wars and Rebels before this series, but it still holds up with less exposure to those shows.
What did you think of this episode?
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