This article was originally published on SFFGazette.com.
The penultimate episode of Ahsoka arrived on Disney+ last night and it was a little different than expected. Despite being a great showcase for Ahsoka Tano now she has a newfound purpose and a reminder of what a terrifying strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn is, all those unanswered questions...well, they remain unanswered.
The biggest surprise comes when Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati part ways in the episode, with the Master encouraging his Apprentice to take the place she so strongly desires in the new Empire. With that, it seems their time together is over.
However, when Ahsoka arrives on Peridea, he steps in to stop her in an exciting lightsaber duel which sees the villain ultimately fall short. The former Jedi escapes and while he did his best to slow the hero down, Baylan seems content to continue his search for whatever it is he's sensed in this new Galaxy.
As for Thrawn, while he too is unable to defeat Ahsoka, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger, we learn the attack was simply a means of distracting the heroes long enough for his Night Troopers to finish loading that mysterious cargo aboard the Chimaera (and no, we're no closer to learning what's inside those caskets).
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Intriguingly, a number of Night Troopers are killed in battle and no green energy erupts from any of them; does this go some way in debunking theories they're corpses who have been resurrected by the Great Mothers? We'll see, but it's made clear here that they serve their "Lord" Thrawn, not the other way around.
Ultimately, Ahsoka's latest episode was a largely fan-pleasing affair which saw Ezra Bridger show off how capable he's become with the Force while fighting alongside both Sabine and Ahsoka in what proves to be a pitch-perfect reunion.
As "Dream and Madness" concludes, Ezra shares his excitement to finally return home, wrapping things up on a surprisingly positive note. With the Purrgil fleeing after an attack by Thrawn, the only way back will be aboard the Eye of Sion, suggesting a clash with the Grand Admiral is up next.
At this point, it's looking increasingly likely that Ahsoka will get a second season ahead of Dave Filoni's planned Star Wars movie. Still, we can only hope this first batch of episodes concludes on a satisfying note next Tuesday. Keeping an eye on the future is one thing, but this specific story needs a satisfying resolution too.
It's pretty obvious Thrawn's story is far from over so we're sure much of the finale will be devoted to laying the groundwork for him to take his place as "Heir to the Empire."