Some random thought mainly on episode 5, with just a little of episode 6.
I’m a little surprised too that Filoni retconned his own epilogue of Rebels finale so he could just show Ahsoka becoming “Ahsoka The White” in this; a reprise of some fleeting scenes from events in The Clone Wars, to apparently solve a four-episode inner conflict about Ahsoka’s concerns about teaching Sabine and wanting avoid the pitfalls of her former master. Which to me already seemed resolved with Ahsoka acknowledging Sabine has Mandalorian skillsets, experience and an approach that can compliment her training, in the fourth episode. And something it appears that Ahsoka has forgotten from their time spent together before reuniting for this latest adventure.
Or is it the four-episode stoicism that Ahsoka has overcome? That she should adapt to the times, accept that things are what they are, let go of what was, and be her own person, so that her legacy won’t be that of “death and destruction” (something Baylon said to un-nerve her with in their fight just previous?). The issues Ahsoka has in Episode 5 with reconciling Anakin with the monster he became (in itself a retcon; ignoring he became a monster when he slaughtered the Tusken village before meeting Ahsoka), her inability to prevent Anakin somehow “becoming” that monster, or belief she could have somehow prevented his final turn to the dark side and serving Palpatine. It is difficult to care at this point, given the writing on offer for this four-episode stoicism.
Now Ahsoka will be like her old self again, like Ahsoka The White, as she was before this latest adventure started? (edit: episode 6 has Ahsoka back to being the stoic character of the previous five episodes; and unfortunately not the more emotive and expressive version that Ashley Eckstein played the character of so well, for so many years)
The reprises were well executed, Hayden and Ariana Greenblatt were accomplished in them, although the scenes did have a “theater production” style scope to them, and there was little stakes within as most of the heavy lifting was in the WBW setting. It would appear the take away highlight of the series will be these fan service reprises, and that is such a pity, and a failure, if so. As others have noted, retconning the Rebel epilogue does now also raise the question, if Ahsoka and Sabine are no longer going off to find Ezra during the Original Trilogy era, then what were they doing during that time?
New Republic laziness and ineptitude yet again? (and the writing for the New Republic too!)
Mon Mothma: “Do you have Morgan Elsbeth?”
Hera (instead): Nearly, we just missed them. If your Senators hadn’t delayed us last time, we’d have like caught them in time - and both Morgan Elsbeth and the Dark Jedi would likely be in our custody.
Mon Mothma: “Do you have evidence of Imperial Remnant?”
Hera (instead): Yes. The two Dark Jedi that boarded a New Republic ship, killed many of the crew and freed the prisoner Morgan Elsbeth (who previously gave up information about Thrawn to Ahsoka) have just been missed; but we know they are using a high powered Hyperspace Ring to apparently go find Thrawn. The same Hyperspace Ring whose engine parts were supplied by Imperial Remnant or those loyal to the Empire (and announce themselves as such: “For the Empire!”), whose location we found out about from the memory cell of a droids sent by those Dark Jedi. Our ships’ sensors have readouts of that Hyperspace Ring and we also have testimony of the New Republic pilots. In 5 minutes: Ahsoka is going to follow the two Dark Jedi and Morgan to the next galaxy over, using these Hyperspace traveling “StarWhales”. The same “StarWhales” we know that took Thrawn and Ezra disappeared years ago during The Battle of Lothal; a well known Rebel engagement vs the Empire, and mention of these “StarWhales” can also found in the Jedi Archives. Luke may be interested in this y’know; Thrawn, Imperial Remnant, Dark Jedi, missing Jedi, Force-attuned “StarWhales” with long history of hyperspace abilities. Why am I answering these insipid questions to you? Have you been hit on the head or taking some stupid pills since Andor? Why are you acting like this? Oh, you’re now an ancillary character in a Filoni series. Filoni… of course. Got it.
Mon Mothma: “You and Ahsoka Tano are to return to Coruscant with the Fleet. The Senate oversight Committee is going to determine whether your command should be germanely suspended. You are going to need her testimony to help you. And yes, I too wish the scenes with the New Republic were written not as an afterthought with little substance, weight, or realism, and lacking in awareness of the past events. Has anyone seen Tony Gilroy? (Just asking for a friend).”