Obi-Wan Kenobi 1×03 Review: “Part III”

“Part III” has Obi-Wan Kenobi finally come face to face with Darth Vader in another thrilling episode.

After a solid start in “Part I & Part II,” Obi-Wan Kenobi continues its positive momentum in “Part III.” The episode sees Obi-Wan and young Leia on the run and concludes with a tense showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader.

First, it is important to address the recent news regarding Moses Ingram (Reva). It is abhorrent that she has been receiving racist attacks over her role. Though Star Wars unfortunately has a long history of incidents like this, racism should have no place in this fandom or any other. Moses Ingram deserves better, as much as John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran deserved better. Thankfully, the Star Wars social media and star Ewan McGregor came to Ingram’s defense and hopefully will set a new precedent for defending actors who receive racist attacks going forward.

The episode has Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) on the run from the Empire after their escape from Daiyu. Obi-Wan remains haunted by the revelation that Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is alive. Obi-Wan’s processing of this is brilliantly intercut with showing the process of Anakin being transformed into Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones). The following scene between Obi-Wan and Leia, as he fixes her little droid and she asks him about the Force, is a nice development of their dynamic.

After not finding anyone at the coordinates provided by Haja in Daiyu, Obi-Wan decides to hitch a ride with an approaching truck. The driver, Freck (voiced by Zach Braff), lets them travel, but spends the ride openly praising the Empire for its efficiency. Freck provides an interesting perspective on how some ordinary people view the Empire, and it’s easy to draw parallels between people in real life who ignore atrocities by people in power because they are not personally affected by them.

When a group of Imperial troopers join the ride, Obi-Wan accidentally calls Leia by her real name instead of the fake identity they had been using. He recovers by saying that he is still dealing with the loss of her mother, named Leia, and everyone appears to buy the lie. Leia later correctly assesses that Obi-Wan knew her mother and asks if he is her father. Obi-Wan tells her that he isn’t but doesn’t tell her anything about her real father. It’s an additional emotional moment between them that strengthens a bond that is already a highlight of the series.

At a checkpoint, Freck turns Obi-Wan and Leia over to the Imperial guards, but the two manage to escape with the help of Haja’s contact Tala (Indira Varma), who has finally caught up to them. Tala takes them to a safehouse, where she reveals that she and a network of people have been helping Jedi hide from the Empire and start new lives. The revelation provides more depth into what life is like in the empire, particularly for Jedi, and Tala’s willingness to help the Jedi is admirable.

The group can’t stay there for long, as Reva and Vader arrive at the village following the incident at the checkpoint. The tension is well done as Vader walks through the terrified village and Obi-Wan watches from the window. As Obi-Wan goes out to face Vader, the buildup to the actual showdown remains tense, as you can feel the anticipation and anxiety of Obi-Wan grow. At last, Obi-Wan comes face to face with Vader, as Vader’s lightsaber lights up in the dark that’s reminiscent of the final sequence of Rogue One.

Though it is a bit surprising that they didn’t wait until the end of the season for this long-awaited showdown, it still lives up to the hype. Obi-Wan confronts Darth Vader over what he’s become, and Darth Vader blames him. As the two point their lightsabers at each other, Darth Vader lights the ground on fire with his, and uses the force to drag Obi-Wan through it as revenge for the fiery nature of their last meeting. Thankfully, Tala rescues Obi-Wan before Darth Vader can finish the job, and Vader chooses to walk away.

“Part III” concludes with Obi-Wan badly burnt, but still alive. Just as worrisome, Reva has cornered Leia during her attempt to escape the village. It will be interesting to see how Obi-Wan will deal with his latest face-off with Darth Vader and how Leia will get out of Reva’s clutches. Halfway through, Obi-Wan Kenobi has been a great addition to the Star Wars universe, and it will be exciting to see how it will conclude.

Author: Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Film/Video. She has a passion for entertainment and representation in entertainment. She currently resides outside of Washington, DC.

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary