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I’ve been watching Ahsoka since Episode 3 aired, and while I’ve mostly been enjoying the series, it has several major flaws running through it. First off the pacing, conversations last way too long, and sometimes nothing happens for large chunks of time, the acting, especially early on, has the tendency to be quite stilted, the New Republic is constantly shown to be completely incompetent, and Hera’s subplot is the biggest waste of time I’ve ever seen. So I decided while it was airing that I wanted to make my own movie edit of the series. Before the final episode came out I was considering making this a two-movie edit, but I’ve decided against it because there really just isn’t enough to justify it after how the finale ended up. I’ve been working on this since episode 4 was released, and updating it every time a new episode came out This is currently still a work in progress as I haven’t yet added episode 8 and right now the edit is running at 2 hours, and 33 minutes for the first 7 episodes. I’m currently in the middle of going through the edit as is to clean up transitions between scenes and decide if I need to cut any more before I add in episode 8. Right now it’s looking like the edit will probably land at around 3 hours and 10-15 minutes. Below I have detailed the changes I’m making to the series. I only have timestamps for half of the episodes, because I forgot to make them for some.
Update 3 The edit is now complete and fully rendered. Send me a PM for the link. The movie runs at 3 hours 8 minutes and 36 seconds.
First off I felt that the best way to make this work was to heavily trim the first few episodes, so I made the decision to focus more on Sabine cutting out most scenes she’s not in. This allows me to remove large chunks out of the first 2 episodes.
Episode 1
1.43-5:00 I shorten the opening scene to make the New Republic look less incompetent. After the establishing shot on the ship we immediately cut to Shin’s attack on the bridge so we don’t see the captain being an absolute moron.
6:32-22.32 I cut out Ahsoka finding the map, Hera informing Ahsoka about Morgans’ escape, and the ceremony on Lothal All of these scenes are extremely slow and feel like they go on for just short of forever
I start with Sabine’s introduction on the speeder.
27.30-30.01 I also cut out the scene of the villains landing on the temple planet and merged Sabine’s 2 scenes in Ezra’s house together so after she watches the recording it immediately cuts to her sleeping and waking up to hear about Ahsoka.
After Sabine and Ahsoka meet up I made some small trims to their conversation. The first episode has a really bad tendency in dialogue scenes to cut to a character and then having 2-3 seconds of dead air looking at them before they speak, so I edited it so that, unless a character is clearly in deep thought, when the scene cuts to them they immediately start speaking.
39.25-39.53 My next cut is that after Sabine leaves Ahsoka and the tracking droid sees Sabine, I cut out the shot of Shin getting the information and cut immediately to the establishing shot of Sabine’s house.
39.55-43.20 I cut out the entirety of the scene of Sabine setting up to decipher the map, and also the scene of Ahsoka and Hera talking to each other. Because again they’re really slow and drag the pacing down
After the establishing shot of the tower, I cut to the overhead shot looking down at Sabine right before she stands up to get a drink. She deciphers the map and the droids attack her. I slightly trimmed Sabine’s fight with Shin so she doesn’t get stabbed through her side with the lightsaber with this I managed to cut the first episode down to 25 minutes
Episode 2
Despite liking episode 2 way more than the first episode, I cut way more out of this one than the first episode because much less of it actually affects the overall story. I kept the opening scene and I combined the 2 scenes of Balon, and Shin together, and Morgan opened up the map on the altar and removed all references to Corelia. The entire subplot of Hera and Ahsoka going to the shipyards is also removed, which includes removing the scene of Ahsoka finding the droid and the second hospital scene, and instead after the scene of the villains, we cut to the third hospital scene with Sabine talking to Huyang and immediately transition into her cutting her hair and visiting the mural. Only 13 minutes are left of this episode making it to the 38-minute mark
Episode 3 I cut out the republic subplot as it just makes all of the characters look stupid. I also cut out the first part of the training, with the staff, and opened on the discussion about the force. After Sabine tries to use The Force to grab the cup, when she’s called into the cockpit I cut out Hera mentioning that she won’t be joining them after Sabine asks when they’re arriving. Her communication with them immediately cuts out. I also trimmed the space battle, the first half with the dogfight doesn’t happen. When they arrive they immediately see the ring and we cut to the sequence of them approaching it attempting to scan it for information. From there on the episode doesn’t have much in the way of cuts, but some small trims here and there. I managed to cut this episode down to 15 minutes and it ends at the 53-minute mark
Episode 4 I cut out the opening scene so the first scene is Sabine and Ahsoka talking outside. I removed the cutaway to Balon and Elsbeth, and went right into the droids finding Hyuang. I also cut out the conversation inside the ship between Ahsoka and Sabine and cut immediately to the droids attacking Hyuang and then them saving him. I cut out the scene inside the New Republic Ship hanger and Hera and Jayden on the Ghost before leaving. Now we see the New Republic Ships the Ghost launches from it and all references to this mission being unofficial are removed. So now the audience can just assume Hera got the proper clearance. I slightly trimmed the pre-fight conversation between Baylon and Ahsoka. This episode is now 26 minutes and ends at the 1 hour 19 minute mark for the first 4 episodes.
I’ve decided to edit episodes 5 and 6 so that the film intercuts between the 2 episodes to imply they’re happening at the same time.
Episode 5
I cut out the opening scene of Hera finding Hyuang and started immediately with Ahsoka in The World Between Worlds with Anakin
18.19-21.21 After the first flashback ends I cut out the scene of everyone searching for Ahsoka
28.25-30.33 After she gets rescued I cut out the scene of her waking up on her ship
32.29-33.20 I cut out most of the shot circling Ahsoka so she finds out what happens to Sabine quicker
33.40-36.37 I cut immediately after Hera says they need to go after Sabine to the ship leaving
37.52-39.15 I cut out a bunch of shots of the whales and Ahsoka standing on top of the ship
39.19-42.58 I completely removed the scene of the New Republic even showing up so Carson doesn’t have to try and stall them
43.31-43.55 I cut the scene of Hyuang asking Ahsoka if the Purgill know where they’re going
44.07-45.25 I cut a bunch of shots of the republic ships being passed by the Purgil as well.
Episode 6 cuts
0-4.2 Cut out opening scene it’s good but unnecessary
11.39-11.55 + 15.00-15.50 Cut out Sabine being put into the prison and her trying to escape it.
23.53-26.09 Cut out Sabine’s fight with the scavenger’s. I really like the scene but I want to keep the movie around 3 hours so there’s the need to cut more judiciously
26.2-29.18 34 Also cut out Thrawn and Elsbeth’s conversation about leaving Balon behind as well as the scene of the creature coming back to Sabine since they never got attacked and he never left
32.37-33.26 I cut out Sabines conversation with the group of turtle creatures. Now after the one of them sees the Rebel sign on Sabine’s shoulder the other’s wake up and we immediately cut to Sabine following them
33.59-34.08 Cut reference to Sabine surviving the remains of the raiders, now it’s implied Balon killed them
The way these two episodes now plays out is as follows. I start with episode 6 with Sabine waking up in a cell on the ship and continue with the episode until Balon and Shin’s conversation on the roof. After we cut to Sabine in the cell, she says Ahsoka’s name and we cut to episode 5. I continue with episode 5 until the end of the first flashback to The Clone Wars. I then go back to episode 6 until Balon and Shin go after Sabine who’s gone off to find Ezra. I then cut back to episode 5 to finish that episode which ends around the 2 hour 1 minute mark. I then go back to episode 6 which ends at the 2 hours and 13 minutes mark
Episode 7 I forgot to take note of the time stamps for my changes so we’re back to more broad changes and I was ultimately able to edit down the episode into 20 minutes. I removed the opening scene with the Republic, like all of the other scenes from this plot line it is largely unnecessary and incredibly flawed. I also removed Ahsoka’s training on her ship. We start with the wide shot of the Purgil traveling through hyperspace before cutting to Ahsoka and Huyang in the cockpit. I merged the 2 scenes of Thrawn in the control room so now instead of ordering the pilots to withdraw he immediately orders them to fire after Ahsoka goes into the debris field and we cut to her getting fired upon and then leaving the field without her stopping. So There’s no scene of the troops getting recalled Ahsoka scanning for Sabine, and therefore the first scene with Ezra and Sabine is removed as is the first scene of Balon and Shin. I also lightly trimmed the battle scene for there to be less stopping and starting. This episode ends 2 hours and 33 minutes into the film
Once I add in episode 8 I’ll update this post.
Update
I’ve gone through my first pass of episode 8 and have inserted it into my edit. I still have to complete my first full passthrough of the movie. I’ve gone through 30 minutes and have managed to cut down a further 3 minutes out of the movie.
Episode 8
0-1.39
I trimmed Elsbeth getting her gift to be slightly faster as it moved a bit too slowly for my liking in the original cut.
15.11-18.16 Most of this stuff just feels like filler, we don’t really need the scenes of Thrawn going to the Great Mothers to prepare something, Elsbeth’s ordering of the stormtroopers, or the scenes of Ahsoka, Ezra, and Sabine riding away from the ship and Ezra telling them about the tower. After Ahsoka says it won’t slow them down I immediately cut into the action sequence of them trying to make it through the doors.
22.55-24.10 I cut out the scene of Thrawn and the Great Mother’s ordering Elsbeth to stay behind. I change it so she makes the decision of her own volition without her being asked as I think it makes her arc stronger and helps cut down on runtime.
From here on out I try to trim everything so there’s much less starting and stopping of fights I tried to make it go a bit faster.
Overall 10 minutes have been cut from this episode leaving the movie currently at 3 hours 11 minutes and 54 seconds long.
Update 2
Additional Cuts
From episode 3 I removed Ahsoka and Sabine powering their ship and Huyang down while Shin and Marrow Pass them by
From Episode 4 I removed Hera leaving the fleet,
From Episode 7 I cut out the scene of Thrawn ordering the 2 gunships to assist Shin and Balon and the gunships leaving the Star Destroyer and go immediately into the chase sequence after Shin transmits the location as well as another Thrown scene that also breaks up the action.
All of these additional cuts bring the edit down to 3 hours and 8 minutes.
