The show didn't quite live up to its potential, but its sharp focus on character development was a breath of fresh air, and its moments of greatness often came in unexpected ways. Let's discuss the highs and lows of the uneven, but very enjoyable, Obi-wan Kenobi series.
Warning: SPOILERS FOR OBI-WAN KENOBI ahead.
Obi-wan's journey
Obi-wan comes a long way in only six episodes. In an arc that parallels Luke Skywalker's in The Last Jedi, old 'Ben' goes from a broken, defeated exile cut off from the Force, to the cheerful and wise Jedi master that was portrayed so memorably by Alec Guinness in the original trilogy. Blending his own performance from the prequels with that of Guinness, Ewan McGregor returned to Star Wars bringing his A-game, with possibly his best acting as Obi-wan yet.
Obi-wan stays hidden in Part I; boasting comic-inspired robes in Part VI.
Seeing the show's new incarnation of this beloved character - at his lowest point - having to trust himself again, regain his faith in the future, and become the Jedi leader he was during the Clone Wars was inspiring, and undoubtedly one of my favourite elements of Obi-wan Kenobi. Writer Joby Harold and director Deborah Chow placed enormous focus on this as a character-driven story, with clear and well-realised arcs for multiple characters (such as Vader and Reva, which I'll touch on in a moment) and that is a big part of the justification for making this a series rather than a movie.
Despite this, I can't help but feel that the development Obi-wan undergoes could have been achieved just as well in a feature-length film; after all, we've seen huge changes in characters such as Jyn Erso and Luke Skywalker executed convincingly and beautifully in Star Wars movies before. However, stretching out Obi-wan's journey over six episodes makes the climactic moments in the final episode - where he frees himself from the past and uses his newfound strength to defeat Darth Vader - all the more fist-pumpingly rewarding to watch.
Little Leia
During the course of this series, Obi-wan not only has to find the Jedi within himself, but also must take on a kind of uncle role to a surprise addition to the cast: a ten-year-old Leia Organa.
Leia in Part I; Obi-wan and Leia part ways in Part VI.
Another one of the very best things to come out of Obi-wan Kenobi was the performance of Vivien Lyra Blair as a young Leia. The actor herself is only ten, but still gave an impressively convincing and adorable portrayal of the character we know and love. The initially rocky relationship between her and Obi-wan, which grows into a touching bond of trust and friendship, is heartwarming to watch. The scenes Ewan and Vivien share together are a big part of what breathe life into the story, and they were almost always my favourite scenes from any given episode.
Having to rescue and care for one of Anakin's children represents a huge challenge to Obi-wan, both physically and emotionally (you can imagine that she brings back certain traumatic memories of what happened to her parents), and the series handles this very sensitively. Given the difficulties Obi-wan must face, it's understandable that he is at first reluctant to help, believing that he is no hero and won't be up to the task. It's all the more touching that Leia inspires Obi-wan to grow beyond his shame and self-doubt, giving him the hope for the future he's been missing for a very long time.
Cinematography and special effects
Unfortunately, my biggest criticism of Obi-wan Kenobi is how it looks. With creatives like Deborah Chow and Director of Photography Chung-hoon Chung, who have proved themselves as a masters in their respective fields in the past, it is genuinely strange to me that I found the lighting, camerawork and set pieces to be so often underwhelming. The budget was also relatively close to that of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett ($90 million vs $100 million, taking into account that Obi-wan has fewer episodes) and yet I found the CGI and alien species makeup to be worse than in those two series as well.
Inquisitors arrive in Part I; Vader atop his uncomfortable-looking throne in Part III.
While I was very happy to see the Star Wars Rebels characters Fifth Brother and Grand Inquisitor make their way into live action, I found it hard to look past their actual appearances in the show; despite the redeeming factors of menacing dialogue deliveries from Sung Kang and Rupert Friend, neither character looks particularly close to their animated counterpart. I have a feeling that their costumes and makeup would be more convincing in a higher budget movie. Similarly, there were moments in the series that I felt I couldn't enjoy as much as I should have, because they were let down by bland settings or poor visual effects.
Part III is probably the best example of this. Hot on the heels of an episode set on the admirably rich and colourful, background-extra-filled world of Daiyu, Obi-wan and Leia find themselves in what looks like an American national park. Filming on location rather than the Volume can be welcomed, but as demonstrated by Part III and the Mandalorian episode The Tragedy, it can come with mixed results. For a once-beautiful planet now destroyed by Imperial industrialism, a fantastic concept for this tense and dread-filled episode, I would have expected Mapuzo to be more a imaginative setting - maybe something reminiscent of Corvus, the dead world where Ahsoka Tano made her live action debut. In this episode, Obi-wan and Darth Vader duel, giving fans a rematch most didn't even dare to hope for - and it looks like it was shot in a pre-construction site.
Obi-wan and Leia hitch a ride, which takes them to Darth Vader in Part III.
There are other instances where I was taken out of a moment because of noticeable CGI (the speeders in Part IV are sadly the worst offenders), overly shaky camera movement or because it's painfully obvious where the set ends and the screens of the Volume begin, but it's too easy to rag on a story's shortcomings - as I've certainly done a little too much for this aspect of Obi-wan Kenobi, particularly when the series has so much goodness to offer. These examples of poor production value are not a reflection on the effort put in by the team behind the show, but likely results of accelerated development time and reduced budget. I just wish Disney poured as much money into this project as they have with their Marvel shows (such as Moon Knight, which had a budget of over $150 million), and I also wonder if a variety of directors and cinematographers would have helped - so that each could concentrate their skills on only an episode or two, rather than six.
Darth Vader strikes back
In Obi-wan Kenobi, Vader returned as a main villain, in the most rage-driven and terrifying portrayal of the character we've ever had onscreen. Disney-era Lucasfilm have handled the iconic big bad extremely well, with chilling appearances in Rebels, Rogue One, and Jedi: Fallen Order - but he remained generally calm and controlled in those stories. Here, he's royally pissed off, and you can tell.
In the series, Vader learns that Obi-wan is alive and roaming the galaxy, which awakens in him a burning desire to get revenge on his former master. He tracks him down and attempts to make him suffer, but Obi-wan first outwits him then finally bests him with the strength he's reclaimed. In the final episode, Darth comes to terms with the past in his own way, telling Obi-wan "you didn't kill Anakin Skywalker... I did" and finishing his appearance in the series by re-committing himself to Palpatine as a servant of the Empire, rather than of his hatred for Obi-wan. It's a vague character arc, but it works.
Vader vs Reva in Part V; Vader standing dramatically in Part VI.
Getting to see glimpses of Hayden Christensen behind the iconic mask was a treat, and it only makes me want to see more of him as Darth Vader in future projects. There are moments in Obi-wan Kenobi which I'm sure will go down as some of the most memorable scenes featuring the character. Seeing him drag a helpless Obi-wan through the flames was scary, and genuinely hard to watch; watching as he indulges himself in an unevenly matched fight with Reva, the defecting Inquisitor, was thrilling; getting a scene that parallels the final moment with Vader and Ahsoka in Rebels, as Obi-wan says a tearful goodbye to his former friend, was nothing short of heartbreaking. For perhaps the first time, we have a version of Darth Vader which fully connects to Hayden's Anakin in my mind. And it's a wonder to behold.
Reva's journey
One of the best additions to the series - and, like young Leia, a slightly unexpected one - was the arc of Reva Sevander, aka the Third Sister. Hers is the story of a Jedi student turned Imperial Inquisitor, secretly trying to get close to Vader in order to avenge her fellow Jedi younglings, the only family she ever knew. In the process she herself becomes a cruel, Jedi-killing monster, but with Obi-wan's help ultimately turns away from that path. It's a beautiful character journey that shows how the choice of how to fight is just as important as what you fight for.
Reva prepares to attack on Jabiim in Part V; hunting Luke Skywalker in Part VI.
Moses Ingram is fantastic in the role, whether she's sadistically enjoying tormenting Obi-wan with the reveal that Anakin is alive in Part II, or in a more vulnerable state as she tells him about her tragic past in Part V. Her final scene, where she has stopped herself from killing Luke and feels that she has failed to avenge her childhood friends, is extremely powerful; we see all the anger Reva holds for Anakin and Obi-wan collapse around her, only for Obi-wan to reassure her that she has done the right thing and helps her on a different journey for the future.
I do think that Reva's arc is a little muddied in execution. For one thing, it isn't fair of her to blame Obi-wan for his absence when Anakin invaded the Jedi temple; he returned and confronted Anakin as soon as he could, and could have tried to reason with her by pointing this out. Reva could have resented Obi-wan for mentoring a man who proved susceptible to the dark side, but that's not exactly the truth she confronts him with. Strangely, it's also not properly established why she wants to kill Luke in the finale; we can infer that she has found out he is Anakin's son, and wants to destroy Anakin's family the same way he destroyed hers, but neither is clear in the episode. Regardless, these feel like nitpicks in the face of a great story, and Reva is sure to be a fan-favourite Inquisitor from now on.
Addressing fan complaints
From some, there have been mixed reactions to Obi-wan Kenobi, ranging from criticisms of the series' structure to smaller criticisms of apparent plot holes. Many felt that the show became slightly repetitive, with Leia being captured and rescued by Obi-wan twice, and with the Path being under attack from the Empire with Obi-wan putting himself in danger to save them, twice.
Obi-wan storms Fortress Inquisitorius in Part IV; Vader on the bridge in Part VI.
Personally, I didn't notice the similarities. Part IV, with Obi-wan breaking into Fortress Inquisitorius to save Leia, was necessary in forcing Obi-wan to be a warrior again (besides, it's pure fan-service fun watching Ewan McGregor infiltrate Inquisitor HQ and fight some stormtroopers), and the situations in Part V and Part VI are very different. To me, it never felt like we were just back to square one.
I do sympathise with complaints with how the Empire acts in both these cases, though. Obi-wan, Tala and Leia escape Fortress Inquisitorius with the help of speeders and one of the Path's ships. The problem with this is that previous shots of the Fortress make it very clear there are squadrons of Tie fighters ready to launch, but for some reason none of them are used. Similarly, in Part VI, we know the Empire could use the many Tie fighters on board its Star Destroyer to chase the Path while Vader pursues Obi-wan. In addition, we never really touch upon the reason Vader lets Obi-wan escape at the end of Part III, nor the reason Reva knows who Luke Skywalker is. These are small criticisms but they do make the plot less believable, and it's an attention to detail I think is slightly lacking.
Side characters
My fourth and final favourite element of Obi-wan Kenobi is how the side characters are handled: namely, Tala Durith, Kawlan Roken, Haja Estree, and Ned-B. All of them felt immediately likeable, and fleshed out in a short space of time.
With Tala and Roken, we learn some backstory: Roken once had a Force-sensitive wife who was hunted down by the Inquisitors, whereas Tala feels guilty for unknowingly assisting in the execution of four Force-sensitive families. Both have turned their past trauma into a commitment to helping others avoid the same fate at the hands of the Inquisitorius.
Ned-B chilling out in a secret hideout in Part III; Sully, Tala, Kawlan and Haja in Part V.
Haja doesn't really get any backstory, but we know he's not entirely comfortable with his own choices - which is why it means so much to him when Obi-wan comes to trust him with returning Leia to her homeworld. It's a very sweet little background arc, and it makes Haja all the more endearing; on top of that, Kumail Nanjiani makes him very funny. Meanwhile, Ned-B is a small but loveable addition to the mix. He may not say anything, but his actions speak louder than words, and ultimately he joined the likes of K-2S0 in being an iconic, loyal and badass droid companion whose death made me very sad.
What could have been...
Obi-wan Kenobi was fantastic when it came to its characters, but I still feel it didn't quite live up to its potential. Call me greedy, but I wish there were more flashback scenes, serving the story much the same way as the training scenes and Order 66 scenes from Part V did so succinctly. Some flashbacks to the Clone Wars would have been fitting in Part III, reminding us of the brotherhood between Obi-wan and Anakin before we see them duel for the first time; or maybe in Part IV, showing Obi-wan remember the days where combat became his lifestyle, before he must call on those same skills to rescue Leia. The Attack of the Clones-era scene we got was beautiful, and it's probably my favourite scene from the series - but with Hayden and Ewan back together, possibly for the last time, I think they could have taken even more advantage of that.
Behind the scenes photos from Obi-wan Kenobi.
I'm also slightly disappointed that Obi-wan didn't attempt to bring Anakin back to the light, a plot direction many assumed the series would have taken, given Vader's line in Return of the Jedi when Luke tries to appeal to him: "Obi-wan once thought as you do". There are hints in their final duel that Obi-wan, apologising for the events that led Anakin to the dark side, wants to redeem his old friend - but those hints could easily have become a larger story beat. I also think there are other points in the series - such as the hunt for Obi-wan on Daiyu, when bounty hunters everywhere search for him, and the escape from Fortress Inquisitorius - which I think could have been turned up to the max, becoming more high-stakes and exciting than they actually were in the show.
Overall, I really enjoyed Obi-wan Kenobi, and particularly after The Book of Boba Fett, it's great to have a standalone story which cares so deeply about its central characters. It's a good sign that my biggest problem was wanting more. This show has so much going for it, and I only wished some ideas - as well as the budget - were expanded.
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