Obi Wan Kenobi - Disney+ Series

[Wintermoot]

Trailer just dropped. Looks like the series will be starting in May.

Looks good in the 90 seconds or so we get. I know there are a lot of complaints about spending more time on Tatooine between Mandolorian and Boba Fett, but we always knew this series would be on the sand planet because that's where OB1 was for the 20 years between RotS and ANH.

Based on the trailer, the series looks to revolve around a couple Sith jedi hunters on OB1's trail. Seems like the 'there's only two sith' thing is getting ignored. A couple glimses of the guy who played Uncle Owen in the prequels back as Owen Lars.

[Dargaron]

Based on the trailer, the series looks to revolve around a couple Sith jedi hunters on OB1's trail. Seems like the 'there's only two sith' thing is getting ignored. A couple glimses of the guy who played Uncle Owen in the prequels back as Owen Lars.

The Empire has had non-Sith force user agents for a long time (Mara Jade is the first who comes to mind, but Jerec and his crew of Dark Jedi from Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II are also pretty similar). AFAIK, the current batch (Inquisitors) are in a grey area where they are functionally-identical to Sith, but don't get the Darth name and are generally weaker than Vader/Palpatine.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Dargaron
AFAIK, the current batch (Inquisitors) are in a grey area where they are functionally-identical to Sith, but don't get the Darth name and are generally weaker than Vader/Palpatine.

Yeah, these look like bog-standard Inquisitors, some of whom may be forcibly turned padawans à la Fallen Order.

We are definitely spending a lot of time on Tatooine these days, and I really don't need yet another precocious kid pilot winning pod races in the desert. But there's some hope that we'll be seeing the hunt for escaped Jedi across other worlds.

[warty goblin]

I just want this to not suck. Ewan MacGregor as Obi-Wan is my favorite part of Star Wars; if Disney messes this up I think I'll be as done with their TV Star Wars as I am with their movie Star Wars. Which is to say, very.

[Fyraltari]

Yup, this looks exactly like I expected to.

Unless there's some really good word-of-mouth, I won't bother with this one.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by warty goblin
Ewan MacGregor as Obi-Wan is my favorite part of Star Wars….

Pretty much the opposite for me, although he seems better in the role these days.

For me this is a series that really didn’t need to be made. But as long as it’s here, I’ll hope it’s at least watchable.

[Mechalich]

Yeah, these look like bog-standard Inquisitors, some of whom may be forcibly turned padawans à la Fallen Order.

Yup, and several of them are previously established characters who appeared in Rebels, including the Grand Inquisitor (who is narrating), and Fifth Brother (the stony-faced one).

We are definitely spending a lot of time on Tatooine these days, and I really don't need yet another precocious kid pilot winning pod races in the desert. But there's some hope that we'll be seeing the hunt for escaped Jedi across other worlds.

The trailer looks like it's going to spend a fair amount of time in the Coruscant Underworld - all those dark cityscape shots. So it's not going to be all Tatooine. Ideally Tatooine will only bookend the show - a first episode with Obi-Wan in hiding, some incident sends him off around the galaxy, and then him going back into hiding at the end.

[Wintermoot]

Yup, and several of them are previously established characters who appeared in Rebels, including the Grand Inquisitor (who is narrating), and Fifth Brother (the stony-faced one).
.

Ah. I never saw Clone Wars or Rebels, so I wasn't aware. Same reason why I didn't know who the gunslinger (and many others) were in Boba Fett.

[Peelee]

Pretty much the opposite for me, although he seems better in the role these days.

Seconded.

For me this is a series that really didn’t need to be made.

Seconded.

But as long as it’s here, I’ll hope it’s at least watchable.

Oh, I'm very excited for it, but that's just who I am.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Mechalich
The trailer looks like it's going to spend a fair amount of time in the Coruscant Underworld - all those dark cityscape shots.

Hmm...I didn't get that impression. Do you have any information that it’s actually Coruscant? There must be other planets with dark cityscapes, and the lack of immense shafts and sky-tiers suggested this might be somewhere else.

I’m really hoping we’ll get to see a new planet, rather than constantly returning to Coruscant as “default giant city setting.”

Originally Posted by Mechalich
Ideally Tatooine will only bookend the show - a first episode with Obi-Wan in hiding, some incident sends him off around the galaxy, and then him going back into hiding at the end.

This would be the best-case scenario, but I have a feeling it’s going to be more dualistic, with Kenobi dividing his time between watching over Luke and helping survivors of Order 66 get to safety.

Originally Posted by Mechalich
…several of them are previously established characters who appeared in Rebels, including the Grand Inquisitor (who is narrating), and Fifth Brother (the stony-faced one).

I’m looking forward to seeing these and a few new Inquisitors; I just hope they keep the Darth Vader knockoffs to a minimum.

It’s not the Star Wars I was hoping for…but that series is the story of the founding of the Jedi and Sith, and as much as I yearn for it, most likely it’ll remain a pipe dream. So I’ll do my best to give Kenobi a chance, even though it’s much too soon after the bitter disappointment that was BoBF.

[Dire_Flumph]

If I had a huge favor to call in at Disney, the series I'd greenlight would be a Wraith Squadron adaption (or anything in that direction).

But hey, I loved Ewan as Obi-Wan, the trailer hits the right buttons, I'm not such a canon stickler that I'm going to worry about whether it lines up 100% with ANH, no planet in two seasons of the Mandalorian was interesting enough on it's own that I care whether we spend our time on Tatooine or not, and I'm not sure at this point there is a "necessary" Star Wars story left to tell.

So put me in the interested column.

[Mechalich]

Hmm...I didn't get that impression. Do you have any information that it’s actually Coruscant? There must be other planets with dark cityscapes, and the lack of immense shafts and sky-tiers suggested this might be somewhere else.

I’m really hoping we’ll get to see a new planet, rather than constantly returning to Coruscant as “default giant city setting.”

They're unlikely to make up a new planet or use some lesser known place for this. The only ecumenopoli that get much play are Coruscant and Nar Shadda. The later is unlikely in this case (hopefully Mando may visit at some point) and it makes sense for Obi-Wan to travel into the heart of imperial control. Especially if he's going to, sigh, throw down with Vader during this series as has been widely rumored.

I’m looking forward to seeing these and a few new Inquisitors; I just hope they keep the Darth Vader knockoffs to a minimum.

The Grand Inquisitor is a perfectly acceptable villain, and they got Sung Kang (best known as Han from the Fast & Furious franchise) to play Fifth Brother, so at least he should be game for some serious stuntwork. The key new character, is Third Sister, played by Moses Ingram (best known from Queen's Gambit), because canon mandates that neither the Grand Inquisitor or Fifth Brother can actually die during this show, so she's the one to watch for a major role.

This show also has the benefit of showing the Empire at its height, and as a general rule, Star Wars is always better when it's the Empire as the bad guys.

With regard to Ewan, I'm generally in the positive column on his Obi-Wan, but either way he has a strong tendency to commit as an actor to his projects, and as long as that translates into long hours training in stunt choreography for the inevitably lightsaber fights, that's a major positive. This is a 6-episode show. Deliver 3 killer lightsaber fights and I'll forgive a lot of lousy story.

[Peelee]

They're unlikely to make up a new planet or use some lesser known place for this.

Like Glavis?

and it makes sense for Obi-Wan to travel into the heart of imperial control.

It really doesn't.

Especially if he's going to, sigh, throw down with Vader during this series as has been widely rumored.

That really doesn't even moreso.

Deliver 3 killer lightsaber fights and I'll forgive a lot of lousy story.

The best lightsaber fight in the entire series is not what I suspect most people would call "killer". It is slow paced and entirely one-sided. Meanwhile, the worst lightsaber fights in the entire series are incredibly action-packed and are exactly what I imagine people would call "killer".

I am not as forgiving of "killer lightsaber fights forgiving lousy story".

[Fyraltari]

Ah. I never saw Clone Wars or Rebels, so I wasn't aware. Same reason why I didn't know who the gunslinger (and many others) were in Boba Fett.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that gunslinger is the only one in the whole show to be from the animated series.

Okay there's Ahsoka, but she was in Mandalorian too.

[DigoDragon]

The trailer looks pretty good, but trailers can be unreliable. Still, I hope this turns out good and I've mostly enjoyed the other Star Wars shows so chances seem good to me. I remain positive.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Fyraltari
Actually, I'm pretty sure that gunslinger is the only one in the whole show to be from the animated series.

Other than the Pykes themselves....

[Fyraltari]

Other than the Pykes themselves....

That's not a character. Also, they were in Solo.

[Maelstrom]

They're unlikely to make up a new planet or use some lesser known place for this.

Except they did. Daiyu. Source: Joby Harold interview with Entertainment Weekly, section 'Cloak and Saber'

Cloak and saber
McGregor is all cloaked up again as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he's got places to go... like the new planet of Daiyu, which "sort of has a Hong Kong feel to it," says writer Joby Harold. "It's got a graffiti-ridden nightlife, and is kind of edgy. It's just got a different lane and a different feeling."

I'm sure we'll get several new planets out of this series, some of which have been in comics/games, but never live action

[Dragonus45]

So uhhhhh, am I the only person living in utter dread and terror of how bad the spinny sabers inquisitors use could wind up looking on screen in live action?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Maelstrom
Except they did. Daiyu.

I had a feeling it wasn’t Coruscant, and it’s great to know they’re telling stories in new settings.

I haven’t counted how many new planets we’ve seen so far in the Mandalorian, but there were several at least, and no reason they can’t continue to be creative. Between Tatooine, Jakku, and Pasaana, we’ve seen way too many desert planets here lately, so I’m looking forward to some new worlds and new environments.

Originally Posted by Dragonus45
So uhhhhh, am I the only person living in utter dread and terror of how bad the spinny sabers inquisitors use could wind up looking on screen in live action?

Quite possibly. I'm more concerned with whether the Inquisitors themselves will look hokey.

That said, I always thought the Inquisitors' helicopter stunt was highly silly, so I'm hoping we don't see that here.

[Psyren]

Does this take place around the same time as Fallen Order? I've been meaning to play that.

[3SecondCultist]

I'm sure we'll get several new planets out of this series, some of which have been in comics/games, but never live action

There was also a shot of the Fortress Inquisitorius, the dark looking spire emerging from the oceanic moon of Ral in the Mustafar system. So here's hoping we get to see a bit of that as well.

My hope is that the Tattooine sections are the first and last episode, while the rest of the action happens elsewhere.

[Clertar]

I can’t help it, but these revisionist SW prequels give me a Shadow of Ender cringy fanfic feel. I had the same with some parts of Rogue One. But I know that SW fans like that stuff. Heck, most of the Legends material was that. I just find myself wishing that Darth Vader is not in it and, if he is, that he never crosses paths with Obi Wan.

[Mechalich]

I can’t help it, but these revisionist SW prequels give me a Shadow of Ender cringy fanfic feel. I had the same with some parts of Rogue One. But I know that SW fans like that stuff. Heck, most of the Legends material was that. I just find myself wishing that Darth Vader is not in it and, if he is, that he never crosses paths with Obi Wan.

There was actually very little legends material set during the 'Dark Times' (specifically the period from 19 BBY to ~4 BBY when Imperial power was almost totally unchallenged), because Lucas specifically forbade anyone writing during that timeframe until after the Prequels came out. While publication during the period accelerated rapidly once that embargo fell, most of the material produced was set either very early in the period - with an extremely heavy bias towards the fate of Jedi survivors in the immediate aftermath of Order 66 - or very late in the period - with a heavy bias towards the founding of the Rebellion, such as in The Force Unleashed. The decade from 15 BBY to 5 BBY, the absolute height of Imperial power, remained mostly unplumbed.

There's actually proportionally more Disney canon material set during this period, notably Solo, but also a significant number of comics, but it's still not a huge amount of material. There's plenty of operating room.

Use of Obi-Wan and Vader is admittedly unfortunate and I hope they resist temptation sufficiently that this is Obi-Wan's only big adventure during the dark times. It would be nice to get some good new characters for the timeframe though and hopefully this series will produce some options where Solo largely failed.

[Peelee]

Does this take place around the same time as Fallen Order? I've been meaning to play that.

The story is quite good, I think you'll enjoy it.

[Dragonus45]

Does this take place around the same time as Fallen Order? I've been meaning to play that.

It's good but felt short. The game really felt like it was just picking up when it finally ended. High hopes for the sequel.

[Peelee]

It's good but felt short. The game really felt like it was just picking up when it finally ended. High hopes for the sequel.

Definitely too short, definitely needs another game.

[Saintheart]

Use of Obi-Wan and Vader is admittedly unfortunate and I hope they resist temptation sufficiently that this is Obi-Wan's only big adventure during the dark times. It would be nice to get some good new characters for the timeframe though and hopefully this series will produce some options where Solo largely failed.

I'm going to be cynical on that one so I can't be disappointed.

It's Revenge of the Sith 3.5: The Search For More Money Now That Our Sequel Franchise Died Two Times On Arrival. There will be a Vader/Obi-Wan fight and Obi-Wan will be rocking all over the Outer Rim and Inner Rim territories ... and completely against his characterisation that he was meant to basically be serving a monastic existence guarding the galaxy's last hope with his life. There's nowhere else for the story to go. Even the "one big trip off Tatooine" story leaves the taste of tinfoil in my mouth; if it's going to be a whole "I doubt my self-imposed exile and destiny, and will have my mid-life crisis courtesy of a wild weekend on Coruscant, ending my This Is 40 50 story by concluding that yeah, I do need to keep doing what I've been doing for the past 10-20 years" ... well then, it'll make money, but it'll just be diluting the quality of the story and the character we were given, and just be more proof that Disneycusfilm has no new ideas that it has any confidence will compete against these legendary figures.

I mean, Ewan McGregor being a great-looking Obi-Wan aside ... this is a sequel to one of the weaker entries in the franchise. Just contemplate that for a moment and I think it's pretty apparent how far we've fallen. And it didn't have to be this way. It didn't have to be like this.

(EDIT: also in passing - blink and you'll miss it, but they got Joel Edgerton back for Owen's role too. Looks like Bonnie Piesse gets to extend her cafe duties from the first two movies out to a season as well.)

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Clertar
I can’t help it, but these revisionist SW prequels give me a Shadow of Ender cringy fanfic feel. I had the same with some parts of Rogue One. But I know that SW fans like that stuff.

Not all of us do. Like this series, I’ve always felt that Rogue One just didn’t need to be made.

Some parts of Rogue One I still can’t watch. I’m hoping for at least basic watchability from Kenobi.

Originally Posted by Dragonus45
It's good but felt short. The game really felt like it was just picking up when it finally ended. High hopes for the sequel.

I watched one of the movies of cutscenes that’s available, and I really enjoyed that. It’s the perfect scope for the story it tells—meaningful to the characters and the innocents they save, but not on a scale that competes with the overall galactic narrative.

Also, I’ve been listening to Sugaan Essena for a couple of years now, nice to finally see how it’s used in-universe. (“Hey, I know that song!”)

Originally Posted by Clertar
I just find myself wishing that Darth Vader is not in it and, if he is, that he never crosses paths with Obi Wan.

Originally Posted by Saintheart
There will be a Vader/Obi-Wan fight….

Yeah, they’ve been teasing this for months now, so might as well accept it.

Originally Posted by Saintheart
…blink and you'll miss it, but they got Joel Edgerton back for Owen's role too.

Didn’t blink and didn’t miss it. Made for a nice touch.

Originally Posted by Saintheart
...and completely against his characterisation that he was meant to basically be serving a monastic existence guarding the galaxy's last hope with his life. There's nowhere else for the story to go.

I can't say I disagree with you here. I can just barely accept his final confrontation with Maul, mainly because that's one of my favorite lightsaber duels in all of Star Wars, but that really should be as far as they push it.

But here we are. I'm going to try to enjoy as much as I can.

[warty goblin]

Really I think their problem is that they so poisoned the well with the sequel trilogy, it's pretty hard to push the timeline forwards*. They've done a bunch of stuff for the Clone Wars already, the original cast is too old or dead to do much in the OT time period, so really the only times they can do anything easily is between prequel and original, or between original and sequel, trilogies. That's not a huge window of opportunity, and they're kinda mining it out.



*Thought exercise, attempt to describe the state of the Galaxy post Rise of Skywalker in a way that makes any sense at all. The farthest I can get is Palpatine is dead. Again. Maybe it will stick this time.