A great idea for a Star Wars sequel that would have sat neatly sandwiched between the two original film trilogies is needlessly drawn out into a convoluted six-episode TV show that struggles to add anything new to the mythos. Both a prequel to the original trilogy and a sequel to the flawed prequel films. The story here is supposed to redeem the mistakes of the past and get the once-mighty franchise back on track. Instead, the creative force behind the show seems happy to just plod along with another run-of-the-mill Sci-fi show that relies too much on fan nostalgia while bringing nothing new to the table. Obi-Wan Kenobi is not bad, it’s just really mediocre. Four of the six episodes felt like pointless filler. It felt like a good script for a two-hour movie was stretched out to six hours. The result is a show with painfully thin plotting and characterization. Obi-Wan is called out of retirement to rescue the child Princess Leia, who has been kidnapped on Alderaan.

The last of the Jedi are being hunted down by the empire’s force-sensitive inquisitors led by ambitious villian Reeva. A woman consumed by hate and a bloodthirsty quest for revenge.

The first and last episodes are the best, with both a strong premise and conclusion. That alone tells me that the story would have worked much better as a theatrical release than in a limited series. There simply is not enough material for six episodes, and in a lot of those episodes we find the characters repeating the same events several times. We get two duels between the Dark Lord Darth Vader and his old mentor. Leia gets kidnapped and rescued two times. The rebels get perused by the empire and narrowly escape, only to repeat the same chase loop in the following episode. This creative vacuum extends to many of the thinly sketched supporting characters; both heroes and villains who help and hinder the central characters. One character that I thought was fun was Haja Estree played by Kumail Nanjiani. He plays a con man impersonating a Jedi for a profit scam. There are some interesting ideas. The core concept of the  Inquisitors committing atrocities to lure the Jedi out of hiding is based on the logic that Jedi are compelled to help people.

Much criticism was leveled toward this character, but it’s more the weak writing than bad acting that causes her character to become the object of public scrutiny. To put it plainly, the show focuses a lot on Reva’s story arc at the expense of the story between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. She is too cold and unsympathetic at the beginning of the show for us to relate to her, and it’s only in the final two episodes that her motives and backstory become clear that we finally understand her place in the story. 

Again, had it been a film, then her story would have been more focused and interesting. That goes for Obi-Wan, who seems sidelined in his own show to make space for all the secondary characters and sub-plots that bog the story pacing down to a Jawa Crawl.

This is a top-budget television show with movie-quality effects and action. It’s a fun story whose quality is sadly diminished by the extended runtime. The show also suffers from the prequel problem of knowing what happens later, leaving the main action and scenes of peril devoid of tension. We know Leia is not in any danger, nor is the villain or hero, as every Star Wars fan knows that they are destined to meet in a final duel many years later. As a lifelong fan, it was fun to see the ‘dark times’ period of Star Wars being portrayed on screen. We get to see both warriors in their prime, and the final duel in this series is deeply satisfying. The performances are better here than they are in the prequels, and many of the bit-part actors in those prequels get to shine here. I loved that uncle Owen and aunt Beru got more screen time here. Joel Edgerton really nails the role and is a stand-out. Ewan McGregor is great as Obi-Wan and James Earl Jones and Hayden both give excellent performances as Vader. But there is still the hammy acting and wooden dialogue that almost derails the series. After ten years of acquiring the Star Wars license. Disney still seems unsure about what to do with its cash cow and relies too heavily on the legacy of the original films. This is evident by the backlash and lack of fan enthusiasm for the new characters introduced into the universe.

I am still hoping that the Star Wars saga takes inspiration from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation. I want to see a high-concept theatrical release heavy on the themes of light and dark, good vs evil,  and on the same scale as ‘The Empire strikes back’ that showed early promise for the series long ago in 1979. (A Villeneuve Star Wars anyone??!)

Or, failing that, a television epic in the vein of the Game of Thrones. With a strong emphasis on characterization.

Until then, it seems Lucasfilm is happy to churn out mediocre content with high production values. It’s time to stop milking the franchise from its past glories and give the fans something new.