Every time an episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on the sixth and final episode of season one – Part 6. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Paul Naylor
Okay, okay. I’ve waited until seeing all six episodes before penning a review of Obi-Wan Kenobi. There are those that argue “do we even need this show?“. These are most likely the same people that said the same of Rogue One and Solo. I love what Disney brought us with The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett was a cool and quirky addition to the story. All three of the Disney Plus TV projects, Rogue One and Solo (plus the forthcoming Andor) suffer the same question of relevance, purely because the events they depict can never have the same jeopardy as a story set beyond The Rise of Skywalker. This was also true for the Prequel trilogy. We all know Obi-Wan’s fate, therefore any potential death of the character will never resonate. Likewise with Anakin/Vader.
So the narrative has to be a bit more clever than relying on jeopardy. It’s more a case of connecting the dots and giving us a collective fresh perspective on the films we’ve seen over and over again through the last four decades.
Case in point – the dialogue between Kenobi and Vader during the duel in episode 6 of Obi-Wan. The whole “You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did” lines, delivered by Vader to Obi Wan, will forever ring out when I witness Luke asking Ben “How did my father die?” upon revisiting A New Hope. I love all of this ‘connective tissue’. The ability to place plot points in new shows set way before the films we know and love. Plot points that make us watch the original trilogy from a fresh perspective both fascinate and delight.
Ewan has delivered a memorable performance in this series and Vivien Lyra Blair, embodying a 10-year-old Princess Leia, was extremely good. The Inquisitors were utilised well, although I still think a bit more exposition regarding the Grand Inquisitor’s survival following his encounter with Reva would have been welcomed by many. And what of Reva? Moses Ingram played the vengeful former padawan beautifully in my opinion. As Obi-Wan grew in power, regaining his ‘Force’ it was a journey watching Reva slowly turn away from the dark side and turning to the light. As Obi-Wan pointed out, her future is based on choice. So true.
So as Reva’s path was of dark to light, we were reminded of the polar opposite journey for Anakin Skywalker. His journey from the most gifted of Jedi to his fall to the dark side was explored further in this series. Hayden Christensen – much like his character would finally achieve in Return of the Jedi – has the greatest of redemptions. Coming out of self-imposed hiding in the world of acting, Hayden has made a triumphant return, delivering some of the most powerful scenes in Star Wars EVER.
Ewan’s reaction to Vader announcing that it was the dark lord of the Sith that killed Anakin was emotional and palpable. The sadness. The regret. And the final word as Kenobi exits, leaving his old pupil behind? “Darth“. This links back to the climactic duel on the Death Star. Connective tissue. Gotta love it.
So, finally my highlights. Obi-Wan levitates dozens of rocks with the Force and hurls them at Vader. It reminds us of his returning powers and shows just what a Jedi he was, and lastly, we get to see a spruced up Vader communicating with The Emperor via hologram. A pupil communicating with his master, mirrored in the closing scenes as Kenobi finally makes contact with Qui-Gon Jinn. A more beautiful piece of fan service I am yet to see.
Daniel Lo
One of the many classic scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail involved Sir Lancelot charging up a hill from a distance as two castle guards half-heartedly looked on. As the film cut back and forth between the knight and guards, it immediately became clear that Lancelot wasn’t actually closing any distance despite his apparent efforts. Hilarious, and fits right into one of the most iconic comedy classics of all time.
Unfortunately, watching the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi probably should not have reminded me of Lancelot’s endless run. Near the start of the episode, Roken’s freight transport was being chased down by the Devastator. After Vader’s order to increase firepower, the transport got hit by a laser blast while within a couple of Star Destroyer lengths away. However, more than seven minutes later we cut back and our heroes were still flying away around that same distance. What? Not long after that we observed an even more exaggerated scene with Obi-Wan’s drop ship, which started out at a small distance away and wound up flying directly over the Star Destroyer a few cuts later before speeding off yet again. Was Obi-Wan flying loops around Vader offscreen? What’s going on there?
Thankfully, that was my biggest gripe about Part VI. Were there other minor details that I felt were questionable? Well, yes: The motive behind Reva’s hunt for Luke didn’t make sense to me, other than to serve as an overengineered setup to complete her arc. There was no real purpose for Lola to wind up on Obi-Wan’s drop ship. Vader’s hand smash move felt slightly goofy, but could just be me. There was no way for Owen to know that Reva had a torso injury. For the second time on the show we got a ten year old child outrunning an adult (albeit an injured one this time). Reva’s pursuit and subsequent cliffhanger were anti-climatic due to Luke’s plot armor. Leia running right past Obi-Wan to greet Lola was an odd choice. The relentless use of shaky cam continued to the bitter end.
Having gotten the negatives out of the way, the final episode was a joy to watch. Little Leia was an unexpected highlight of the show, and I’m now also a fan of little Luke. Vader exiting the Imperial shuttle looked 100% on point. The Vader vs Kenobi duel was nothing short of a comprehensive display of force and lightsaber abilities. Owen and Beru proved to be excellent parents. Reva got her redemption. Vader and Palpatine shared the screen again, sort of. Obi-Wan’s farewell scene with little Leia… Wow. Hearing both Princess Leia’s Theme and The Force Theme. “Hello there“. Qui-Gon Jinn leading Obi-Wan towards Beggar’s Canyon under the setting suns. At the end of the day all the right notes were hit, the loose ends tied up, cameo wish list filled, and canon stayed intact.
Fans have long been familiar with George Lucas comparing his space opera to poetry. While perhaps no one will ever rhyme Star Wars quite like the Maker can, I appreciated all the echoes of what came before: Reva’s hooded cloak was reminiscent of Luke’s from the start of Return of the Jedi. Obi-Wan started another duel with “I will do what I must“. Vader force hurled large objects at a Jedi (from the high ground, dare I say?) just as Palpatine once did inside the Galactic Senate Chamber. Jedi Luke echoed a second time with Obi-Wan’s “Then my friend is truly dead“. Reva carrying little Luke back to the Lars homestead came across as a positive parallel to Anakin carrying a deceased Shmi Skywalker all those years ago. Both little Leia and little Ani asked “Will I ever see you again?” And if I’m not mistaken, even the Sideshow Collectibles Mythos Obi-Wan Kenobi figure received a nod at the end (edit: I’m now also aware that a similar outfit has made an earlier appearance in comics).
Lightsaber duels have always been the main draw of Star Wars for me and the final confrontation of the show included a few rhymes of its own: Obi-Wan’s fighting stance, lightsaber twirl, behind the back defense, and likely many more that I failed to catch. We even saw him mimic a spin attack that Vader used against him during the early stages of their Mustafar duel. The show also appeared to reference a moment from the “SC 38 Reimagined” duel with Vader’s backward slide from getting force pushed. This may very well have been Obi-Wan at the height of his powers, striking a potent balance of age, experience, and Force powers that we’ve never seen before. There were moments when the Jedi Master was the one fighting with one hand while Vader gripped his saber hilt with two. Obi-Wan could have easily killed Vader at one point, but instead opted to use the dull end of his lightsaber to demolish the dark lord’s life support system before finally slicing his helmet open. At last, a canonical battle-damaged Darth Vader! The voice mix between James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen was nothing short of bone-chilling, and the scene really drove home the fact that Anakin Skywalker has indeed been betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader. The emotional impact was clearly etched onto Obi-Wan’s face as he finally accepted that his friend was gone for good.
Instead of wrapping up the review with my usual incoherent list of random thoughts, I felt that a brief series overview would be more appropriate. Obi-Wan Kenobi started life as a spin-off film, which appears to have largely stayed intact. While The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett each had their fair share of side quest episodes, the Obi-Wan Kenobi story was much more streamlined. On the other side of that coin were the consequences of expanding a film into a series, which may or may not have accounted for some of the uneven feel in quality across the show. In hindsight, the important elements of Part II and Part III could have probably been condensed into a single episode. I’m convinced that the pacing suffered from the show’s weekly schedule as well. Waiting an hour into a film to learn about a character’s motives is completely different from having to wait 20 days. One thing I did appreciate was the amount of homework put in to include so many easter eggs and references from both canon and the Expanded Universe. The walls behind Tala’s workshop alone kept trivia fans busy for weeks, and could have easily been left blank with little consequence. Another strong point was the soundtrack, and I don’t only mean John Williams. Natalie Holt’s compositions played well with the maestro’s and completely sounded like Star Wars. Last but not least, the ending of the finale reminded me of Revenge of the Sith: Both closed with a montage of separate scenes to round out their respective show/trilogy, while serving as finger posts to what lay ahead.
Eric Onkenhout
Okay, I want to preface this review by saying Obi-Wan Kenobi, in my opinion, is some of the best Star Wars created since Star Wars Rebels, maybe even The Clone Wars or Revenge of the Sith. I love all Star Wars (yea, I’m one of those). I enjoyed the sequel trilogy, I liked Rogue One, and I really liked Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Mandalorian is good, and The Book of Boba Fett was okay. I’ll never say I didn’t like something Star Wars (even the Heir to the Jedi novel). But Obi-Wan Kenobi was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Or am I still in the honeymoon phase?
A little backstory; I had watched the first five episodes when I decided to start watching it again with my mother this time. We watched all five episodes in three days, and my mother thoroughly enjoyed it. She liked The Mandalorian (mainly because of Grogu), and we watched the Mando episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. So come Wednesday, I overslept, believing the rumors that Part VI would be 90 minutes, and figured I wouldn’t watch before work. Otherwise, I’d wake up early to get it in before leaving for work. So Wednesday morning, I started watching, and seeing that it was only 48 minutes, I was a little disappointed. Regardless I watched the first half and had to shut it off right before the Vader/Kenobi fight scene. Ugh! What I watched up to that point was simply amazing.
I get to work unable to think about anything else except Obi-Wan Kenobi. But I had to finish it. So about mid-morning, I go out to my car and finish watching the episode on my phone. By the time I had to go back to work, my eyes were red with tears. I had to wipe my eyes, blow my nose, and compose myself. I had just watched some of the most emotional Star Wars in my life, and I knew at that point Star Wars would never be the same again.
Typically when I write reviews, I like to watch the episode at the same time, so I don’t forget important events. Not this time. I’m going in cold solely on memory and emotion. Besides, if I watch Part VI while writing, I would end up with a 2,000-word essay. I’ve watched the episode twice but not since Wednesday night (it’s now Saturday), so it’s been a few days.
The way Obi-Wan Kenobi demonstrates Ben’s transformation from broken man to Jedi reborn is fascinating. In Part I and II, Ben is still in the depths of despair, living alone on Tatooine, wallowing in misery. It’s not until his old friend Bail Organa calls on him to find Leia that Ben remembers what it means to be a Jedi. In Part V, Ben remembers that a Jedi is strongest when helping those who cannot help themselves. Finally, part VI shows Ben at his strongest since Order 66. Like Rocky, towards the end of the first movie, Ben is ready to face Darth Vader on even ground.
What Obi-Wan Kenobi does so well is developing several characters and keeping us engaged in each of their stories. Although Roken is obviously on his way to becoming a great leader in the Rebellion, we fell in love with Tala and NED-B, making their sacrifices hit that much harder. Reva felt so lost and betrayed she didn’t know what to do. First, she wanted to get at Anakin/Vader for killing her fellow younglings, but when she failed (in her words), she lost herself, her purpose, and her identity. In a fit of confusion, Reva pursued Luke but couldn’t bring herself to kill him. Even after all the pain, she caused Ben, he consoled her in a time of need mirroring his last moments with Maul years later.
Star Wars sometimes has a reputation for being emotionless, but if you didn’t feel any emotion during Ben’s apology to Anakin or Ben describing Leia’s parents to her, I don’t know what to tell you. Ben’s apology was some of the most heartbreaking moments in Star Wars. Then, finally, all those years since the prequels of people criticizing the Jedi Order for its cold treatment of Anakin were admitted. “I’m sorry Anakin. For all of it.” And then Anakin takes full responsibility for all he did, “I am not your failure Obi-Wan.” I mean, c’mon.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was superbly written and acted and told a beautiful story of hope in the end which was what Kathleen Kennedy wanted. After Part VI, I immediately watch A New Hope, and it all fits seamlessly. Were there some bumps in the road? Of course, no show is perfect, but none of it was enough to affect my enjoyment of the series. Does it warrant a second season? I think they should leave well enough alone unless the story calls for it. I loved seeing Ewan and Hayden again, but I’m wary of overdoing it because this season was successful. I can see Reva or Roken’s story continuing in a YA book or a comic book series. For now, I think I’ll watch Kenobi a few more times before Star Wars: Andor comes this August.
Carl Bayliss
As soon as it began, it’s over (well for now anyway). The ‘limited run series’, which if current rumours are to be believed will eventually be known as season 1, of Obi-Wan Kenobi has come to it’s conclusion and what a ride it’s been.
From the opening where we found a troubled, broken man we have had a journey of Obi-Wan’s ‘re-discovery of self’ as he has moved through this journey, initially reluctantly but by the end we have someone more akin to the Jedi we know and love from the prequel era.
I’d be really interested to know how much of this series was the original story treatment for the anthology film that was discussed back at the time of Rogue One and Solo, as with the benefit of the whole story, I could see how this could have been a full film, albeit we’d maybe not had as much depth to some of the supporting characters such as Tala, Haja, Roken and even Reva.
Of course this final episode brings us the much mooted ‘rematch’ fight between Obi-Wan and Vader/Anakin. We get the General Kenobi fight stance from the prequels (and later the animated shows) before they go fully into one of the most epic saber battles since Revenge of the Sith and with some moves echoed from that fight. We also get both of them using rocks to bombard each other or knock one another off balance, which crosses over nicely with the Bespin duel and nods to both the original and sequel trilogy having Obi Wan levitating rocks, before pummelling Vader with them. At the climax of the battle a beaten Vader with half of his face exposed almost flips between the characters of Anakin and Vader before admitting that Obi-Wan had nothing to be sorry for, as he (Vader) destroyed Anakin – adding more context to the original trilogy line ‘betrayed and murdered your father’.
We get the redemption of Reva, who when faced with the opportunity to kill Luke has flashbacks to the face off with Anakin in the Jedi Temple at the time of Order 66 and (presumably) feels that by going through with it she would become that which sought to destroy. Obviously this leaves things open to pick up her story at some point in the future, maybe not even the ‘near’ future – although how long someone who has the knowledge that Vader is/was Anakin could be left to roam the galaxy is debatable.
To finish, we get not only the catchphrase we’ve all been waiting for as Ben is introduced to Luke with a customary “Hello There”. And having made peace with Owen and Beru, and settled the guilt he felt for his former padawan, Obi-Wan finally sees his former master Qui-Gon Jinn who tells him they have a long ways to go…
Becca Benjamin
Obi-Wan Kenobi has come to a close, leaving no stone unturned in the ways of storytelling. Deborah Chow and Joby Harlod manage to address and answer all open story threads between Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and A New Hope in such a poetically and satisfying way that it quenches the prequel soul. Essentially, our prequel mugs runneth over!
But, Kenobi is different. Storywise, it gave us an emotionally driven story. The action stuff is extra. The main drive or focus of this particular series IS the emotional state of the characters. Particularly Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. In other words, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Space Opera genre, not an action-adventure like we’ve seen with The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. And that’s ok! Seriously, it “really” is ok.
So, as a lifelong Star Wars fan and a “Huge” Anakin Apologist, this entire series, especially the finale, has been so satisfying on so many levels. That said, I had the unique honor to share my thoughts and feeling on this series (via direct message) with Lucasfilm Publicist Tracy Cannobbio on Wednesday evening while she attended the Toronto screening with Deborah Chow and Hayden Christensen. And now, I’m going to share them with all of you.
So many emotions! I honestly don’t know where to start!
Leia and Ben Kenobi, and their inverse conversation to the one Padme and Anakin had on Mustafar was BRILLIANT!
“Come back.”
“I promise.”
– Leia and Ben on the transport from Jabiim, versus:
“Come back! I love you!”
“Liar!”
– Anakin and Padme on Mustafar.
Beru throwing some shade at Owen regarding Obi-Wan leaving Tatooine is priceless! And Beru, being ready to kickass before Owen is the most badassery move ever.
Obi-Wan and Anakin’s heart-to-heart confrontation is EVERYTHING! He (Obi-Wan) finally APOLOGIZED! I seriously had to pause and walk away.
Reva carrying Luke back to the Lars homestead mirrored Anakin carrying Shmi home in Attack of the Clones (by the way, I knew she couldn’t and wouldn’t hurt Luke), and in a way, Obi-Wan helped and affirmed her return to the light.
Anakin/Darth Vader cracking the earth open the way Rey did in The Force Awakens was perfect!
Ben Kenobi telling Leia who her parents are without telling her who her parents are is the BEST STORYTELLING EVER, and it gives so much agency to Padme!
Ben/Leia mirror Shmi/Anakin with “will I ever see you again?” OH. MY. FORCE!
“Hello there.” to Luke
Qui-Gon! “I was always here, Obi-Wan. You just weren’t ready to see,” gives so many feels and reminded me so much of Luke with Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi, “let me look on you with my own eyes.”
And Ian McDiarmid! Deborah Chow NAILED IT!
So yes, all in all, this limited series has done wonders for the prequel soul. I’m sad to see it all end, but I’m hopeful we’ll see more Ben Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in other stories. And, hopefully, Reva, Haja, Roken, Owen, Beru, Bail and Breha, little Leia, and Luke, too.
Thank you, Deborah Chow!
Ross Hollebon
I loved the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series for the moments of joy, enlightenment, backstory, reflection, and threads of the Rebellion it offered in the face of oppression and the vicious, manipulative, controlling Empire. I love that in this finale Kenobi found his strength, purpose, and ability to smile again—all by facing his demons of Anakin Skywalker, and now Darth Vader.
I loved the mental and physical bravery of Kenobi. I also loved the bravery of Reva in recognizing—similar to Tala in a previous episode—that what was expected of her, or the fear that was pummelled into her mind, is not who she is. It takes strength to draw the line and not act on evil desires and demands of corrupt, soulless “leaders.” I am writing this from a tough emotional place today in America—but like so much Star Wars and the galaxy presented by George Lucas, we have to believe in what is right and that HOPE can guide us.
Thank you to Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor, and each and every person at Lucasfilm, Disney Plus, and Disney who continue to make art and entertainment steeped in recognition of what is happening around the world. May the Force Be With Us.
Jen Sopchockchai Bankard
All I can think of, especially after this finale, is how this series elevates and enriches what we already knew. One that stands out from this final installment is our understanding of Owen and Beru and their relationship with Luke. Mid-fight, Reva says to Owen, “You really love the boy, like he’s your own.” Owen’s reply is a roaring declaration: “He IS my own.” More deeply, what we see in this episode makes Owen and Beru’s deaths in A New Hope infinitely more meaningful because this episode shows that they were always prepared to die for Luke. And we now know that they must have put up a decent fight when the Stormtroopers arrived at their homestead in A New Hope. They are still part of Luke’s call to adventure, but now they were also his fiercest protectors. And that holds so much more emotional weight.
While what this episode did for Owen and Beru surprised me the most, I would be absurd not to say that the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader was the series’ most emotionally impactful addition to Star Wars canon. It was, of course, full of gorgeous lightsaber pyrotechnics, and the fight choreography was nothing short of spectacular. But this duel, more than the others, activated waterworks for me because it featured a heartbreaking and, at least for Obi-Wan, cathartic conversation between two brothers who tragically became enemies. I had been hoping for this kind of exchange since the series began, but last week I tried to manage my expectations and tell myself that we may not get it.
We got it, and it was huge. Obi-Wan finally got to say I’m sorry to Anakin. The duel is a knock-down, drag-out fight, with both of them escalating their use of the Force, but it’s only when Obi-Wan (in an incredibly cool pounce towards Vader) slices open Vader’s helmet and sees the distorted yet still somewhat recognizable face inside that Obi-Wan lets up and addresses Vader as Anakin. The ferocious “I will do what I must” (another well-timed callback to Revenge of the Sith) with which Obi-Wan begins the duel was easier to utter because Vader’s suit abstracts the idea that it’s Anakin underneath.
Seeing Hayden Christensen’s eyes here, though, very believably stops Obi-Wan in his tracks. Fighting back tears, he says, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Anakin. For all of it.” The phrase “all of it” hit hard with me because of all the history these two characters share, between the Prequel Trilogy films, The Clone Wars animated series, and various comics I’ve consumed over the years.
What I would not have predicted was Vader’s response to Obi-Wan’s apology. But, now that I’ve seen it, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Vader says, “I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” The blending of Hayden Christensen’s voice with the James Earl Jones bot vocoder they have been using — to convincingly show that this is still the Darth Vader we know with traces of the Anakin Skywalker we know — was chilling, and I’m so glad they were able to find a way to allow Christensen to emerge more identifiably from the Vader suit. Doing so simultaneously solidifies Anakin and Vader as the same person and shows that he has undergone a transition, past a point of no return from one persona to the other. The series lives in that paradox rather than nearly trying to compartmentalize Vader and Skywalker.
This enhances my understanding and appreciation of the trilogies that preceded and proceeded this series, making Star Wars canon richer and more textured. But, of course, maintaining continuity creates parameters and limitations. The creators of Obi-Wan Kenobi were always going to paint within certain lines because the series falls in between two pre-existing trilogies. Do certain plot points, as a result, if I think about them for too long, start to not make that much sense? Sure. I had a moment at the end of the Vader/Kenobi duel where I asked my screen why Obi-Wan wouldn’t just kill Vader when he had the chance…again. But for any fictional narrative, getting hung up on the “this person would never do that in this situation” kind of logic is just going to ruin my enjoyment of almost everything. So instead, the key question, for me, is can I find a character-driven, emotional rationale for what happens? And here I would say 100%.
An entirely new character, Tala Durith, has become a part of Leia’s proverbial DNA too. Obi-Wan giving Tala’s holster to Leia is a beautiful gesture, and makes me feel a lot better about the character’s premature death. Bail and Breha Organa, meanwhile, deserve parent of the year awards for being so supportive of their daughter. I loved seeing Breha’s reaction, saying, “I love it” and Bail’s reaction that referenced his earlier conversation with Leia about there being many ways to lead. These final scenes on Alderaan could have very easily been more superficial in tying a bow on the series, but, as past episodes have already shown, this series misses no opportunity to build narrative layers.
I can’t close out this review with out mentioning the long-awaited, brief yet satisfying Qui-Gon Jinn cameo at the end of the episode. I love this character because he’s one of the least uptight and most subversive Jedi. These few minutes with him have a HIGH volume of sass, heckling Obi-Wan, who has always been relatively more self-serious. Obi-Wan has been calling out to Qui-Gon the entire series, with no response. When he says, “I was beginning to think you’d never come,” Qui-Gon says, “I was always here, Obi-Wan. You were just not ready to see.” So, of course, we weren’t going to see Qui-Gon until Obi-Wan, on his own, worked through his trauma and grief. Now Obi-Wan is ready to advance his knowledge of the Force and learn from Qui-Gon in a way that will prepare him to “become more powerful than you could possibly imagine” when he deliberately succumbs to Vader in A New Hope. In this context, the entire series has told a complete and full story, a critical chapter in Obi-Wan’s life. I’m overjoyed that I could bear witness to it.
Mark Newbold and Mark Mulcaster discuss Part 5 on Making Tracks Reaction Chat: Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 5.
Brian Cameron, Paul Naylor and Richard Hutchinson discuss Part 6 on Good Morning Tatooine – Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6 – A Reaction.
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