Obi-Wan Kenobi – Episodes 1 and 2

Thus far, in the realm of live action television shows, Star Wars and Disney+ have been batting .500, with The Mandalorian a clear success (both in terms of ratings/pop culture appeal and in storytelling excellence) and The Book of Boba Fett not really working all that well – except when it served as a season 2.5 of sorts for The Mandalorian. However, with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lucasfilm and Disney+ are operating in a whole other realm. This is the first attempt for the duo to take an existing, beloved character to generations of Star Wars fans and repurpose him for a television miniseries. A heck of a gamble, especially as the series appears to be relying more heavily on the much-maligned prequel series of films than any other Star Wars project since the Rebels cartoon series. And I will admit I was skeptical going in. But after these initial two episodes (a third of the series’ six-episode running length), I’m fully sold on this adventure for the Jedi Knight in seclusion.

First, I have to point out how impressed I was with the Skywalker bait-and-switch the series did with its trailer. We were conditioned to expect that the initial portion of the story would be focused on Obi-Wan’s protection of young Luke Skywalker, and while that was certainly a facet of these initial two episodes, it was hardly the key feature. Instead, Obi-Wan was called upon to save Leia – after a plea from the Organa’s and the key call out that Leia is just as damn important as her brother, so Obi-Wan needs to check his guilt (and the misogynistic attitude that comes with it) and get out there and save her – and what a fun, complicated adventure it turned out to be.

With only six episodes total, and only four remaining, the thrust of the series is going to be the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and the former’s lingering guilt over being unable to “save” the latter. I suspect the lesson Obi-Wan needs to learn from this section of his story is that one cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. So much of what we saw in the prequel films was the short-sighted Jedi reliance on their innate goodness as a means to protect not only others but to protect themselves. And when someone failed to fall in line with what was expected, it threw off the entire line of thinking regarding that individual and caused those in positions of power to want to cast them aside. There’s a much longer piece to be written about the shortfalls of the pre-Clone Wars Jedi (and how Luke fell into many of the same traps when he attempted to take on his own apprentices), but Obi-Wan clearly still clings to the old ways when the universe has long passed them by.

Better to sit alone, hiding in the shadows, than step into the light and risk making the same mistakes again – or, even worse, failing to protect someone else he loves. While we’ve now seen Obi-Wan take steps to own his identity – but not yet confront his past, although I cannot see this series ending without some confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin – we know that the man who ends this series will not be wholly changed. We know that he will return to Tatooine and continue to live in the shadows, watching Luke and keeping tabs (in some way) on Leia as she rises to power. So, what precisely is the series trying to teach us about Obi-Wan? That a broken man can rally to confront his demons before slinking back into the shadows? That sometimes, you must face your fears before you can truly understand just why you need to run? I think that’s going to be the big question hanging over this series in its remaining four installments: Why are we getting this specific look into Obi-Wan’s life?

That’s the question I’ll be keeping front in center in my mind as I watch the remaining episodes. But, to get back into the review of these two installments, wow, what a great set of episodes. Perhaps it’s that we didn’t have to deal with any real world building or character introduction – save for the Inquisitors, and we’re still learning about them – but the two episodes flew by and were chock full of interesting beats and enough key set-ups for future installments to keep one wanting to come back for more. Ewan McGregor was back in fine form as Obi-Wan, much more close off than in the prequel films, but still with that twinkle in his eye that makes the character so beloved. Moses Ingram’s Third Sister/Reva was the perfect Star Wars villain – just reckless enough to make you understand how she ended up on the Imperial side of things, and with just a hint of humanity to help the audience understand that there might still be something worth saving within her – or at least a reason for the series to contemplate not killing her off before the end of things.

In fact, if I had to pick the character I’m most intrigued with and most want to see more of, it would be Reva. There’s a lot there (coming from nothing to realize she has force abilities, being treated as less-than due to her humble upbringing) that speaks to her strong connection to Anakin. I can wholly understand why she wants to follow him and impress him – she sees a lot of herself in him and wants to be like him. It’s a complicated role and one that I hope we get to see even more of (I assume she will be the main antagonist for Obi-Wan until the inevitable meeting with Anakin). Her offing of the Grand Inquisitor like that? Badass and troubling all at the same time.

So, Obi-Wan Kenobi is really doing a great job thus far of setting up a manageable conflict (this isn’t leading to an epic showdown with Vader – this is leading to a confrontation between old comrades with a lot of past issues) while serving as a mere stop on the road to A New Hope and Rogue One. Time will tell if we find this a necessary tale – or simply a money grab/chance to increase the IP stakes for Disney. But, there’s a clear path, great writing that doesn’t feel stilted (as has been the case with other Star Wars installments), a strong villain with a chance to change, and some really cool potential for fleshing out some of the more interesting but less known elements of the Star Wars universe. And if we get more sassy little Leia, I’ll consider that a great bonus.