Recap – Spoilers ahead –
Tala (Indira Varma), Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) safely reach the base. Unfortunately, the beacon Reva (Moses Ingram) planted on Leia’s toy Lola works. The empire arrives shortly afterwards, laying siege to the refugees.
Obi-Wan conducts a plan, which leads to painful losses. Tala sacrifices herself to save the others. In the end, they make their escape, when Reva’s true motives are finally revealed.
Analysis
Reva’s backstory gives the character the depth she deserves. Moses Ingram delivers an amazing performance, and finally all the pieces fall into place. Her fight scene, although one-sided, is amazing, especially since her style is unique among force sensitive people.
This episode is mostly an ensemble episode, which is why it gives off a proper Star Wars vibe. It would have been preferable, however, if the supporting characters had had more screen time in advance to get the audience more invested.
The flashbacks of Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan training are a unique treat. It ties the show to the prequels, and the signs that Anakin would succumb to the dark side are undeniable. The audience also learns how Obi-Wan could beat Anakin in “Revenge of the Sith”. It is not about raw power, but about how you use it.
Tala’s death during the siege is painful, but never cheesy. Her character had a lot of potential, but it showed nobody is safe in this show (well, with the exception of Obi-Wan, Leia and Darth Vader).
The downside in my opinion is Bail Organa’s (Jimmy Smits) message to Obi-Wan. Bail Organa is one of the people behind the rebellion, and he knows about Leia’s heritage. He should be smart and careful, but reveals crucial information without any regard for safety. The writers should have come up with a better idea to set up the final episode.
Conclusion
This episode is what all Star Wars fans have been waiting for, as it is Star Wars at its best: It has unexpected revelations, heartbreak, character development and action. It could have even made an amazing stand alone movie (as it was initially intended!). Maybe the first episodes could have been shorter, but this episode made it worthwhile, and hopefully the final episode will be up to the same standard.
Have you seen the fifth episode yet? If yes, what are your thoughts? Don’t forget to check this place when we will be back with another Obi-Wan Kenobi review. In the meantime, you can read our review for the fourth episode here.
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Maria is our resident nerd and passionate about all things fantasy and science fiction. She is Spanish and grew up in Germany, which is why she is a native speaker of both languages. Becoming a fantasy writer was only logical to combine her skills and passions. In addition, she is working on her English degree and loves to play tennis and dance Salsa. She is currently writing her first novel and will mainly be covering Star Wars, Star Trek and Shadow & Bone.
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