Quick little review today, Viewers. But first, very important news:
Paddington met the Queen………….anyway.
Speaking of half-dead imperialists, let’s talk about Darth Vader.
Star Wars is a lot. There’s 9 movies in the “Skywalker Saga” plus 2 anthology films (Rogue One, Solo) plus several animated series PLUS 3 live action series (with more on the way) PLUS the holiday special PLUS the Star Wars episode of the Muppet Show which is indeed canon (in my eyes). And many more!
There’s been some recent bumps along the way (Rise Of Skywalker rivals Game Of Thrones as the most disappointing finale in recent memory) and some recent triumphs (The Mandalorian). It’s not consistent, but that’s par for the course of long-running properties milked for everything they’re worth (see The Hobbit, Marvel, etc).
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the latest installment. The limited series takes place 10 years after the events of Episode 3, as an aging Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) must spring back into action after a long tenure on Tatooine, keeping eye on a young Luke.
In the great Streaming Wars, many battles occur. The most recent battle put Disney+ and Netflix head to head. As Stranger Things S4 and Obi-Wan released on the same day, viewers were left with a choice on May 27th. Obviously those with a lot of free time chose to watch both, but those of us who are busy and tired and exhausted and burnt out and etc don’t have that luxury. Here’s why I recently chose to catch up on Obi-Wan:
After the initial release, actor Moses Ingram, who plays Reva Sevander (an Inquisitor tasked with hunting Jedi), began receiving racist direct messages, and even death threats, through Instagram regarding her role in the mini-series. The official Star Wars social media, along with Ewan McGregor, condemned the attacks, calling them “horrendous”.
I checked out the series thus, wondering why a bunch of racist fans would attack this talented actor, known for great turns in The Queen’s Gambit and The Tragedy of Macbeth. I left after watching the available 3 episodes puzzled, because Ingram gives one of the most well-realized performances in the series. In a show where Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea makes a heavily featured cameo in the first 2 episodes, a black girl Sith Lord was the thing that took you out of it? Get the hell out of here!
Obi-Wan has been an absolute pleasure so far, with great performances from McGregor, Ingram, Vivien Lyra Blair (little girl from Bird Box) as a young Princess Leia, and Hayden Christenson’s triumphant return to the series as Darth Vader. Directed by The Mandalorian’s Deborah Chow, it holds a lot of the intimate western-like action-adventure which that series does so well, whilst holding on to the grandiose themes of the original saga.
Though, the very existence of Obi-Wan Kenobi begs the question of where the blockbuster mega franchise is heading. The series continues to run off nostalgia points, even after anthology projects, such as Rogue One and Mando, proved the series can hold its own without the help of its long-running characters.
I think Obi-Wan is evidence to the contrary, that much emotional heft can still be mined from characters we long thought we knew well. I’m curious to see how McGregor and Christenson continue to show us the depth of that relationship, between a Jedi and his Master.
I’m waiting patiently for more episodes as they release weekly, Wednesday’s on Disney+.
This week’s Prelude is dedicated to Paddington ONLY………., and also to viewers like you thank you
Here’s this week’s Offering: