Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI

Part VI is a fitting conclusion that ties up storylines and gives Hayden Christensen his moment to shine.

The tension and stakes have steadily grown in the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, and the final installment of the limited series gives fans an epic conclusion filled with action, emotion and more cool callbacks you could shake a gaffi stick at. It’s a fitting conclusion that ties up storylines and gives a new perspective on a familiar tale.

At this point, I assume everyone has seen specific beats in the episode, so we’re proceeding with that understanding. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, this is your last chance to turn back and remain spoiler-free.

In Part 6, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) must separate from Leia and the rest of the rebels to lure Vader away to help them escape. All the while, Reva (Moses Ingram) has arrived on Tatooine looking for Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and the child he is protecting.

Folks thinking the confrontation between Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in the previous episode wrapped everything up in a tidy little package got a big surprise. The duo dukes it out again in epic fashion, with both characters delivering some great lightsaber choreography that was lacking in their initial meeting. The camera angles and action were a bit jerky at times, but the overall feel of the scenes is excellent.

I was happy to see the filmmakers swipe one of my favorite moments of the animated series “Rebels” to give us a better glimpse of the man behind the mask. During their duel, Kenobi slashes open Vader’s helmet with his lightsaber to expose the scarred face of his friend.

The duel provides some fantastic lightsaber moments, but the emotional scene between Kenobi and his former Padawan makes it one of my favorites of the saga. We finally see Anakin take responsibility for his actions and absolve his former master for his slide to the dark side. It was also a nice touch to have Kenobi use the hilt of his saber to deal devastating blows to Vader’s chest plate, compromising his breathing and weakening his enemy.

While Kenobi and Vader are fighting on a distant planet, Reva has tracked Owen down and is ready to exact her revenge on the child he protects. The small boy must pay for the sins of the father. Reva is injured and doesn’t count on much resistance. But it’s not Owen who is hellbent on standing their ground and protecting the boy. It’s Beru Lars (Bonnie Piesse) who picks up arms and lets her husband know they are enough to protect Luke (Grant Feely).

While I loved Beru being the force behind standing their ground, it doesn’t amount to much. They slow Reva down, but ultimately, she’s still able to track Luke down. I was hoping it would be Beru who would take Reva out and I thought since he hadn’t seen her yet in the series, they were saving her for something big. Piesse was great at Beru, but I wish the story showcased her badassery a little more. As you can tell, I’ve always loved the character of Beru and would love to see more of her.

In the end, Reva’s unable to kill Luke with visions of herself during the siege on the Jedi Temple bring her back from the brink. Ingram didn’t do the best she could with the character or Reva and while I liked her backstory as an idea, I never felt like they allowed her to do it justice. A huge missed opportunity.

As the episode closes, we get some of the most satisfying moments of the series. We get a fantastic scene between Kenobi and Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) where he acknowledges his knew her parents and explain how she encompasses the best attributes of each. Then we finally get a scene where Obi-Wan and Luke are face-to-face for the first time and get the Jedi’s signature greeting we’ve waited all series for.

Plus, we get to see Liam Neeson back as Qui-Gon Jinn. It was a moment I wished would happen and I was shocked by the emotional pull it produced in me. In fact, the entire episode had me on a roller-coaster of emotions, and that’s what makes Star Wars so special to me. It’s stories that touch something inside us and prove that no matter how dark the days may be, there is always hope if you believe enough.

I found the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series extremely satisfying and provided greater context for other moments in the “Star Wars saga. It was great seeing McGregor and Christensen back in action and the latter getting the love from the Star Wars fans he deserves. It’ll be nice to see him back for the upcoming “Ahsoka” series.

Edgerton and Piesse were excellent in their return as Owen and Beru Lars and I fell in love with Blair’s performance as Princess Leia. Blair was simply mesmerizing as the young princess, capturing the power and vulnerability brought to life by our original princess Carrie Fisher.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” is an excellent addition to the Star Wars franchise. Expanding the already complex relationship between master and apprentice was nice to see and it’s great to have Christensen back in the Star Wars universe.