OBI-WAN KENOBI -- Kids! You Can't Live With Them and You Can't Live Without Them

6/22/2022

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Part VI

With the insurgents on the run and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan MacGregor) with no other choice, he separates from Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) and lets Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) chase him instead. They must have the ultimate showdown to determine the fate of one or the other. While Vader chases Obi-Wan to an undisclosed planet, Reva (Moses Ingram) closes in on Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Luke (Grant Freely) on Tatooine. Whoever gets to their prey first may see how this Obi-Wan Kenobi season ends for all of them.

Two stories within this episode parallel each other: one for the redemption of Reva, the Third Sister, and the other to get Leia home to fulfill Obi-Wan's promise to her father, Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits). This is the ultimate test for Obi-Wan, which has been leading to this moment the entire season and since the end of Revenge of the Sith. Is the master better than the apprentice? That is the question we all want to know! The same question is asked of Reva as well. Can she show her worthiness and prove she's better than the High Inquisitor? The finale asks and answers all the questions the viewers want to know.

The visuals in this final episode are fantastic, with night shooting making for more of a darker story. One particular shot of Vader is quite menacing and pretty cool. It's the darkest episode yet, proving what will eventually come in the Star Wars Universe. Many years of darkness due to Darth Vader and his Emperor. Who will reign supreme, the good side or the dark side? That is the ultimate question.

Debra Chow had a tall task trying to do a story involving Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. She threw in a few curve balls nobody expected, such as Princess Leia. Some famous cameos were also added to the show to add a little fun and excitement. A few missteps along the way might have derailed the show, but she ended this season on a strong note. The battle of good versus evil — the Jedi against the Sith — is the bedrock of this franchise, now and forever. Let's not lose sight of that fact. The writers and showrunners need to keep this in mind going forward

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 4.5/5

Part V

After Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) narrowly escape Reva Sevander, The Third Sister (Moses Ingram), and Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), they are on the run, and they've holed up on a planet in a large bunker with a bunch of refugees. Reva Sevander's tracker is still working, and she and Vader have pinpointed the location. They are close to capturing Obi-Wan and Leia.

The last episode got a lot of people mad because of the lack of verisimilitude in the episode. We all know Stormtroopers can't hit the broad side of a barn, but there were a few issues with the plot and story that were a little wonky even for die-hard Star Wars fans like me, such as the Speeder Bikes and so forth. Episode five is a significant improvement on episode four.

This episode delves more into the history of the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. It talks about why Obi-Wan was the master and Anakin was the apprentice. Even though Anakin/Vader has the power of the dark side at his disposal, he still has a lot to learn about tactics and when to run instead of fight. Also, Vader finally reveals his endgame involving Reva Sevander, which will probably make many people happy. So Darth Vader wasn't a complete idiot in this episode. Just a minor one.

Despite mostly being set in this large bunker, there were some cool action sequences and lightsaber fights. Once again, Leia has proven why she is so smart and intuitive. She has a knack for helping Obi-Wan get out of tough spots. Lyra Blair is a young actress people will remember in the future. This episode isn't without its tragedy, though — a few series regulars moved on to the afterlife. It served the story well and ensured the viewers knew the consequences were real in the show.

Part IV

Things aren't looking good for Obi-Wan Kenobi or Leia. Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) barely survived an encounter with Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), and young Leia (Vivian Lyra Blair) is captured by the third sister, Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram). With the help of Tala (Indira Varma), a Rebel spy working for the Empire, Obi-Wan has to heal from his wounds at the hand of Darth Vader. When he wakes up, he sets out on a mission to rescue Princess Leia from Fortress Inquisitorial on an all-water planet in the Mustafar sector.

Episode four of Obi-Wan Kenobi reminds me of Star Wars quite a bit when Like and Han went to rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star. This episode is very similar to that in a lot of ways. At every turn, Obi-wan, Princess Leia, and Tala are impressed by droids, Imperial officers, and Storm Troopers, Not to mention the ever-vigilant Reva Sevander. She is dead set on finding where the rebel base is and killing Obi-wan Kenobi for her master Darth Vader. She didn't expect a rescue attempt, though.

This episode was a lot of fun. Obi-wan got to do some lightsaber fighting, and the tension was high multiple times because our heroes were caught with nowhere to go. Multiple rescue scenarios, explosions, and blaster fire from everywhere filled the episode with plenty of action and suspense. This is definitely one of the better episodes thus far due to the sheer volume of action and edge-of-your-seat sequences. This show continues to amaze me with how authentic and action-packed it is in every episode.

Season one of Obi-Wan Kenobi has been a fun thrill ride so far. What could have been an annoying child character in episode one has turned into a generally intriguing young lady to watch on screen. I am totally invested in Leia's story now. Getting her back to her parents on Alderaan is as important to me as it is to Obi-Wan in the show. This show, more so than The Book of Boba Fett, has glued me into their plight, and I can't wait for the next episode at this point each week.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 4.5/5

Part III

After Obi-Wan rescues young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair), he seeks advice from beyond. The third sister, Riva Sevander (Moses Ingram), failed to find him, but she is still on his trail. She even gets threats from her master Darth Vader, voiced by James Earl Jones, that if she doesn't find him soon, she will pay the ultimate price — her life will be forfeit. Obi-Wan and young Leia are still on the run because he needs to get her home back to her adopted parents.

Having no idea where they are, Obi-Wan and Leia hail a ride with a stranger passing by named Freck. Obi-Wan has to keep his stories right, having so many different things going on in his head. He almost reveals secrets to Leia that he doesn't mean to. He doesn't have many friends he can trust. It's hard to gauge what he needs to do next. It's not easy being on the run and having everybody in the galaxy looking for you.

Once again, the production value of the show is fantastic. The fact that Riva has her agenda keeps her on Obi-Wan and Leia's trail. She has to worry about Lord Vadar and her fellow inquisitors about whether or not she will live to see the next day. Obi-Wan has to find a way to get Leia home, and that's not an easy task either. He doesn't know which of his new friends he can trust. Episode three is better than the last two episodes, so that's a good thing.

Episode three introduces some new characters and brings back a major thorn in Obi-wan's side. Someone who he mentored for years before turning to the dark side. Lord Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen). Radar has had enough insolence from the inquisitors, so he desires to engage in the search for Kenobi and Leia himself. This adds another layer to the series, which makes episode three the best so far. The intrigue and suspense will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 4.5/5

Part I and Part II

Going all the way back to Star Wars in 1977, Obi-Wan Kenobi was a character who was steeped in mystery. The prequels alleviated some of that mystery, but with a different actor than Sir Alec Guinness playing the role of Kenobi. George Lucas cast Scottish star of stage and screen Ewan MacGregor. Despite these films and the show, the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi is still a bit of an enigma to fans.

With the launching of Disney + a couple of years ago, Lucasfilm wanted to create new shows based on new IPs and delve more into some of their established characters. One of those is Obi-Wan Kenobi, bringing back the stellar Ewan MacGregor to the role. This character has many years that haven't been accounted for in the Star Wars mythos. This show aims to change that, and fans are giddy with anticipation to learn what this character has been up to during those lost years.

At the end of Revenge of the Sith, we all know Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan had a duel to the death, and Obi-Wan was tasked with taking Anakin and Padme Amidala's (Natalie Portman) kids to safe locations. One of those locations was Tatooine, where Obi-Wan was supposed to look after young Luke, one of the twin children. This show takes place ten years after the children were born, and Obi-Wan is still doing his duty watching over Luke until something comes up that takes him away from his job as a watcher.

This show delves into an era where the Jedi were thought to be extinct; therefore, any who survived Order 66 are hidden and try not to use their powers. The Inquisitors, last seen in Rebels, are on the lookout for Jedi who survived. These Inquisitors are Jedi themselves that we're turned to the dark side of the Force. The Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) is hot on the tail of a Jedi. Meanwhile, one of his underlings, Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram), has her own plans: hunting down Obi-Wan Kenobi and trying to make a name for herself and gain privilege with her master, Lord Darth Vader, aka Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan has other problems to deal with besides the Inquisitors, though.

Debra Chow gained prominence with her episode of The Mandalorian a few years ago. That episode caught the eye of Jon Favreau and Kathleen Kennedy at Lucas Film. They tasked her with this Obi-Wan Kenobi show and bringing the iconic character back to the masses. She has succeeded so far! This show is a visual and technical marvel. The scenes on a planet other than Tatooine are gorgeous. Her use of light is fantastic, and the stagecraft is invisible in both episodes. I thought I was transplanted into this world.

The casting of the show besides MacGregor is fantastic as well. Sung Kang is a popular Japanese actor who plays one of the Inquisitors. He's famous for the Fast & Furious franchise. There are a couple of cameos, but they weren't that great in the context of the show. One, in particular, is rather bad, and it's hard for me to say this. He just isn't good in the show. Returning in a cameo also is Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars. It was cool to see him come back. One character in the show has a surprising demise, and I'm still shocked that he is gone from the show. All in all, the cast was fine except for one person.

This show had its moments of coolness and some other cringe-worthy moments. The story and dialogue seemed a bit clunky at times but mostly okay. The cast, cameos included, mainly was fine. The show looked great so far after two episodes. The stagecraft is better than ever in this show. Debra Chow and her staff have done an admirable job so far, and Obi-Wan Kenobi deserves his own show. These lost years will hopefully be filled with more action and adventure like these two episodes had. I'm pleased with what I've seen so far. There is still more to come, so the sky's the limit for this show and iconic Star Wars character.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 4/5

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