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.
My desire for and image of a great Kenobi series have been really dampered by the trailers. And it stinks to feel this way. The trailers so far to me show the evidence of Disney’s Revirsity programs, that back tracks civilization on the progress made just to put skin color ahead of logic/story. The Sith Inquisitors…none are human-like in REBELS. All alien with alien features. But now there is a black-human female Inquisitor? C’mon Disney. I can see the meeting on the Death Star “Ok guys, HR has come down and told us that we Inquisitors have been too exclusive with our aliens-only approach. So meet your new check-the-box Inquisitor: Human Black Sister! Oh yeah, and shes the baddass all-action leader you all want to be! You can also call her Poochie (Simpsons joke)”.
I’m expecting OB1 to focus on diversity hire Inquisitor since s/he/it has the second most screen time and speaking lines. The Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother look human — one looks Caucasian and other Asian. Their outfits are not fitted like in Rebels instead they’re baggy but S/he/it Inquisitor has a fitted outfit. What this means to me is that they’re going cheap in the make up and costume departments like they did with BBF. Ugh!
To me, George Lucas’ Legacy Star Wars is dead and Disney Star Wars is alive but self abusive for the last ten years come October 30, 2012, the day Disney night Lucasfilm. I’ll be mourning the death of Star Wars on that date, definitely the nightmare before Halloween.
Will bet that the theroies that this series is really about the Inquisitor Reva who turns good and saves Obiwan and Luke, will unfortunately be correct. MCU shows already have the ‘strong woman’ character surplant the title heros, why not in Star Wars. So sick of Disney’s B.S.
Sith-Angela Davis will discover her true self and teach Obi-Wan about privilege. We know what’s coming.