Obi-Wan Kenobi is finally here, and so far seems to be delivering exactly what was promised. The first episode takes its time in reintroducing Ewan McGregor’s exiled Jedi, who admits that after ten years in hiding, he’s “not the man he used to be”. Going from famed Jedi general to dirt-poor desert butcher is quite a fall, and we see that he’s all but abandoned hope for the future.
This is made all the more emotional by the way the show begins. Crammed into a few minutes we get a condensed recap of every important event in the Prequel Trilogy, from Obi-Wan’s introduction and his first encounter with Anakin, right up until the volcanic clash on Mustafar that created Darth Vader, culminating in Kenobi’s vows to protect the young Luke.
The Prequel Trilogy has had something of a critical rehabilitation in recent years, so fans are loving this nostalgia-fueled spin through its greatest hits:
Is this recap actually better than sitting through the entire trilogy?
For others, the reminder of what came before is making them get the tissues out:
A new appreciation of their merits is definitely building:
If there are awards for a recap, Obi-Wan Kenobi should get them:
Obi-Wan Kenobi is already shaping up to be another home run for Lucasfilm’s TV division. We’re getting insights into events in galactic history fans spent decades merely dreaming of, and it’s all anchored by a barnstorming lead performance as Obi-Wan gets his mojo back.
If the following episodes can continue this hot streak, Obi-Wan Kenobi may go down as one of the best pieces of Star Wars media to date. It’s already making the prequels look great, and that’s no easy task.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are now airing on Disney Plus.