It’s been rough. Went on vacation, came home, then Friday morning happened and I wasn’t ready to finish this series. To be fair…
I’ve also been dragging this out. I don’t want the series to be over, so I procrastinated finishing episode six. It was amazing!! So, without further ado (spoilers involved)… Remember, I’m a freelance screenwriter so yes, I know about plot and structure which is why this story worked so well as a show rather than a feature. As a feature we would have lost so much of the storyline (we’ll call it the B Story) with Reva. I kind of want to know how she moves on. Now this character is where we loop back to the first episode of the series when the younglings are slaughtered. Why show that again? It’s what was happening above that grizzly massacre that’s important later because it distracts you, fills in some blanks maybe. Sure we see the younglings escape and we already know what happened to one of them. Well, okay. That’s the distraction! Obi-Wan puts it together that the only way Reva would know if Anakin were still alive was if she’d seen him. Yes, indeed. Reva was one of the younglings in the slaughter. She reveals how she did it. Before you say “Anakin would have known” would he? He was so focused on keeping Padme alive that he was completely ignoring anything else. We see his focus on Obi-Wan (okay, it’s more of an obsession really) interfere with his mission for the Emperor and Palpatine points it out. Not subtly either. So, the B Story… is really Reva’s story and not part of executing Order 66. She uses the A Story (Order 66, I know… 10 years later and it’s still going. Well, they expanded it and we’ll get to that in a moment.) to advance her desire for revenge. How else would she know to kidnap Leia to lure Obi-Wan out? She knew he was still alive. With Vader’s thirst for… whatever… revenge, closure, an apology… she uses that to take Organa’s kid. She only knew that Obi-Wan was friends with Bail and not the whole secret but she did get there and went after Luke. That was another level of “will she or won’t she.” But what was Reva getting revenge for? Let’s go back to that part where she was the survivor of the youngling massacre. Her plan to use Obi-Wan to get to Vader and kill him was destined to fail. One, it would have really messed up ANH. Two, we had to have another confrontation with Vader and Kenobi. The B Story is resolved when Reva is confronted with the choice to kill the boy or return him to Owen and Baru. She chooses the latter. She chooses to not become like Anakin and kill a youngling. Instead, she confers with Obi-Wan and leaves her lightsaber behind to begin healing, as well as a new life. (Okay #Disney I want a Reva series!!) We do get the final confrontation of the show with Anakin and Obi-Wan. And boy is it good! A lot of back and forth with the Force throws, banter, and lightsaber action. It proves why Obi-Wan was just as badass as a Jedi as Mace Windu and Yoda. This sequence will also give you a plot point in ANH. When Ben tells Luke that Vader killed his father… Vader tells Obi-Wan that he killed Anakin, not Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan stands there with tears in his eyes, mourning the loss of his padawan and best friend all over again. But, Obi-Wan kicks ass, makes his getaway and senses that Luke is in danger. About that… we see the lengths that Owen and Baru are willing to go through for their nephew. Baru planned for something to happen, Owen did not. Remember, Owen is a bit of a pacifist. He seems genuinely shocked that his wife had thought of fighting. It does give Luke time to run when Reva arrives with two people blasting away at her. In Reva’s need for revenge and in her anger, she becomes unfocused. Reva does follow Luke and we’ve already discussed what happened there. Here’s what happened after… Obi-Wan goes to Alderaan. It’s introduced to us by Leia getting ready to greet some dignitary. She slides on her really sensible boots, her gloves, and Tala’s holster. She is 100% Padme’s kid. But we already knew that. She reminds her father that he told her there were different ways to lead and that is what she chose. He agrees to making changes with her, together. Then she’s surprised by Obi-Wan’s arrival. He had to return Lola after all. It is a touching moment. Obi-Wan tells the young princess that she must not tell anyone they know each other or it would be dangerous. We can see the reluctance on her face but she knows how to do her duty. And that was part of her duty, to help keep the Jedi safe. Now, for Luke for anyone saying, “What about…?” Ben stops by the Lars homestead after he packs up his cave. He conveys upon Owen the job of protector. Ben saw in the Lars family that Luke would be able to be a child and that was just as important as Jedi training, maybe a bit more important. This, friends, is where the Jedi code changed. Here’s how Luke knows about Ben. As Obi-Wan is leaving, Owen asks if he wants to meet Luke. Of course he does and the series ends with Kenobi saying “Hello there.” I didn’t forget, in case you were wondering… Order 66 and it’s expansion to fit the narrative of this show. Well, not really. If I recall correctly it was expanded in the EU (now Legends). The Inquisitors were also hunting families of Force sensitives and murdering them. That was totally a Palpatine paranoia, so it makes sense that there would be a dedicated unit to eradicate anyone that may be able to stand up to Palpatine and the Empire. (Hm. Sounds familiar IRL…) And there you have it. My review/impression of the series finale of “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
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AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
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