Last week’s episode of Ahsoka focused entirely on the titular lead and her encounter with Anakin Skywalker, so it makes sense that this week would shift the attention to the rest of the cast for most of the runtime. And boy was this the right call, as cutting away to Ahsoka would have taken away from the revelations to be found in this week’s episode, resulting in a focused episode with lots of standout moments.

The episode opens with a brief sequence with Ahsoka and Huyang on the ship en route to a galaxy far, far away. Ahsoka reveals to the droid (who I think will get it by the end, by the way) that Sabine willingly left with Baylan, which shocks the droid. In need of a little pick me up, the droid regals to Ahsoka story set long ago, in a galaxy far, far away (somehow that worked) as we transition to the Eye of Scion as it pulls out of hyperspace and arrives at Peridea, the homeworld of the witches of Dathomir. It’s here where we meet a trio of witches and a new Great Mother, who are also aware of the Jedi. This opens up a slew of questions, how did the Nightsisters arrive at Dathomir, does the Force transcend to other galaxies, why didn’t all the Nightsisters leave this wasteland? I’m not sure, but Shin is undoubtedly showing some doubt as to why her master wanted to come here if Thrawn wasn’t his end goal. He seeks a power, the beginning. My guess is that it’s something to do with the World Between Worlds or maybe the Mortis gods, but we’ll see. We also learn that he was a general during the Clone Wars and that he misses the idea of the Jedi Order, but not the Order itself thanks to the corruption. When Shin asks him if she’s like Ezra, a Force-wielder trained outside of the traditional Temple learnings, Baylan presses that he’s trained her to be something more. I really like their dynamic together and that Baylan isn’t just a moustache-twirling villain. Thrawn doesn’t seem to care about the two new mercenaries on his planet and is fully willing to leave them behind should he find a reason to whereas Baylan seems to be doing his own thing, it just so happens that his goals align with finding Thrawn but now that that’s come to pass, he becomes something of a wildcard for the plot.

Speaking of Thrawn, the Grand Admiral returns! Reprising the role he voiced in Star Wars Rebels, Lars Mikkelsen transitions from animation to live-action with effortless ease. The Admiral is a calm and reserved villain, very unlike most villains and if you’ve never seen Rebels or read the books about him, you may be wondering what the big fuss is about. In short, he’s a brilliant military tactician who uses Sherlock Holmes levels of deduction and a passion for art to outmaneuver his opponents. An interesting caveat is that when he learns that Ahsoka is likely en route, he asks Morgan for any and all information on her so he can prepare for her arrival. One thing he asks for is who her master was and interestingly enough, Thrawn has done a mission before with Anakin Skywalker during the book Thrawn: Alliances, which took place during the Clone Wars. So Thrawn will be able to deduce a lot about Ahsoka based on his time with Skywalker. Fun fact.

Also, weekly praise for composer Kevin Kiner and his fantastic score. It’s so good.

Much like Dooku did in The Clone Wars, Thrawn has made an alliance with the Nightsisters in order to gather more information, as information is Thrawn’s greatest weapon. His stormtroopers, much like his flagship The Chimera, look derelict and decrepit, a stark contrast to his pristine white garbs. Considering the coffin-looking shapes that the troops are loading onto the ship, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the bulk of Thrawn’s forces are Nightsister zombies, which would replace the clones he used in the original books. Their Uruk-like chanting seemed otherworldly and savage, which complements Ahsoka’s Gandalf-like rebirth as this show is pulling heavily from The Lord of the Rings. So if Ahsoka is Gandalf, then Thrawn and his white garb must be Saruman, who was a sorcerer who created a powerful army of his own.

Sabine is naturally reunited with Thrawn, a moment that hits harder if you’ve followed this story in Rebels. He actually frees her and sets her out into the wild with Shin and Hati in pursuit, with intent on having Ezra and Sabine killed if possible, but if no success is found there, he’s content with stranding all the Force users on the planet as he leaves. He also has two units following them, the most he’s willing to sacrifice considering his dwindling numbers. But Thrawn and Sabine’s reunion pales next to when Sabine finds her long-missing friend towards the end of the episode, Ezra Bridger. This scene likely has no emotional impact if you’ve never seen Rebels before, as Ezra’s opening quip about knowing he could count on her only lands if you have that prior knowledge. I didn’t think we’d get both Thrawn and Ezra this week. Played by Eman Esfandi, the apprentice of Kanan Jarrus has been living as a nomad with a bunch of humanoid snail aliens and is very happy to see his old friend. Esfandi may not look like the Ezra from the show thanks to his longer hair and beard, but he certainly captured the mannerisms and vibe of animated Ezra. The hermits he’s been living with are also very Star Warsy in nature, being weird enough to be out there but familiar enough to be cute. Likewise for Sabine’s wolf companion, which came across as very Willow to me. Makes you wonder why Thrawn didn’t bother looking for Ezra if Sabine could find him in a day, he must not have been that far away.

“Far, Far Away” was another hit for the Ahsoka series, one that brings with it a new setting, returning faces and a new threat to the galaxy. Ahsoka herself may win come the end of the episode, finding Sabine and making amends with her, but Thrawn must also win, likely by wiping out the New Republic fleet come the end of the season. Bring it on.