Obiwan Episode 3: Stupid Mistakes, Stupid Chases, Incompetent Empire, The Thirteenth

Hey, episode three, halftime and so far it’s not as bad as Boba Fett, although somehow not much has really happened yet. Obi-Wan takes Leia to a rather desolate planet in episode three and uses Haja’s coordinates to meet a rebel contact. However, this does not appear at first, whereupon a not unexciting run of the gauntlet – ok … it is mostly a ride – begins.

The episode’s climax is the reunion between Vader and Kenobi, preceded by a surprisingly violent sequence. First of all, it makes it perfectly clear why Vader is so feared. He was a lot more reserved in the original trilogy, but that may be explained by his younger age and the fact that the Empire isn’t quite as solid as it was in the older films.

Overall, the episode moved at a decent pace, although that might not be entirely true given that we ended up back where we were at the end of the second: Obi and Leia are separated again, the latter in the hands of the Inquisitors . Basically, episode three only served as a power inventory between Darth Vader and his old master – and to introduce Indira Varma’s resister Tia, who was smuggled behind enemy lines. My highlight, however, was the new loading droid Ned-B, which ultimately saves the day. I actually enjoy watching now. And now comes the “but”…

But that was again extremely bumpy and at times outrageously stupid what happened: Obi-Wan accidentally slips out Leia’s real name in the truck with stormtroopers, thereby compromising her cover. Later, at control of an Empire checkpoint, the two are caught and Obi-Wan is able to simply pull out his blaster and finish off each and every one of them under the guns of several stormtroopers. That’s even sillier than Mandalorian at the end of season one, when the story’s heroes storm out of the besieged bar and save themselves, all but unscathed. I take that back. Both are equally stupid, but these scenes multiply each other.

Later, the duel between Vader and Obi-Wan is a problem because their dialogue in the fateful encounter in Episode IV runs counter to the events of Episode Three. When Vader says in 1977, “Coming full circle. When I left you I was your student, now I’m the master…” it just doesn’t fit what we see in this series. Sure, because those responsible had never planned with this series. I just wish the writers on this show had a better grip on canon. He threatens to slip away and crash on the Disney Studios tiles if he isn’t already.

The fight itself was pretty sobering too. It’s the second immensely illogical chase in three episodes. After two jerks and a bass player embarrassed each other in the woods in the pilot to get hold of a ten-year-old girl, Obi-Wan now runs away from Vader, who keeps catching up with him at a walking pace. Sometimes even surprised him. That was again shaking your head, which can also be said about the eventual rescue of our hero.

The stormtroopers can be heard saying they can’t get past the fire, though there’s a take that proves the opposite, which would have taken them jogging a few steps up a shoulder-high sand hill. And why Vader didn’t just use the Force again a few meters away … only he knows that. The fact that Obi-Wan, Ned-B and Tia then disappeared completely from the Empire’s search radius also works unbelievable beyond measure… And I notice that I’m upset again.

Actually, Ewan McGregor is the only real reason I’m still watching this – and because of course I hope that they end up doing better than they’ve done over the past few years. Only three more episodes, then I’ll have peace again before I give myself Andor – at least I think so. Maybe it’s time to ground myself with the original trilogy again. Maybe then I’ll know for sure if it’s my fault that the magic has worn off or if the new stuff is just badly written. Just kidding, I actually already know the answer.