While no one officially involved with the series is likely to come out and say it, Ahsoka is essentially Star Wars Rebels season 5. For fans of Dave Filoni's beloved animated series, that's been welcomed, but the series hasn't quite been the reunion they expected.
Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, and Hera Syndulla have shared the screen, but we haven't seen the entire Ghost crew together again. Ezra Bridger, who remains stranded in a distant Galaxy, only showed up last week and there's been no sign of Zeb Orrelios.
We'd expected him to definitely appear in Ahsoka after a surprise cameo appearance in The Mandalorian season 3's fifth episode. In that, the former Rebel was revealed to have joined the New Republic and briefly conversed with Captain Carson Teva on Adelphi about their government's failings.
With so much else happening in Ahsoka's latest episode, you might have missed Sabine's explanation for Zeb's absence. Catching Ezra up on everything that's happened since he vanished, she mentions that he's now "training recruits," presumably for the New Republic army.
Some fans have expressed disappointment with this development (and quite a few missed it), but given what we've seen in the first seven episodes, shoehorning Zeb into the story just so the crew could assemble aboard the Ghost feels like the sort of forced - no pun intended - fan-service which doomed The Rise of Skywalker.
Whether it's in season 2 or Filoni's planned Star Wars movie, the former Rebels are sure to reunite at some point for one more adventure, but there's never really been an opportunity for anyone to request Zeb's help. Remember, Ahsoka initially didn't want to work with Sabine and Hera's mission was unauthorised.
Patience is going to be required when it comes to seeing Star Wars Rebels' leads all in the same frame again, though it may never happen if Filoni doesn't feel it fits the story he's telling. Plus, we can't say for sure whether everyone on Seatos will make it back home...
Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, the series stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.
Ahsoka was written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Directors include Filoni, Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Rick Famuyiwa.
Seven of eight episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.