Why “Obi-Wan Kenobi” Ultimately Proves Itself Worthy of Praise
Despite some occasional clunky storytelling and acting, ‘Obi-Wan’ is still a welcome addition to the ‘Star Wars’ cannon
The first time I ever saw a ‘Star Wars’ movie was back in 1997, when I was just seven years old. My dad took me to the movie theater to see the first film “Episode IV: A New Hope”, and its “20 Year Anniversary” special, where they released the films one by one back into the theaters. Back then, there were only three films (that is unless you count the dreaded ‘Holiday Special’), and zero TV shows.
Flash-forward 25 years later, and the series has grown exponentially. From prequels AND sequels to the first three films, as well as animated and live-action shows (especially since the streaming app Disney + has formed). Let’s be fair, Hollywood saw this as a cash cow heading into the new century, and they wisely pounced on it. And with the emergence of streaming apps heading into the 2010’s, continued to pour more money into this beloved series.
While every addition hasn’t been necessarily welcomed with open arms, when the powers at be have handled things correctly (like “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, “Rogue One”, and the popular TV show “The Mandalorian”), ‘Star Wars’ fans have responded with the same fervor and passion we saw back when the first three films were released nearly a half century ago.
It’s too soon to see what side of the aisle the new “Obi-Wan Kenobi” show will fall on with those same fans. After all, the series finale just dropped today (and I’m just a big enough nerd of the series to have already seen it – don’t worry, this piece won’t contain any spoilers).
From my certain point of view, I will say that I enjoyed it. Not as much as “The Mandalorian”, but after what happened at the end of Season 2 of that series – that’s obviously going to be hard to beat. Unlike “The Mandarlorian”, which is a running TV show on Disney+, ‘Obi-Wan’ is a six-episode mini-series. And I emphasize the ‘mini’ part because each episode feels like a half hour long. To put things simply, this show flies by for the most part.
The beginning of the series is a little uneven, with new characters being introduced (such as the unrelenting Reva and the charismatic Grand Inquisitor), while Obi-Wan Kenobi tries to reawaken from his exile slumber. He’s been on the desert island Tatooine for approximately ten years, watching over a young Luke Skywalker from afar, after leaving his father Anakin to die on the volcano planet Mustafar after their last climactic battle in ‘Revenge of the Sith’. Obi-Wan is defeated when we are introduced to him, torturing himself for letting Anakin turn to the dark side, and feeling like he ultimately failed him as his master. After going into hiding, he is called into action once again as the Empire keeps drawing closer to finding maybe not just him, but Luke as well.
This is the best synopsis I can give without revealing any spoilers. Suffice to say that the first three episodes serve as a set up for what becomes a hugely satisfying and thrilling second half of the series. The way the Obi-Wan and Darth Vader characters are balanced by the creators of the show is especially exceptional.
Say what you will about Disney taking over the franchise back in 2012 and all the missteps they have made along the way – they have done a tremendous job at making Darth Vader as terrifying (if not moreso) than he was when we first met the character. It’s nice to see the much-maligned Hayden Christensen get his redemption (like his character’s arc ultimately) by playing Vader again, and having the fans show him some love this time around. And the iconic voice of James Earl Jones (who is 91!) returns to voice the character. Ewan McGregor once again effortlessly steps into the role of a younger Obi-Wan, and the younger version of Princess Leia we are introduced to, played by Viven Lyra Blair, is an absolute knockout and spitting image of Carrie Fisher.
The weak points are the side plots to Obi-Wan and Vader, and occasionally Moses Ingram, who plays the new villain Reva. Ultimately, Ingram redeems herself from an acting perspective, but at times during the show she’s just not as convincing as she should be. Also, despite having a riveting new character in The Grand Inquisitor, they really miss an opportunity using him more in this series. Rupert Friend not only does incredible work making him as sinister and terrifying as possible from a body language perspective, but the voice he creates for the character is outstanding and memorable.
Besides these setbacks, this series is still a success. Maybe not as epic as expected, but like I said, the last three episodes of this series make up for the first three – and some. It’s just fun being back in this universe. Granted, I have a nostalgic tie to it given I grew up watching these movies at a young age. So maybe that means I’m a bit biased as I come into whatever ‘Star Wars’ does wanting to like it – but I digress.
Even if you’re not the biggest ‘Star Wars’ fan in the galaxy and are more of a “middle of the road” kind of fan, I would still recommend it. It serves as an interesting backstory to what Obi-Wan was doing with himself for all those years, as he waits for the right opportunity to take Luke under his wing. And if you love seeing Darth Vader get real mad and be absolutely reckless, this series provides a heavy dose of that.
It'll be interesting to see what’s next in the universe. Because Disney has made it clear – this saga isn’t going away anytime soon.