Check out our review of the first episode here.
An aspect of Star Wars shows I wanted to be expanded on is going to different planets we’ve seen in a live-action capacity. ‘Part II’ lets the audience briefly see Daiyu, where Obi-Wan is on a search mission to save Princess Leia from Nokru’s (Flea) gang. Daiyu is not the safest place to be — especially if you’re a wanted Jedi being sought after by a group of inquisitors. The episode doesn’t overstay what it’s supposed to achieve — while adding some character context through conversations happening inside the rescue mission.
The void from the Jedi dying left a vacuum for grifters and imposters. Haja Estree (Kumail Nanjiani) has no problem taking money from a mother and her child flubbing Jedi mind tricks. In the short time we’ve spent inside the world of this limited series, the Empire has stamped most of the light out of it — both where the Jedi have become both parody and legend. Obi-Wan has been out of the fight for years, so his hand-to-hand combat skills were rusty. What do you expect from a guy who hasn’t seen combat since the day he had to dismember his old friend? Part II is an exercise where Obi-Wan has to stop being afraid of using his abilities — his and Leia’s life depends on that self-realization.
Partnerships aren’t the strong suit of the Sith or dark side. In Star Wars canon, the Sith master is always suspicious of their apprentice overthrowing them and taking power somehow. A bit of the same dynamic is happening between the Grand Inquisitor and Reva — as they try to crawl over each other to apprehend Obi-Wan. The Grand Inquisitor makes overtures to Reva’s past, indicating she came “from the gutter” and that “she’s “the least of them.” In the short time we’ve spent in Obi-Wan, Reva is the most aggressive in her pursuit of delivering Obi-Wan to a certain Sith lord — indeed, the most physically gifted out of the three Inquisitors at this point. (some roof jumps might have overdone things a little).
I feel there is a deeper meaning the show may go into why Reva is so committed to this pursuit beyond the surface level. Inquisitors are former Jedi or younger Jedi who got captured and trained in the dark ways of the Sith. She’s probably one of the younglings we saw briefly in the first minutes of “Part I.” So far, we have seen one aspect of Reva’s personality: an intensity to achieve the goal. The time we spend with Obi-Wand and young Leia is an enjoyable part of Part II that ties back to previous Star Wars history and furthers Leia’s intuitiveness. In other stories, the trope of a child being wary of an adult hero has been done. Here, it’s used as a device for Obi-Wan to let get of his past fears and use his powers again.
One of the profound exchanges was when Leia pointed out Obi-Wan’s appearance; even with him not talking about the past, it still shows. He’s exceptionally haggard and worn from the excess loss. Obi-Wan points out that Leia reminded him of “someone.” That’s Leia’s mother, Padme, who didn’t allow the constraints of Queen Amidala to stop her from being out in the trenches. Leia exhibits the same attitude: “you don’t have to call me Princess. I’m just Leia. I’m enjoying the show, displaying that parallel through conversations and mannerisms. The needle drop of Part II is Obi-Wan finding out Anakin is still alive — the sheer anxiety and fear in Obi-Wan’s eyes perfectly tie into seeing Anakin/Darth in that Bacta tank. It’s a rematch we didn’t know we would get until this show was announced.
Glancing Observation: This is ten years of build-up where these two forces will have to collide. Now, we know how this ends up with A New Hope. Will Obi-Wan try to appeal to what’s left of Anakin if/when they eventually see each other again? That’s a big question I have with four more episodes to go.
Photo Credit: Disney/Star Wars
