6 Things I'm Excited For In "Obi-Wan Kenobi" And 6 Things I Dread
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Everyone is excited to welcome Ewan McGregor back into the Star Wars universe in his titled role of Obi-Wan Kenobi on May 27th.
Disney+
Here are some things I feel could make or break the show, the same way I was worried about The Book of Boba Fett:
1.MAKE: Give us a different Obi-Wan.
There are people who HATED The Last Jedi specifically because Luke had changed. It happens. Character progression and regression are a real thing...for real people, too. Kenobi lost. How did that affect him and his views on the world?
McGregor is a great actor, so he could do a great job showing how Kenobi has changed since we last saw him. I'm not saying change like he's going to be speaking with a Boston accent or something, people, but a change like having a more pessimistic view on politics, the Jedi, or even himself. I think The Book of Boba Fett did a superb job with their title character (when he was on screen).
2.BREAK: We get a nostalgia act for Revenge of the Sith fans.
20th Century FOX
Like any story, the "fighting and action" matters less than the main character's story. Let the focus be on Obi-Wan's growth/decline and less about trying to recapture the duels in Revenge of the Sith.
Obi-Wan even says in the teaser that "the fight is done," so I hope this show isn't action-heavy for his character. Other characters can be shown fighting the Empire, but Obi-Wan needs to keep his head down. The teaser gives me a lot of confidence, and I think the show will dive into the need for Obi-Wan to help others selflessly.
Give us the drama of Obi-Wan thinking about the good old days with Anakin and his regret, thinking about how he could have done better preventing his student's fall. Let the universe (and action) keep turning without Obi-Wan and the Jedi.
3.MAKE: The Inquisitors are menacing and calculated.
The Inquisitors have huge potential on the (somewhat) big screen. They literally kidnapped Force-sensitive children on a cartoon show, so their evil knows no bounds. I hope they give them limited but meaningful screen time. Disney+ Star Wars shows have knocked villains out of the park in my opinion so far. There is a bit of pressure to keep that trend going.
What will happen if an Inquisitor actually finds Kenobi? Can they match his skill? They shouldn't, but I hope they also don't become punching bags, which leads to my next "break"...
4.BREAK: The Inquisitors become nothing more than Saturday morning cartoon villains.
Group W Productions
No offense to Skeletor, but I am very worried Kenobi and Vader are too big for the Inquisitors. They are literally going to be standing in the shadow of fan favorites, so I hope they don't become those characters that always come just short of getting the good guys while slipping on a banana peel. Give them some wins. It doesn't have to be against the main characters, but give them something to do if they are meant to carry the show as the primary bad guys.
(This is all assuming Vader's presence is limited.)
And, oh boy, am I, too, worried about those Inquisitor character designs. I'll hold my judgment until I see them in action.
5.MAKE: A Vader-Kenobi showdown IF they can do it without obliterating the timeline.
So...a showdown could happen, but they will have to be very careful with it. Notice I said showdown and not a fight. They technically never say the last time they see each other is on Mustafar. Vader says the line, "When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master." He is referring to leaving him as an apprentice for Palps, not their last interaction on Mustafar.
If they meet, it better be powerful like Ashoka-Vader in Rebels. Otherwise, don't soil the great final moment they had between them.
6.BREAK: Too much Vader in an Obi-Wan show.
Lucasfilm
Yes, you could have too much of a good thing. Vader is famous for only having limited screen time in A New Hope (17 minutes, I believe), so it should be the same way, ESPECIALLY since he won't even be the main villain if we are following the deeds of the Inquisitors.
I don't know if I'm in the minority, but give me Hayden Christensen in flashbacks or visions as pre-Vader Anakin. I'd prefer that over more Vader "swinging lightsaber" cutscenes.
7.MAKE: This will sound silly...but having "a point" to a show other than us all loving Ewan McGregor as Kenobi.
Does this show need to happen? Or did prequel fans just want it to happen?
Boba Fett never really had a story, so he was a great option for a spinoff, especially after his appearance in Mando. But we get plenty of Obi-Wan from start to finish in the prequels. McGregor knocked the role out of the park. I hope this show serves as a chance to expand on the beloved character and not just place him in an action series.
I'm always "iffy" about giving lead characters spinoff movies/shows. It reminds me of fans who said (at the start of Disney+ making these shows) that "we should have a Vader show!" Friends, we had a whole mother-bantha trilogy for Vader! What more do you want other than action scenes to grovel over?
8.BREAK: Too much filler in a show that doesn't need it.
Lucasfilm
Shots of Jakku, like the one above, are great and necessary for a new planet, but my God, we are on Tatooine...again. What more do we need to see? No need for unnecessary filler shots. This is a limited series anyway, just tell the story without any distractions. The story should go through Obi-Wan, and not waste too much time on side quests.
I love a slow pace, but do it with character development and story-telling. Make every beat count.
9.MAKE: Please, for the love of the Force, develop your new characters like they are important and not just "along for the ride" or one-shot comic book villains.
You'll catch me criticizing Mandalorian a lot, but Season 1 really fleshed out all the characters well. On the other hand, I was extremely disappointed Fennec Shand didn't get fleshed out more in the Book of Boba Fett, and they opted to give Mando more screen time in a show that was promoted as Boba and Fennec taking Jabba's empty throne.
I'm all for giving Obi-Wan a lot of screen time, but don't make the other characters NPCs. How about one less Easter egg and spend that time giving a little backstory to a character.
Also, I loved Hera in Rebels, and Sando in The Book of Boba Fett, so why not add more non-human characters to the universe? I loved Nick Nolte's character, Kuiil, in Mando. Too many leading roles are played as humans.
10.BREAK: The Mandalorian learns how to time travel and hijacks another show.
Disney+
I joke, of course, but you know what I mean. Not everything has to be a crossover leading to a surprise returning character. Listen, Marvel does a great job with connected universes, but not everything needs to be that formula. If they veer away from telling Obi-Wan's story as they did with Boba Fett in his show, it could really sink the series fast.
If they go that route, I fear that these Star Wars shows will be giving too much service to the fans, caring less about trying to create a bold new vision.
Just because I have watched it for the first time recently, it's a good example of what I mean: the film The Batman shows you can take something that is played, and breathe new life into it, all while still making it feel loyal to the source material.
11.MAKE: Kenobi "dies" because he kind of has to die.
Killing off Obi-Wan...it's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for him.
This one is tricky, but I hope you understand what I mean. Obi-Wan can't be "at large" in the eyes of Imperials because he is suspected to be dead by the Empire in a New Hope. Anakin knows he survived the purge, so we have to at least "kill off" Obi-Wan so the Empire stops looking for him.
At the very least, Vader is the only person that still thinks he's alive by the end of this show...or at least senses he, somehow, is still out there somewhere. He could "feel something he had not felt since" in a New Hope, so, honestly, I think even he needs to believe he is dead because he sort of acted bewildered at his presence.
Execute Order Fake Obi-Wan's Death.
12.BREAK: Obi-Wan carelessly leaves Luke
Listen, he can leave the planet without it being a plot hole, in fact, he probably needs to get Inquisitors off of Luke's trail. But if he leaves Luke behind once the "action" begins, in a way that feels rushed, it's going to play out pretty silly.
It's a show, so they should have plenty of time to show Kenobi's reluctance to leave Luke unguarded, but he must for his own good. This could also tie into Owen being more of a "hard ass" on Luke about leaving the farm, and that's how we see his character involvement in the show. This "break" worries me the least, but if they somehow drop the ball, it will be pretty bad for the overall show and Kenobi's character.
