This week’s review is for the first season of Ahsoka (Disney +) But first:

The Average Dude claims to be a movie aficionado. It’s a bold claim that I’ll explain. Someday. Anyway, there’s a lot of content out there, more than any single person could consume, even if they spent their entire life with face in screen. Average Dude has a balanced life. I spend time with my family and friends. I play a variety of sports whenever I can. I watch football all day on Sunday. So no…I don’t spend all my time in the mancave or at my local viewhaus. I am judicious in my choice of what to watch. I have to be.

So saying, I have made time to watch all of the Star Wars content coming out on Disney +. Strike that…all the ‘live action’ Star Wars content. That would be Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett, Obiwan Kenobi and now the latest offering, Ahsoka. I have not watched the animated Star Wars shows. I could name a few off the top of my head, but a quick Google search showed me just how much there is. And that’s where the problems with Ahsoka begin…

It’s all just too much

Going into Ahsoka, I had a vague knowledge of who she was. I’ve seen her around. She was a jedi that survived Order 66 – the extermination of all Jedi. She had a cool look about her (somebody tell me if those things on her head are actual hair? Tentacles? Does it have a purpose other than looking tribal and cool? Thanks in advance). And when she popped up in the Mandalorian, I was like ‘Okay, this might be cool’. But it wasn’t. It was confusing. And annoying.

Just keeping it real with you

Why was Ahsoka confusing, you might ask? To put it bluntly, it pretty much assumes a deeper knowledge that I do not possess. From the very start, Ahsoka drops characters on us that clearly had a history together. Friendly, adversarial, romantic maybe? It’s all so unclear. What is very clear is that Ahsoka main man Dave Filoni made a series for people who were already invested. And you can all see the inherent problem. How is this supposed to get new viewers – or even the non-new but also not fanatical viewer to be excited for the next episode? It just. Doesn’t. Work.

You’re all probably saying ‘ I get you, Average Dude. But could we just go and watch the other required viewing and get a better appreciation of the Ahsoka series?’ You could, sure. I personally don’t have that kind of time nor a compelling reason to dig deeper. Which brings me to the second point…

Who’s writing this stuff?

From the very first episode right through to the last, Ahsoka walked through her scenes with an aloofness and disconnect that bordered on disdain. The way she dealt with everyone and every circumstance exuded a sense of superiority that really put me off. I dont recall much of any range of emotion from her. ‘But Average Dude, the jedi are trained to beware their emotions, lest they control them and open the door for the dark side!’ Okay, sure. But not reject them all like Vulcans. Jedi were okay with love, joy, laughter…widely respected as positive emotions. But not Ahsoka. She was really a one-note character and it was hard to like her, bad@$$ or not.

And it wasn’t just Ahsoka. Every character seemed to have undergone the Vulcan ceremony of kolinahr (I know I’m mixing space sagas here) and purged all emotions. Grand Admiral Thrawn was as monotone and cold as his blue exterior. Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati were of the Dark Side and still showed no emotion. And don’t even get me started on the whole space-witches thing. What the literal, ever-loving shite? Sorry. I’m letting my emotions control me. I don’t give a nanu-nanu.

Girl Bosses unite!

I may be asking for a shite-storm for this, but I think it might be worth mentioning that there seemed to be only three men in any kind of staring roll. The aforementioned Thrawn and Baylan Skoll. Add to that list Ezra Bridger, a dude that the good guys were looking for because…? That part had to be included in the cartoons because I have no earthly idea why. That’s about it, though. Oh, there’s also an episode where a dead Ahsoka does battle with a dead Anakin Skywalker because I guess that’s what happens in the jedi afterlife.

My point being that Disney appears to be making a conscious effort to emphasise strong female characters and minimize strong male characters. Now, when the Force and space witches are added to the equation, the debate of whether a girl can physically compete with a man is moot, I get that. But it still begs the question of ‘why do it in the first place?’ If you’re going to tell me it’s to bring in more female viewers, you have to bring me all the receipts. My best guess is that Star Wars is still a male dominated fanbase. Did Rey Skywalker significantly tip the scales? Does Ahsoka? How many male viewers have become uninterested (like the Avereage Dude)? Valid questions.

Rock on, Lucy Maclane

Ahsoka wasn’t without its good points. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was one of those. MEW played Rebel General Hera Syndulla. I dug her in Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Live Free or Die Hard (both strong female roles, thank you). Also, the CGI was excellent per usual (Boba Fett’s space Vespa thugs excepted). I might deduct a point because some of the lightsaber choreography was stiff (IMO).

At the end of the day, I’m giving Ahsoka a 2/5 but I’m still hopeful. The Star Wars universe is vast. With the proper writing and directing, it could be magical again. I’ll pop in for season 2 and see if they’ve righted the starship. If not, there’s always something else on.

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