OBI-WAN KENOBI (Disney+ series)

[Bespin 8,480]

I saw his two appearances on the SW Youtube channel, he was in great shape.

 

https://www.ign.com/articles/ian-mcdiarmid-palpatine-appear-again-soon-dont-get-hopes-up?amp=1

[Andy 4,119]

Have any other SW productions used actual publicity photos?  I thought it was amusing to see a ROTS promotional image for his wanted poster. 
 

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

13 minutes ago, Andy said:

Have any other SW productions used actual publicity photos?  I thought it was amusing to see a ROTS promotional image for his wanted poster. 
 

 

[Brando 1,860]

6 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

9 minutes ago, Brando said:

 

"Qui Gon, it's you!"

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

6 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

You'll be disappointed. The series covers a period (until ROTJ) where we feel the presence of the Emperor, but we don't see him.

Andor will have senate scenes with mon mothma….the emperor has to appear….

[King Mark 3,631]

Just watched Obi wan

 

Well the first episode started off promising but the second episode was one of the worst TV episodes I've ever seen. Not sure how they can redeem this.

 

And I liked both Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett series.

[Bespin 8,480]

Don't shoot at the messenger, I heard Ian McDiarmid say to lower our expectations about seing the Emperor in the next series!

 

https://www.ign.com/articles/ian-mcdiarmid-palpatine-appear-again-soon-dont-get-hopes-up?amp=1

[Positivatee 327]

On 29/05/2022 at 1:22 AM, Pellaeon said:

NOW the Jedi are all but extinct.

 

I found it odd that Obi-Wan used the same exact phrase in Part 1 when speaking with Owen. Did he and Tarkin ever read the same propaganda. 

 

I know a lot of people are giving this show flak for Reva's knowledge of Vader's identity. I think we need to be patient and see where the story goes. 

 

Reva was one of the younglings seen in the start of Part 1. She would have been familiar with Anakin from his role as a teacher or really old student. It is possible that once captured by the Empire and trained as an Inquisitor, she was brought into the inner circle. 

 

In the original movie, Obi-Wan told Luke that Darth Vader had once been a Jedi like his father. Tarkin refers to Vader as being the last of the Jedi religion, and Admiral Motti jeers at Vader's Jedi skills. These two Imperials may have been in on the secret, that Darth Vader had once been a Jedi instead of just appearing out of thin air. And if he was a Jedi, there weren't many options left for his secret identity. The rank and file lower soldiers wouldn't know or care. The officers in the second movie (Empire) don't mention it, as they are worried about their necks. In this movie, Yoda and the holographic Emperor drop hints that Luke's father was important, until Vader reveals his shattering truth. 

 

Of course, when the original movie was released, Luke's father was a separate character and Anakin had not been invented. This is a gray area of the story that needs some clarity as this prequel series continues.

 

It will be polarizing for generations. 

[Jay 37,346]

Obi-Wan Kenobi 1x01 Part I

 

Hmm, I didn't really think this was very good.  The long recap that told the story of the prequel trilogy was useful for me (not having seen any of these films in decades and only ever having seen ROTS once), but also way too much of an information dump in too short of a time.  The opening scene was then also really off-putting, I didn't really understand the point of a random depictive of Order 66 being carried out in one random place with no connection to anything else, other than letting them put a "10 years later" under the next scene.  Speaking of that next scene, it was also kind of strange, they really shamelessly aped Landa from Inglorious Basterds.  How could they have not come up with something more original during all the years this was in development?

 

Seeing Obi-Wan's daily Tatooine life was fine though, and made more enjoyable by wonderful variations of Williams' new theme underscoring it.  I didn't really understand what he job was (standing in one spot all day with a half-dozen others cutting animal flesh into cubes?), or how he was able to steal a piece for himself everyday without anyone catching him.  The interaction between him and Owen was handled well.  I also really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the original-trilogy-looking Tatooine scenes with the prequel-trilogy-looking Alderaan scenes, somehow that really worked and didn't seem incongruous as all.  Unfortunately, I thought the actor playing Leia was terrible, and it felt like they had to cut around bad line readings and facial expressions whenever possible.

 

I watched with my wife who is perfectly capable of enjoying really silly TV shows, but even she brought up how ridiculous it was that 3 trained professionals couldn't capture her in the woods, and that it even seemed like she ran as fast as them.  It was a really poorly done chase scene! It's also kind of annoying to see her kidnapped and held on an Imperial starship again, since that's what happens to her in ANH.   I get all this had to be done to set up Obi-Wan being willing to leave Tatooine, but it was just all kind of clumsy to me.  Casting Flea in a serious role didn't help.

 

Jimmy Smitts was good, but I thought it was kind of lame that he physically showed up in Obi-wan's cave home - seems like an unnecessary risk to tell him exactly where he was.  It was no surprise that Obi-Wan agreed to help and dug his lightsaber out of a hole in the desert (another seemingly risky move - it wasn't buried very deep and Jawas are everywhere!)  Hopefully things pick up next week...

 

Also, why does Obi-Wan have a giant mole/skintag in the center of his forehead throughout the prequel recap, but he doesn't have it in the show?  Something McGregor had removed in real life?

[Positivatee 327]

11 minutes ago, Jay said:

The opening scene was then also really off-putting, I didn't really understand the point of a random depictive of Order 66 being carried out in one random place with no connection to anything else, other than letting them put a "10 years later" under the next scene.

 

One of the two younglings with speaking parts after their Jedi teacher/protector falls is black. 

 

Reva is black. 

 

There aren't many blacks in Star Wars, so when you see a young girl and an older woman ten years later, they might want you to think they're the same person. 

[Jay 37,346]

>shrug< neither one of us picked up on that.  Is that supposed to be obvious?  Or is this something explained in the next episode?

[LSH 968]

This quote from The Guardian's review summed it up for me:

 

"One of the very first scenes shows characters slaving away in the desert, earning a pittance by scraping scraps of meat from a giant, long-dead carcass. This is either a complete coincidence, or someone at Disney+ is a little more self-aware than they should be."

[Chen G. 3,949]

I don't mind the idea of the show: I thought the first episode was quite good.

 

But there are just so many entries in the Disney Star Wars canon set in the timeframe between Episode III and the original Star Wars - Rogue One, Solo and now this - the "stitching" together that we're seeing is becoming just a bit much.

[Positivatee 327]

20 minutes ago, LSH said:

This quote from The Guardian's review summed it up for me:

 

"One of the very first scenes shows characters slaving away in the desert, earning a pittance by scraping scraps of meat from a giant, long-dead carcass. This is either a complete coincidence, or someone at Disney+ is a little more self-aware than they should be."

 

From the editing, I couldn't tell what the job was. It seemed they were dressed as butchers, but I couldn't tell if the meat they were carving was their lunch for the shift in the carcass/mine, or dinner to take home. Either way it seems unsanitary. 

 

26 minutes ago, Jay said:

>shrug< neither one of us picked up on that.  Is that supposed to be obvious?  Or is this something explained in the next episode?

This is not explained in Part 2. In fact, Part 2 will double down on something in regards to this. 

[Jay 37,346]

6 minutes ago, Positivatee said:

 

From the editing, I couldn't tell what the job was. It seemed they were dressed as butchers, but I couldn't tell if the meat they were carving was their lunch for the shift in the carcass/mine, or dinner to take home. Either way it seems unsanitary. 

 

Right!?  It was really poorly done!

[mstrox 6,651]

I suspect that we’ll revisit that order 66 scene as we learn Reva’s motivations.  (It’s also possibly why she so readily knows Vader’s identity, since Anakin was already called Darth Vader when he went into the temple and attacked)

[Jay 37,346]

But what was Obi's meat job exactly, Trox?

[mstrox 6,651]

I assumed he was a meat factory worker, cutting and packaging meat - which is a pretty common job around here so maybe also in space.  I’m surprised that Tatooine has enough water to support effective animal husbandry though!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

The creature seems to be a small Neebray (see image below) which is a space creature. I guess it's not animal husbandry, they just took advantage of this giant "crashed" animal. Seems like the job is to prepare the meat and save it for the future, it's just a small job

Spoiler

 

[Jay 37,346]

OK but how can a single dead animal lead to days and days of meat carving work?  Would it start to spoil immediately? 

 

Or are they traveling to different carcasses each day?

[Holko 9,519]

This show has a lot more severe problems to pick apart, guys

[Jay 37,346]

I'm sure it does.  I'll watch episode 2 tonight and episode 3 Wednesday night

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I don't know. I assume it's a limited term contract, like a temp worker

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

OK but how can a single dead animal lead to days and days of meat carving work?  Would it start to spoil immediately? 

 

Or are they traveling to different carcasses each day?

It is huge… maybe the climate preserves it.. i supose they prepare dry meat for long time storage.

[Jay 37,346]

The climate?  It's a desert!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Well the creature is well preserved in space why not in the desert?

[Holko 9,519]

4 minutes ago, Jay said:

I'm sure it does.  I'll watch episode 2 tonight and episode 3 Wednesday night

Just from ep1 then: what about the Inquisitors? I hated them, the main one looks, acts and sound terrible, like a cereal commercial level villain, and the girl's just awful. Also even they're confused about their motivations: do they want to find and kill Jedi or look cool? Do they want to be villains and effective, or nice antiheroes who can't go around threatening and mutilating poor innocents?

[Manakin Skywalker 4,891]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

The opening scene was then also really off-putting, I didn't really understand the point of a random depictive of Order 66 being carried out in one random place with no connection to anything else, other than letting them put a "10 years later" under the next scene.

 

Spoiler:

Spoiler

Reva is the main youngling the camera keeps focusing on. That scene will apparently relate to the plot later on in the show.

If you don't want to read the spoiler, then just know that it will relate to the plot going forward.

[Jay 37,346]

3 minutes ago, Holko said:

Just from ep1 then: what about the Inquisitors? I hated them, the main one looks, acts and sound terrible, like a cereal commercial level villain, and the girl's just awful. Also even they're confused about their motivations: do they want to find and kill Jedi or look cool? Do they want to be villains and effective, or nice antiheroes who can't go around threatening and mutilating poor innocents?

 

I found all their scenes to be clunky and off-putting.  I guess more poorly written than poorly acted.  But I've seen plenty of good shows that had bad character introductions so I'm willing to give them a pass for now.

 

Leia was far more offensive, none of her scenes felt right at all.  I hate to pick on child actors, but this one was annoyingly bad and should have been recast

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I really find it hard to believe how you guys' brains work.

[mstrox 6,651]

Personally I think the specific nature of the work matters zero.  What it says about Obi-wan’s situation:  he’s doing menial labor for little to no pay, he’s skimming some off the side for his beast of burden, he’s doing nothing about a ruthless boss taking advantage of his needy workers, etc.  What he’s carving, how long he’s been doing it, etc. is something for the Star Wars Kenobi Visual Guide or whatever they’ll put out, or for the Wiki editors to piece together from seven different secondary sources. Who cares?

[Holko 9,519]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

I really find it hard to believe how you guys' brains work.

Simple. Bad directing and bad writing and bad acting add up to bad.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

Leia was far more offensive, none of her scenes felt right at all.  I hate to pick on child actors, but this one was annoyingly bad and should have been recast

Yeah, I don't want her to be "Jake Lloyd'ded" by the fandom but her scenes were really bad (because most kids are terrible actors).

 

There's also this weird thing on twitter where grown adults are stanning for Baby Leia and pretending that she was actually cool.  

 

These people should all be put on an FBI watchlist 

[MaxTheHouseelf 324]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

I really find it hard to believe how you guys' brains work.

The people who wrote that shit script have no brain at all. What a waste of 8.99€...

[SilverTrumpet 638]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

>shrug< neither one of us picked up on that.  Is that supposed to be obvious?  Or is this something explained in the next episode?

 

I think it's one of those things where it's supposed to be JUST obvious enough where clickbait websites notice it and can point it out as an easter egg, but subtle enough where if you're casually watching, you'll be knocked off your socks when they inevitably reveal it in the second to last episode. 

 

5 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

There's also this weird thing on twitter where grown adults are stanning for Baby Leia and pretending that she was actually cool.  

 

Those are just Disney plants. It definitely does come off super creepy because of how excited they have to be.

 

...then again, it is Hollywood culture, so maybe they should be on a list. 

[Jay 37,346]

I don't make a habit of spending time pointing out things I don't like about media I consume, and generally expect more things to be bad than good these days with how many streaming services there are and how much content they need to have  - there's only so many good writers out there.

But in this particular case, a high budget, high profile Star Wars show that stars a major actor & character from the prequels and effectively acts as an episode 3.5, really deserved better writing, directing, and acting than what I've seen on display in one episode.

 

As always, I remain optimistic as I've watch tons of shows whose first episode of episode(s) were not very good, but overall the show turned out to be great.

[mstrox 6,651]

I’ve liked all the Young Leia stuff so far, Big, so put me on your Watchlist!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

The show can't be talked about at all here without having to mount a defense or wanting to engage in a debate.  It sucks.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Just now, mstrox said:

I’ve liked all the Young Leia stuff so far, Big, so put me on your Watchlist!

Just reported you to the FBI

Just now, Stu said:

The show can't be talked about at all here without having to mount a defense or wanting to engage in a debate.  It sucks.

Like every Disney property... coincidentally (?)

[Bespin 8,480]

At the beginning, they show 5 younglings escaping order 66. 

 

After watching the 2nd episode, do the math...

 

It's why I talked about a Jedi "body" count in an earlier post...

 

 

It remembered me Blade Runner, where we tried to count the remaining replicants to hunt down!

[Jay 37,346]

7 minutes ago, Stu said:

The show can't be talked about at all here without having to mount a defense or wanting to engage in a debate.  It sucks.

 

None of my posts invite a debate at all.  I only posted my honest opinions after watching an episode of television.

 

It is a good thing that all of us have different takeaways from watching the same content, it would be boring if we all agree on every aspect.  There'd be nothing to say.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I didn't really have you in mind with my comment.

[Jay 37,346]

One thing I really enjoyed about watching the episode was the cues with Williams' theme.  They were all great!  I hope they are on the album.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

it would be boring if we all agree on every aspect.  There'd be nothing to say.

Well there's countless thread here about how great Williams is

Otherwise I fully agree

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Its obvious reva blames kenobi for ruining her life since she was a child. They want us to believe she wants to capture or kill kenobi to please vader and get hight in the inquisitors ranks.

[Positivatee 327]

44 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Its obvious reva blames kenobi for ruining her life since she was a child. They want us to believe she wants to capture or kill kenobi to please vader and get hight in the inquisitors ranks.

 

Yes to the second sentence but no to the first. 

 

She's an Inquisitor. She's been brainwashed by the new regime. She uses a red bladed lightsaber which means she is in tune with the Dark Side. I don't think she would blame the Jedi for ruining her life. She would blame them for holding her back for the first half of her young life. The Dark Side and Empire offer power and freedom that the Jedi refused to embrace. She serves her Empire. They have improved her life now. As a Jedi youngling, she was no doubt taken from her family long enough before this story even started. 

 

Spoiler

Of course, my prediction is that over the next four short episodes, she will inevitably become the heroine of the story and be redeemed because Girl Power. 

 

She will want to capture Kenobi to gain favor with Vader, of course, because she is young and ambitious. The other Inquisitors respect Vader enough to let him be the one to chase Kenobi because it's personal. 

[Andy 4,119]

My not so clever theory on why Reva is so personally pissed at Benny:

 

Spoiler

During Order 66. It was Obi-Wan who recalibrated the Jedi Temple Beacon warning all Jedi to stay away.  Any Younglings left behind or hiding were abandoned at his personal request.  Reva was one of the Younglings, and saw Obi’s message, obliterating any hope of rescue by Jedi  

 

[Bespin 8,480]

13 minutes ago, Andy said:

My not so clever theory on why Reva is so personally pissed at Benny:

 

  Hide contents

During Order 66. It was Obi-Wan who recalibrated the Jedi Temple Beacon warning all Jedi to stay away.  Any Younglings left behind or hiding were abandoned at his personal request.  Reva was one of the Younglings, and saw Obi’s message, obliterating any hope of rescue by Jedi  

 

 

Spoiler

There are not many who are aware that Vader is actually Anakin Skywalker. She just stayed true to Anakin. Jedi are the enemies, they betrayed her, like they betrayed Anakin. The smartest of all of them was Ashoka who left the Jedi order in the course of the Clone Wars. Jedi were true idiots.

 

[Andy 4,119]

9 hours ago, Jay said:

I watched with my wife who is perfectly capable of enjoying really silly TV shows, but even she brought up how ridiculous it was that 3 trained professionals couldn't capture her in the woods, and that it even seemed like she ran as fast as them.  It was a really poorly done chase scene!

Not if you grew up watching the Ewok TV movies.   I had flashbacks of little Cyndel running from Endor bandits. But I agree, it was clumsily filmed. 
 

2 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

  Hide contents

There are not many who are aware that Vader is actually Anakin Skywalker. She just stayed true to Anakin. 

 

 

Spoiler

But Anakin’s blue 501st troops attacked the temple.   It seems unlikely he’d immediately take her in on the spot, when he showed no mercy with other Younglings.   She could’ve maybe seen the “live” filming of Palpatine praising Lord Vader in the temple assuming she wasn’t detected.