Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Part III”, Review!

 Obi-Wan Kenobi last episode Re:run, Reva encounters Haja who says he is a Jedi.  She knows that he is no Jedi, but he knows where Obi-Wan escaped.  Reva reaches out to take the information from him Kylo Ren-style.  At the cargo hangar, Leia tells Obi-Wan to accept help.  She is a leader, Obi-Wan says that she reminds him of someone, Padme.  It is obvious that Leia is in all of the episodes.  Leia is one of my favorite characters in the OT and now the Mandoverse.  Reva enters.  He has Leia run with the cylinder from Haja.  Reva says that she is going to take him to Lord Vader!  She says Obi-Wan didn’t know that Anakin Skywalker is alive!  Then, the Grand Inquisitor is there angry at her.  He reaches out to use the Force, but Third Sister skewers him with her lightsaber!  This is the same deadly move that killed Qui-Gon Jinn!  

The former Jedi takes the opportunity to run onto the cargo ship as it is about to leave.  Reva is left behind.  Obi-Wan is stunned only whispering, “Anakin.”  Then, we see Anakin’s pale, scarred face in a Bacta tank with the Darth Vsader breathing!   This part opens with a pan up a grate to see Obi-Wan meditating, trying to reach Qui-Gon, not yet, maybe after this adventure.  He hears the taunting voice of Reva and Yoda.  Clamps on cables descend to Vader’s scarred back with black plates running down his spine!  They remove the two cables connected to his body.  Then, Obi-Wan hears Qui-Gon from the past, and then Anakin.  Vader’s cyborg arm is attached.  Then, we see Vader’s cyborg legs as Obi-Wan hears the last words from Anakin.  Next, a chest plate is attached and then his helmet’s lower jaw piece.  


Obi-Wan Kenobi asks for help from Qui-Gon.  This is the same as Luke asking for help from Obi-Wan on Cloud City.  A plate is attached to Vader’s back and his chest piece starts to activate.  The helmet is lowered on Anakin’s scarred face, clearly Hayden Christensen!  Vader with red eye lenses and the breath looks demonic!  Obi-Wan thinks, “He’s coming master.”  Vader walks from his meditation chamber, we pan up the lava rivers of Mustafar to Vader’s castle.  This is all more epic than Vader’s scene in Rogue One (2016), the first time we see his castle.  On his throne, we hear Vader, James Earl Jones returning to voice him!  Reva in hologram form gives an update on Obi-Wan and blames him for the death of the Grand Inquisitor.  Vader wants Kenobi and he will give her the position of Grand Inquisitor, spoiler alert, she doesn’t get it by the time of Star Wars: Rebels. 



Obi-Wan is working while Leia asks what the Force feels like and he replies it’s like turning a light while in darkness.  Then, he hands her a repaired LO-LA59.  A photo was shown of a pet bird named Lola owned by Carrie Fisher.  Leia thanks Obi-Wan.  At least three Leia moments are needed every episode!  The ship alert has Obi-Wan prepare to land the ship at Mapuzo, an almost Earth-like Mid Rim planet except with a large, dusky continent. The thin, wedge-like, cargo ship starts to land.  A bulky, yellow loader droid walks out while load lifter droids bring out the cargo.  Obi-Wan and Leia slip past them.  They walk on a dusty road while Obi-Wan tells Leia about the planet and how it once was fields until transformed by the Empire.  He sees in the distance a robed figure, a vision of Anakin!, until Leia gets his attention.  The Scythe heads to the green moon, Nur, that was introduced in the video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019). 


It heads to the thin, pryamid-like Fortress Inquisitorious, also from the video game. Reva walks from the ship, past Imperial officers and Stormtroopers.  She reaches an underwater conference room occupied by Fifth Brother and Fourth Sister.  Reva reports Obi-Wan’s location, Fifth Brother uses the Force to hold her down.  He says he is next in line to be Grand Inquisitor.  She says she spoke with Lord Vader and orders Fourth Sister to send probes. The probes are dropped and then propelled out of the fortress.  On the mining planet, Obi-Wan goes over their cover story, farmers from Tawl, an unknown planet.  They reach a dusky field, but no contact.  Leia waves down a mining repulsortruck to take them to the spaceport.  The alien driver has a star-nose mole head.  Leia introduces herself as Luma and Obi-Wan as her father, Orden.  


The driver says his name is Freck (voiced by Zach Braff).  Obi-Wan sees the Imperial symbol, but they board the repulsortruck.  It stops as four Stormtroopers also board and say they are looking for a Jedi.  Stormtroopers question Obi-Wan and he accidentally says Leia, then covers by saying that is the name of Luma’s mother.  I like the what-what? expression of Blair’s face.  Leia asks about her mother and then about her father.  Obi-Wan admits that he has flashes of the memory of his family including a baby whom he thinks was his brother!  Named Ben?  An unseen brother is like Albus Dumbledore and his brother, Alberforth.  They reach a laser gate guarded by Stormtroopers.  Obi-Wan wants to be dropped off before they reach the gate.  Freck is suspicious about the travelers and sends the Stormtroopers. One orders Obi-Wan out and calls for “Protocol 23.” An Imperial probe droid scans him.  



He blasts it and several Stormtroopers including one guarding a tower.  He has a gruesome fate.  Then, knocks out Freck.  Obi-Wan blasts the controls of the laser gate, but then another transport has more Stormtroopers and an Imperial officer!  A female Stormtrooper (first time we’ve heard one) orders Obi-Wan down and hears blaster fire.  The officer, Tala (Indria Varma), has blasted the Stormtroopers and takes them away.  Varma played Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones.  Third Sister has identified the planet, but Fourth Brother has already told Vader. Fourth Sister orders the ports locked down and sends a battalion. At a mining camp, Tala says she was headed to the meeting point, but was delayed by probes.  She enters a room the alley.  Leia is sad and tells Obi-Wan didn’t run away. They go to the room which the officer says is droid maintenance.  Leia is startled by the tall labor droid, NED-B (performed by Dustin Ceithamer). He kinda reminds me of Atom from Real Steel (2011). 


The other labor droid character in Star Wars is Bollux from the Legends novel, Han Solo at Star's End (1979).  He had a counterpart in the Major Domo character in Captain EO (1986) with a tiny counterpart like Blue Max.  Tala makes introductions and the droid pulls a lever revealing a side room.  She explains that it is a safe house, part of the underground network called The Path, a brilliant idea to hide Jedi and lead them to Jabiim in the Outer Rim.  This is a world that first appeared in the comic, Star Wars: Republic #55 (2003).  An introduction to one of the best concepts in the Star Wars universe.  It looks like Haja Estree was part of The Path.  Leia asks if there are others and Tala says there are also Force sensitive people.  Obi-Wan sees carved on the wooden wall, the marks of Quinlan, last name Vos. This is a character that was a background character in TPM and given a name and Jedi identity in the comic, Star Wars #17 (1998).  His last appearance was the unproduced Clone Wars episodes that were made into the novel, Dark Disciple (2015).     



Quinlan helps younglings on The Path.  He has left a message that Obi Wan reads, “Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see” which he says is The Way.  Suddenly, Stormtroopers knock at the door.  NED-B opens the door and the Stormtroopers begin searching for the Jedi. One bucket head questions the droid who carries a pipe behind his back!  Both troopers leave.  Tala calls for the pilot to ready the ship.  Obi-Wan asks why Tala risks her life and she says she was in the Empire, but had left it when she found the truth.  She admits she made mistakes.  I think this character is one of the best in this series, I hope she does train Leia to shoot blasters, but might not make it to the end.   Tala reveals a circular tunnel passage.  Obi-Wan senses a presence!  He looks out of the slats the appearance of the three Inquisitors.  I wonder if these are the only Inquisitors at the time.  Then, we hear the Vader breathing and see his shadow!  Obi-Wan sends Leia to the hidden room, Vader pauses and then uses the Force to drag out a citizen.  His son runs out, but Vader finishes him with his Sith power.  Taunts to draw out Obi-Wan!  


He worriedly asks Tala to take her to Alderaan while he acts as a decoy.  Another citizen is dragged down the street behind Vader!  He pulls aside crates to reveal two young citizens.  Obi-Wan watches in alleyway and is gone when Vader turns in his direction!  Reva steps forward, but Fifth Brother says Vader’s orders is to find others.  Obi-Wan has run to a foggy, mining facility at night.  We hear his breathing and then Vader’s lightsaber ignites, startled me!  He faces Obi-Wan who takes out his lightsaber.  Excellent tension.  Obi-Wan runs, “I am Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die”, same response, I hope it is not meant to be comedic. He hears from Vader and activates his lightsaber.  He has not used his lightsaber since Order 66 when he buried it.  His confidence in the Force is shaken. Obi-Wan searches the darkness with his lightsaber, lit blue like Anakin’s duel with Dooku in AoTC.  Plus, there is purple when the two lightsaber blades meet.  Impressive duels in this episode.  Stormtroopers are gathering up citizens while Reva sees NED-B walking out of the maintenance room.  Leia may be in trouble!  Obi-Wan Kenobi has the duel, not the last one before Star Wars (1977), and The Odyssey-like journey of returning Leia home!         


Five Lightsabers out of Five! 

        

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