Editor’s Note: There are spoilers in this review.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first Star Wars property this writer has had the most excitement and great trepidation with. The ambivalence might seem a bit confusing, but there’s good reason for both.
The trepidation comes mostly from the production woes this series suffered throughout the past two years — from the episode order being cut, to the series being put on hold while new writers were being sought out to Darth Maul being cut from the series. These red flags seemed to scream that this series was doomed and the quality would be…decidedly less than the Disney+ tentpole, The Mandalorian.
Trepidation hung over the series by the mere fact that the plot was bringing back the cast and storylines from the much-maligned Star Wars prequels. Could the revised writing team and showrunner Deborah Chow actually make this series work, or would they be hamstrung by the prequel trilogy’s inherent issues and the fanbase’s deep dislike for them?
Yet, the excellent trailer for the series, the fact Ewan McGregor was back in the role he was born to play, and that Chow — who is one of the best Star Wars directors of the Disney-era — is at the helm of this show gave us hope. As the days drew closer to its release, the anticipation was palpable but that fear lingered in this writer’s mind.
Thankfully, the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi alleviated all the fears in my heart, soul, and mind, as these might be some of the best entries into the Skywalker Saga in quite some time.
The undisputed heart and soul of the premiere episodes is obviously the wonderful, lived-in performance by Ewan McGregor, who effortlessly steps back into the role after 17 years. McGregor is absolutely brilliant in his portrayal as the conflicted Kenobi — a man who’s resigned himself to a life of exile, yet cannot stop keeping tabs Luke Skywalker, who is currently under the watchful eye of Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton, reprising his prequel role). Yet, he’s remiss in doing anything other than playing fairy godfather to Luke. We see his angry rebuttal to help a lone Jedi (played by Uncut Gems director Benny Safdi), and his beleaguered rejection of Bail Organa’s (Jimmy Smits, also reprising his prequel role) request to rescue Leia. In the first episode and a half, this Obi-Wan is beaten down, depressed, and lacks the self-confidence or even willpower to be a Jedi anymore.
Yet, Kenobi breaking free of his own insecurities and re-channeling his old powers in Episode 2 is what really sells the series. This Obi-Wan is now the archetype of the aged warrior brought of seclusion to save the day. He’s rusty, he’s unsure of himself, and he’s got a bit of an edge, but yet he’s still inherently true to who he is and still very much capable of handling himself in some excellently executed action sequences (a hallmark of Chow’s Star Wars work). By the episode’s end, McGregor absolutely nails the horror and trauma of the realization that Anakin Skywalker lives.
There’s very little in the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi that isn’t excellent. We finally get an extended look at Alderaan after decades of knowing it as being the Death Star’s first victim nearly 50 years ago. We also are introduced to Daiyu, which may be the most impressive planet we’ve seen in Star Wars since the original films. The Blade Runner vvibes of this planet are undeniable and it’s absolutely awesome to see a street-level Star Wars. No CGI forests and jungles or arid dessert planets and volcanos — this is the mean streets of this universe and this is a sandbox Star Wars should lean into more often. The cinematography and lighting in this world only enhance the visuals of the Empire’s minions especially The Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend, Homeland), Third Sister (Moses Ingram, Queens Gambit) and Fifth Brother (Sung Kang, F9).
The second episode allows Ingram’s Reva/Third Sister to move past a gruff and one-dimensional “give me the Jedi role” and transform her character into a highly motivated, sadistic, and threatening villain. It also allows young Vivien Lyra Blair to shine as the precocious, but endearing Princess Leia. McGregor’s chemistry with Blair is undeniable and they could literally do a whole season of them together and it’d be brilliant (although probably too similar to The Mandalorian). We also get a wonderful appearance by Kumail Nanjiani as a Jedi impersonator/con man who’s more complex than we expect. Nanjiani delivers a wonderfully funny yet (again) endearing performance. Hopefully, this is not a one-off for him.
Ultimately, what makes Obi-Wan Kenobi work is that there are stakes in this series. The entire first episode set us up that Obi-Wan was willing to let that lone Jedi die to keep his secret safe and he was even fine with not standing up to Reva when she threatened to kill a defiant Owen. In the second episode, we see him break out of this malaise to rescue Leia, but does this mean he’s back? Remember he was a hermit living on the edge of the Dune Sea in a New Hope. The specter of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker looms large…and we have no idea how he’s going to factor into it. His existence has devastated Obi-Wan, how is he going to react? Will he and Vader meet in the series? Will they fight? We also have Reva/Third Sister hunting him, and there’s more than meets the eye with her.
There’s so much to wonder about, theorize about, and get excited about with Obi-Wan Kenobi and that’s what makes this a great Star Wars show. The Book of Boba Fett failed to have these stakes and to have this sense of urgency and suspense. Obi-Wan Kenobi picks up this fallen baton and runs with it. This mini-series has so much potential that it’s almost torture to have to wait till Wednesday for Episode 3.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+
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