Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series (Disney+)

[Chaplin]

Strange New Worlds has been a mixed bag for me. The last episode was ridiculous on so many levels. I realize they are still trying to find their voice but so far Season 1 has been hit and miss for me. It's not even close to Mandalorian Season one or Rogue One (although that is a movie). Picard the same. Very uneven writing. Discovery started out really good and now? Uneven. I mean there is nothing Trek that I can point to that has been consistent quality. Not one thing.

I agree though the last season of Picard I am looking forward to with the original cast. However, it's ironic because at the start of Picard they clearly wanted to distance themselves from bringing back too many of the old characters to establish Picard as its own thing. Now they are doing the opposite and going all in.

Having said that? I expect more from Trek in the TV medium because they have been there for so long. Star Wars is new to the medium for live action. Love Mando. BF was uneven. Obi Wan overall pretty damn good and I can't wait for Ashoka and some of the new projects.

I'm looking forward to Ahsoka, but we will definitely agree to disagree that Kenobi is pretty damn good.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm looking forward to Ahsoka, but we will definitely agree to disagree that Kenobi is pretty damn good.

Fair enough. I have a ton of diehard friends in both fandoms. The overwhelming majority loved Obi (especially after the last two episodes).

 

[Chaplin]

Fair enough. I have a ton of diehard friends in both fandoms. The overwhelming majority loved Obi (especially after the last two episodes).

Well then I must be wrong, right?

 

[Covert Rain]

Well then I must be wrong, right?

Or...I must be.

 

[Chaplin]

Or I must be, right?

Yep.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yep.

Someone is high on their own opinion. LOL. Just joking. Everybody is entitled to an opinion.

 

[Chaplin]

Someone is high on their own opinion. LOL. Just joking. Everybody is entitled to an opinion.

I will say I definitely wanted the series to be great. And it just didn't get there. Obi-Wan felt neutered until the last episode, but I was glad he was definitely the focus, considering how they marketed the show. Plus, it's no secret that I was not a fan of the actress that played Reva. I didn't think she was a good actress.

 

[Covert Rain]

I will say I definitely wanted the series to be great. And it just didn't get there. Obi-Wan felt neutered until the last episode, but I was glad he was definitely the focus, considering how they marketed the show. Plus, it's no secret that I was not a fan of the actress that played Reva. I didn't think she was a good actress.

It was really good but far from perfect. I admit the middle I struggled with a bit. I remember when they first announced 6 episodes, I thought wow...that is not nearly enough time. It should be longer. I have changed my mind. It would have been near perfection had they trimmed it by two episodes and kept it running at a faster pace IMO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Prequels just aren’t inherently interesting to me at this point. Once the episode 3 fight happened, everything was predictable and thus there were zero stakes as a viewer.

And the one time there did seem to be stakes was when Reva got a lightsaber stabbed through her entire body… and was fine.

Leia was never in danger.. you know Owen, Baru and Luke were in zero danger and based on Vader’s words in A New Hope, you knew there would be another showdown and what the outcome was.

It’s why Mando is their best… we don’t know the fates of all of those people. That’s such a big element of watching any show… for me, anyway.

 

[Covert Rain]

Prequels just aren’t inherently interesting to me at this point. Once the episode 3 fight happened, everything was predictable and thus there were zero stakes as a viewer.

And the one time there did seem to be stakes was when Reva got a lightsaber stabbed through her entire body… and was fine.

Leia was never in danger.. you know Owen, Baru and Luke were in zero danger and based on Vader’s words in A New Hope, you knew there would be another showdown and what the outcome was.

It’s why Mando is their best… we don’t know the fates of all of those people. That’s such a big element of watching any show… for me, anyway.

Yep, I tend to agree on prequels in general. It's hard to chart new territory or put to much gravity on something if you know the outcome. The only reason one of the prequels sort of worked was because people wanted to see HOW Anakin became Vader. You can work in pockets of stories in the space for sure. Especially, when there is such huge time spans between things. I would much rather look forward though with one exception. The Old Republic era is rich in story. It's hundreds of years earlier in the Star Wars timeline and explores the origin of the Jedi and Sith. The games and expanded universe have gone there but nothing live action. To me? That would be awesome. One of the new projects is supposed to be the High Republic and that might work too.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yep, I tend to agree on prequels in general. It's hard to chart new territory or put to much gravity on something if you know the outcome. The only reason one of the prequels sort of worked was because people wanted to see HOW Anakin became Vader. You can work in pockets of stories in the space for sure. Especially, when there is such huge time spans between things. I would much rather look forward though with one exception. The Old Republic era is rich in story. It's hundreds of years earlier in the Star Wars timeline and explores the origin of the Jedi and Sith. The games and expanded universe have gone there but nothing live action. To me? That would be awesome. One of the new projects is supposed to be the High Republic and that might work too.

Old Republic would be dope.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Spoiler

so I’ve enjoyed kenobi, I just didn’t like it. That’s purposeful contradictory. I enjoyed watching it. It felt like Star Wars, if not a little watered down. I enjoyed the light saber battles. I enjoyed seeing Vader again.

But my brain didn’t like it. Personally, I didn’t like little leia or little Luke. Leia felt forced to me. Like it wasn’t just a little girl who was supposed to grow up into Princess Leia but rather an actor trying to play a little girl version of Princess Leia from A New Hope. And little Luke (a) didn’t look like mark hamill; and (b) was just a manikin.

I hated watching the star destroyer unable to hit the slow moving, unmaneuverable transport ship or kenobi’s jump ship. Those weren’t tactical x-wing fighters. If a star destroyer couldn’t immediately obliterate those what’s the point?

And though I know kenobi had to face Vader as he was never surprised who Vader was in A New Hope, I had a real difficult time seeing him dominate a truly more powerful Vader. It lessened Vader for me. That wheezing barely able to move pitiful hunk of junk that kenobi left behind wasn’t Vader to me. And frankly, in no universe would a Jedi have left Vader still alive at that point. Particularly one that had so much vested in Vader never learning about Luke and leia.

 

[Covert Rain]

Spoiler

so I’ve enjoyed kenobi, I just didn’t like it. That’s purposeful contradictory. I enjoyed watching it. It felt like Star Wars, if not a little watered down. I enjoyed the light saber battles. I enjoyed seeing Vader again.

But my brain didn’t like it. Personally, I didn’t like little leia or little Luke. Leia felt forced to me. Like it wasn’t just a little girl who was supposed to grow up into Princess Leia but rather an actor trying to play a little girl version of Princess Leia from A New Hope. And little Luke (a) didn’t look like mark hamill; and (b) was just a manikin.

I hated watching the star destroyer unable to hit the slow moving, unmaneuverable transport ship or kenobi’s jump ship. Those weren’t tactical x-wing fighters. If a star destroyer couldn’t immediately obliterate those what’s the point?

And though I know kenobi had to face Vader as he was never surprised who Vader was in A New Hope, I had a real difficult time seeing him dominate a truly more powerful Vader. It lessened Vader for me. That wheezing barely able to move pitiful hunk of junk that kenobi left behind wasn’t Vader to me. And frankly, in no universe would a Jedi have left Vader still alive at that point. Particularly one that had so much vested in Vader never learning about Luke and leia.

Spoiler

It would have been against everything the Jedi stand for to kill Vader. Not only that there was some personal feelings their that prevented Obi from doing it. You could see it on his face the agony. So, I had zero problem with it. Also, him defeating Vader aligns with the line spoken by Vader in a New Hope.

On a side note. One cool thing my die-hard buddy pointed out to me? I guess earlier scenes showing Vader without his helmet there was missing one huge scar that he had in the original trilogy. Well when Obi sliced at Vader's helmet? That downward slice explains how he got that scar bringing Vader's injuries in line with the original trilogy.

One big thing fans finally got? Seeing Liam Neeson's cameo as Qui-Gon. It's been one of the biggest asks since his character was killed.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Yep, I tend to agree on prequels in general. It's hard to chart new territory or put to much gravity on something if you know the outcome. The only reason one of the prequels sort of worked was because people wanted to see HOW Anakin became Vader. You can work in pockets of stories in the space for sure. Especially, when there is such huge time spans between things. I would much rather look forward though with one exception. The Old Republic era is rich in story. It's hundreds of years earlier in the Star Wars timeline and explores the origin of the Jedi and Sith. The games and expanded universe have gone there but nothing live action. To me? That would be awesome. One of the new projects is supposed to be the High Republic and that might work too.

Lucas really missed the boat when he decided to do the prequels before the sequels, IMHO. He could have better used the talents of the original cast before they were too old (or dead). Disney would have had a surefire trilogy already mapped out for them in a prequel trilogy about how Anakin became Vader rather than the disjointed mess they put out for a sequel trilogy.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Spoiler

It would have been against everything the Jedi stand for to kill Vader. Not only that there was some personal feelings their that prevented Obi from doing it. You could see it on his face the agony. So, I had zero problem with it. Also, him defeating Vader aligns with the line spoken by Vader in a New Hope.

On a side note. One cool thing my die-hard buddy pointed out to me? I guess earlier scenes showing Vader without his helmet there was missing one huge scar that he had in the original trilogy. Well when Obi sliced at Vader's helmet? That downward slice explains how he got that scar bringing Vader's injuries in line with the original trilogy.

One big thing fans finally got? Seeing Liam Neeson's cameo as Qui-Gon. It's been one of the biggest asks since his character was killed.

Spoiler

why would it have been against everything Jedi stand for? They obviously kill. How many thousands of people did they kill throughout history?

 

[Covert Rain]

Spoiler

why would it have been against everything Jedi stand for? They obviously kill. How many thousands of people did they kill throughout history?

Spoiler

Jedi don’t kill for revenge or kill prisoners (defeated foes). Vader was finished and his friend. So, it’s not that a Jedi won’t kill but they don’t do it unless it’s absolutely necessary like saving a life. It’s also why Anakin told Mace when he wanted to kill the Emporer it wasn’t the Jedi way.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Spoiler

Jedi don’t kill for revenge or kill prisoners. Vader was finished and his friend. So, it’s not that a Jedi won’t kill but they don’t do it unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s also why Anakin told Mace when he wanted to kill the Emporer it wasn’t the Jedi waay.

Spoiler

well Vader wasn’t a prisoner. Nor did he take him prisoner to ensure Vader couldn’t kill more people. Nor would it have been for revenge. And obviously Vader lost the fight but he wasn’t exactly “done” as he was very much still alive and struggling to try to keep fighting. In essence leaving Vader there instead of killing him or taking him prisoner just allowed for decades of more killing by him

 

[Covert Rain]

Spoiler

well Vader wasn’t a prisoner. Nor did he take him prisoner to ensure Vader couldn’t kill more people. Nor would it have been for revenge. And obviously Vader lost the fight but he wasn’t exactly “done” as he was very much still alive and struggling to try to keep fighting. In essence leaving Vader there instead of killing him or taking him prisoner just allowed for decades of more killing by him

Spoiler

No but he was clearly defeated. Unless the enemy suffers a mortal wound during a battle the Jedi won’t kill a defeated foe. Although I don’t disagree there are potential risks with leaving someone alive the Jedi have dealt with their own prisoners. I don’t think Obi was thinking straight either. He was clearly distrought over what Anakin had become. Also, in the expanded universe it’s explained that many of the Jedi, Mace, Qui Gon had felt the order had to change its ways because there were so few left compared to the Old and High Republic days. Qui Gon was a on the outs because he didn’t want to follow Jedi tradition. The other Jedi wanted to maintain tradition. Yoda alludes to the modern struggles of the Jedi.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Spoiler

well Vader wasn’t a prisoner. Nor did he take him prisoner to ensure Vader couldn’t kill more people. Nor would it have been for revenge. And obviously Vader lost the fight but he wasn’t exactly “done” as he was very much still alive and struggling to try to keep fighting. In essence leaving Vader there instead of killing him or taking him prisoner just allowed for decades of more killing by him

After doing the exact same thing, in the exact same situation in Sith.

It’s the baby Hitler dilemma.

Edit: this was a stupid take by me. This isn’t a baby Hitler situation. This is a Hitler Hitler situation. Darth Vader was no baby/innocent who’d yet to break horribly bad. He was the monster and had been for a decade.

There’s no nobility in letting a monster of that magnitude lives once you’ve already seen what he’s capable of, which Obi-Wan actually witnessed with his own eyes and had to know about even more just over time.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Another reason this show did very little for me was there were zero stakes to the lightsaber duels.

The absolute GENIUS of each lightsaber duel in the OT, was that they went completely against expectation and each one spun the story in a different direction.

A NEW HOPE: Obi-Wan not only dies, but gives himself up so that Luke would push himself forward as he was really the only one capable of taking down Vader and the empire.

EMPIRE: finally the big showdown between Vader and Luke… and THE BAD GUY WINS! And more important, delivers an emotional dagger that again spins the entire story.

JEDI: Luke refuses to fight, the emperor is killing him and the biggest bad of all time SAVES Luke and ends the empire he helped build.

Each one of those, the fights had unexpected outcomes that had MASSIVE effects, spinning the story in a different direction.

The two Vader/Kenobi fights in this series did very little for me because they literally accomplished nothing plot wise nor did anything really change emotionally that wasn’t being retconned. If you removed them from the new TV canon… the end of Sith still makes sense for the last fight between the two.

 

[JerkFace]

The two Vader/Kenobi fights in this series did very little for me because they literally accomplished nothing plot wise nor did anything really change emotionally that wasn’t being retconned. If you removed them from the new TV canon… the end of Sith still makes sense for the last fight between the two.

I agree, but I found the finale battle to be visually stunning. Possibly, visually, the best lightsaber battle is Star Wars history. Original trilogy the battles were a little stiff, in the prequels it was all ridiculous CGI and theatrics, and in the recent trilogy (Keep in mind, I’m speaking visually) the lightsaber battle with Rey and Ben against Snoke was pretty solid. But for a one on one, this one was shot and choreographed beautifully.

 

[Covert Rain]

I agree, but I found the finale battle to be visually stunning. Possibly, visually, the best lightsaber battle is Star Wars history. Original trilogy the battles were a little stiff, in the prequels it was all ridiculous CGI and theatrics, and in the recent trilogy (Keep in mind, I’m speaking visually) the lightsaber battle with Rey and Ben against Snoke was pretty solid. But for a one on one, this one was shot, and choreographed beautifully.

The original trilogy fights were pedestrian while the Obi/Vader one was downright awful. I mean really awful. It looked like two guys untrained in choreography pushing sticks around. After watching the subsequent work in the prequels, Rogue One, sequels and TV shows? It makes them even worse.

The final battle did something for me. It showed how powerful Obi really was. It also displayed Vader's lightsaber skills at a much higher level than before even though he lost. He didn't lose though because he wasn't powerful. He lost because his old Master knew his weakness. He lost because as we find out later, Anakin always had conflict between the light and Dark. Despite all of that his badassery was on full display. Honestly, it drives home that if you were the enemy of Vader you want no part of him. Obi represents what the Jedi once were in their heyday. Loved it.

 

[dscher]

Fun mini series. GF and I just finished the last three. I thought they did a great job building the back story of obi wans relationship with Leah and that she was responsible for bringing him back his faith in not only the Jedi, but himself in a way. The split face/helmet Vader was pretty cool as well with the voice changes... We enjoyed it.

 

[cardncubfan]

Fun mini series. GF and I just finished the last three. I thought they did a great job building the back story of obi wans relationship with Leah and that she was responsible for bringing him back his faith in not only the Jedi, but himself in a way. The split face/helmet Vader was pretty cool as well with the voice changes... We enjoyed it.

+1
I really enjoyed the series.

 

[UncleChris]

I'm glad they made it. It was somewhat enjoyable but short in a number of areas, most already mentioned.

The light saber fight at the end showed them both to be far more powerful than ANYTHING we've seen before, so although visually stunning, it seemed out of place and over the top. The whole sequence with Luke and the apparently immortal Reva was just eating up remaining screen time. Really didn't like that. And of course, the walking through the crowd with 4 legs poking out from underneath the cloak was eyerollingly bad.

But it was certainly watchable.