Spoiler Warning: Obi-Wan Kenobi Season One
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a wrap, and it has delivered on its promise. The final episode — Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI — wasted no time in getting going on the action. Story arcs on all characters have put them a step closer to the Age of the Rebellion and left at least one character’s story as yet to be completed.
Star Wars has built a galaxy of diverse stories and worlds. The Skywalker Saga and its offshoots are only one limb on the Star Wars tree, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has connected nicely to the rest of it while also providing closure. More adventures involving core characters are sure to be told, but the branch will begin to weigh heavily if the franchise doesn’t grow evenly. It’s time to accept this gift of the Obi-Wan series with grace as a fanbase.
Those of us who grew up on this branch should be able to look back at the trunk of it all and appreciate what’s happening above the roots as the galaxy grows for more of us. Bravo to Deborah Chow for completing the unenviable task of fusing the protagonists and beloved characters of Legends into an Expanded Universe in a way that only the animated series have done in the past. Chow’s imagery was clearly inspired by George Lucas’ own best conceptual source — the art of Ralph McQuarrie. Her careful treatment of the original trilogy’s main characters came dangerously close to the precipice of overkill an alarming number of times. Still, in the end, most audiences will come away satisfied. There are questions, to be sure. And it seems more Star Wars is the only way to provide those answers.
Reva Is Back
Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI opens to remind us that a character isn’t dead unless you’ve seen the body. Reva is on Tatooine, and she’s looking for Owen. To recap, she learned last week that he’s hiding and raising the son of Skywalker. Mixed messages open the door to rooting for this character as Reva puts a local bully in his place, but it’s not yet time to walk through.
We move back to Vader’s pursuit of Obi-Wan and the band of rebels he escaped with. The shot of the Star Destroyer is welcomely familiar, harkening to the opening shot of the original film. It may have served better to have opened here instead of on Tatooine with Reva. Darth Vader strides up the bridge to the main viewport ordering increased firepower as only a classic Vader could. Every frame of Star Wars’ most famous villain is a work of art.
RELATED: Check Out All of Our Obi-Wan Kenobi Coverage Here!
Quick cuts take us aboard the rebel cruiser. The hyperdrive motivator is shot, and their only hope is for Obi-Wan to leave in an escape craft in order to lead the pursuit away from the innocents. Not being unfamiliar with being the only hope, Obi-Wan answers the call.
Back in Tatooine, we see a young Luke in a parts shop with his Uncle Owen. If the shop looks familiar, it may be because it’s Watto’s old storefront, where Luke’s father meets his mother for the first time. Padme and Qui-Gon entered this shop in The Phantom Menace. Perhaps this is the first hint to expect more from that connection. A friend of Owen’s enters to warn him that the Inquisitor is back, and she’s looking for him. Owen and Beru immediately begin preparing to defend Luke.
Before leaving Leia, Obi-Wan presents her with a parting gift, Tala’s holster. Hinting at the feisty character’s bravery, Leia remarks that the holster is empty. The moment is designed to remind us that Leia is ready for the fight but that she’s also just a child. This exchange sets the groundwork for a young Leia adventure series. Before finally leaving, Obi-Wan reminds Roken (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) that he is a leader, teasing that the door may be open for a different Rebels age series starring the new character. These seeds may be just that. We’ll see what grows.
The Battle Fans Have Waited For
As Obi-Wan splits the prey, the Grand Inquisitor suggests Vader does not break pursuit to catch his white whale, but the drive is too strong. Obi-Wan was right again in his prediction. He knows Anakin better than Anakin knows himself. Obi-Wan lands on an isolated planet that sets the stage for a showdown. THIS. This is the duel we’ve wanted to see. This bout becomes the middle act between Obi-Wan and Anakin’s first epic fight and the duel between Ben and Darth on the Death Star. Both are at full power, and both are fueled by passion. Camera movement and quick cuts to dramatic angles are barely necessary to enhance the action, but they serve to magnify the drama. Both contestants fight with confidence and respective allowances of fury. No single frame is wasted or unsuitable for framing.
Back on Tatooine, the suns have set. Owen and Beru await the inevitable attack by Reva. When she ignites her lightsaber to illuminate her path, she exposes herself as a target. The Lars couple fending off Reva as Luke escapes to the Jundland Wastes trades quick cuts back to the duel between Vader and Obi-Wan.
RELATED: Spaceballs: The Retrospective – 35 Years of the Schwartz
Our favorite Jedi finally demonstrates his power by turning a laser sword duel into an all-out Force battle. There is a lot of heavy lifting between the two. These frenemies continue to underestimate each other, and neither ever seems to have the wisdom enough to make the final kill shot — the double-tap. The kick-the-corpse to make sure it’s a corpse. It’s a failure for both of them, but the price is heavier on Obi-Wan’s side. In the end, Vader is lucky to walk away with his life. Or Obi-Wan is too caring for his old friend.
After slashing Vader’s mask open (a scene reminiscent of the duel between Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader in Rebels), he leaves him alive. Despite accepting that Anakin no longer exists, Obi-Wan leaves “Darth” once again to stew in his rage. “I will do what must be done,” spoken a second time since their first duel, is Obi-Wan’s lie to himself. When he sees Anakin’s face inside the mask, he only feels pity and sadness. He doesn’t do what actually must be done.
Reva Finds Luke
Owen and Beru put up a noble fight to stop Reva, and they both luckily survive, but she gets past them to chase Luke. In their efforts, however, they’ve shown her their ferocity in defending the boy. They show her that there is power to the love of the boy. She begins to see that not all children are left defenseless. Her bitterness is starting to fade as she inwardly questions her own motivation. She has the opportunity to take revenge on Anakin by killing his child, but she sees herself when she finds him.
When Obi-Wan senses Luke is in danger, he would have been too late. By the time he reaches Tatooine, Reva is already on her way back to the Lars homestead with the unconscious boy. She mercifully places him on the ground in front of the couple who valiantly defended him. Because Jedi are not executioners, Obi-Wan allows her to walk away. Is it a mistake? Only more spin-offs can know for sure.
On Mustafar, Vader speaks with Palpatine, bringing us the first instance in the timeline of the Emperor’s doubt in Vader’s loyalty. He recognizes Vader’s obsession but senses there is more even Vader may not yet be aware of. Ian McDiarmid’s look more closely resembles the original trilogy Emperor, accentuated by the fact that he’s only a hologram.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI: The Finale Pays Off
In Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI, we get a long goodbye to the unexpected show-stealer, Vivien Lyra Blair, and her adopted parents, Bail and Breha Organa (Jimmy Smits and Simone Kessell). It may not be the last time we see Alderaan up close, but it may be the last time we see the Organas together. They have less than a decade to enjoy their peaceful home before it’s blown away by Grand Moff Tarkin in front of Princess Leia. Obi-Wan reveals a few traits Leia carries. He admits to her he did know her parents. “You are wise, discerning, and kindhearted (like your mother), but you are also passionate, fearless, and forthright (like your father).” As Obi-Wan delivers these compliments of encouragement to Leia, you get a real sense that Ewan McGregor is talking to Vivien Lyra Blair. Both Blair and Leia accept these words with grace and pride. The sincerity in McGregor’s face was probably an easy one-take.
Before ending Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI, we are taken back to Tatooine, where Obi-Wan recognizes Owen’s ability to be guardian to Luke. Obi-Wan will continue watching from a distance to intercede only when necessary. He’s given a moment to finally meet the boy he hasn’t interacted with since he was an infant. Prepared to offer the T-16 Skyhopper toy to Luke, the series finally pays off the last tidbit of fan service we’ve waited for. As we say goodbye to the only promised season of Obi-Wan Kenobi, rumors have already begun for a second season. Obi-Wan says to Luke what fans are hoping he’s saying to us, “Hello there.”
Tacked on at the end, as Obi-Wan rides off to the Jundland Wastes, he finally sees his old master present himself as the first Force-ghost. Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) tells Obi-Wan he’s been there the whole time and will continue to be there. So are we, and so will we be.
