Note: The following contains minor spoilers for Part Three of Ahsoka.
Part Three of Ahsoka, “Time To Fly” debuts this week, and while it is a shorter episode, the third part of season one packs a lot of information and character development into thirty-two minutes. Steph Green is a dynamic director whose visual style lends itself beautifully to Star Wars, and Dave Filloni’s writing and vision continue to astound.
As we learned at the end of part two, “Toil and Trouble”, Ahsoka has agreed to take on Sabine as her Padawan and resume her training in the Force. Back at the New Republic fleet, Hera has some challenges of her own, and we get to see some new characters in live action for the first time. Let’s take a closer look!
(L-R): Huyang (David Tennant) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Training
Sabine trains with Professor Huyang on some classic lightsaber forms and the droid tells the Mandalorian that she is decent (that’s not the right word, but he is not one to give compliments, but rather, to share facts from his point of view). Once again, Nathalie shines as Sabine Wren, who is in a unique place. If you’ve seen Star Wars Rebels, it is hard to imagine Sabine struggling at anything resembling combat. But this is Jedi training and it is really hard to use Force abilities if you are not Force-sensitive.
So what is going on here? Ahsoka does share with Sabine that her abilities will not be enough in the upcoming battle with Morgan Elsbeth and the Force-wielding mercenaries, Shin Hati and her master, Baylan Skoll. Ahsoka wants to help Sabine hone her instincts and perhaps tap into the Force in her own way to keep her alive and safe. There is a mesmerizing sequence where Sabine, wearing a mask that covers her face completely, reacts to her surroundings and anticipates Ahsoka’s actions.
It is a scene that really shouldn’t work (not much happens) and yet, it is full of character gems. Ahsoka is poised, powerful, and patient. She even shows a bit of amusement with Sabine’s struggles, but not from a place of schadenfreude. Rather, I think she is enjoying teaching Sabine and relishes her growth and openness to learn. Sabine, for her part, continues to be in uncharted territory and gets understandably frustrated. However, her tenacity is a wonder to behold. Things kick up a notch when Sabine amps up, but as we know, giving in to anger and frustration is not the way. Ahsoka reminds Sabine of this and to her credit, does not push back. These two work really well together, which makes Sabine’s melancholy from Parts One and Two more grounded.
(L-R): Lieutenant Beyta (Dawn Dininger), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and First Officer Vic Hawkins (Nican Robinson) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Hera and New Republic Politics
I was initially reluctant concerning Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance as Hera during the first episode and was uncertain if Hera’s gravitas would translate to live action in the performance. Winstead lights up the screen here as Hera. In a tense moment of rhetoric, Hera requests New Republic assistance to ensure that Grand Admiral Thrawn does not return to unite the separate Imperial factions. Hera’s gift for leadership, wisdom, and a strong sense of what will ensure safety for the galaxy come to the forefront here. In a terrific scene, she shows intensity, vulnerability, and firmness when trying to advocate for Sabine and Ahsoka, while also remaining hopeful concerning the existence of Ezra. In an episode full of noteworthy moments, Winstead, as Hera, steals the show.
Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Space Battles
There are a lot of firsts in this episode, many of them which occur in the third act of “Time To Fly”. I will not spoil any of them here, but what I will say is that the sound mixing and visual effects are on another level of excellence. As mentioned last week, the special effects continue to enhance the story and are not a distraction at all. Plus, Ahsoka does something very cool that bolsters her reputation for the audience members who are not aware of her Force brilliance.
Final Thoughts
I did not want “Time To Fly to end. In fact, I kept pausing it to see how much time was left because I was enjoying it so much and savoring the digital canvas. We are not halfway through Ahsoka but so far, this one is the new bar for me. With some wonderful, yet subtle character moments, great action sequences, an iconic Hera exchange, and fun surprises, “Time To Fly” is authentic and spectacular Star Wars.
Part Three: 5 out of 5
Look for Coffee With Kenobi’s review of “Time To Fly” on Thursday morning!
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