Ahsoka Season 2 Thankfully Fixes A Major Season 1 Mistake
A major Ahsoka season 1 mistake is being fixed. Between exploring the adult version of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), bringing Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and other key Star Wars Rebels characters into live-action, building on The Mandalorian's Imperial Remnant storyline, exploring new characters like Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), and introducing a new galaxy, season 1 had a great deal to balance.
With so much to juggle and set up, and as indicated by the 64% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, the general reception to Ahsoka season 1 was more mixed than for Andor and some of the other Disney+ Star Wars shows. One of the more common criticisms of the season had to do with too many of the characters and their dialogue coming off as stiff, cold, and emotionless at times.
This criticism was further compounded in the Ahsoka season 1 finale when Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) returns to the main galaxy after years of being trapped on Peridea and reunites with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, the reunion is undercut by the camera cutting away before they hug, undermining what should have been one of the most emotional and rewarding moments of the season.
With season 1 being released in 2023 and season 2 not debuting until January 20, 2027, the long wait has only added to the frustration of this mistake. Fortunately, a pivotal shot in the Ahsoka season 2 trailer with Ezra and Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios reveals that the issue is poised to be fixed in the new season.
Ezra & Zeb's Hug Fixes What Happened In The Ahsoka Season 1 Finale
Amid glimpses of Clone Wars flashbacks, the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), and epic space battles, the Ahsoka season 2 trailer features a shot of Ezra and Zeb warmly hugging each other. While this may seem like a small detail, it is a sign of the show fixing what happened with Ezra and Hera in the season 1 finale, along with the show's larger issue of being too stiff, cold, and emotionless at times.
Ezra and Zeb hugging is indicative of the joy and warmth that is appropriate for Ezra reuniting with the Ghost crew. Star Wars Rebels shows how the crew is truly a found family with deep bonds between them, and Ahsoka is accurately depicting that based on the glimpse of this interaction between Ezra and Zeb, who are like brothers to one another.
The stoicism that Ahsoka, Sabine, and many other characters frequently displayed in season 1 was not out of place, with there being plenty of past trauma, fear, and other story reasons for it. That being said, stoicism should not be the dominant trait for all characters in this show, which is part of the reason why Ezra provided a refreshing change of pace to the dynamics when he first appeared in season 1. His larger role in season 2 and being with Zeb and Hera again should continue to help this be less of an issue.
Zeb's Return Fixes Another Ahsoka Season 1 Mistake
In addition to helping the aforementioned issues, Zeb's return fixes the mistake of his absence in Ahsoka season 1. The series is in many ways a live-action sequel to Star Wars Rebels that heavily features surviving Ghost crew members Sabine, Hera, Ezra, Chopper, and Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten). It was distracting to not have Zeb be part of this, and without him, it did not feel like a full-fledged sequel to Rebels.
This is no longer the case in Ahsoka season 2 now that Zeb is back with Ezra, and he will presumably reunite with Hera, Chopper, and Jacen as well. As fun as it was to see Zeb in The Mandalorian and Grogu, he belongs with his found family, and with his presence, Ahsoka can now feel like a truly proper Rebels sequel.
With Sabine on Peridea, she and Zeb won't be able to reunite quite yet, but it seems inevitable that she will eventually return, and all surviving members of the Ghost crew can be together again in Ahsoka. They were integral to the Rebel Alliance in the fight against the Galactic Empire, and now the Ghost crew is invaluable to the New Republic in the fight against Thrawn and the Imperial Remnant.