Obi-Wan Kenobi: Season 1 Review

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Obi-Wan Kenobi has officially come to an end. While not a wild ride, the show has been an emotional one. With two breakout performances as well as the rematch everyone was waiting for, these six episodes have been a rewarding ride for those who have followed the character for so long.

Pros: Obi-Wan Kenobi is a redemption story for Obi-Wan, in the sense that he has to grapple with the trauma of the Clone Wars, and re-find himself and his connection with the force. The Star Wars universe, as a general rule, does not deal with the consequences of the characters’ actions. While there are cause and effect actions, such as Anakin turning to the Dark Side which helps launch the Empire, the franchise does not deal with how the characters respond to this individually. This is something Obi-Wan Kenobi does well. The series takes a character that the audience already knows, turns a microscope on him, and shows how he gets from the warrior of Revenge of the Sith to the hermit in A New Hope. While typically seen as the model Jedi Knight, the show takes a deeper dive into the struggles Kenobi faces after having lost his friends, brother, and life to the Clone Wars. The show watches him go through PTSD and venture out from seclusion on Tatooine and back into the galaxy. In the first two episodes you see a very reluctant Kenobi, who has lost his connection to the force and just wants to go home where it is safe, stumbling through society trying to rescue a kidnapped Leia Organa. Midway through the series, Kenobi starts to understand how bad the galaxy has gotten under the Empire’s rule, and how much of the hope of the Old Republic remains. The final episode sees Kenobi regain his connection to the force, and has him come to terms with the fall of Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader and Kenobi do have a rematch that is visually stunning as well as heartbreaking for those who have not only seen the films, but watched their relationship grow in the Clone Wars tv show. In this fight, Kenobi is able to lay to rest the guilt he had of Anakin’s fall, and truly move on. The emotional journey from fallen Knight to renewed Warrior is very personal for fans who have watched Kenobi’s journey for so long, and gives hope to viewers who are in their own struggles, that they too can battle their demons and come out stronger in the end. 

Best Performance: Obi-Wan Kenobi has two breakout performances in Vivien Blair who plays a young Leia Organa and Moses Ingram who plays the Inquisitor Reva. Both actresses have been in acting for roughly the same amount of time and each brings incredible skill to their roles. Blair arguably has the easier role as Leia as the audience already knows who she is as an adult, thus Blair has to channel that energy into a younger version. While the easier role, Blair very quickly wins the hearts of the audiences with her wit and screen presence. For fans, she also shows a glimpse of what Leia was before she became the senator in A New Hope. Ingram has a slightly more difficult role in Reva as she is an original character. While a minor to the overall story, the writers made sure she was not a throw away character. Reva comes in as a fleshed out character with her own trauma, ambitions, and skill sets. Moses does an amazing job of displaying the ferocity of the character while also showing vulnerability even in subtle expressions, as evident when she interrogates Leia. As Reva attempts to intimidate the young princess, the audience sees subtle glimpses of how personally Reva is taking the interrogation. While Kenobi is the main character, these actresses balance him out by making the story more interesting and complex than originally thought.

Hayden Christensen makes a comeback as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. While he does not have a large role, the show treats him better than the original films ever did. Many of the criticism surrounding Christensen in the original films was that he was whiny and had a very wooden performance. After seeing him in other films, the argument could be made that there was a bad script and poor directing behind the performance. In this series, Christensen, however brief, redeems himself by having a more controlled while still very emotional performance. In the last episode, Vader and Kenobi have their rematch. In the fight, the audience sees the internal struggle of Anakin and Vader play out, as well as the moment he fully commits to the Dark Side. This scene alone propels the character and makes their final confrontation in A New Hope that much more meaningful.

Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Cons: Obi-Wan Kenobi was originally slated to be a film, and instead became a six part show. Because of this many people have said that the show’s pace is too slow. While I would agree the show is set at a slower pace, I would say this is actually on par for Star Wars. The entire Star Wars saga is categorized as a space opera, as such the overall pace is going to be slower. With this, we get better character development, and incredible cinematography shots. 

Concerns: Season 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi has already been greenlit by Disney, but should it be? While seeing more Obi-Wan in action would be incredible, season 1 has already done an amazing job of completing the character’s story. Starting the show with crippling PTSD and no longer able to use the force, by the final episode we see him regain his confidence, connection to the force, and finally able to deal with the trauma from the collapse of the Republic. Disney could leave the show there, as they have already set up what will happen in the next ten years before A New Hope starts. Obi-Wan will go out and complete smaller missions to help the Rebellion while also keeping an eye on Luke. Disney seems to be leaning in on the good will from fans that Obi-Wan brings. Fans love the character, and will continue to watch new content. However, the studio has shown that they can make original Star Wars content, as evidenced by The Madalorian. What the studio might also see is burnout from fans of the Skywalker Saga. Given that they can create original content within the Star Wars universe, it would be to their benefit to lean into that avenue. Not only will you keep fans engaged by having new stories, they can also bring in a new generation of Star Wars fans. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a fantastic series for Star Wars fans. It took a more indepth look at a beloved character and the audience got to see a different type of a Hero on a Journey. A typical Hero on a Journey storyline has the hero set off to defeat an external enemy or retrieve an item. In Obi-wan Kenobi, while they still have the journey to recover an item in rescuing Leia, the main villain Kenobi really has to defeat are his own internal demons. For the passive viewer who primarily watches the films, the show takes an interesting look at a main character. For those who have watched not only the films, but also the Clone Wars tv show, Obi-Wan Kenboi gives a much more personal look to a beloved character who has experienced just as much, if not more, heartbreak than the infamous Anakin Skywalker.