Episode III of Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+. Here’s our spoiler-filled review and discussion of the episode.
Dumo’s Thoughts and Musings
Reva seems to be riding high after standing up to her superior, the Grand Inquisitor. However, she must justify her actions to Darth Vader. Deborah Chow creates a chilling opening as Kenobi copes with the shocking realization the man he practically raised is a near-total mechanical nightmare. He is trying to center himself as he reaches out to Qui-Gon Jinn for guidance. But instead of his mentor, we hear voices of Reva taunting him and Anakin’s vocal demise. We then witness Vader’s re-emergence as he’s sealed into the tomb of his iconic suit, allowing my goosebumps to have goosebumps. Natalie Holt provides a score worthy of all of the John Williams praise.
Reva is driven to accomplish her goal. Now that Vader knows Obi-Wan is within his grasp, he holds Reva accountable for the highest seat of power, or certain death. Reva is committed and you can’t see an ounce of fear in her yet. Then again, any apprentice of any Dark Lord yields interesting results.
Sung Kang and Moses Ingram are putting on great performances this week as they dance around each other as the Fifth Brother and Reva. They do not like each other and vow to race to the finish line of power. I kind of want them to duel it out. Fingers crossed. Rya Kihlstedt, who plays the Fourth Sister, is the smartest in the room and is just doing her job and avoiding sibling rivalry. She seems to think this power grab has no happy ending.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Premiere Spoiler Review
I was surprised to also learn the actress is also playing a villain in Superman and Lois on the CW. I did not recognize her at first with the elegant makeup. She must be on cloud nine being able to play in the sandbox of two universes. The Force is strong with her. For a minute I thought she played Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character in Star Wars: Rebels as the Seventh Sister. Though I would not object to seeing her in live-action one day.
Obi-Wan and Leia find themselves on the planet of Mapuzo. The chemistry of the pair is just too precious. Vivien Lyra Blair is a star in the making. It feels like Obi-Wan is going on a mission with his new padawan. Leia continues to be intuitive and headstrong. I love it when she is instructed to be silent when they hitch a ride, but Leia takes charge when she senses Obi-Wan being shy. Even in the presence of stormtroopers, Leia is fearless. McGregor is soaking up each scene as Kenobi seems to be impressed with Leia and also riddled with guilt. I got emotional when he references Padme. There is clearly so much of her in Leia. I almost had to pause when Leia seems to think Obi-Wan is her birth father.
Obi-Wan seems to get his groove back when evading stormtroopers and protecting Leia. However, when he faces his former apprentice, Kenobi is clearly out of his depth. Thank the Force he finds an ally in Tala played by the stunning Indira Varma. She is the embodiment of who Leia will become. She takes a liking to Leia and that feeling is mutual. I quite enjoyed easter when Obi-Wan finds out Quinlan Vos survived Order 66.
Star Wars fans might recognize that name from the hit book Dark Disciple by Christie Golden and a memorable appearance in Star Wars: the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan referenced him briefly in Revenge of the Sith as well. It is nice to know a maverick like Vos is a survivor.
All in all, I loved this episode, and I have a bad feeling about Obi Wan’s situation. He was nearly killed by Vader and is injured. I’m happy Tala saved him with help from her badass droid.
However, Reva’s wishes come true as she manages to prevent Leia’s escape. Her choice to allow Tala to save Obi-Wan was miraculous but doomed her own safety. Leia is now in the clutches of the Third Sister. This is where the chaos begins.
On a happier note, I was watching the credits and noticed an actor known for playing a famous doctor on Scrubs makes an appearance in the episode.
Mack’s Thoughts and Musings
What an episode! Standing ovation for Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Igram, Vivien Lyra Blair, Indira Varma, and Natalie Holt. Any nitpicks or little concerns I had the past two episodes are nothing compared to the exhilarating excitement and absolute nerdy joy I felt watching Episode 3 of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I had no idea they were going to go this hard with Darth Vader. He is terrifying in this episode.
No matter what your thoughts on Disney Star Wars, there’s no denying that they made Darth Vader even more imposing and sinister than he was in the original trilogy. The way he murders and maims people just because he can and feels like it and wants to demonstrate his power to Obi-Wan was chilling. Such a Sith move. His duel with Obi-Wan in the episode’s conclusion was painful to watch and made me FEAR Darth Vader again.
The music, composed by Natalie Holt, helped deliver an epic feel to Episode 3. I especially loved the swelling music as Reva makes her entrance in the episode. Speaking of Reva, I love when the baddies squabble amongst each other. Reva isn’t too concerned though, she has something else up her sleeve. In the episode’s conclusion, little Leia encounters Reva, whose sweet and seductive voice almost puts her at ease until she notices the body of a man Reva just killed.
Reva pulls no punches and I just like watching an evil lady unleash chaos. I’m so happy Dumo mentioned the Fourth Sister. It’s no secret at Mack’s Musings that I love evil ladies so I’m happy to see her have an expanded role in the episode. My question is—where’s the Seventh Sister? It would be amazing to see her, especially if Sarah Michelle Gellar reprises her role from Rebels.
Speaking of Rebels…is the Grand Inquisitor okay? I refuse to accept he is dead. What kind of game are we playing here??
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I love how the show is opening Leia’s young eyes to the evil of the Empire. There’s been a shift in her character; initially, she thought the Empire annoying, but now she’s seen first-hand their cruelty. I sense a future Rebellion leader in the making. I almost cried several times with the scenes between Leia and Obi-Wan. I love how he keeps referencing Padme—and yes, it is Padme…not Satine, ya weirdos.
INDIRA VARMA IS ON THE SCENE! I love her so much. She deserved better from Game of Thrones, especially considering how badass the Dorn storyline is in the books. I didn’t know if she’d make it out alive, but the episode ends with her saving Kenobi, so she has an expanded role to play. I can’t wait to see more of her.
I’ll end my section of the review with a mini celebration of Quinlan Vos! The name-drop to the badass Jedi and master to Aayla Secura almost took my breath away. In Legends, Quinlan survives Order 66 and goes into hiding. I’m so glad Disney made his survival canon.
What did you think of Episode III? Let us know in the comments. For all things Star Wars and pop culture, check out our website!
Mack's Musings 