Audiences’ love or hate for OBI-WAN should be based on how much they enjoyed the STAR WARS prequels. Sadly, the entire series feels like a step back after the forward momentum set by the superior BOBA FETT and THE MANDALORIAN. Those shows worked so well because they expanded the lure of the STAR WARS canon. In contrast, OBI-WAN is trapped in the confines of the bad prequels, complete with flashbacks sprinkled in to remind audiences of what previously occurred. So far, the only thing I’m thankful for is the lack of a Jar Jar Binks cameo.
What breaks my heart the most while watching the OBI-WAN series is the potential. When nostalgia is done correctly, audiences are treated to content like TOP GUN: MAVERICK and CHIP ‘n’ DALE RESCUE RANGERS. When it’s done wrong, we are stuck with THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS and now OBI-WAN.
So why doesn’t OBI-WAN work? For starters, the sheer amount of action tropes in this episode is laughable. Those moments that had me 😂 are:Â
- The big speech to slow down the enemy and buy the good guys some time, courtesy of Obi-Wan.
- The “we haven’t slowed them down enough” moment, so we need someone to sacrifice themselves for the team with an explosive device. 🤦Â
- This space is too small, and we need a kid to solve it, thanks to Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair).
- And the vengeance double cross with exposition coupled with flashbacks.
At this point in my review, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m giving PART V a 😊 instead of a 🤮. So I’ll end my take this week by quoting my much more articulate colleague, Mike – “it’s like your D student brought home a B-.”Â
It’s available to debate on Disney+.
