The first and second episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are available to view on Disney+.
The burden of emotion and its complicated relationship with the Jedi have been explored by Star Wars. It led to the dark side for Anakin. It saw him give up on his duty. In Disney Plus' new Obi-Wan Kenobi show, we see how hard it is to live through multiple nightmares. A slice of Star Wars that feels heavy and layers is what the two-part premiere of the series feels like. It still comes with the big sci-fi moments you expect of Star Wars - this is a show with lightsabers and blasters from its very first moments - but it is combined with what feels, at least so far, like the most well-balanced Star Wars story for
Joby Harold and the writing team make their vision clear from the beginning. This show is about living amid the death of one age and the beginning of a darker one. George Lucas thought of the Empire as a reflection of many things, but Obi-Wan Kenobi thought of the Nazi parallels. The cantina sequence in which the Grand Inquisitor intimidates locals for hiding a Jedi is reminiscent of the Third Reich's hunt for Jews. Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds is a terrifyingly charismatic portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor, and he too is an intelligent tyrant. His colleagues don't carry anything close to the same level of menace, so it's a shame he's already been killed off.
The hunt for the final Jedi is vital to the journey. A man is wracked by guilt and sorrow in a wonderful performance. In his slow, deliberate movements and tired eyes, he shows a man whose real struggles lie in his inability to let go of Anakin Skywalker. His new camp on Tatooine has been established not to watch over his brother, but to allow him to let go of one of the remaining links to his fallen brother.
While not the actual last of the Jedi, there is a parallel between Obi-Wan's journey here and the one he has in The Last Jedi. The rediscovery of their driving force is a similar breaking down of a once sparky and hopeful character. The first two episodes show a man who abandoned the Jedi code to find his purpose again. He won't help another Jedi escape from the inquisition on Tatooine because he doesn't want to endanger his mission. That Jedi's corpse is next seen strung up in the streets in a shot that highlights the ability of Chow to bring darkness without being violent for this kind of show. Obi-Wan needs to return to the Jedi ways. He needs to help people.
Obi-Wan agrees to rescue ten year-old Leia, who was kidnapped by gangsters as part of a ploy by Inquisitor Reva to capture Obi-Wan. The plotline works on many levels. The show is going places. The first major goal of the storyline was accomplished in the first two episodes. Despite its frequent pauses, this is a fast paced, focused, and energetic series. It is a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Reva's use of scum and villainy to maneuver Obi-Wan into a trap is fun and enjoyable. The sequence in which she places a bounty on his head feels like a reference to the finale of John Wick Chapter 2.
Obi-Wan's mission to save Leia brings character growth and sets him on a path to confront his past. The match between Vader and Kenobi at the end of the two-part premiere was a chilling indicator of this. Obi-Wan is making the right moves, but the only way he can cleanse his personal demons is to face Anakin in person. I hope Obi-Wan can deliver on the promise of an emotional and physical confrontation later on in the film.
Obi-Wan is off to a great start because of the unfocused focus on the emotional journey. That is its main achievement, but there is more to discuss. Even with her sometimes inexplicable ability to know almost everything about anything, Vivien Lyra Blair makes for a likable young Leia. If she is Obi-Wan's answer to Grogu then that is no bad thing. She helps provide a bit of humor in a serious part of Star Wars. The same can be said about Kumail, who brings his charm to the grifter.
He is an example of how this two-part premiere links threads together. I liked how Obi-Wan's situation was propelled by his character work, and how his attempts to do good were undermined by his own selfish tendencies. The two-part premiere is full of this intertwined script, which makes for a show that feels coherent and planned. It's safe to say that Star Wars doesn't always get that right, and so I hope this aspect stays on course for the rest of the series.
Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn't have a lot to prove when it comes to story, but it does need to convince me of its action chops. lightsabers are used as terrifying tools of interrogation rather than swords in this premiere. It succeeds when it does that. The best of The Mandalorian's action direction feels simpler and workhorse compared to the chase sequence and shootouts so far. As the story progresses, things will inevitably heat up, and so I hope the action directing of Chow finds its footing by the time the blades finally clash.
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