The man who has done most of the heavy lifting in Star Wars as of late is at it again. Dave Filoni may be remembered as the mastermind behind the sci-fi series at its best, with the creation of The Clone Wars and Rebels. Upcoming series Star Wars: Ahsoka is essentially a sequel to the animated shows, featuring the titular character and pyrotechnical Mandalorian, Sabine Wren’s (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) live-action debut. If that were not cause for enough celebration, Ahsoka will also be adding another genre favorite to its production.
According to makingstarwars.net, Geeta Vasant Patel will direct an unspecified episode for the Disney Plus series. Patel is most known for directing an episode of Max’s new smash success, House of the Dragon. The Game of Thrones prequel throws audiences almost three centuries before the events of the Starks we know and love. Before all the dragons died out, top-tier character, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), fights her half-brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) for the right to rule the Iron Throne, which was promised to her before the death of King Viserys (Paddy Considine).
Patel’s work on the series was brief but was for one of the most significant episodes of the season. “The Lord of the Tides” is the 8th episode of the season and follows the six-year time jump after Lady Laena’s (Nanna Blondell) funeral. In classic Targaryen form, Rhaenyra has married her uncle Daemon (Matt Smith), and they are expecting another child to add to their brood. This episode sets the course of events from bad to impossible to come back from.
Viserys finally succumbs to his long-winded and mysterious illness that resembles leprosy. Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra appear to make amends until the fateful night at Viserys’ deathbed. In a typical case of mistaken identity, Viserys believes he is talking to Rhaenrya when it is actually Alicent. Referring to the prophecy of the Song of Ice and Fire, Alicent believes it was Viserys’ dying wish to put Aegon on the throne, not Rhaenyra. This episode is a prologue to the final two episodes that kick off the war between the Blacks and the Greens in earnest. Patel handles this heavy episode with grace and nuance that makes it a perfect precursor to the work she will do in Ahsoka.
As depicted in Rebels, the world of Star Wars doesn’t solely belong to children. The series deals with heavy material that will undoubtedly transition into the live-action series. We will finally see the live-action interpretation of Thrawn, who is voiced by the Rebels actor Lars Mikkelsen. Thrawn is the architect of many horrors, which makes him a compelling and theatrical villain. While it does not contain the incest-filled battles of House of the Dragon, Ahsoka will have similarly daunting subject material. Star Wars: Ahsoka will air on August 23, on Disney Plus.