Overall Thoughts: Character-driven anthology series has a few stumbles, but it overall delivers.
Part I
10 years after the betrayal of his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi lives life as a factory worker on Tatooine. He keeps an eye on 10-year old Luke (to his uncle's dismay) and has pretty much put his Jedi life behind him. That is, until a call comes in from the leaders of Alderann, who have noted that their princess has been kidnapped. Obi Wan reluctantly decides to go and rescue her.
This episode kicks off with a terrific montage catching everyone up on what happened during the prequel trilogy. And, it sets the stage for a first episode that is short and helps set things up solidly. While not a lot happens on the action side of things, the visual effects are solid and there's some yesteryear practical effects in the mix as well.
On the downside, flashbacks are seemingly overly-used, while Moses Ingram starts here off by overacting a little (though, I think that may have been a creative choice looking in hindsight). Ultimately, a nice set-up, but could have used a little more action.
Grade: B
Part II
Obi-Wan finds 10-year old Princess Leia on the planet Daiyu. He attempts to keep her in line and try to plot an escape, while Jedi-hating inquisitors hunt them down.
At just over 30 minutes, this episode is just the right length. There's a solid amount of character interaction and there's a little more action here as well. As Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair does a decent job portraying the character's inquisitiveness and determination. Meanwhile, Kumail Nainjani is cast as a conman pretending to be a Jedi. He seems a little off acting wise, but his character does seem like an interesting fit into this story, helping sell the idea of how "taboo" Jedi have become.
The episode ends strong, with a brief emotional pull at the heartstrings. While not too much happens overall and there's a few questions from this, overall it was in line with the first episode.
Grade: B
Part III
Having been directed to a mining planet, Obi-Wan and Leia wind up getting lost and not finding a point of contact. After nearly avoiding capture by Empire sympathizers, they are given aid by a double agent spy named Tala. As Tala hides them, Darth Vader appears sensing his former master's presence. Tala and Leia use secret passageways to try and escape, while Obi-Wan faces his estranged apprentice.
This simpler episode features some strong visual effects. There's some stormtrooper cluelessness (par for the course for this franchise), and a couple of strong heart-to-heart moments between Obi-Wan and Leia. The ending action scene might not be as impressive as some might would hope, but it does leave a hint at something even more impressive coming later in the series. The ending also has an appropriate cliffhanger.
Ultimately, there's some solid writing decisions here. It's a little uneven/slow at times, and the lighting is a little dark in areas. But, the suspense and anticipation behind some of the events unfolded here help this episode rise above the first two.
Grade: B+
Part IV
With Leia intercepted by Reva (Ingram) and Obi-Wan badly injured, Kenobi and Tala regroup to figure out how to save Leia. They plot to rescue her by infiltrating the Inquisitors' base.
This episode is pretty much one long heist, which seems to be the case for at least one episode out of each Star Wars series. It's entertaining. It has some strong visual moments. And there's at least one surprising development. On the very positive side, the interrogation scenes with Leia and Reva are nicely-done, while revealing a little bit of a soft side to the captor.
I do think this episode drags a little bit in pacing, and could have been edited to combine with Episode 5. Not as good as the first three, despite some positives.
Grade: B-
Part V
Obi-Wan, Tala and Leia escape to Jublim to find a Jedi sympathizer group called the "Path". Meanwhile, Reva is hot on their tail thanks to a tracker attached to a droid in their company. Vader promotes her to Grand Inquisitor in the process.
This episode features some much-needed character development for Reva, which helps her become a more sympathetic character. There's also some weaved in training sequences between Obi-Wan and Anakin, which really help the episode proceed thematically. There's an action-packed standoff that results in at least one or two surprises.
The writing here is strong, thanks to an assist from Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton (who also helps write the finale). The pacing here is very solid, and the use of nostalgia and flashbacks help strengthen the episode's emotional core as well. Overall, the fifth episode does a great job of helping set the stage for the show's finale.
Grade: B+
Part VI
In the finale, Reva discovers an old transmission and finds out about Leia's brother (and Anakin's son), Luke. She heads to Tatooine to try and take him out as an "eye for an eye". Leia safely arrives back in Alderran, while Obi-Wan retreats alone to a planet to lure Vader.
This series sticks the landing with a terrific finale. First, it meshes two short storylines really nicely, while leading to an epic showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. And, while the outcome is predictable (come on, you didn't think anyone would die here would you?), it does lead to some surprising choices and an emotional conclusion. The episode also features a few surprise appearances/cameos, and a few other nods to classic Star Wars themes and cues. There's also a satisfying "come full circle" moment for one other character, which leaves a bit of a cliffhanger as well.
In the end, despite some predictability, this finale does a great job as a satisfying ending/bridge while also hinting at possible future adventures to come.
Grade: A-
Overall Analysis
Obi-Wan Kenobi was a spin-off idea many were hoping would come to fruition for years. However, following the flop that was Solo: A Star Wars Story, hopes were starting to be dashed for a movie. Then, came Disney+, and almost every idea that was in doubt for theatrical release was back in play! Of course, by the time this anticipated story hit the small screen, not only did it have some rewrites to go through, but it had to follow in the footsteps of The Mandalorian.
Since its' been three years since Disney+'s launch, is there a sense of Star Wars fatigue here? Maybe. But, after Book of Boba Fett was a bit of a disappointment, I was pretty surprised here (though I did have low expectations). Obi-Wan feels more developed with its characters. More subtle and less risky. More emotionally-grounded. And, more cinematic in its visual grandeur and scope. And for the most part, pacing and episode lengths are solid here.
Are there a few questionable choices here and there? Sure. Could two episodes have been combined with further editing? Probably wouldn't have hurt. And, is John Williams' classic feel missing at times? I don't think Natalie Holt (Loki) doesn't quite fill in his shoes, and doesn't craft something quite as memorable as Ludwig Goransson did for Mandalorian, but she's fine.
That being said, it's awesome to see Ewan MacGregor back as his most famous character. While he starts off surprisingly similar to Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, his journey here is a more believable character study. Hayden Christensen also has some strong moments in his return to Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. The supporting cast mostly does a nice job also bringing their A-game.
In the end, this may be my favorite Star Wars show to date. With a simpler focus, more cinematic feel, better pacing, and an engaging character study, it feels like it fits as a very worthy sequel to the prequel trilogy (and more immediate prequel to the original trilogy I might add). And while it's not without a few stumbling blocks here and there, they are certainly not enough to dim this light saber too much.
Grade: B+
