Obi-Wan Kenobi finale review: a Star Wars show as broken as its hero

The most obvious thing about a person is their first impression. Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new era of Star Wars is that, for the first time since the franchise transitioned to TV, it wasn’t about a guy in a helmet. There’s no disrespect. MandalorianOr Boba Fett’s Book, but they are shows that were sold on iconography more than character — something they reminded audiences of every time the Star Wars franchise logo appeared on screen after flashes of robots and helmets. In the film, only one character is wearing a mask. Obi-Wan KenobiDarth Vader is always relevant, regardless of whether it’s present or absent. Its brief run of six episodes was short. Obi-Wan stopped the spectacle to focus on people — and it mostly resonates as a contrast to how much I’ve missed them in other Star Wars stories.

This is the core of it all Obi-Wan’s two central performances. Ewan McGregor is Obi-Wan’s broken soldier in exile. As befits the character that shares the series’ name, every note of Obi-Wan’s journey rings true, largely thanks to McGregor’s performance.

Here, history is a great help. McGregor returning to the role he first played over 20 years ago and redefined for a second generation of Star Wars fans helps underline his depiction of a burdened man thanklessly safeguarding what’s left of his legacy. He doesn’t speak as much as he used to, but his actions tell a story — hiding from view and scrambling from fights in the first half of the show, and moving and fighting with determination in the second half. Six episodes show Obi-Wan transform from being a broken Jedi, barely able to use the Force any more, into a man with strength and purpose.

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Opposing him is Moses Ingram’s Reva, a relentless, driven Inquisitor working for Darth Vader to hunt Kenobi down. Ingram’s Reva is formidable. She is a force of nature, driven by passion, and an incredible physical presence in a world that has become increasingly dominated by large-than-life characters with obscured faces. Unfortunately, Ingram’s performance is underserved by the story she’s in. As her story nears its end, Ingram is able to clearly identify her motivations.

Reva, as it’s slowly revealed, was a survivor of Anakin’s youngling massacre in Revenge of the SithIn a desperate bid to find Darth Vader, Reva has taken up a zealous pursuit of Obi Wan in an effort to kill him. There’s a tragic story here, one that you can infer from Ingram’s performance — as Reva is continually broken down and built back up in her quest for revenge — but it’s one that strains credulity as Reva’s story ends with her in pursuit of Luke Skywalker, even if her goal of killing Vader is now long gone.

In spite of the difference in execution in their stories, both Obi-Wan and Reva’s arcs emotionally ground Obi-Wan Kenobi They are focused on losing. Put simply, they’re there to illustrate the difference between losing and being lost. Obi-Wan never says this theme out loud, but it’s the reason why the show can still feel worthwhile in spite of its status as a prequel where the fates of most major characters are known from the outset, particularly its protagonist.

How the viewer sees it doesn’t know coming in is Obi-Wan’s interiority: Is old Ben Kenobi at his post in A New HopeAre you out of obligation? Does he feel the loss? Revenge of the SithHe was filled with hope or despair? You have the right to be there. Obi-Wan KenobiTo say any meaningful words is extremely narrow. But to focus on feelings — to the credit of director Deborah Chow and her many collaborators, it conveys them well enough that when Obi-Wan stands in front of young Leia Organa or a ship full of refugees, it’s possible to care about whether or not he can find it in himself to inspire them.

Lucasfilm

This is when Kenobi faces what appears to be his final showdown with the former apprentice, before they are reunited as old men. A New Hope, it’s clear that they are burying the people they were in the prequels and becoming who they will be in the original trilogy. In this, Hayden Christensen’s brief return as Anakin makes Obi-Wan KenobiThe final episode offers viewers an insight into the cost of war by allowing Darth Vader’s scarred face to be seen briefly through his split helmet. This is the most powerful modern Darth Vader invocation. Darth Vader is Darth Vader by name. His failed revenge attempts are abandoned to make him fully a fascist Emperor.

It can’t be understated that the uphill struggle for resonance Obi-Wan Kenobi faced is a problem of Star Wars’ own design. The franchise’s current condition is one that favors the enthusiasm of existing fans rather than the effort of winning new ones. Ultimately, Obi-Wan KenobiIt is a uneven story about a man unsure of his role in a large and ongoing undertaking.

Cynicism grew in that uncertain environment, as it has a tendency to. But that cynicism — whether it stems from a fictional character processing his place after losing a war the bad guys won, or the challenge of artists and craftspeople trying to make art in the most commercial environment imaginable — can be overcome, even if it’s justified. All you have to do is find a way to make it work, and find something that will hold your hand. Obi-Wan KenobiA Jedi was destroyed and he was rebuilt to become a human being. His face is clear.