Superman and Lois, “All is Lost”, Review!

"All is Lost" has Lana struggling with the truth, Chrissie is involved with Lois on a case, and a new development with Natalie!  Ally gives her story about living a difficult life to a bookstore audience about something missing.  At the signing, she gets a book from Lucy Lane, and Ally asks if she is Lois Lane’s sister.  Lucy says she’s a nobody, but Ally gives her false hope.  Now, Lucy sees most of the group leave a cabin after the disappearance of Ally for a month.  Earth, Superman flies at superspeed until he reaches the farmhouse.  Lois doesn’t want him to go to the Bizarro world.  She is about to go find Lucy.  Lois has Clark speak to their sons about Lana.  At the warehouse, John Henry is working on the suit with a laptop, Natalie joins him.  John Henry says that Ally could possibly drain not only power, but life.  Is playing her song on her cellphone, Lana is excited to hear her own Alanis Morrisette.  She is surprised that she missed the performance.  Lana recognizes the bar.  

At the porch, the two sons are frustrated about their father’s revelation, but Clark worries about Lana keeping the secret.  Then, he has them do some farm work.  At the Smallville Gazette, Chrissie gives Lois some files.  She says Ally only gave her certain information implying Lois has done the same thing with her.  Lois mentions that Clark has wanted to join the Gazette, but was worried about nepotism.  Sam Lane enters saying that Lucy is found and Lois backs bringing Chrisse along.  At Bizarro world, Bizarro Lois hears the announcement of Ally, the Superwoman Lana smiles as she says they must merge the two worlds.  John Henry stares at Natalie’s suit.  She wanted to help him and John Henry wants his daughter to tear it apart.  He says that she is too young at 15, but Natalie has been endlessly helpful and in danger.  Sam pulls up in his truck.  They enter the cabin to talk to the followers, until Lucy angrily walks down the stairs.  

    SUPERMAN AND LOIS -  - “All is Lost” - - TYLER HOECHLIN, ALEX GARFIN - - Photo: Shane Harvy/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Lois says Ally is a parasite and Sam puts his daughter in a handcuff.  Clark holds up a tractor as Jonathan works on it underneath.  Clark reassures his son about his decisions.  He says he was never mad and wanted to protect Jonathan.  His son confides about the hate he was felt at school.  At the mayor’s office, Jordan tells Lana and mentions that Sarah broke up with him since he was keeping his secret.  Lana says Sarah would be in danger if she was in a relationship with Jordan and should stay away to protect her.  Jordan apologizes for bothering her, emotional moment, and Lana sighs.  Metropolis, Ally has helped Lucy with her new apartment.  Lucy admits that she hasn’t told Lois or her father.  Ally says she would never hurt her or her family, uh, right.  Lucy is checked and finds a signaling device.  Sam takes her upstairs with Lois. Jordan sits on a bench outside of the Gazette and Clark finds him there.  Clark tries to cheer him up to show him something.  

Kyle with his fellow firefighters getting groceries, Sarah rushes up, and explains that her mother is upset.  Kyle smiles and says he will go to explain things to Lana.  At the cabin, Lois tries to say that she tried to help her sister growing up, this is intervention time.  Lois calls Lucy her “liferaft.”  She wants Lucy to give her a chance to prove her love.  Sam unlocks Lucy’s handcuff.  A woman runs up and tells Lucy to see something outside.  Ally is flying down from the trees!  In the Arctic, Clark lands with Jordan, for training.  They stand at the edge of a chasm.  This is flying practice.  Clark tells him to let go of his fear.  Jordan walks back a few steps and then plunges down screaming.  Clark shouts encouragement.  Jordan then weaves through the chasm.  Clark sees that Jordan is going too fast and catches him.  The next test is what Clark calls the “Kessel run”, nice touch.  

        SUPERMAN AND LOIS -  - “All is Lost” - - WOLE PARKS - - Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Lucy turns from Ally to her family and back, then agrees to trust Ally.  Ally wants Lucy to find another source of power, Superman!  John Henry takes a buzzsaw to Natalie’s suit and its blade breaks.  He goes to Natalie’s room and compliments her on the suit.  She says that she can’t lose another world and wants to fight.  Her father agrees.  Kyle visits Lana who blames herself for turning frustration to Sarah and Jordan. He wants to take Lana to get lasgana.  She still wants to discuss Tanya’s bar.  At the forest, Ally asks with her otherwordly voice about Superman.  Lois says that she killed Mitchell Anderson.  Lucy doesn’t trust her sister and takes out the signaling device to call in Superman.   At the barn, Jonathan is polishing the tractor, then hears Clark and Jordan land.  Jonathan says he is left behind and had finished the chores.  Ally says she doesn’t need the pendant.  Lois says that she will be another person that hurts people.  

Sam tries to reach for the device and Ally starts draining his life.  Chrissie hears Superman fly past.  She raises up his power to take down Superman.  Chrissie calls up DoD and it is intercepted by John Henry who wants to be joined by Natalie.  Ally uses her full power, but Superman struggles against it.  John Henry says he will get Superman while Natalie takes on Ally.  Superman looks at Lois, his face is scarred like Bizarro Superman!  John Henry throws the hammer, it is held back by Ally, and returned to slam into John Henry.  Natalie lands and sees the wounded Superman, his vitals are going so she shocks him.  John Henry says that she should use “max power.”  Natalie uses a full charge and detects his heart beating.  John Henry collects Superman as Natalie takes Sam Lane.  They are headed to the DoD and John Henry tells Lois to meet them there.  Superman may have survived, but may have lost all of his powers!  This episode of Superman and Lois has Superman down, it looks like he will need the “World  Without A Superman” team; Superboy (Jordan), Steel (John Henry), and Natalie (replacing Supergirl), they may also need Tahl-Ro to take the place of the comic book hero Eradictor.  

Five Crystals out of Five!  

#SupermanAndLois, #AllIsLost, #TylerHoechlin #ElizabethTulloch, #AlexGarfin, #JordanElsass, #DylanWalsh, #IndeNavarette, #EmmanuelleChriqui, #ErikValdez, #JennaDewan, #SofiaHasmik, #RyaKihlstedt 

A Night at the Academy Museum!

Last night, June 5th, was the Academy Museum Members Night with the close of the Hayao Miyazaki exhibition.  This exhibition started on September 30th of last year.  It had 300 objects from the Studio Ghibli Museum and was only at the Academy Museum.  I actually started at 3:50 p.m. trying to catch up on the second level of the Academy Museum following the Stories of Cinema.  You enter at the far right door of the exhibition starting with Significant Movies and Moviemakers.  Once entering there is a room sized Citizen Kane (1941) theatrical poster signed by Orson Welles!  This is unquestionably one of the greatest works of cinema!  The classic film is part of six rotating movies and moviemakers.  There are two script drafts of the movie, one has The American title, annotated by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz.  The film, Mank (2020), covers the screenwriter’s life.  These are pieces of Hollywood history!  

                                                                                Academy Awards History gallery, Academy Museum, author’s photo. 

There is the last remaining prop of a very important object from Citizen Kane.  I doubted I would ever see it!  If that is not enough, next is an incredible Bruce Lee area.  There is the blue suit worn by Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973) plus five of his movie posters in the background!  On a facing wall is his nunchaku used by him in the 1960s!  Next, a display of a Green Hornet trading card, a fight sequence drawing by Bruce Lee, The Way of the Dragon (1972) script with Bruce Lee’s notes and drawings.  He wrote an article, “In My Own Process” in 1973.  A costume area with something that caught my eye, the Academy Awards History section, the winner envelope for Eiko Ishioka, for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  There is an array of outfits won to the Academy Awards, and this leads to a circular room of Academy Awards.  

I saw awards for Alfonso Cuaron winning for Gravity (2013), Best Foreign Language Film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), and the Oscar for Visual Effects; John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, and Robert Dialack for Star Wars (1977).  The second floor exhibit then goes to a Spike Lee section, Director's Inspiration, Spike, that is just stunning.  It closes on September 25th, this would be a shame to miss.  A red staircase and a green platform is surrounded by posters and props from Lee’s films.  There is the US flag that burned in the opening of Malcolm X (1992), posters signed by some of the great directors, and Lee’s costumes as Mookie in Do The Right Thing (1989). This goes into the screenwriter displays in a small, dark hall, the Story part with screenplays and storyboards; John Huston’s revision on the script of The Maltese Falcon (1941), Nicholas Pileggi’s annotations for the Goodfellas (1990) script, and the annotations by Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).  

                                                                                                Director’s Inspiration: Spike Lee, photo by the author. 

More incredible displays, in this case, a massive room focused on the making of The Wizard of Oz (1939)!  The room is The Art of Moviemaking: The Wizard of Oz, this closes September 25th, please don't miss it!  Before you is a wall sized photo of theYellow Brick Road walk to the Emerald City.  In front of it is a case containing the Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland for the “No place like home” scene.  Some more objects include a matte painting for the Haunted Forest sequence, the Tin Man’s oil can prop, and the hat worn by Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch.  A display had the pinafore worn by Judy Garland playing Dorothy Gale and also the sepia pinafore worn her stand-in, Bobbie Koshay.  This goes to a section on casting with the Polaroids of young Ethan Hawke from 1985, Nicole Kidman in 1988, and the 1983’s photo of Alan Rickman.  There is the casting card for Scarlett Johansson in 1998 that says, “She’s very poised + mature.”  

A room of film costumes had Florence Pugh’s flowery dress from Midsommer (2019).  The costume worn by Red played by Lupita Nyong’o in Us (2019).  Russell Crowe’s armor in Gladiator (2000).  Against a wall is the life cast of Grace Kelly.  Charlize Theron’s wig and make-up appliances in Bombshell (2019).  The mechanical arms of Furiosa played by Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).  The following room has the yellow dress worn by Emma Stone in La La Land (2016).  I loved seeing the Evillene’s dress in The Wiz (1978). There is the costume worn by Jeff Bridges as The Dude in The Big Lebowski (1998).  I also liked the Hair and makeup reference Polariods for the actresses of Joy Luck Club (1993).  I spent hours studying ever placard in the Hayao Miyazaki exhibition and going to the restful, grass-like pod that let’s you see animated clouds slowly pass overhead. It was great to ask questions and take your time going through the exhibits!    

#AcademyMuseum, #HayaoMiyazaki, #StudioGhibli, #OrsonWelles, #CitizenKane, #BruceLee, #EnterTheDragon, #BramStokersDracula, #CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon, #StarWars, #SpikeLee , #WizardOfOz, #JudyGarland, #EthanHawke, #NicoleKidman, #AlanRickman, #Midsommer, #Us, #Gladiator, #Bombshell, #MadMaxFuryRoad, #LaLaLand, #TheWiz, #TheBigLebowski, #JoyLuckClub    

Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!

 Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!  One of his first roles was as Gene Forrester in A Separate Peace (1972) based on the novel by John Knowles who also co-wrote the film.  Stevenson next par was playing Chris, a fellow lifeguard to Sam Elliott’s Rick Carlson in Lifeguard (1976).  One of his iconic roles was as young detective, Frank Hardy, in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-1979).  He co-starred with Shaun Cassidy who played his brother Joe. The Hardy Boys was a long running book series by Franklin W. Dixon.  Stevenson continued the character Billy Hazard in the mini-series, North and South: Book II (1986), based on the John Jakes novel trilogy. 

In 1988, Stevenson played genius inventor, Austin James, caught up in paranormal and scientific mysteries in the brilliant series Probe.  It was co-created by Isaac Asimov.  The following year, he returned to make beaches safe as Craig Pomery in Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier (1989).  This led to a role on the Baywatch television series.  He played Louis Osmond, head of the school for exceptional teens in the Netflix series, The Greenhouse Academy (2017-2018).  Stevenson was in the romantic drama, Mistrust (2018) playing long time friend, Brandon McKellan to Jane Seymour’s Veronica Malloy.  In 2021, Stevenson played playwright Simon in Last Call in the Dog House.  What to find out more about Parker Stevenson?  Check out the exclusive interview: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2019/04/parker-stevenson-austin-james-in-probe.html.  Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!  

#ParkerStevenson, #ASeparatePeace, #Lifeguard, #HardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries, #Probe, #NorthAndSouthBookII, #Baywatch, #GreenhouseAcademy, #Mistrust, #LastCallInTheDogHouse 

Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Part II”, Review!

Last ep, re:run: Again, there is the same scene at the factory and hovertrain, a solemn crowd sees a man hung from an arch.  Obi-Wan sees that it is the young Jedi, Nari.  He returns to his cave, but the droid has a red warning light.  He sees a hooded figure, it is Bail, who says that Leia was taken to Daiyu.  Obi-Wan says he can’t leave Luke.  Bail gives his friend harsh truths that Anakin couldn’t be saved.  In the holding cell, Leia is bound, but manages to activate Lola.  Nokru sees Lola and smashes her on the floor!  Obi-Wan travels out to the desert to dig.  Nokru activates a communications channel.  Obi-Wan uncovers a box with two lightsabers.  The hologram of Third Sister says Kenobi will come for Leia.  Obi-Wan walks to a spaceport to travel to Daiyu.  This episode, the transport heads to the side of the greenish planet lit by cities on its dark side.  

It pierces green clouds to reach the spaceport of the megapolis, Daiyu City, with its various city folk and aliens of strange types.  Walking out into the city streets at night, it resembles a Blade Runner (1982) city; brightly lit by signs in Galactic Basic and neon-like red.  We see a Clone Trooper (Temuera Morrison) veteran, bearded with a cloak, asking for credits with his helmet.  He has armor with a blue pauldron, a lieutenant, and the armor is unlike the ones seen in the Star Wars: Rebels episode, “The Lost Commanders” (2015).  Obi-Wan gives him a few credits.  This is more a commentary on military veterans after a war than an important cameo.  Stormtroopers, has him move out of the way, we get the Chow overhead shot.  A female spice dealer, Tetha Grig, with pink hair (Esther-Rose McGregor) offers him several varieties.  Um, Obi-Wan says he’s looking for his daughter, IRL he is doing so.  She places a free sample to his cloak. 

This gets the attention of a kid, Jayco (Jecobi Swain), offers to bring Obi-Wan to a Jedi.  A hooded man (Kumail Nanjiani) brings in a woman (Marise Alvarez) and her boy, Corran (Indie Desroches).  Nanjiani of course was Kingo in The Eternals (2021).  He closes the grilled windows of his office and takes off his hood revealing the face of Haja Estree. A communicator leaps to his hand and he contacts a spaceport using a Jedi Mind Trick, pointing to his forehead.  Haja has given them passage to Corellia to protect the boy.  There was a Corran Horn, a Rogue Squadron pilot, and later a Jedi.  He was in the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron (1996) novel that is now Legends.  Haja takes credits from them before sending the family to the spaceport.  He sees Obi-Wan and introduces himself.  Obi-Wan wants to find Leia and knows Haja is pulling a scam with magnets and remotes holding a blaster to him.     

Obi-Wan walks to the location and sees an alien leave, he wears a green cloak, googles, and mask to walk into a drug lab.  He causes a flash to explode using the Force and ducks into a formerly guarded door.  Two workers stop him, Obi-Wan knocks out the Zabrak, a pale version of Maul, and has the other in a throat lock to ask him about the girl.  The fighting may be Jedi training, but is it in the Teras Kasi style from the Legends novel, Shadows of the Empire (1996).  Obi-Wan opens a cell door and sees a cloaked figure.  It is just a droid, it’s a trap!, and the two guards throw him against the wall.  Nokru gut punches Obi-Wan and his lightsaber is taken away.  He mentions the Inquisitor looking for him.  Obi-Wan smashes the vial sending up a spice cloud that chokes the others while he wears his mask.  Reva walks into the facility.  Obi-Wan enters another cell door and is struck.  Leia starts to run out, but she is caught.  

Obi-Wan says he was sent by her father and takes out the suspicious Leia.  They reach the street in disguise.  The gang is tripping on the spice when Reva enters.  Obi-Wan takes off the cloak and Leia sees his lightsaber.  He tells her that they have to reach the spaceport across the city.  Leia is about to rush towards it, but a massive, furry alien walks past her.  He tells the frightened princess to follow his orders.  Reva walks out to meet the Grand Inquisitor, Fifth Brother, and Fourth Sister (Rya Kihlstedt).  She explains that she found the connection with Bail Organa and used his daughter to bring in Kenobi.  Grand Inquisitor calls her “the least of us” from “the gutter.”  He has Fifth Brother to “secrue the city” and orders Third Sister to stand down.  Reva wants Nokru to send out Obi-Wan’s profile to send out across Daiyu City to get bounty hunters to find him so they will lead Obi-Wan to her.  

Obi-Wan walks to the location and sees an alien leave, he wears a green cloak, googles, and mask to walk into a drug lab.  His detective work is a bit like in Attack of the Clones (2002).  He causes a flash to explode using the Force and ducks into a formerly guarded door.  Two workers stop him, Obi-Wan knocks out the Zabrak, a pale version of Maul, and has the other in a throat lock to ask him about the girl.  The fighting may be Jedi training, but is it in the Teras Kasi style from the Legends novel, Shadows of the Empire (1996).  Obi-Wan opens a cell door and sees a cloaked figure.  It is just a droid, it’s a trap!, and the two guards throw him against the wall.  Nokru gut punches Obi-Wan and his lightsaber is taken away.  He mentions the Inquisitor looking for him.  Obi-Wan smashes the vial sending up a spice cloud that chokes the others while he wears his mask.  Reva walks into the facility.  Obi-Wan enters another cell door and is struck.  Leia starts to run out, but she is caught.  

Obi-Wan says he was sent by her father and takes out the suspicious Leia.  They reach the street in disguise.  The gang is tripping on the spice when Reva enters.  Obi-Wan takes off the cloak and Leia sees his lightsaber.  He tells her that they have to reach the spaceport across the city.  Leia is about to rush towards it, but a massive, furry alien walks past her.  He tells the frightened princess to follow his orders.  Reva walks out to meet the Grand Inquisitor, Fifth Brother, and Fourth Sister (Rya Kihlstedt).  She explains that she found the connection with Bail Organa and used his daughter to bring in Kenobi.  Grand Inquisitor calls her “the least of us” from “the gutter.”  He has Fifth Brother to “secrue the city” and orders Third Sister to stand down.  Reva wants Nokru to send out Obi-Wan’s profile to send out across Daiyu City to get bounty hunters to find him so they will lead Obi-Wan to her.  

The holo of Obi-Wan is seen by gamblers and a dinosaur-like bounty hunter.  Obi-Wan sees his face on datapads everywhere. He has Leia put on a green cape, she puts on gloves, and Obi-Wan pays for those too.  Obi-Wan tells her the cover story that they are farmers from Tawl with Leia playing his daughter.  She is still wary that Obi-Wan is a Jedi and wants to see his powers.  He says his name is Ben.  The music by Natalie Holt is tense in this escape scene. Jayco shows Haja the wanted holo on his datapad and mentions the reward. Haja takes his blaster to go with Jayco to find him.  Fourth Sister brings a bounty hunter to the Grand Inquisitor to show him the holo bounty.   Reva scans the rooftops.  Leia takes a rest and shows the damaged Lola.  Obi-Wan is gruff and then shows some kindness about Lola.  Obi-Wan checks on the holo from the knocked out bounty hunter.  Leia thinks that she was the lure to Obi-Wan and starts to run!

An overhead shot as Leia runs through the crowds.  Leia runs under the tall, white furry legs of a Gigoran seen in Rogue One (2016).  She passes some tanks of strange creatures, but then is caught by a bounty hunter!  Obi-Wan blasts him and then takes down another bounty hunter before chasing Leia again.  Fifth Brother marches with Stormtroopers behind him.  Leia climbs up a ladder in an alley.  Obi-Wan follows her.  She reaches the end of a rooftop and sees the Dino bounty hunter who blasts at Obi-Wan!  Reva notices the blaster sounds.  The blaster battle continues.  Reva falls from the rooftop, Spidey style, and then races across the rooftops.  Leia has reached another rooftop edge.  Obi-Wan is caught between the one bounty hunter and another insectoid droid assassin.  Leia tries to make it across in a run, but falls, and catches a cable in time.  Then, she falls crying his name, Obi-Wan reaches out with the Force!  

He struggles, but then Leia is held and slowly lowered to the ground. Obi-Wan catches up to her and she is amazed that he is a Jedi. At the spaceport, Stormtroopers march around it.   Leia wonders about the Inquisitors seeing Fourth Sister and Fifth Brother.  Obi-Wan explains that they were former Jedi.  They were first mentioned in the roleplaying book The Star Wars Sourcebook (1987).  The droid assassin is behind them, but is blasted by Haja.  Obi-Wan just wants Leia to go free.  Haja tells Obi-Wan that the spaceport is locked down and points out they may be able to escape at the automated cargo port.  He directs them to transport eight to Mapuzo.  I wonder if his character will later show up.  Haja only wants to help refugees.  He gives Obi-Wan a chip with coordinates.  Haja puts up his hood to try to delay his pursuers. Nokru is pushed forward towards the Grand Inquisitors spinning lightsaber to find Kenobi.  Then, he screams.  The cat and mouse chase in this episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi is tense, picks up the pace, and introduces great characters!  

Four Lightsabers out of Five! 

#ObiWanKenobi, #Part2, #EwanMcGregor, #VivenLyraBlair, #KumailNanjiani, #JecobiSwain, #MosesIngram, #SungKang, #RupertFriend, #RyaKihlstedt, #Flea, #MariseAlvarez, #IndieDesroches, #EstherRoseMcGregor   

Happy Birthday Jewel Staite!

Happy Birthday Jewel Staite!  One her early genre roles was in the “Oubliette” (1995) episode of The X-Files.  She was in the Canadian sci fi series, Space Cases (1996) playing Catalina.  Then, Staite was on the Disney Channel series Flash Forward (1995-1997) playing Becca Fisher.  Tiara VanHorn was played by Staite in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997-1999).  Next, Staite was on the cast of Higher Ground (2000).  Her iconic role was playing Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye in Firefly (2002-2003).  Staite brought charm and innocence to Kaylee, the best engineer in the `Verse and really any `verse.  Next, she played Heidi Gotts in Wonderfalls (2004).  Then, Staite returned as Kaylee in the film Serenity (2005).  Dr. Jennifer Keller was played by Staite in Stargate: Atlantis (2005-2009).  Staite was in the tv horror movie Mothman (2010).  

Then, Jewel Staite was in a 2010 episode, “Mild Mannered” of the sci fi series Warehouse 13.  She was in another tv movie, Doomsday Prophecy (2011), where she played Brook Calvin.  Statie was featured in “The Girl Next Door” (2011) episode of Supernatural with her character named Amy Pond, a nice shout-out to Doctor Who.  Jewel Staite had a lead role, as Raquel Westbrook, in the drama The L.A. Complex (2012).  Next, Dr. Bryce was played by Staite in “Progeny”, a 2016 episode of Legends of Tomorrow.  She played Erin Cherloff in the “Much Ado About Murder” (2016) episodes of Castle with her former Firefly co-star Nathan Fillion.  She played Phyllis in The Magicians (2019-2020). Her latest role is as Abigail Bianchi in the law firm series, Family Law.    "Everything's Shiny, Cap'n".  Happy Birthday Jewel Staite!  

#JewelStaite, #TheXFiles, #SpaceCases, #HoneyIShrunkTheKidsTheTVShow, #Firefly, #Serenity, #StargateAtlantis, #LegendsOfTomorrow, #Castle, #TheMagicians, #FamilyLaw 

Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Part I”, Review!

Obi-Wan Kenobi returns after his Prequel exile and is the bridge to the Original Trilogy!  Spoiler alert!, if you have not seen the last Prequel and Star Wars: Rebels, but necessary.  The last time we saw Obi-Wan was in Revenge of the Sith (2005).  He was going to begin his study with Qui-Gon Jinn, gave the baby Luke to Owen Lars. “Twin Suns” (2017), the Star Wars: Rebels episode of the third season had the appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  This occurs two years before the events of the first Star Wars (1977).  Ezra Bridger finds from a Sith holocron that Maul is hunting Kenobi.  He sneaks away in an A-Wing heading to Tatooine.  He travels following the voice of Maul, but Ezra collapses.  He is found by Obi-Wan who has the white hair and beard in the fashion of Alec Guinness.  Ezra asks him to join the Rebellion, but Kenobi rejects the offer.  The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set 9 years before Star Wars.  It began streaming the first two episodes on May 27th. 

The beginning has the “Long Time Ago” title and then shifts to a Naboo Royal Starship flying towards Coruscant.  Then we see the Jedi Temple and recap of the Prequels with the Chosen One Prophecy said by Mace Windu.  There is the introduction of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi by Qui-Gon Jinn.  Obi-Wan mentions to Qui-Gon that Anakin is considered dangerous by the Jedi Council.  The duel of Qui-Gon and Darth Maul.  Then, Obi-Wan’s promise to the dying Qui-Gon that he will train Anakin.  Next, master and apprentice’s adventures on Coruscant in Attack of the Clones (2002).  His meeting with Palpatine and marriage to Padme.  The temptation of Anakin by Palpatine to save Padme in RoTS.  Anakin and Obi-Wan’s duel on Mustafar.  Anakin is found by Palpatine and taken to Coruscant to be painfully transformed into the final form of Darth Vader!  Then, there is the birth of the Jedi twins and the funeral of Padme.  

Bail and Breha Organa adopt Leia.  Yoda has Obi-Wan take Luke to his family on Tatooine.  Finally, we have Yoda’s words of how to commune with Qui-Gon.  All of this is the Prequels and  dramatic, but still people seem not to like them.  At the Lucasfilm logo, the Star Wars Celebration audience cheered.  We have Coruscant at night, pulling back to the Jedi Temple training room.  Six younglings are praticing training with Jedi Master Minas Velti (Ming Quiu).  Suddenly, two clone troopers enter blasting at the Jedi.  This is of course the beginning of Order 66 and we now see the perspective inside the Jedi Temple.  Master Velti holds them off with her green lightsaber and cuts them down.  The children in jeopardy must be noted to parents watching with their younglings.  She takes them out into the hallway where a Jedi Knight battles clone troopers with his blue lightsaber and falls.  

Master Velti cuts down more clone troopers and has the Padawans continue to run.  She takes a few blaster bolts, but manages to sweep her lightsaber protecting her young charges and taking on the clone troopers.  Then, she collapses and the Padawans huddle around her body.  They continue to run on the platform above several Jedi engaged with clone troopers.  We hear Palpatine saying, “Execute Order 66” before it fades to black.  The fate of the younglings unknown.  This shifts to “10 Years Later” at Mos Eisley.  We see the citizens wander about, gambling, making deals with Jawas.  The shadow of an Imperial shuttle, the Scythe, falls on them.  Chow’s directing style seems to have overhead shots.  Descending from the landing ramp is the pale, The Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend), a Pau’an, and The Fifth Brother (Sung Kang), from an unknown species, introduced in the Star Wars: Rebels episode, “Relics of the Old Republic” (2015).  Friend had the lead role in the video game action film, Hitman: Agent 47 (2015).  

Kang had returned as Han in F9: The Fast Saga (2021).  Lastly is the Inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram), she is known as Third Sister.  Some of the citizens are cowered by her gaze.  The Grand Inquisitor walks over to an open saloon.  The Saloon Owner (Derek Basco) knows of the Inquisitors.  The Grand Inquisitor says that a Jedi is hiding in the saloon.   He says that the fugitive has to follow the Jedi Code.  Reva is tired of the talking and throws a knife at the Saloon Owner.  It is stopped in mid-air.  A young, dark-haired man (Benny Safdie) has his palm up using the Force and he is seen by Reva!  I’m suspecting that he was one of the Jedi younglings.  He runs, slips past Fifth Brother, Reva ignites her red lightsaber and it is held as the blade cuts the Jedi’s shoulder.  This is the Grand Inquisitor who also throws Reva to the side.  Reva wants “bigger prey” and Grand Inquisitor says her obession with Kenobi is over or she will be relieved of duties!  She quietly agrees.

Under the twin suns, there are curved, black pieces like a giant skeleton over a large work station of tents.  This must be the remains of a Neebray manta whose flesh the workers are cutting into pieces to be wrapped up on an assembly line.  A horn sounds and the workers line up to get their pay.  One of the workers wraps up a piece to be placed in his overall.  This is Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor returning to reprise the part).  A brutal foreman pushes around a worker.  Obi-Wan backs down from a confrontation.  He quietly sits with other workers in an open air hover train like a minecar.  It chugs black smoke reaching Anchorhead with a tower structure.  Obi-Wan walks to his eopie pen, a long tent.  The white, camel-like creature has a long snout.  He rode one in RoTS and then a Dewback in Star Wars: Rebels, what's its name?  Obi-Wan feeds it the Neebray piece and then rides it out to the desert Jundland Wastes.  He walks towards his cave, of course, he is like an old monk.  A R2 sensor pops out and glows blue.  Alone, Obi-Wan sits with his soup, then he is visited by a Jawa trader, Teeka (Leilani Shiu).   

He offers up a T-16 Skyhopper model (like Luke was playing with in ANH), offered parts he realizes were taken from his vaporator (Jawas are kinda funny!), and notes a Jedi ship was salvaged.  Teeka holds up a belt, the same one worn by Obi-Wan as a Jedi, but his reply is that the Jedi are extinct.  At night, Obi-Wan is asleep and dreams of Anakin which wakes him up.  He whispers for Master Qui-Gon, but there is no answer.  Turning away from the Jedi, he is not ready, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” A rodent-like scurrier sniffs around some rocks when Obi-Wan rides up with his eopie.   He goes to rocky vantage point to watch with macrobinoculars young Luke (Grant Feely) and Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton).  Luke has jumped up to another side of the house to pretend to fly while his uncle and Aunt Beru (Bonnie Piesse) look for him.  Edgerton and Piesse last played their characters in Revenge of the Sith (2005).  Obi-Wan rides up to deliver the model and slowly rides away on his eopie.  

From the rocks, he is met by the Jedi who introduces himself as Nari and takes out his lightsaber.  

He wants to know what Obi-Wan is doing, but he is corrected that his name is Ben. Obi Wan tells Nari to bury his lightsaber out in the desert, hide, and that the “time of the Jedi is over.”  Next, we see the lake side, capital city of Aldera, with white spires and behind it are snow-capped mountains.  A white and red outfit with a hood is carefully dressed by servants on a young girl.  Queen Breha (Simone Kessell), played by Rebecca Jackson Mendoza in RoTS, enters getting her daughter for a reception of Breha’s sister’s family.  She takes her hand and then realizes that this girl is not her daughter!  Breha removes the hood to reveal, Handmaiden Agira (Molly Miller), a Imoroosian girl!  The queen looks frustratingly at the handmaidens and doesn’t like the joke.  The runaway princess, Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) is running in the woods with her droid, a ladybug-like LO-LA59, Lola flying by her side.  Blair played Girl in Bird Box (2018).  

First, Blair is adorable and embodies the spirit of Princess Leia, an instant fan favorite.  Second, Lola is an instant wanna-buy droid at the toy shelves.  Leia fearlessly climbs a tree to get a good look at departing ships including a Tri-Wing which she identifies as an Aquillian Ranger.  This is a deep dive cut at the second draft of Star Wars with Deak Starkiller part of the rangers.  Then, she hears the disapproving voice of her mother.  Breha wants Lola shut down and slips the droid in her robes.  Leia apologizes and hugs her mother to get Lola back!  A shadowy man watches from a tree.  Obi-Wan again finishes the day at the Neebray meat facility, again rides the hovertrain, and again goes to feed his eopie.  The pacing gets to be a bit slow for this episode.  The T-16 model is thrown down.  Owen wants Ben to stay away and Obi-Wan says that Luke must be trained.  The Inquisitors walk in with Obi-Wan taking shelter in the pen.  Reva threatens to take hands from citizens.  A woman argues and loses her hand to Reva’s lightsaber.  Reva turns to look at Owen and questions him.  

She holds her lightsaber to his throat and is stopped by the Fifth Brother who slams down a projector of Kenobi’s holo-image.  They leave and Fifth Brother slams her against a wall.  He says they have tried to track Obi-Wan for ten years and that he is gone.  Fifth Brother asks what she will get for capturing Obi-Wan and she says what she is owed.  Could it be a position like the Emperor’s Hand or something like it?  The Scythe leaves Mos Eisley.  Obi-Wan tries to thank Owen.  A ship lands on the Aldera landing pad, Leia’s father, Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) asks what ships she had seen.  Smits last played the character in Rogue One (2016).  He is a regent and accepting of his daughter’s wild nature.  The royal party disembarks and Leia tries to greet her cousin, Niano (Ian Inigo).  At the party, Bail talks to Duke Kayo Organa (Gabe Fonseca) who is happy to make money from the Empire.  It is nice to see a contrast with Bail and his family that not all Organas are as charming.  C-3PO translates for guests.  

A silver protocol droid, Y-O, serves Leia and she thanks her.  Niano has contempt for his cousin’s polite manners and gets a sick burn.  His come back is that she is not an Organa.  Later, Breha wants her to apologize, Bail tells her about his dreams. One of which was to chase purrgil, the same whale-like beasts that jumped to hyperspace carrying Ezra.  Leia brings up Niano’s comment and Bail says she will rule Alderaan one day, but wants her to apologize.  Instead, she runs off to the forest, and she runs into the man known as Vect Nokru (Flea)!  She tries to run from them, more clever than the kidnappers slipping around the forest, but they catch her!  Obi-Wan gets a distress call from his Jedi holoprojector.  Breha and Bail tell him about the kidnapping.  They need him to find Leia on his own.  Bail was one of the leaders to plan for the steps after the fall of the Republic, but  Obi-Wan refuses.  Obi-Wan Kenobi’s first part has him refusing the call, but his destiny lies with protecting the Skywalkers and dealing with the Inquisitors!  

Three Lightsabers out of Five!  

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