Controversial Ahsoka Episode 3 Divides Fans Despite Glowing Reviews

Highlights

Star Wars: Ahsoka fans are upset with the short runtime of episode 3, despite overall positive reviews for the episode.

The episode, lasting only 36 minutes, was considerably shorter than its predecessors, leaving fans disappointed as they believed there was substantial content to cover. This complaint underscores the disadvantage of having flexible time slots on streaming platforms. However, the overall positive reception of the episode is encouraging, and Rosario Dawson's portrayal of Ahsoka is impressing critics.

Despite overwhelmingly positive reviews for episode 3 of Star Wars: Ahsoka on Disney Plus, fans have raised concerns about a recurring issue seen across all three episodes of the live-action series.

Star Wars: Ahsoka, a spin-off of the space western The Mandalorian, has been embraced by the fanbase as a beloved adaptation and spiritual successor to Star Wars: Rebels and other animated Star Wars projects. Showrunner Dave Filoni established the connection between Ahsoka and Rebels early on, which was evident in the show's powerful double-episode debut. This instantly captivated a significant portion of the fanbase who were fans of the show and related media.

The release of the third episode of Ahsoka has left its rapidly growing loyal fanbase disappointed with one significant change. While many fans praised the episode on social media, they also expressed their dissatisfaction with its short duration, considering the episode's high level of interest. Some users even suggested that the episode should have been twice as long on Disney Plus, a streaming platform that has recently canceled the Spiderwick Chronicles series and focused on internally owned IPs, such as Star Wars: Ahsoka.

Compared to the previous episodes, the Ahsoka episode in question had a remarkably short runtime of 36 minutes. The premiere episodes, on the other hand, had a more satisfying duration of 44 and 56 minutes respectively. This significant difference, with episode three being almost half the length of the first episode, is especially noticeable considering the amount of content the show tries to incorporate in each episode. In addition, the episode hints at Sam Witwer's return to the Star Wars franchise as Starkiller and establishes various plot points derived from the animated series.

Content must be rewritten in English:

Ideally, projects should have a moderate or short runtime. However, with the rise of streaming services, longer runtimes have become more common. Star Wars fans are experiencing the downside of this flexibility, as variable time slots can be limiting. Unlike regular network TV shows, streaming allows creators to disregard minimum episode lengths for advertising and time slot utilization.

Although the complaint is valid, the overwhelmingly positive feedback on the third episode is encouraging. In fact, some critics who were initially skeptical of the premiere have now been won over by the third installment. This example illustrates that good things can come in small packages. It also highlights how Rosario Dawson's unexpected portrayal of Ahsoka has been a success and could potentially lead to a long-running and lore-filled Star Wars series.

Star Wars: Ahsoka episodes 1-3 are now available for streaming on Disney Plus.

Source: @KevinNiedenfuer, @KeithALund, @LazyCh3f, @JakobStutz, @conor__sheeran (via ComicBook)