– Spoiler Review –
Leia and Obi-Wan try escaping the reach of the Empire and its Inquisitors, but something far more wicked this way comes in Obi-Wan Kenobi “Part III,” and escaping is the least of their worries in another riveting, focused, and introspective episode.
In my review of the series premiere, I called the usage of the wide shots as a way to highlight how alone Obi-Wan is at this time, but now that he has Leia at his side, I realized it wasn’t to show how alone he is, but rather how isolated he is, as he’s not alone since he has his regrets and guilt and thoughts to keep him company. Even with Leia to protect, Bail and Breha visiting and chatting with him, or even Owen to bother, Obi-Wan is totally isolated, with his mission and its focus leaving him ignorant against the problems of the larger galaxy. The first two parts have honed in on how different Obi-Wan is now compared to his time in the prequels, in the Order, from how he basically let the Jedi who came for his help die or how even a conman pretending to be a Jedi was doing more than he was at the moment, and “Part III” only furthers that discussion about Obi-Wan’s mission vs the larger galaxy’s need for help. Arriving on a mining world and hitching a ride before their contact gets there, leading to Obi-Wan being marked by an Imperial probe droid, their contact makes themselves known. Tala (Indira Varma), initially appearing in an Imperial uniform, reveals she’s part of what some people are calling “The Path,” a series of separate, but connected cells trying to help free people from the Empire’s oppression. She joined the Empire and figured out the truth of their order far too late, so she’s trying her best to make up for what she did and the Empire continues to do, even having the assistance of other Jedi, the notable name drop being Quinlan Vos.*
Obi-Wan’s already unable to let go of his failure to save his friend, to prevent this from happening to the galaxy, and being secluded on Tatooine and just watching over the next hope allows him to avoid this reality, these bigger problems, but he can’t look away now. The homeless clone trooper. The dead Jedi. Everyday people doing the Jedi’s work mostly without them. These truths, these reminders of his failure, come at the wrong time, as the specter for Darth Vader’s arrival looms, which he now knows means his brother, his friend, Anakin Skywalker. His greatest failure. When he does arrive, Vader’s presence has a crippling effect on Obi-Wan, something the episode builds towards from the opening moments, Obi-Wan trying to meditate, to contact Qui-Gon, wringing his hands as voices from moments in the prequels echo around, the reality settling in for him that Vader is coming and he has to confront this on his own. I really like how director Deborah Chow continues the theme of isolation even in the climatic battle between these old friends, be it the claustrophobic POV shots of Obi-Wan swinging his saber, looking for Vader in the darkness, or the wide shots of their battle, the two totally alone in a part of the mine. And then Chow returns to more traditional shots when help does arrive, showing that he doesn’t have to be alone, that others are willing to help him, that hope lives despite what transpired between him and Vader in the past.
The Leia and Obi-Wan interactions are already one of my favorite aspects to the show and “Part III” only cements its place. Heck, as amazing as it was to see Darth Vader and Obi-Wan together by the end of the episode, I found the moments with Leia more memorable, only since I didn’t expect them to be together here and we knew Vader was coming at some point. Vivien Lyra Blair is chewing up scenery, imbuing the young Princess Leia with a level of sass and sensitivity one would expect from her at this age, and it helps she has such a great screen partner in Ewan McGregor, bringing his best work to date as Ben, his quiet and nervous demeanor (especially when a vision of Anakin throws him off or he senses Vader later), his somewhat short fuse, but yet that gentle, kind Master one would expect. It’s already clear she doesn’t take kindly to others giving her orders, as while Ben tells her not to speak, she’s the one who leads the conversation with Freck (Zach Braff, who you may know from Scrubs), the seemingly kind loader driver who gives them a ride and later picks up stormtroopers, and Obi-Wan fumbles through the interaction. In fact, while he was worried about Leia, it’s Obi-Wan who’s the problem, mistakenly calling her Leia around the stormtroopers, but he’s quick enough on his feet still to dispel their suspicion, claiming it was her mother’s/his wife’s name and it’s been a hard time. During their story to sell the stormtroopers on who they are, he once again recalls Padmé when looking at Leia, and she finally picks up on how he must know her and know more about her past than he’s let on, but he’s still a Master at one thing, dodging, and instead imparts some surprising tenderness about wishing he knew more about his parents and potentially a brother he was taken away from, showing Leia how he understands her desire to know her origins but sometimes the family you find is more important in the end. It’s a lovely moment, while another comes in the opening, while they are still on the cargo ship, and she asks him how the Force works (nice reference!) and feels, and he tells her tell it feels like turning a light on when you’re afraid of the dark, echoing in a sense something important his Master Qui-Gon Jinn once said: “I don’t turn toward the light because it means someday I’ll ‘win’ some sort of cosmic game. I turn toward it because it is the light.” And choosing that is better than fearing the dark, don’t you think?
Reva takes advantage of the Grand Inquisitor’s incapacity†† and contacts Darth Vader himself regarding her hunt of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he tells her the Grand title is hers if she succeeds but death awaits her if she does not. She brings this interaction home to the Fortress Inquisitorious, commanding the Fifth Brother and Fourth Sister, but the Fifth doesn’t take to her bossing them around kindly, saying the seat will be his instead but still decides to listen to her anyways, and they send out probes to mining worlds she’s calculated were likely destinations. I really enjoy the in-fighting and scramble for the top within the Inquisitors’ ranks, which comes on much stronger this episode without Ol’ Grandy around, though I noticed only Fourth doesn’t seem concerned with grabbing for power, so either she’s waiting for them to kill one another and take their place or she’s still content to be alive as is, but I’m glad she at least got to speak this episode! Reva’s validated when one of their probes identifies Obi-Wan at a random checkpoint Freck, the maybe not so friendly driver, purposefully takes them too, but the Fifth went and contacted Vader about the results, likely taking credit since he says the Dark Lord was pleased with him. While they are told to stay back and raze the village for others as Vader hunts down Obi-Wan, it’s Reva who uncovers the secret passageway the haphazard group was using to ferry people around, a symbol of the Jedi scratched in the walls bringing her to anger. Moses Ingram is bringing something special to the role, an intensity and focus of purpose that is either hiding a secret (like maybe she’s doing this to get to Vader and take him out like Obi-Wan couldn’t or she’s just doing this to get Obi-Wan and then she’s done) or just her barely keeping her anger over what happened to her as a Jedi youngling from blowing over all the time. We don’t deserve her and thankfully, after some recent terrible actions towards her, Lucasfilm has come out in support of her.† When Tala leaves Leia to help Obi-Wan, it’s Reva waiting instead of the pilot to take them off-world, the episode ending with Obi-Wan not in a position to help and Leia on the run from the Third Sister. How will Leia get out of this?! Is she taken to the Fortress and that’s where the series will culminate, Obi-Wan finally returning to form one last time to face off Vader, the Inquisitors, and rescue Leia? I can’t wait to find out considering we’re already halfway through the series.
After the end of “Part II,” Vader’s (voiced again by James Earl Jones!) arrival felt inevitable, not imminent, but “Part III” wasted no time in bringing him into the episode, starting off with his suit assembly before taking the Third Sister’s call (in his Mustafar home!), his arrival on the planet, to the eventual fight with Obi-Wan. Look, we all knew he was coming at some point, whether you watched much of the marketing or not, but when he first arrived, I figured it wouldn’t go hard right away, but “Part III” doesn’t skimp on using Vader to his full potential. When Vader enters the village, Obi-Wan nearly doubling over in pain at feeling his presence, the Sith Lord does what he does best to draw out his quarry, torturing the citizens, from Force choking one, killing another, and dragging a poor woman behind him. It’s tense and it spurs Obi-Wan to action, or at least trying to draw his old Padawan’s attention away from the innocents, and of course Leia. Obi-Wan runs out into one of the nearby mines, only for Vader to be there waiting for him, and while Obi-Wan asks him what he’s become, Vader’s ready with the retort: only what you made me. Instead of confronting him, Obi-Wan runs again, though when he hears the breathing, he ignites his blade, hoping to see where the Sith Lord is, this being the aforementioned claustrophobically shot moment I really liked. They still don’t clash blades and Obi-Wan is off again, buying Leia even more time, only for Vader to basically appear out of nowhere, beating him down with his overflowing rage, calling his old Master weak, though he isn’t wrong as Obi-Wan can barely counter Vader’s strikes but the Sith Lord isn’t going for a deadly blow, as instead he’s just toying with his old Master. Exhausted, Obi-Wan is unable to shake Vader’s Force grip on him, who hangs him in the air and promises he’ll experience pain like Vader did. Vader tips over some nearby minerals and swipes at them with his blade, causing them to erupt in flame, and then Vader proceeds to drag Obi-Wan through the flames, leaving him in them, writhing in pain as they burn him. Let me tell you, dear reader, I was in shock when this happens, as I expected the fight to be rough for Obi-Wan, but not this bad. Like I said, they did not go lightly with Vader’s first appearance in the show, though since Vader’s playing with Obi-Wan, he uses the Force to push him out of the flames and extinguish them, but the fire torture leaves its mark. He really wants to bring Obi-Wan down, break him, hurt him like he hurt him, but I don’t think Vader realizes his old Master is already broken in a way. Play time’s over though, as Tala appears and uses the same flames against Vader so she and her binary load lifter can save Obi-Wan. With Obi-Wan incapacitated, likely needing a bacta bath, will we get some flashbacks (long rumored to be part of the show) like The Book of Boba Fett did for bacta dunks, a visitation from a certain Jedi Master beyond the grave, or a little bit of both? If Obi-Wan was struggling with his purpose and his place, his biggest struggles are still ahead.
Here are a few other things:
- †We here at the Manor are no friends to racism and abhor its usage, so it was painful to learn Moses Ingram has been receiving vile comments from the scum of the universe. Thankfully, not only did Lucasfilm/Star Wars come out in support and defense of her with social media posts, but even the Jedi Master himself Ewan McGregor called out the hate and said he stands with Moses, that those who would say such vile things weren’t really fans. Hatred and racism have no place in this world, but they persist and it’s a shame this had to happen to Moses, an absolutely talented actress who we don’t deserve in this role, and I’m glad there’s all this energy to defend her from Lucasfilm and its partners, and while it’s too late to help those who were harmed before (like Kelly Marie Tran, John Boyega), it’s good to know they’ll be doing better in the future.
- *The hint Quinlan Vos survived Order 66 first came in the pages of Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith #7 (released in 2017), where his name appeared on a list of Jedi names the Inquisitors we’re still looking for. This is the first confirmation he did survive and having him out there helping people across the galaxy certainly is a great way to honor his life being saved by Asajj Ventress…but it totally DOES NOT make up for killing her off the way they did. Will never not be sour about that! BUT, he’s not the only reference on the walls in Aurebesh, as sleuths have uncovered two names so far: Valin Halcyon, the father of Legends’ Corran Horn, a man who comes to train under Luke in his new Order, which interestingly enough was the name of the young boy Haja helped last episode (one and the same?!); It also includes Roganda Ismaren, the series SECOND reference to Legends novel Children of the Jedi (I really don’t think I read this one the more references they have to it), whom Wookieepedia says escaped Order 66 in Legends but eventually was captured and became part of the Empire, even an Emperor’s Hand (though it’s a little skeevy of a story as well). Very intriguing choices for references!
- Jedi: Fallen Order was the first time we visited the Fortress Inquisitorious, but it also was mostly destroyed thanks to players’ actions…so with 5 years since the game it makes sense it would be rebuilt but look different. Jedi: Survivor takes place around the same time as Obi-Wan Kenobi however and is out 2023!
- I will say, I did feel like the Vader suit looked…off in the flames somehow, like the reflection wasn’t there like you’d expect, so I don’t know if that was intentional (maybe a different suit in some ways than his later ones) or how they made it for Hayden to wear, but it’s minor but a little noticeable. And it’s only when we’re looking at Vader through the fire, not over the back with the fire in front of him, like the screenshot above.
- Natalie Holt’s score continues to impress, with what sounds like the Inquisitors’ theme my favorite so far (beyond the Obi-Wan theme itself, of course)!
- ††This episode really made it seem like the Grand Inquisitor was dead, even though we know that’s not true by the time of Rebels some 5 years or so after this, so I’ll be curious to see how/when they explore his return.
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s “Part III” brings the Dark Lord stomping into the show in a deadly, shocking way, while the tender moments between Leia and Ben continue to be big highlights and the Inquisitor in-fighting only ramps up in entertaining ways.
+ Vader’s brutal yet toying entrance
+ Reva fighting with the Inquisitors
+ Leia and Obi-Wan moments
+ Themes of isolation, the galaxy doing what it can without the Jedi
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
OBI-WAN KENOBI SERIES REVIEWS
Part I | Part II | Part IV | Part V | Part VI