Star Wars: Ahsoka [Disney+]

pixelburp

The latest Disney+ show has arrived; as a self-confessed hater of the Jedi I'm like 🤷‍♂️ - going double for the fact I never watched the Clone Wars so TBH know nothing of Ahsoka herself.

Thrawn stepping from the old Expanded Universe into the "official" canon is interesting though - hope the show does him justice. Also of interest is Genevieve O'Reilly returning as Mon Mothma again. Is that the first proper crossover between Rogue One & Andor, and the rest of Disney Star Wars? (with the obvious exceptions of Darth Vader and other big hitters)

https://youtu.be/HnzNZ0Mdx4I

peteeeed

as trailers go , this looks very good

Relikk

Thrawn has been a part of the official canon for a while now, seeing as he was in Rebels, which featured Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla, also seen in the trailer. It'll be interesting to see who plays Thrawn as he was voiced by Lars Mikkelsen in Rebels, and it'll be weird not hearing Vanessa Marshall as Hera.

Ahsoka was a fantastic character in The Clone Wars, and one of my favourite Star Wars characters ever. I was very pleased with her live action debut and subsequent appearances in The Mandalorian, so I'm very much looking forward to it. This, and Andor were my most anticipated Star Wars shows, and we got a banger with Andor, so let's hope this one will make it 2 out of 2.

Varik

One of those scenes looks like it's in the World Between Worlds from Rebels

Rebels/World between worlds spoiler.

Spoiler Warning

Meaning there could be any amount of time travel stuff going on.

Rumour/connecting dots that more than likely aren't related.

Spoiler Warning

Ray Stevenson the older bearded guy in that scene and who's tearing through a bunch of people in a hallway is actually a version of anakin.

On the other hand his name is shown in the subtitles even if it's not listed elsewhere so probably not that.

d22ontour

Enjoyed rebels and clone wars, looking forward to this.

AMKC

Oh that looks good.

peteeeed

https://twitter.com/empiremagazine/status/1644659498932371457?s=20

https://twitter.com/empiremagazine/status/1644659498932371457?s=20

Grand Admiral Thrawn is being played by Lars Mikkelsen

Relikk

Awesome. It'll be cool to finally see a Chiss in live action.

satguy

All those rough and tough fighting ladies...

Maybe all the men were asleep ..!

Full_Circle_81

Having never seen any of the animated Star Wars shows (apart from Tartakovskys Clone Wars), I wonder how lost I'm going to be with this one.........

nix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120458183#Comment_120458183

Disney dont care much for continuity, so likely wont be any issue there.. 😁

pixelburp

A release date for this is finally confirmed: August 23rd. Complete with a TV spot promoting the date. I presume it'll be weekly much like many shows these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7-zia4oHuk

pixelburp

New trailer, with a first proper look at Thrawn. I do wonder how friendly this will be for those coming to it, having not seem the cartoons; I can't be the only one!

Cos the nature of the apparent story suggests if it does placate newbies, it'll need a deft amount of exposition?

https://youtu.be/J_1EXWNETiI

Brief_Lives

this is a nice little clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btMQUq7kDuk

NIMAN

Not getting too excited about this, as their form with the last few series haven't set the bar too high.

Brief_Lives

I think the Ashoka character is going to be massive. a couple of the next movies will be about her.

nothing provable, just in my head - but she's a fleshed out character in the animation series and they have a real lead with Rosario Dawson.

CastorTroy

Posted this in the Disney+ thread before I saw it had its own thread:

I see Ahsoka will be released a bit early. They decided to go with a US primetime slot instead of the usual 3AM EST launch.

So instead of this Wednesday, it will release Tuesday at 9 PM EST US time. And even though that would be 2 AM Wednesday morning, from what I see online articles say it will release at 1 AM on Wednesday morning.

And this will be the same each week.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a44852062/star-wars-ahsoka-earlier-release-date/

They'll probably see how it does before deciding whether to do this with other big series like Loki.

fritzelly

Only watched the first episode but I'm bored, like watching a 70's sci-fi show (the sets, clothing etc) with no story except needing a map to find someone (from the synopsis)

Relikk

Very impressive opening episodes. It's well put together, from the solid acting, the cinematic direction and appealing visuals, and finally Kevin Kiner gets his chance to shine with a live action score. He doesn't disappoint, especially in the first episode. His work on the animated series has always been stellar. This has potential.

tvnutz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019021#Comment_121019021

Thought it was a very solid start. There is a massive story (continued from Rebels) and they just set it up nicely.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019091#Comment_121019091

As someone else said above you need to have watched the cartoons so maybe more for the hardcore fans

nachouser

It appears to require a lot of knowledge to follow it. I'll check back in when Amos from the Expanse shows up.

Slydice

1: Enjoyed that. Feels like a nice easy goodie-baddie story for new people to join into. Filoni even introducing backstory elements from Rebels without being pushey about it. I did think they did do some nice nods to the Rebels show though they also seem to be blending towards the gritier Andor feel in places.

I don't think that

Spoiler Warning

Sabine is going to die. I even joked to myself that they'll "bring her bacta".

Oh, noticed David Tenant in the credits. Missed his involved until now .. or forgot.. not sure.

Kevin Kiner on score and definitely reminding me of It's Over Now in a few places.

Definitely had a relisten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apwww-r7jbo

Really liked the nod to Ray Winstone in the end credits.

Brief_Lives

Yea David Tenant is the voice of the robot.

Was that robot actually real and moving? if so, thats a lot of money on that alone as you couldn't a person in it.

Spoiler Warning

Good solid start, the blonde Sith did a lot of staring.

I think Ahsoka, Ezra and Sabine will be a big part of Star wars in the next few years.

Really enjoyed the 2 episodes

Spon Farmer

The first two episodes are fantastic.

Spoiler Warning

At first I was irked by Sabine being a Force - how did it never show during REBELS and I know Force users can’t always tell each other from regular folks, but how did Kanan never sense it in all their years together. However it gets answered in episode 2 with the explanation that her Force connection is very very weak.

Is the scene where Sabine is looking at the painting and Ahsoka comes to pick her up the same scene from the REBELS finale?

Clancy Brown makes everything more awesome.

Love the live action versions of Hera, Sabine and Chopper (surprise he isn’t listed as himself in the main credits). Hopefully Zeb and Jacen show up soon. and the Ray Stevenson and his apprentice seem like very different Dark Side users than any we have seen before. He seems very calm and at peace and is genuinely regretful at the idea of having to kill Ahsoka and apprentice looks at everything with a wife-eyed curiosity that sometimes seems almost innocent.

I have a feeling that the confrontation between them and the heroes won’t be like previous Jedi vs Sith (although I think/hope that they are Dark Jedi, not Sith) - I think we are supposed to think the guy in the mask is is someone Ahsoka knows but I have a feeling it is just a red herring. I also think that Shin Hati will survive and maybe join Ahsoka.

Morgan Elsbeth is clearly human so it was a surprise to find out she is a Nightsister. They must have somehow encountered her and invited her to Dathomir to teach her.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019137#Comment_121019137

Stevenson not Winstone.

;)

Good to have Kiner back and lived that use of Its Over Now.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019294#Comment_121019294

Spoiler Warning

I think LoYang and the LothCat are a mix of puppetry and CG - they looked very real but there was no obvious signs of puppetry.

Spon Farmer

I’m guessing the series takes place right after the Ahsoka episode of Mandolorian season 2 because Ahsoka would have gone after the map immediately.

So this all happens prior and before the Mandolorian Christmas Special (known by some as an episode of Book of Boba Fett ;) ) and a long time prior to the retaking of Mandalore.

Brief_Lives

Spoiler Warning

According to IMDB, Ray Stevenson is only in the show for 2 episodes, Gulp.....

pixelburp

So if neither myself nor my wife have watched the cartoon - how lost will we be?

Brief_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019633#Comment_121019633

you are introduced to the new characters fairly efficiently, so you will be up to speed without much trouble.

it's a good show though, Rebels.

Penn

I never watched the cartoons either, but I watched both episodes last night. I wouldn't say lost, but it's abundantly clear that there is information missing regarding characters backstories and history with each other. Casual mention of big things that, if you didn't know about them from the cartoon (I've picked up a few general bits of info about the cartoons over the years), it could throw you a bit.

But they were decent episodes all the same and it's hard to know if some of these things will be further explained in later episodes. They have to know that a hell of a lot of the target audience won't have watched the cartoons and won't just go and watch 20 particular episodes to act as a catchup.

Perhaps they should have done a prelude to it. Package together the main points/clips from the cartoons maybe with a voiceover by Ahsoka between clips, where she goes over her history.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019639#Comment_121019639

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019661#Comment_121019661

Good to know; I'll take a look at it either way as "Stuff to watch" is a bit thin on the ground, but will ready myself for mild "huh?"

ixoy

In a similar position but if I watch "Rebels" am I in a chain where I have to watch "The Clone Wars" and "The Bad Batch" to fully get an understanding or could I just watch the 4-seasons of "Rebels" and have a satisfying enough experience and get all I needed?

Brief_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019775#Comment_121019775

I would say just watching rebels is fine, and as has been said, it's a good show. short 20 min episodes. you'll fly through them.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019565#Comment_121019565

That is because only two episodes have been released. You’ll see that several of the cast are also listed as two episodes but the villains are obviously not just in these two episodes.

It is like that on IMDB a lot series. I don’t know who edits the information - Wes Chatham is listed for six so someone who knows put that in.

Spon Farmer

Spoiler Warning

What is the name of the Dark Jedi with the mask?

Can’t Google it in case of spoilers .

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019992#Comment_121019992

Spoiler Warning

The Inquisator? I presume he's the one they were calling Marok or Marik or something

Bored watching it. Might dip back in but thought it was rubbish. Just finished the first. Have no clue about cartoons

Varik

For that memorial they had it was weird they were only named Ezra when it seemed to be dedicated to the lot of them.

Relikk

It makes sense to be biased towards him, as out of everyone in the Rebels group Ezra is the only native of Lothal.

AMKC

I found the first episode a hard slog to watch and not even a decent theme or music to help throught it. It was so dark too

Spoiler Warning

especially when sabine has the lightsaver fight in the old tower. It was impossible to see.

Second episode much better do and they actually turned on the lights ye. Let's hope they keep it like that.

I never seen any of the cartoons leading up to this either by the way.

paulbok

Thoroughly enjoyed those two episodes. Starting off with a double episode was a great way to get going with the story. I'm still on The Clone Wars, so haven't watched Rebels, so haven't the full back stories on some of the characters, but the casting for Sabine and Hera looks to have made good characters. The storyline is a little different to the usual plots, so looking forward to the rest of the series.

Slydice

A solid opening two episodes!

2: Yeah that opened as expected. Then some nods to the the Rebels show and Solo movie but nothing shouting about needing to have seen them. Feels moreso goodies-vs-baddies with a mystery attached in.

Spoiler Warning

lol, for a second I was like.. hold on that planet looks like the Solo one, one check of the Solo wiki page later and yep, Corellia!

so like.. a bit of a Stargate type feel to this and possibly at Star Wars scale with Thrawn let rip in another Galaxy. Possibly he's got the whole place overrun unless there is some other enemy there. So kinda expecting a big fleet built up and ready to come back.

Slydice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019480#Comment_121019480

Gah! I googled Ray and went with the first autosuggest without even checking. Thank you!

Ray Stevenson doing great in both episodes so far.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019723#Comment_121019723

If I was to guess based on Filonis work from Clone Wars and Rebels. Plus some nods he gave to Solo tonight, he's not going to push a story that requires previous watching. He'll throw in lots of stuff as nods to them because he's a huge fan himself but he comes across to me as someone who likes to tell a new story each time. Where he tends to join in other stories, it feels to like like he's trying to make it all fit together. He did wonders for the Anakin image from the I, II, III trilogy.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019021#Comment_121019021

Yeah that map thing was depressingly reminiscent (for me) of the lame maguffin that The Force Awakens was centered on. To me it begs the question of why doesn't Thrawn find his own way back to heart of the action if he isn't confined in some way.

This was a much more welcome callback though

https://www.cbr.com/ahsoka-baylan-skoll-darth-vader-rogue-one/

Brief_Lives

The fact that Thrawn is in a different galaxy is utterly mad/cool/nuts/conceptually interesting.

Has anyone read the books that he appears in? is his species from another galaxy? you just know the physcis nerds that love star wars, who wrote the books, will go into some explanation of hyperspace in how to get there.

tvnutz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019103#Comment_121019103

Yeah you would have to have seen Rebels. Its basically a new season of that show but live action.

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023141#Comment_121023141

Spoiler Warning

The Pergills took Thrawn’s Star Destroyer, along with himself and Ezra. So that means several hundred crew members and stormtroopers too.

I don’t think they took any other ships.

I have been assuming since REBELS ended that either they’ve been adrift this whole time or abandoned the ship and live as castaways on a planet somewhere. That part of the story could lead literally anywhere - have the Imperials been hunting Ezra, have some joined Ezra, have Ezra and Thrawn agreed to work together to survive, etc.

I did think at first that maybe Elsbeth was building a Stargate type device but it looks like the Jedi starfighter hyperspace engine, and she did say they were soon starting their journey - although as I type that could mean travelling through a Stargate in a another ship.

Slydice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121026000#Comment_121026000

Feels like the universe is their oyster 🙂 They could go anyway they like I guess. Though confined by the later storylines.

Spon Farmer

I really wish that Filoni would write the sequels out of canon. Maybe if someday he takes over?

But we really need some adventures with the old gang.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121025727#Comment_121025727

The Chiss Ascendancy (Thrawn's folks) are from an area beyond the outer rim. He was sent to the Republic/ Galactic Empire to look for allies/ assistance for the Chiss in their struggles with another empire in the Grysk Hegemony. Thrawn isn't a "bad" guy per se, he just has specific goals that have him aligned with the Empire.

Brief_Lives

thanks, yes, when I watching Rebels I did some wookiepedia-ing...

IN Ahsoka, they have him pinpointed by the map in a different Galaxy. found that interesting.