Part IV
**The following contains spoilers through Part IV of Obi-Wan Kenobi**
Well, we knew we had to be in for a bit of a lull after the emotional climax of last week’s Part III, but I didn’t know the lull would come in the form of tense action. Make no mistake, I think this is the weakest of the four episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi thus far, but I think it still had plenty of solid moments that help the story move forward enough that I don’t consider this a “throwaway episode” by any means.
Firstly, I thought for sure we’d spend a LOT more time with a healing Obi-Wan. As I mentioned last week, it would have been a perfect opportunity for more Anakin hallucinations, and perhaps some guest Jedi visions as well. However, one Bacta tank montage and Obi-Wan was apparently right as rain. While I might question the speed of his healing, we must remember he is an extremely powerful Jedi whose burns were not nearly as extensive as Anakin’s, so he probably will take far less time to heal than, say, Boba Fett.
The montage of both Obi-Wan and Anakin in their respective Bacta tanks was incredibly well-cut and edited together, and was a really well-conceived sequence. Allowing Obi-Wan to feel (only) some of that pain and discomfort that Anakin feels and must feel on a daily basis, the sequence also reminded us of the similarities the two may still share despite their now obvious differences.
From there the episode unfolds in fairly formulaic fashion, with Obi-Wan and his new accomplice Tala flying to the Fortress Inquisitorius (could have maybe come up with a better name, but I get it) to attempt a high-stakes rescue of the captured Leia. Without much in the way of a plan or any kind of support, the pair infiltrate the fortress fairly easily and then the classic Star Wars fun begins.
I’ve already mentioned a couple of times in recapping and reviewing this show that Deborah Chow has a really unique grasp of the Star Wars action – capturing familiar and nostalgic tones while also making the action fresh and new. I think this episode is no exception, as the Fortress brings back memories of both the Death Star and Starkiller Base, but having the majority of the Fortress built underwater is a fun new thing. Seeing weird fish creatures swim by in the background of some scenes added a different touch to it, and the hallways, while being hallways, also had added space on the sides which apparently are great for Jedi to hide in while sneaking through them.
The sequence when Obi-Wan rescues Leia by cutting the lights in her torture chamber and dispatches the two terrified stormtroopers allowed for some more brilliant light and camera work, with the blue glow of the lightsaber being all the light we need to allow for some good action-horror feel. Obi-Wan is proving once again he is no slouch and is a serious threat to any enemy, and the lighting and scenery make it look that much cooler.
I liked the design of the Fortress overall – kind of halfway between Vader’s Fortress on Mustafar and the Kamino cities, which architecturally makes a lot of sense. And the interior just screams “EMPIRE!” doesn’t it? Funny how all of the Imperial buildings had the same interior designer, but as I said, amidst this familiar space and familiar aesthetic, Chow manages to make these locations feel brand new with the type of action that she has unfold within it.
Watching Obi-Wan take down some stormtroopers with his lightsaber is especially jarring if you’ve watched all of the Clone Wars episodes in which Obi-Wan relentlessly defends his clone comrades. Seeing him go up against Imperial forces on their own territory for the first time gives us an inside look at how he got to know them so well by the time A New Hope rolls around. It’s fun seeing Obi-Wan go up against stormtroopers rather than the obnoxious and hapless battle droids from the prequels, which is but a small part of what makes this action feel fresher.
Amidst the fun action is, as mentioned, a formulaic rescue. You have one character putting themselves on a limb to create a diversion while the hero swoops in for the rescue, leading to a final showdown where the heroes narrowly escape thanks to some unexpected but welcome help. By far the least surprising or least twisty-and-turny episode so far, this follows the rescue sequence formula pretty religiously.
Inside all the rescue and formula was the introduction of O’Shea Jackson, Jr. as Roken, an anti-Imperial smuggler who I get the feeling is going to help lead the birth of the Rebellion – the ships they used in the Fortress rescue looked too much like the Hoth snowspeeders to be a coincidence or homage. At this point I almost expect Obi-Wan, Tala and co. to return to Jabiim to find Mon Mothma awaiting them with “Hey let’s do away with the Empire” – although it might make more sense to wait until the finale to do so, leading Mon Mothma right into Andor this fall.
Whoever Roken and his crew end up being, I think the setup for the final battle is imminent. With Reva having hidden a tracker presumably in Lola, Leia’s droid, it seems like they’ll soon converge on Roken’s Jabiim base sooner rather than later. Will this be the location of the final showdown of the series, or will this siege happen in Part V and lead us somewhere else for Part VI? I have to think Vader will be there as part of it, since his trust in Reva is, well, wavering – although he does admit to having underestimated her after almost Force-choking her to death (did anyone else sh*t their pants when you saw Vader stride angrily into the room and raise his James Earl Jones voice in a furious rage?).
The relationship between Vader and Reva should be more interesting than it is, but I think part of that has to do with some of the acting. One thing I did find curious about this episode was how Reva basically tried to use the same trick that Vader’s grandson, Kylo Ren, would later use in The Force Awakens to try and extract information from their prisoners. We know Reva isn’t a full-fledged Sith, but I’m curious as to how much power she actually has, and how she could potentially have more clashes or close run-ins with Vader in the final two episodes.
I’m also curious how much more of Vader/Anakin we will see. Hayden Christensen is quoted as saying he “didn’t come back to do a whole series just with a mask over his face” so I have to think there might be either a flashback or more Anakin visions in store for Obi-Wan, who will definitely have more of a handle on his fighting skills the next time the two meet. I think this is ultimately likely heading to a point where Obi-Wan and Vader battle once again, only to have Obi-Wan keep it much closer before being rescued by some kind of Qui-Gon ghost help. On that note, there was no inkling or tease of a Qui-Gon appearance this week, and in fact the only evidence of other Jedi was the tomb Obi-Wan discovered in the Fortress’s basement of all the captured and presumably killed Jedi the Inquisitors have come across.
After watching Ewan McGregor basically run laps around all the other actors in the show for the first three episodes (Kumail Nanjiani and Vivien Lyra Blair aside), it was nice to see Indira Varma and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. play some meaningful parts and showing some real talent. Varma in particular had a fantastic episode as a clearly nervous, “I’m making this up as I go” but still super tough and capable friend to Obi-Wan. I think her fate is unfortunately not going to be a great one, but I am glad to see Star Wars continuing to have strong female characters who can absolutely handle their own business in a pinch, especially against some stormtroopers.
With only two episodes left, I think we’re still in for more surprises, more twists, and much more Ewan McGregor being awesome, especially now that Obi-Wan has his wits back about him. I also am very excited about the potential that the show’s dynamic duo of Obi-Wan and Leia has in store; the heartwarming final shots of the two holding hands post-escape is one of the best moments in the show so far.
Part V of Obi-Wan Kenobi streams exclusively on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 15.
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