With the opening of the newest live-action Star Wars series, we’ve returned to the classics. Ahsoka returns the franchise to opening crawls, notably missing from the other Disney+ series, with ominous music and red text — a foreboding atmosphere appropriately set for the danger that still looms in the galaxy.
Part 1: Master and Apprentice
“A valuable prisoner escapes New Republic custody; a search for answers unites two old friends.”
Two dark Force users falsely identifying themselves as Jedi in order to board a New Republic ship and retrieve Morgan Elsbeth, who has been imprisoned since her encounter with Ahsoka Tano in season 2 of The Mandalorian.
On the planet Arcana, Ahsoka herself is unlocking the Force puzzle of a temple (which will make Fallen Order and Survivor players happy), eventually discovering a sphere that she believes holds the map to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s exile location. Four HK-87 droids interrupt her exit, plunging Ahsoka into her first battle of the season. While she defeats two of the four with her quick thinking and skill, the remaining two initiate a particularly brutal self-destruct sequence. Ahsoka narrowly escapes the explosion with the assistance of Huyang, the map safely in her hands as she reconnects with General Hera Syndulla about what to do next.
Ryder Azadi is hosting a celebration on Lothal, introducing Sabine Wren to speak, only to find she is characteristically nowhere to be found. On a modified speeder bike speeding away from the ceremony, Sabine escapes those who are sent to retrieve her, returning home to her Loth cat. Seeking comfort and remembering those who are unable to be celebrated after the war, Sabine watches an emotional hologram message from Ezra Bridger.
Ahsoka believes Sabine will be able to help her unlock the map, and the two have a tense reunion on Lothal where the complexities of their past and Ahsoka’s role in Sabine becoming a Jedi are touched on — including the fact that Ahsoka left Sabine. Despite Ahsoka instructing her not to, Sabine takes the map and returns home to begin work deciphering in a space she feels comfortable doing so. Speaking to Hera via hologram, Ahsoka reminisces on her abandonment of Sabine again and likens it to how she abandoned her own training with Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi Order toward the end of the Clone Wars.
Morgan Elsbeth accompanies the Dark Side users who rescued her to the temple location on Arcana. While part of the group explores inside, Morgan reveals to the woman in her company that she is a Night Sister. Quickly realizing Ahsoka has already retrieved her map, the group of antagonists at the center of the series have a task for retrieval in mind.
Meanwhile, Huyang has been running a lightsaber scan to identify the Dark Side users who attacked the New Republic ship, sharing with Ahsoka that the older of the two is identified as Baylan Skoll who disappeared after Order 66 like many Jedi did, the episode’s titular master. Before the two can investigate the identity of the apprentice she appears on the planet to set her sights on Sabine as instructed by Morgan and her master.
The apprentice, Shin Hati, duels with Sabine but ultimately exits with the map after stabbing her opponent during the closing moments of the episode.
Part 2: Toil and Trouble
“Ahsoka and General Hera Syndulla travel to New Republic shipyards and make an expected discovery.”
Sabine Wren survived her encounter with Shin Hati and is recovering in the hospital, accompanied by Ahsoka, Hera, and Huyang as the four discuss what their next steps are. Hera believes that Ahsoka should take Sabine as her apprentice again but Ahsoka refuses, believing that Sabine isn’t ready as she is struggling to effectively use the Force.
Morgan, with Baylan and Shin as witnesses, displays ancient Night Sister magick — a unique connection and use of the Force — to unlock the map and reveal the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Morgan is able to discern that Thrawn is hidden in a corner of space and time and that the Eye of Sion can be used to find and retrieve him. Baylan is dismissive of the idea of the multiverse, but Morgan confirms that it is real and that she is able to hear and see visions of a future where Thrawn returns.
Impressively and safely disassembling one of the HK-87 droid heads from her hospital bed, Sabine discovers the technology is from Corellia, where Morgan’s old shipyard is located. Following the departure of Ahsoka and Hera, Huyand and Sabine have a candid conversation about Sabine’s future — namely, her training.
Hera and Ahsoka travel to the shipyard, which is now supposedly under New Republic control, though several red flags are raised as many former Imperials are still employed and Hera’s security clearance keeps coming into question despite her rank. It’s not long before a fight breaks out at the Shipyard. On the ground, Ahsoka battles Morgan’s hired mercenary and former Inquisitor Marrok while in the sky Hera and Chopper are chasing a ship that contains the hyperdrive they need to activate the Eye of Sion. While the ship escapes, Hera and Chopper manage to attach a tracker to it so they can follow wherever the ship ends up.
After their escapes, Hera and Ahsoka touch base again on the next steps, agreeing to connect when Chopper has more information. Meanwhile, Sabine has decided she is ready to train and cuts her hair, donning her Mandalorian armor again as she calls Ahsoka back to her.
With what remains of the Ghost crew coming together again and final shots pulled straight from Star Wars: Rebels, the search for Grand Admiral Thrawn continues.
New episodes of Star Wars: Ahsoka are released Tuesdays on Disney+ at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. Stay up to date on the series with episodic recaps from Nerds & Beyond week to week.
