Can you believe it’s been a whole 45 years since we were first introduced to the character Obi-Wan? Back then the role was portrayed by the late great Alec Guinness, and then 17 years since we said “Hello there” to the brilliant iteration by Ewan McGregor.
Ever since, the character has become a staple of pop culture, and what a mark both renditions have left on the world! So much so that almost half a century later we are still learning about Obi-Wan’s character, and how he came to be the man we first met so many years ago.
Ewan McGregor’s return to Obi-Wan is completely mesmerising as he expertly balances between his own take on the character as he was many years ago and the person he is set to become in this arc
This story is more than just a return for Master but Padawan too, as Hayden Christiansen resurrects the somewhat insidious Darth Vadar. While this return is a welcome one, it can most definitely, at points, feel lacklustre and without purpose, despite still giving fans what they want to see.
Overall the series is a beautiful entry into the ever growing franchise for the most part. However, it is by no means without faults. With only 6 episodes, the series too often rushes character developments, which can prove frustrating after delivering a bloated and unnecessary couple of filler episodes that could have been far better focused on the tortured soul behind the crisp black mask.
These Were Not The Droids We Were Looking For
From the offset, the series does well to subvert our expectations on who the series is centred around. It offers all the trailers promised and more: Obi-Wan watching over the Skywalker youngling, but just not in the way you think.
However, at the same time it is completely aware of what fans want to see from the epic duels to the awesome cameos. Although it teases you like the hanging of a carrot for possibly too long, the show more than makes up for it when it actually does deliver…and boy does it deliver.
It can however over indulge itself and quite honestly, although we are introduced to some amazing new charvaters into the arc – most notably Moses Ingram’s, Reva ; these felt like unnecessary additions and side plot to pad the runtime. Which, ultimately is likely to annoy many fans, when there could have been so much more developed between our two old friends-turned-enemies, reuniting for what could be the last time.
Obi-Wan Did Not Always Have The High Ground
Ewan McGregor portrays Obi-Wan nigh on perfectly and provides a new piece to the jigsaw that fits right in for the character, as we pick up exactly where we would expect to find him after such a loss. This is a tortured character, caught between his nature and his need to survive, that is not just running from the empire but is a man desperate to outrun his actions – the mistakes whose repercussions are now being felt throughout the galaxy.
For the former apprentice turned Sith on the other hand, although we got to witness the magnitude of this antagonist’s power and wrath, it ultimately felt weakened by a restraint on showing just what this purgatory bound character is truly capable of and the dark depths in which he lay.
It seemed odd to hold back on such a defined character even though the series opens reminding us of his exact role on the day of order 66.
However, despite these downfalls, Hayden Christiansen offers a remarkable return to the character that not only shows how much he has matured as an actor, but highlights all the possibilities about this character’s exploration as we unfold him into more than just one dimension.
Stuck In The Middle With You
Where Obi-Wan truly struggles is in its predestination. We all know where these characters will be and their outcomes come the end of the series because of where it sits on the Star Wars timeline.
This is ultimately why some episodes fell flat. Building this false tension left us with little to root for or offered genuine instances to get truly invested in a situation, when we knew ultimately the characters would manoeuvre their way out of it one way or another.
It is because of this that the series only truly shines when the focus is honed on the relationship between Master and Padawan, and how this led to the men they are today. One looking for revenge and the other redemption, their hunt for one another cascades into a finale filled with as many jaw-dropping moments as heartbreaking ones.
Verdict
Obi-Wan Kenobi, although has a few uneven and misdirected points during its journey, more than makes up for it with the final few episodes alone. Ewan McGregor’s return to this iconic role is a welcome one that, at points, leaves you with goosebumps.
As for his former padawan, it’s safe to say that Hayden Christensen finally, after 17 years, gives a chilling and haunting rendition of a fractured Anakin/Darth that will not soon be forgotten. The epic battle between master and apprentice has no holdbacks, and we’d even say it delivers a worthy contender to The Duel of the Fates.
