You have been warned. If you plan to watch Ahsoka and you don’t like spoilers, don’t read this. Stop now. I personally love them. I want to know what happens. I’m kinda like that in real life too. Can you just tell me what’s going to happen so I can stop wondering? No, don’t. I actually like suspense.
Ashoka is a series about a bunch of badass hot women getting things done. It is the most truly female-centered thing I’ve seen since the movie Contagion. Other series may center female characters, but they have very prominent male characters. Contagion and Ahsoka are all about women, and almost all of the interactions are between women. (I don’t have the energy to italicize over and over again and this is not a formal writing, so with apologies to editors and professors, I’m going to just stop.)
I do not think I have to prove to this audience that I love men - I am on public record multiple times, even stating respect for a very controversial man, in this one: The Beauty of Female Passion. I am the opposite of a man-hater. Almost all of my best friends are men, many of whom are exes, some of whom I may still be dating. If you think we are dating, we probably are. No need to get technical. I see no wedding or engagement ring on my finger (I just checked.)
But! I love seeing shows where women are not portrayed as objects of the male gaze, objects of male pursuit, objects objects objects. I love shows where women are the moving powers. Ahsoka features amazing interactions between incredibly powerful women in which they act like men, in some ways, but remain very female. They show that wearing orange pants can be sexy. If you are a man who loves women as much as I love men, you should watch it just for the sex appeal of the actresses. Women in powerful positions doing awesome stuff.
But! There is one male character in Ahsoka who is a moving force. In fact, he is pretty much the motivator of the whole thing. You don’t even meet him until very late in the series, though you hear about him from minute one. Ezra.
Ezra is a Jedi. Ezra was Sabine’s best friend. Ezra disappeared in the pursuit of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who is presumed dead. Sabine Wren is a rebel for a rebel, and was rejected by her Jedi master, Ahsoka. Sabine is a Mandalorian, and you know what that means. Ahsoka needs Sabine’s help to, you know, save the galaxy, but she thinks Sabine won’t do it because of the bad blood between them. Hera, the general (looks amazing in orange pants) says, “She’ll do it. For Ezra.”
Sabine Wren risks her life, the galaxy, everything, to find Ezra. When she did, I thought to myself, “Oh hell yes I’d risk the galaxy for that guy!”
In the hologram he recorded before he disappeared, Ezra tells Sabine that she is like a sister to him. He is a Jedi, and while it is said that Jedi do not marry, you find out that his master, Kannan Jarrus, was a Jedi and is the father of Hera’s son Jason, who obviously has Jedi powers at a very young age. So apparently Jedi do get up to something on occasion.
(Question for all genders and sexual orientations: who would you rather hook up with? A Jedi or a Mandalorian? Please answer in the comments. Y’all need to start commenting. My old blog got thousands of comments and I’m not sure why y’all are so shy. See my answer to the question at the end of the post, after the mandatory flower pic.)
There is no love interest between Ezra and Sabine. When she finally finds him, you really do get the brother-sister vibe. She’s happy for the first time in the entire series.
I love the fact that real friendship is celebrated. It is such a myth that men and women can not be friends. People get hung up on the idea that if there is the slightest bit of sexual chemistry, friendship is out. I would say the opposite. I have had long arguments with therapists about this. Of course men and women can be friends if there is a bit of chemistry, as long as they are wise about what they do with it.
There is a closeness between Ezra and Sabine that makes one wonder if eventually, in Season 2 or 3 (for which I urgently pray, though certainly not as urgently as I pray for peace), something will happen between them. I do, secretly, want them to get together.
But! I love how Disney has created a show where the female characters do not have to be sex objects at all for the series to be a success. Sabine risks the galaxy and her life for her friend, not her lover.
Many people have said that there is not a proper category for true, strong friendships in our culture. So many people give up having close friends after they get married. For a time when I was first in a marriage-like partnership with my ex, I did step back from some of my friendships, but I went back to them. The thing that made it possible for me to be a front line, hardcore union organizer for almost twenty years was the closeness I had with my coworkers. I’ve had friends throughout my life who are the stand by you through anything, love you as you are, talk you out of incredibly bad ideas without straight up calling you a raving lunatic, much more than casual friends. There should be a word for that. I bet there is in Greek. Dad? Is there such a word in Greek? Are there such words in other languages? (Kindly answer in the comments, please.)
I understand flying across the galaxy and risking everything for a friend.
That being said, Ezra is hot AF.
https://ew.com/tv/eman-esfandi-joins-ahsoka-as-ezra-bridger/
Yeah, I’d risk the galaxy for that.
In case you are wondering, I’d rather date a Mandalorian. That may require its own entry.
https://www.communityreviewhbg.org/voices/rabbis/jewish-parallels-guide-the-mandalorian ... Mandalorians embrace their passions ... Jedi suppress their passions. Jedis have power that flows through all things. Mandalorians make their own power, forge their own weapons, train continuously for battle. Yes ... I choose Bo-Katan of House Kryze ... please and thank you. This is the way.
I totally agree with your analysis Mike