Ahsoka Episode 3 Review: A Mild Improvement

The third episode of the new Star Wars TV series Ahsoka has arrived on Disney+. “Part Three: Time to Fly” continues the story of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) as she attempts to train Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in the ways of the Force. The episode begins with Sabine receiving training from the droid Huyang (David Tennant). Sabine is having trouble using the Force, and we have an episode that pushes things in the right direction for a series that is still finding its footing.

This is one of the more nostalgic episodes of Ahsoka, combining old Star Wars with new Star Wars. Sabine’s training at the beginning of the episode is reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s training under Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original 1977 Star Wars movie. This is evident in how Sabine must learn how to see using only the Force. It’s also fascinating to see how Ahsoka has stepped into her role of (sort-of) Jedi Master, as most of her appearances in Star Wars: The Clone Wars featured her as a Padawan to Anakin Skywalker.

Later in the episode, Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has a meeting with a few senators. This scene features the return of Genevieve O’Reilly as Chancellor Mon Mothma. O’Reilly has played the role in many Star Wars films and shows, most recently in Andor. The scene where Hera is trying to convince the senators of the looming threat of Imperial remnants is effective. It gives a display of Hera’s history as a Rebel and her personal reason for wanting to prevent Thrawn’s return.

Hera’s son Jacen says he wants to be a Jedi. It will be interesting to see if this storyline will continue and if he will be used further in Star Wars media. Pretty soon, the episode enters a dogfight, with Ahsoka and Sabine needing to learn how to communicate with each other. This feels like a classic Star Wars battle, at times reminiscent of the battle between the Millennium Falcon and the TIE Fighters in the original film. While this episode may not be as groundbreaking as other Star Wars media and is ultimately very simple, it gets to the DNA of what makes the franchise work with some excellent ideas.

The best part of “Part Three” is when Ahsoka arrives on the wing of the shuttle in a spacesuit. This is something that we have seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, and seeing this type of action in live-action is brilliant. That is what the show has been doing the best of taking some of the best animated Star Wars content and translating it perfectly to live-action. It’s also nice to see Ahsoka and Sabine learning how to work together as the chase goes on. Although the emotional beats need a bit more work, it is more effective than it was in the first two episodes.

The episode ends with Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) ordering his troops to hunt down the Jedi in the forest, ending the best episode of the series so far.

SCORE: 7/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.