Really really liked this episode! I thought the way connection/potential loss of that connection played into every single character's journey this episode was really fun to watch. I think Filoni has a pretty good handle on the thematic qualities he's trying to impart with the two master/apprentice relationships we've seen so far.
Here's some of my thoughts on that if you're interested in reading...
All four of the main forcewielders in the show have conflicts to do with attachment, which highlights their flaws and what makes them interesting honestly.
-Shin goes to Baylan while he's fighting Ahsoka because of the fear of the loss of her master. I think the editing, and leaving her saber behind showed how much of a reactive and emotional action it was. Even the force choke of sabine you can connect to that risk of what keeping an enemy alive could mean. I'm more convinced than ever that if Baylan dies, she’ll go full dark side. There's no way she'd be able to process that grief. She even seemed to have a really fearful reaction to Marrok of all people dying who was LITERAL SMOKE. They held on that reaction for a long time to show that she just has a lot of emotional immaturity to her. That inability to deal with her emotions brings fear to the forefront even in these conflict situations where she's mostly seemed disassociated.
-Ahsoka force pushes Shin in the fear of losing her apprentice, which is absolutely a trauma response. She becomes completely unbalanced because of that potential loss of her padawan. She’s lost too much over the decades of her life. What does she even have left? She’s fighting to stop a war but for what? For who? Her connection has just been lost to Sabine, just as she lost Anakin. Her regrets are controlling her and lead her to her end here. I'm not thrilled with the decision to essentially 'kill' her, but it's a powerful one nevertheless and should give some really interesting content in Episode 5 for her character.
-Baylan unloads on ahsoka, completely tapping into the dark side when she attacks his apprentice (doesnt even matter if they’re blood related, this is definitely father/daughter stuff they’re playing at). That relationship is much different than Ahsoka/Sabine, which is something Baylan seems to play to to get Sabine to hand over the map. Those more vicious and powerful attacks allow him to get the edge on Ahsoka, and defeat her. Before she threw Shin into the pillar, i read his actions as him being more focused on stalling her out. that line he says 'it didn't need to come to this, but you know no other way', absolute chills. it's heartbreaking to have lost a performer as talented as Ray Stevenson.
-Sabine has just lost her master and the sheer opportunity to see Ezra again (the one connection she truly has left) leads her to give the map up to Baylan. That's all that matters to her anymore, because what else does she have left? I know some will hate her for this decision as it opens the galaxy up to war, but I think it's a great moment for her character and is very human.
Episode 4, therefore, through all the amazing lightsaber duels, is all about the fear of loss, the impacts attachment have on our spirituality and found family. These themes that Star Wars has focused on forever. I think that's why you have people saying it feels so naturally Star Wars to them, because it's dealing with the same themes, in a new light.
And who connects most of all to those emotions and fear of loss out of literally every character in the Star Wars mythos?
Anakin. Skywalker.
No surprise he’s the one to show up at the end
My only other point to make is to plead. Hot Toys. Please make Baylan and Shin. It's just so beyond necessary. I think their outfits were even cooler without the cloaks too which I didn't think was possible honestly.
I feel like it's almost a chorus of praise for those two. Even that Jeremy Jahns video posted above, where he's ultimately pretty meh on the show, involves a bunch of praise for them. Great antagonists make Star Wars special and its even better when it works to further the protagonists too.
It's a far from perfect show for sure, but I'm immersed. I want more. I can only hope the back half delivers on what the first half has set up.