Ahsoka: S1E3: Time to Fly

"Time to Fly" effortlessly captures the essence of Star Wars.

After two chunky episodes to start the series, the third episode dials it back and gives us a 30-minute episode packed full of goodness that feels both not long enough and ultimately satisfying.

The episode begins with Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and droid Huyang (David Tennant) laser sword training with the newly reestablished padawan doing an adequate job, according to the droid. But she stumbles when Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) suggests the droid teach Zatoichi a blind swordsman's technique. The padawan dons a helmet that renders her ability to see her opponent useless. With this, we get a callback to "A New Hope," with Sabine echoing Luke's frustration at being unable to fight if she can't see her opponent. A nice little touch, Mr. Filoni.

Huyang has been one of my favorite parts of the series, providing an outstanding balance of humor and wisdom. Having helped train the Jedi almost as long as the order has been established, the droid is a great connecting point for Ahsoka and Sabine.

Next, we learn that the once fierce Rebellion is now a formal government that is paralyzed by inaction and lulled into a false sense of peace. Unable to believe that remnants of the fallen Empire are still within their ranks, officials turn a blind eye to recent actions that say otherwise. When Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) requests a mission to investigate the rumors of Thrawn's return, her plea falls on deaf ears. The senate committee refuses the request with Senator Hamato Xiono (Nelson Lee) blatantly accuses her of lying about her true intentions for requesting a task force. Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) is her only apparent ally in the group.

At this point, we see Hera and Jedi Kanan Jarrus's son Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten) in live action for the first time. Many of these little touches don't mean a thing to casual fans, but diehard fans can't help but geek out with how series creator and writer Filoni sprinkles in so many references to the animated series. Even if we don't get another glimpse of him, seeing Jacen and hearing him refer to Ahsoka as aunt was great.

When we meet Jacen, he's hanging with Chopper (voiced by Filoni) and I hope we get to see more of these two together. I love heroic droids and while R2-D2 will always be my No. 1, Chopper is a badass in his own right. Sure, some of the things he's done are something others might frown upon, but I respect a droid who's willing to mess up a fellow droid when it's called for.

We finally get a fun space battle as Ahsoka and Sabine drop out of hyperspace, searching for the ship Chopper fit with a tracker on Corellia. Dark Jedi Shin (Ivanna Sakhno), Marrok (Paul Darnell) and other minions descend on Jedi, her padawan and Huyang. The dogfighting is fun and has a classic Star Wars feel. The baddie's snub-nosed fighters are ripped right out of WWII, and something Star Wars creator George Lucas I think would approve of it.

I also found the color scheme of Shin's craft interesting. It syncs up well with the fighter Anakin Skywalker was seen in during the battle over Coruscant at the beginning of "Revenge of the Sith." It may be a coincidence, but Filoni is pretty deliberate when he's paying homage to aspects of other Star Wars films or animated series.

Lady Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) joins the fray, having the Eye of Sion (the big hyperspace ring) unload its laser cannons, ultimately disabling the ship, leading to a love-it-or-hate-it moment in the episode. With her ship dead in space and the enemy fast approaching, Ahsoka dons a space suit and goes outside to protect her ship with only her lightsabers. It's crazy, it's cool and I love it.

With the ship's power restored, the duo tries to evade their pursuers, zigzagging and flying through a pod of Purrgils. I don't know why star whales make me so darn happy, but they do. Any glimpse or reference to them excites me, and I love the lore Filoni built around them. We get an excellent history lesson about the potential connection between Purrgils and hyperspace lanes, and Ahsoka connects the dots between the ring and ultimately finds Thrawn and, in turn, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi),

'Time to Fly" gives us another episode that is clearly Star Wars. I know some fans are complaining about the series early on (Imagine that!), but this is the closest thing to the classic Star Wars feel we've received in the Disney+ era. Filoni is building a lore and allowing the story to take shape at its own pace.

For the first time, we see a more fun side to Ahsoka when they're engaged in the fight with the other starfighters. I believe the cross-armed stance she's taken most of the series isn't one of  being stoic, but one of keeping those around her at a distance and as the story progresses, we will see more of the personality we saw in "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels." 

I know it’s meant to represent a wiser and more spiritual version of Ahsoka, but I feel like she’s never recovered from her encounter with Vader on Malachor V in season 2 finale of “Star Wars: Rebels.” The voice of her former master emanating from the broken mask of Darth Vader shook something inside her and she’s not been the same since.

My biggest fear is we will have a Force Noodle moment between Sabine and a cup. For everyone versed in canon books, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who don't, in the novel "Heir to the Jedi," set between "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back," Luke Skywalker is teaching himself to move objects using force. Having trouble, he focuses on a smaller object, much like Ahsoka instructs Sabine to, and moves a noodle from his lunch. I know we can't have Sabine yanking ships out of the sky or force pushing her enemies  immediately, but please don't give me a cup/noodle moment.

Dawson, Bordizzo and Tennant make a great trio that play off each other and are enjoyable to watch the back and forth between them. Tennant delivers wonderful lines at every turn and steals each scene Huyang is in. We don’t get to see her much, but I’m so intrigued by Sakhno and the origins of her character. I can’t take my eyes off her when she’s on screen.

"Time to Fly" effortlessly captures the essence of Star Wars, with Filoni's unfolding mystery set to thrill fans. Despite its short runtime, this episode packs a punch of pure Star Wars magic. This series is a gem.