Trust in the Force: A Midway Recap of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ep:1-3)
By: Lou AKA Puertoricanjudo
“I find your lack of faith disturbing,” is the quote that sticks out in my head with Disney+ new Star Wars series Obi-Won Kenobi. This high anticipated series showcases Ewan McGregor reprising his role as Obi-Wan and Hayden Chrstiensen as Darth Vader. The series is set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and in a familiar Star Wars location… Tatooine. That’s right where it all started. However, we soon find out that Obi-Wan is not that Obi-Wan is not the only wielder of the force. Here is the first half of the series.
The opening scene series begin with a group of Padawan’s being training at the Jedi Temple before Order 66. The class is interrupted by Clone Troopers, who begin shooting while the Jedi who was training defends the Padawans. After easily disposing of these troopers, the Padawans are ordered to leave as the Jedi follows to protect. They are forced to make an escape through the Jedi temple which has been overrun by Clone Troopers and the Jedi who was trying to save the Padawan is killed protecting the Padawans. This group of Padawans then decide to run and as they do, we all get a glimpse of the chaos of the Siege of the Jedi Temple. As we know all the remaining Jedi are now in hiding throughout the galaxy and are hunted by the Inquisitor’s.
We open the next scene with the Inquisitor’s arriving on Tatooine, investigating rumors of a Jedi in hiding. After shaking down the owner of a cantina, we are introduced to Nari, who I believe is one of the surviving Padawans. After a short struggle, Nari gets away and we can quickly see tension between the Inquisitors; mainly with the Third Sister, Reva (played by Moses Ingram). We later learn that she wants to find and capture Kenobi to gain favor with Darth Vader. I also believe that she was one of the surviving Padawan’s, or possible a form Jedi, who turned to the Dark Side and may have some history with Obi-Wan.
We then reacquainted with Obi-Wan, who appears to be a shell of his Jedi Master persona. He is not equipped with his lightsaber, is dealing with the events after Revenge of the Sith and failing his Padawan. In one scene, Nari encounters Obi-Wan in the desert and asked him for help. But he refuses and instead tells Nari that the time of the Jedi is over, bury his lightsabers and live a normal life. We also see Obi-Wan working as a butcher of some kind, living in a cave and continuing to watch Luke Skywalker from afar. Not far enough for Uncle Owen, who confronts Obi-Wan on Tatooine, survives an Inquisitor encounter, and then tells Obi-Wan to basically @#$% off. We also later see that Inquisitor’s found and hung Nari in the town he was in, for the people to see.
We then jump to Alderaan, where we are introduced to a young Princess Leia (played by Vivian Lyra Blair). This role was brilliantly casted as she is portrayed as the clever, impulsive, perceptive, and wild; wonder where she gets it from. Because of her impulsiveness, young Leia finds herself kidnapped by a group of thugs hired by Reva to draw out Obi-Wan. Leia’s parents contact Obi-Wan on and old republic communicator to ask him to rescue Leia. Obi-Wan refused to help, saying he was not the man he used to be, and Leia would be better of with one else rescuing her. Bail Organa, reprised by Jimmy Smits, later visits Obi-Wan, who agreed to rescue Princess Leia, who was taken to Daiyu.
Before heading to Daiyu, we learn that Obi-Wan buried his and Anakin’s lightsabers in the sands of Tatooine. He digs up the box in which there were in and takes a shuttle to Daiyu. After arriving, Obi-Wan is now in search of Leia and encounters a Spice Dealer. He tells the Spice Dealer that he is looking for his daughter, but she tells him that if she is there, no one leaves Daiyu. Obi-wan is alone, walking through the vice infested streets when he encounters a peddler who tells him about a Jedi on the planet who helps people. After being to this man, Haja Estree (Kumail Nanjiani), Obi-wan discovers that he is pretending to be Jedi to con families of their credits.
Obi-Wan then decides to threaten Haja into helping him (with a blaster no less, how uncivilized) find Leia. Haja helps Obi-wan through the sewers and gain entry to an illegal drug warehouse, where he finds Leia’s kidnappers. He narrowly escapes the encounter, struggling to fight. He ultimately uses the Spice he got from the dealer to escape Leia’s captors. He then finds Leia and is able to convince her that he was by Leia’s parents to rescue her. When Reva arrives and realized the Obi-Wan rescued Leia, she was not happy to say the least.
Reva was then confronted by the Grand Inquisitor, who was also angry that she would use a Senators daughter to draw out Obi-Wan. He told Reva that she was not suitable to make those types of big decisions because she was the least of the Inquisitors. This led to Reva putting out bounty on Obi-Wan.
Once local bounty hunters realize that Obi-Wan has the hit on him, it does not take long before he must fend them off while trying to save Leia. Leia then realizes that Obi-Wan has a bounty on him, loses the faith that she gained in him and believes he is trying to kidnap her. She runs away from him, which draws more attention to the former Jedi master. He is now tasked with protecting himself and Leia on the rooftops of Daiyu, still with a blaster… and a perusing Third Sister. In one last attempt to get away from Obi-Wan, Leia decides to make an impossible jump while Obi-Wan is cornered, fight off two bounty hunters. When she jumps, Leia does not make it to the other rooftop and begin to fall. Obi-Wan begins to reach out, trying to stop her fall using the force, but is unable to. He run reaches of the rooftop, is able to catch Leia with the force and safely glide her to the ground. This is where we see just how disconnected Obi-Wan is from the force. Obi-Wan meets Leia on the ground and he meets Haja again, who helps them get to a cargo port to escape.
Once at the cargo port, Leia and Obi-wan are moving toward a cargo train. Obi-Wan tells Leia to go ahead and tried to distract Reva. Reva tells Obi-Wan he cannot hide, and she tells him that she is going to take him to Lord Vader. She continues by telling him the Anakin Skywalker lives. This news leave Obi-Wan stunned, with despair and fear in his face. The Grand Inquisitor arrives, telling Reva to stand down and that he will take Obi-Wan. Reva then plunger he lightsaber through the Grand Inquisitor, allowing for Obi-Wan and Leia to escape.
Now, here is where everything gets gritty. There is a lot that happens in the beginning of the third episode, right? Obi-Wan, having already used the force, seems to have a Force Connection with Anakin/Vader. We see Mustafar, Vader’s fortress and the grueling scene of Darth Vader being suited up. Obi-Wan now sees what Anakin/Vader looks like. Later as he and Leia reach the end of Haja’s transport in the mining system of Mapuzo, they begin walking towards their destination, Obi-Wan has a vision of Anakin. It appears as if he is slowly regaining his connection to the force.
There is continued power struggle between the between the Inquisitor’s, who are all trying to please Vader. All the while, Obi-Wan and Leia are trekking through Mapuzo trying to get Leia home. After escaping Stormtroopers and being betrayed by an Imperial cruiser driver, they befriend a woman named Tala, who reveals there a path for Jedi or force-sensitives to obtain new identities. As they are beginning to make heir way through this path, Obi-Wan gets a feeling that he has not felt since…
Enter Lord Vader, who has arrived with the Inquisitor’s to Mapuzo. Now things are heating up, no pun intended. Lord Vader begins to walk through the small town, looking around. He suddenly stops, as it appears he feels Obi-Wan’s presence. Lord Vader then proceeds to torment a villager by force dragging him from the man’s own window, force choking him in the air. Obi-Wan sends Leia with Tala, to try to distract Lord Vader.
As the villager is suspended in the air being choked, another villager comes out. Lord Vader force pushes him into the wall and the snaps his neck with the force; Obi-Wan is watching in horror. In an effort to draw Obi-Wan out, he continues by dragging another villager o the floor, using the force to both pull her and keep her dragging on the ground. Lord Vader then moves some boxes and find two more villagers, but by this point Obi-Wan is watching the scene from outside. As Lord Vader looks over, he sees the spot where Obi-Wan was standing, but Obi-Wan has moved. The chase is on.
Lord Vader has now gone full menacing mode, stalking Obi-Wan through the town. Obi-Wan comes face to face with his former apprentice, who has already ignited his lightsaber; Obi-Wan is horrified. He grabs his lightsaber but decides to run instead. Lord Vader continues to stalk Obi-Wan, while telling him that he cannot run. At this point, Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber, searching for Lord Vader. He catches up with Obi-Wan again. Obi-Wan asks, “what have you become”? Lord Vader eerily replies, “I am what you made me”. As Lord Vader approaches, Obi-Wan retracts his lightsaber and runs again.
As Obi-Wan continues to run in despair, he hears Lord Vader’s blade, ignites his and they begin to duel. Obi-Wan can barely hold his own here, as Lord Vader reminds him that years have made him week. Lord Vader quickly overpowers Obi-Wan, telling him that he should have killed him when he had the chance. The pursuit concludes with Lord Vader using the force to knock over coal, gasp Obi-Wan with the force so tight he drops his lightsaber. Lord Vader then kneels to ignite the coals with his lightsaber blade; the coals are converted to fire. “Now you will suffer Obi-Wan”, says Lord Vader as he used the force to pull Obi-Wan into the fire and keep him there. Obi-Wan is screaming in pain, much like Anakin did when Obi-Wan dismembered him and left him on Mustafar. Lord Vader then puts out the flames using the force and watches Obi-Wan writhe in pain.
Tala, sends Leia down the path and goes back to help Obi-Wan. After Tala leaves, Reva is drawn to a building where Tala’s droid came out from, and she finds the pathway. Tala, not knowing this, finds Obi-Wan being tortured and helps him escape. Once Obi-Wan is out of the path of the coals, she relights the fire with her blaster, creating a wall of fire to prevent the Stormtroopers from get to Obi-Wan. Vader watches in a trance-like state and does not try to capture Obi-Wan. As Tala tries to get Obi-Wan back to the path, we learn that Reva has made it through the path, killed the person who is supposed to get Leia and found Leia, who is unprotected.
All I can say folks, this show is great so far. If you don’t like it, trust in the force.
If you have any questions, comments, or want me to dig deeper into some of the themes in the series, e-mail me at Puertoricanjudo320@gmail.com.
May the Force be with You!