Highlights
- "Ahsoka episode 3 is frustratingly short, but it delivers the series' greatest action set-piece so far."
- "Director Steph Green displays her ability to adapt to the needs of the story and characters, settling into a bright, colorful aesthetic."
- "The B-plot involving Hera and New Republic politics is less captivating, but features a fan-pleasing cameo by Chancellor Mon Mothma."
Warning: This review contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 3.
The third episode of Ahsoka, “Part Three: Time to Fly,” is a frustratingly short one, but it’s an undeniably fun little piece of Star Wars, with the spin-off series’ greatest action set-piece so far. Sabine Wren resumes her Jedi training under Ahsoka’s tutelage, while Hera Syndulla negotiates with the most powerful figures in the New Republic government. Running at just over half an hour, “Time to Fly” is Ahsoka’s shortest episode yet, and it definitely feels like it – just when the episode feels like it’s starting to get going, the end credits roll. “Time to Fly” sets the stage for a much more exciting episode next week, even if the episode itself is all too brief and doesn’t do much to advance the plot.
Ahsoka’s third episode is directed by Steph Green, who previously helmed the second chapter. Green is best known for directing episodes of Watchmen and The Book of Boba Fett, and her ability to quickly adapt to the needs of a story, the needs of a character, and the house style of a new show is on full display here. Just three episodes in, Ahsoka has settled into a bright, colorful aesthetic and an agreeable balance between high-octane action and quieter dialogue scenes. The script is once again penned by Dave Filoni, the creator of the series and the co-creator of the title character, and he continues to treat his proudest creation with the care and respect that she deserves. Ahsoka is characterized as both a grizzled veteran full of wisdom from her past experiences and a fierce warrior who looks into the future for her next adventure.
The B-plot involving Hera and the politics of the New Republic is nowhere near as captivating as Ahsoka and Sabine’s spacebound skirmish. Ahsoka and Sabine are jetting off into the belly of the beast, ready to confront whatever bad guy tries to stop them, while Hera just goes on a Zoom call with the most influential senators in the galaxy and talks military funding. But Hera’s meeting with the New Republic’s most powerful figures does feature a fan-pleasing cameo appearance by the Chancellor, Mon Mothma. Ever since Andor turned her into one of the Star Wars universe’s most complex characters, it’s always a joy to see Mon Mothma pop up on-screen.
Sabine actor Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Hera actor Mary Elizabeth Winstead aren’t given an awful lot to do this week. Sabine has an interesting training sequence with Ahsoka, but it serves only to set up a callback to the visor that Luke Skywalker wore during his own Jedi training with Ben Kenobi in the original Star Wars movie – there’s not a ton of character development going on. The seeds are being planted for Sabine to harness the Force by the end of the series, but Bordizzo doesn’t have much to work with. During her communication with the New Republic brass, Hera gives an impassioned speech about the friends she’s lost, but Winstead doesn’t really sell the emotions. Rosario Dawson, of course, continues to anchor the series with a magnetic lead performance. The warmth and charisma that she brings to the role capture the essence of Ahsoka’s character and turn what could’ve been a by-the-numbers Star Wars show into an engaging experience.
The centerpiece of the episode is a fun space battle sequence with eye-popping visual effects and clearly defined stakes. When Ahsoka and Sabine arrive at Seatos, they have to fend off a fleet of starfighters led by Hati and Marrok. At first, this battle scene seems no different from the many other battle scenes seen in previous Star Wars media. The pilots do some maneuvers, the gunners do some damage, and there’s a lot of explosive spectacle. But, as the sequence progresses, it does a few things that fans have never seen before. Ahsoka dons a spacesuit, goes out onto the wing of the ship, and singlehandedly takes down the enemy ships with her lightsabers. After thinning out the fleet, the rest of the battle sees the ships weaving between a pack of space whales. This set-piece elevates a filler episode to an action-packed gem.
The cliffhanger ending of “Time to Fly” promises a more thrilling and substantial episode for next week. After Ahsoka and Sabine have fled into the woods, Baylan Skoll knows where they’re hiding and dispatches his forces to track them down. Next week’s episode of Ahsoka will kick off with a high-stakes manhunt as Ahsoka and her new apprentice struggle to stay one step ahead of the mercenaries sent to capture them. The plot has certainly thickened; it would’ve been nice if it thickened a little earlier, but it’s better late than never when it comes to plot thickening. There’s still time for Ahsoka to elevate itself from a serviceable Star Wars series to a rollicking intergalactic adventure.