obi wan kenobi review part 5
Adam/Enstarz

Obi-Wan Kenobi continues to grow as a series with each new episode, and Part V, even with its soft start, goes out with a muffled bang.

SPOILER WARNING.

The episode starts with a flashback where we get to see a still-padawan Anakin, and the first actual appearance of Hayden Christensen outside of his Vader visage.

He and Kenobi begin lightsaber training, exemplifying the aggressive nature of Anakin while Obi-Wan tries to help him to focus beyond the use of anger - a fun flashback which will reappear several times throughout the episode as foreshadowing.

We soon find our heroes hiding out on a remote rebel base on Jabiim, where they are seeking transport with other refugees looking to escape the Empire's clutches.

Reva (Moses Ingram) informs Vader that the tracker she put on Leia's droid Lola has found the base. This news bumps Reva to the rank of Grand Inquisitor. They soon depart for Jabiim in hopes of capturing Obi-Wan. It is now a race against time before the Empire arrives.

With the doors to the launch bay sabotaged by Lola, Leia volunteers to go into the tiny vent to resent the hatch while Kenobi and Tala prepare the refugees for a standoff with the incoming troops.

This is a confined episode, but it doesn't diminish the information which comes to light throughout - even if it has been telegraphed from the beginning.

I'm talking about Reva's backstory finally being confirmed: She was a padawan who survived Anakin's assault during Protocol 66, leading her to become the Third Sister in hopes of getting close enough to Vader to end him for good. It's a decent plotline, which would have had a bigger impact had the narrative hidden it better.

After reaching Jabiim, storm troopers begin their assault, leading to Obi-Wan to give himself up in order for the rebels to flee, after Leia regains control of Lola and fixes the door.

It is here that we get Tala's backstory as an ex-Empire soldier who could no longer go along with the Inquisitors' slaughter of Force sensitive people. During the assault on the base, she is fatally shot, and gets her hero moment when she sacrifices herself with a thermal detonator in order to slow down the troopers and give Kenobi time to work out a plan with Reva to stop Vader.

This all soon culminates in a daring escape attempt by the rebels, soon interrupted by Vader using his Force powers to ground the ship - one of the highlights of the episode. This turns out to be a dummy ship, allowing the refugees to escape on a second ship.

Reva has her battle with Vader, which is another highlight, only to be stabbed in the gut and left for dead - but not before she finds the location of Luke on a communicator that was left behind.

Cue a zoom in on young Luke Skywalker.

The episode has some tight action, shows the true power of Vader's abilities, and brings the story to a head with all of the Reva reveals.

My only wish was that the show didn't spoon feed the obvious so willy nilly. Other than that, this is definitely one of the stronger installments of the show.

Tags
Star wars, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram