Party at the Jedi Temple.
By Eric Goldman
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Well dang, a lot happened here, huh?!
Filled with Inquisitors, Ahsoka Tano, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, “Shroud of Darkness” was a jam-packed episode that was overflowing with Jedi-goodness.
Having The Clone Wars’ Matt Lanter return as Anakin Skywalker – both via holographic training recordings and then as a Force apparition – was a great throughline, as Ahsoka thought back on her old master.
But of course what really was monumental was her making the one leap she still hadn’t since she and Darth Vader first sensed each other in the season premiere, as she realized Vader and Anakin were one and the same. Ahsoka screaming and crying in that moment was very powerful – and having her proclaim “There’s still a way” later was notable. We know she’s right, there is a way to bring Anakin back (assuming that’s what she meant?). But she’s not the one who will do it, once more adding a, ahem, shroud over Ahsoka and the fear that she will attempt to confront Vader and lose everything in the process.
Yoda made his second appearance on Rebels, but this time we actually saw him – with his appearance, quite amusingly, inspired by the original Kenner Yoda action figure. Yoda seemed disheartened by Ezra’s wish to solve their problems with violence, as we saw (and Ahsoka noted) the toll the Clone Wars took on him.
Also, how amazing was it to see actual footage from Attack of the Clones used briefly in this episode?! On one hand, it kind of underlines how much the prequels overly relied on CGI when you can use footage of the movie Clone Troopers, albeit distorted and drained of color, and it doesn’t look bizarrely out of place in a computer animated series. On the other hand… it was really fun and cool how they did that (along with some footage from The Clone Wars sneaking in too it appeared).
Kanan’s encounter meanwhile was very exciting and intriguing, though it ended in a decidedly bizarre way. The reveal that the Temple Guard (or Sentinel, as the credits called him) was the Grand Inquisitor was awesome, as we learned he had once been a Jedi himself.
On the other hand, I have no idea what to make of all of those Guards confronting the Inquisitors at the end. The Grand Inquisitor reinforced these guys were Force spirits of a sort, and not really there… so what happened when they slammed into the Inquisitors? Nothing? We see the Inquisitors at the end and they’re fine, so it was just a strange transition.
Otherwise though, this was a very cool, intriguing episode that offered a ton to chew on.
Some bullet points:
-It’s hard not to be amused by real life husband and wife Freddie Prinze, Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar playing mortal enemies in a huge lightsaber fight, even as she noted his “handsome face.”
-I liked that the entire journey to the Jedi temple was inspired by Kanan and Ezra realizing that their very presence among the Rebels, and the Inquisitors tracking them as a result, was putting their allies in danger.
-Ahsoka says the last time she saw Anakin, “He was rushing off to save the Chancellor.” This obviously heavily leans towards her seeing him right before the beginning of Revenge of the Sith (keeping in mind Dave Filoni and company had plans for many Clone Wars episodes that never were completed), but if nothing else, is lets us know Anakin and Ahsoka did meet again after she left the Jedi order.
-Speaking of Ahsoka’s ex-Jedi status, it was interesting when she said she couldn’t help open the temple. I assume it was more on a “It wouldn’t be right” level though, since the Inquisitors, who have the Force but sure aren’t Jedi, opened it themselves shortly thereafter.
-The Grand Inquisitor kept warning Kanan about Ezra falling to the dark side. Not the first time this idea has been brought up, but hmm…
-It was a very funny beat when Kanan realized he’d grabbed a red-bladed lightsaber and was annoyed by it.
-So now both white and yellow lightsaber blades are canon, huh? What other colors await?
Offering huge connective pieces to The Clone Wars, to missing moments from the past and to the potential fate of some characters, “Shroud of Darkness” was a Force-powered episode that gave Star Wars fans so much to ponder. The huge looming question of just where the hell Kanan, Ezra and Ahsoka could be during the events of the original trilogy is hard to ignore, especially now that we know Yoda is aware of all of them being alive at this point. But it sure is interesting to see where this all leading.
And in the meantime, how emotional was it to see Yoda simply waving at Ahsoka?!
