I can’t help but feel like I’ve been here before. Maybe you’re feeling something similar?
In spite of how angry and disappointed I’ve been with Star Wars lately, especially since The Book of Boba Fett, I couldn’t help but be excited by a new trailer…but the moments that have me excited don’t have the same raw anticpation they used to. They’re quickly chased by feelings of dread. “Please, please don’t mess this up. You CANNOT screw up Kenobi!
There are some good signs – Ewan MacGregor and Hayden Christensen are returning and both seem excited. Joel Edgerton looks great as Uncle Owen once again, and you can cut the tension between him and Obi-Wan with a knife. Deborah Chow is directing, and I couldn’t be happier for her. The other actors are mostly unknown quantities for me – I still have reservations over the look of the Inquisitors, but these cosmetic issues can be overcome if we truly have a great story.
Despite my hesitation and reluctance to get excited again, there is one small detail in the new trailer that I haven’t seen anybody mention yet. The one thing I focused in on the trailer was this line: “You still want Kenobi? He’s gone…” “Maybe you’ve been looking in the wrong places.” The first lines are a hoarse whisper, hard to make out timbre. I could not find a version of the video with closed captioning, and I’m guessing that’s deliberate. I believe that this is Anakin speaking. Though the trailer is cut to make it appear that this is dialogue between an unknown person (likely Anakin) and the Third Sister, my guess is that this is actually a dialogue between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. If this series gives us that kind of look into the tortured psyche of the former Jedi, we could be in for a surprise – a smaller story, that is character driven.
For too long, I feel like Lucasfilm has tried to keep upping the stakes – making threats bigger, trying to top what came before. Lucas always enjoyed his spectacle, but the reason these stories worked was because we cared about the PEOPLE. The pyrotechnics are fun, but this story should be about the souls of two characters – Anakin, and Ben. If they give us this – if they deliver on this – maybe Star Wars can find its way again. That doesn’t mean they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. There will have to be many, many, MANY changes made and successes earned before Disney will ever earn the right to my money again.
One thing is for sure though – if Obi-Wan doesn’t deliver, our franchise is truly dead.
For all the latest opinion, analysis and commentary on all things that should be fun, keep reading That Park Place. Drop a comment below and let Lorn know if you agree or disagree that this is a make-or-break for Star Wars.
