Ahsoka Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Part One: Master and Apprentice

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Ahsoka Tano, one of the fiercest female Jedis to ever be part of the Jedi Order, doesn’t ever play around. Ahsoka Season 1 Episode 1, “Part One: Master and Apprentice,” goes to great lengths to show how fearless yet humble this warrior remains — years after leaving everything behind.

Written and Directed by Dave Filoni, this introductory episode to this particular heroine comes out of the gate strong and barely misses the whole way through. 

There are moments when the story lags a bit, and Star Wars fans who haven’t watched Star Wars Rebels might get lost trying to figure out these characters. However, the overall story is fascinating and keeps you hooked from the moment Baylan and Shin land.

The Masters

First and foremost, “Part One: Master and Apprentice” sets up Star Wars:  Ahsoka as a series about the complex relationships between masters and their apprentices.

Look at the first moments of this show, Baylan Skoll shows up with his young apprentice, Shin, and they kill the Captain to take back a prisoner known as Morgan Elsbeth. Of course, his identity remains a secret until Huyang recognizes his saber hilt — but more on that later.

It’s clear from the start that he is her mentor and has been trained as a Jedi, considering her skills with a lightsaber. While it is a bit offputting not knowing who these people are at first, when they mention Ahsoka by name, you know they’re who she will be against during this saga.

Skoll and his apprentice’s entrance is thrilling and worth remembering, but as far as Star Wars villain introductions go, it’s probably one of the least enticing. There are no stakes when they show up, and the viewers have no idea who these people are, just that they are as skilled in the force as other, more iconic Sith Lords and Jedis alike.

After all, Skoll’s introduction is no Darth Vader, but then again, who could be?

The story then flips almost exclusively to Ahsoka Tano and her quest for a particular map that she believes will lead her to an old nemesis, Thrawn. Honestly, this is where the episode picks up and becomes a mix of thrill, action, and delight.

Choosing Rosario Dawson to play this iconic character has been controversial since she first appeared on The Mandalorian. However, “Part One: Master and Apprentice” manages to flatten a few of those wrinkles and makes us believers.

Starting Ahsoka’s journey with some quick and fierce Jedi skills shows that Ahsoka has a raw natural talent that will never leave her. She might have walked away from being an active Jedi, but the skills and know-how of the force have never been far away.

Her bantering with Huyang reminds fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars why this droid deserves his day to shine. Voiced once more by David Tennant, Huyang continues to be wicked smart and quick as a whip with snappy remarks.

The dynamic between him and Ahsoka carries the episode through some clunky aspects. Especially when introducing all the key players from Star Wars Rebels.

The Apprentices

One thing that has always held Ahsoka back is her unfinished business with both Anakin Skywalker and her own apprentice, Sabine Wren. Her guilt and heartache over how she left things with Sabine are palpable as soon as General Syndulla mentions her name.

Every time they talk about Sabine during this episode, it is clear that Ahsoka wants to fix things and be able to trust her former apprentice, but she doesn’t know how. 

Sabine somehow manages to reveal a more vulnerable side of Ahsoka without even being in the room. And when she is in the room, she brings out Ahsoka’s more defensive side, which is also fascinating to watch.

Ahsoka is here to prove that while Ahsoka tries to play it cool and pretend as if nothing can touch her, she’s simply covered in layers of body armor. 

Honestly, part of what makes Ahsoka and Sabine so much fun to watch is their clearly defined familial relationship. Neither of them are willing to budge on what they believe is right.

And yet, they both could accomplish so much more if they put those egos aside and compared what they know. The situation with Sabine in the final moments of the episode directly results from Sabine’s rebellious nature.

In fact, plot-wise, that final battle between Sabine and Shin didn’t need to happen. While it’s obvious that Filoni wrote it to show further proof that these two characters are parallels of each other, it’s completely unnecessary.

Skoll’s apprentice purposely waiting around after having what she came to Lothal to get creates a ridiculous scenario that further discredits the “menace” of this adversary.

Sabine running back to her hideout with the map is highly predictable, yet Ahsoka couldn’t work out where she might have gone. Or is that whole song and dance there to subtly show that Ahsoka trusts Sabine to find the answer and come back with it?

As the series progresses, it’ll be interesting to see if they can work through their distrust and become a strong unit once more or have the whole thing fall apart.

Stray Thoughts:

• I really hope Syndulla starts to have a more significant role as we go along because she deserves it.
• All this mention of Ezra has me excited to see him return to them
• The Anakin namedrop about Ahsoka’s relationship with Sabine is definite foreshadowing
• One of the most emotional lines: “Mentoring someone is a challenge. I’m sure your master found you difficult at times too.”

 

What did you think of this episode of Ahsoka? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Ahsoka airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Disney+.

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