Ahsoka

Available on Disney+

It’s common knowledge that some franchises have made a better fist of creating cinematic universes than others. Despite its flaws, Marvel’s MCU remains the gold standard for many studios, with its interconnected stories still drawing in huge audiences both at home and the multiplex.

It’s certainly not surprising then that Star Wars, another Disney-owned pop culture behemoth, is attempting to follow suit, albeit in a somewhat offbeat way. Rather than introducing its new characters and worlds in Layman’s terms, the iconic sci-fi saga is relying on its followers to hold a certain level of prior knowledge or, to use a more accurate term, geekdom.

This is most evident in Ahsoka, created and directed by Dave Filoni, an eight-episode series that is composed almost entirely of characters that originally debuted in the animated Star Wars Rebels. Its titular protagonist, played by a game Rosario Dawson, is the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker (who is once again reprised by Hayden Christensen, his prequel sins seemingly absolved) and investigating the rumoured return of the villainous - and very blue - Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

Admittedly, Ahsoka is enjoyable enough for viewers who, like me, have no prior knowledge of the events of Rebels, with Filoni unafraid to indulge in the sort of free-wheeling, low-stakes thrills that make The Mandalorian so eminently watchable and Dawson (along with stand-out supporting cast members Natasha Liu Bordizzo and David Tennant) delivering a performance that is easy to root for.

However, the inescapable issue with the show is that many of its big moments (such as the eventual reveal of Thrawn) do not impact casual viewers in the way they assumedly do for those that are more initiated in Star Wars folklore, which makes for a viewing experience that is fitfully entertaining at best. Alas, perhaps that is the intention and, as long as the die-hards are satisfied, neither Filoni or his paymasters will sneer at the notion of a happy fanbase.