Can you believe that there are just two episodes left after today. Part IV of Obi-Wan Kenobi is now available to stream on Disney+ and what a treat it was. Following Obi-Wan Kenobi’s confrontation with Darth Vader, which was incredibly one sided, Obi-Wan is taken away to heal and reflect. However, once he realises that Leia has been taken to the Inquisitor’s stronghold, he hatches a plan with new ally Tala to infiltrate Fortress Inquisitorius located on Nur. Time is of the essences. To rescue Leia, Obi-Wan not only has to infiltrate a stronghold swarming with Imperial troops, but he also has to confront his past.
Review
Last week’s episode will honestly be very hard to beat. In the grand scheme laid out by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Part III was just peak Star Wars. It had the lightsaber duel, the aesthetics, but it was also emotionally driven, which is something that Star Wars doesn’t typically tend to navigate. It can be emotional, sure. But it is never at the core. That’s what made Part III stand out. However, Part IV takes us back to something more familiar, and that definitely isn’t a criticism.
This episode really felt like the cast and crew were going back to its roots. Think back to A New Hope. There’s a giant rescue mission involving Luke, Han, Old Ben, and Chewie. Together, they infiltrate the Death Star and track down Leia. There are disguises, sneaking round corners, and Stormtroopers galore. Part IV captures that classic vibe brilliantly, but there is so much more going on beneath the surface.
As a Star Wars fan, visiting Fortress Inquisitorius was a huge deal. Now, we’ve seen it before, but this is the first time we’ve seen it in detail and in live-action. There are so many cool details that make this grand tower stand out in comparison to the very typical and grey Empire base. There’s this looming darkness to the Fortress, but within… An even darker secret. We know what the Empire is capable of, and we know what the Dark Side is capable of. But Fortress Inquisitorius reveals just how twisted and corrupted the Inquisitors are in regards to their mission. Putting Vader’s burning hatred and torturous methods aside from last week, this is the darkest that Star Wars has been for quite some time. Easily.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has absolutely excelled at giving Star Wars fans something different. We haven’t been stuck on Tatooine. Instead, we’ve been blasted off into space on a site-seeing tour of the galaxy. There have been familiar locations and brand new planets. On top of that, each new location has offered variety and Part IV ticked all of the boxes. This episode takes place primarily in Fortress Inquisitorius and exploring it was a definite treat. Fans will definitely be blown away by the level of detail and overall scale of one of the coolest locations in Star Wars.
The best thing about this episode though is the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The prospect of Leia being tortured by the Inquisitors awakens something in Kenobi, it felt very John Wick-esque. We saw how much Obi-Wan struggled against Vader. His lightsaber was completely foreign to him. However, this new-found motivation revitalises Obi-Wan’s Jedi training and we get a glimpse at the old Jedi Knight who could once turn the tide with the simple ignition of his lightsaber. There’s still a roughness to him, it’s very unrefined, but you can see this gradual transition as he starts to familiarise himself with his teachings. Obi-Wan Kenobi is back and this development could well change the course of the final two episodes.
Reva, the Third Sister, took a bit of a back seat in last week’s episode. With the arrival of Lord Vader, it was tough to even compete with his overwhelming presence. This was her episode though. We haven’t seen a lot of action from Reva- and we’re still waiting for an Inquisitor to fly- but this episode seemed more like one big Jedi mind trick. She is still incredibly ambitious and cruel, but we saw her manipulative and pragmatic side. Even though she’s hot-headed and impulsive, we, along with Vader, may have underestimated her resolve. Her treatment towards Leia comes across very sincere at first, and it all revolves around this idea of turning the people against the Jedi. You are somewhat tricked into believing that the Jedi are bad. That warmness soon turns sour and cold.
There are theories of Reva turning against the Empire, but this episode really confirmed that any good in her… Is gone. She’ll do anything to get what she wants, and with everyone doubting her it may be that she has a few more aces hiding in plain sight.
Verdict
Part IV is a return to something familar. It’s a perfect concoction of both the Original trilogy era and the Prequel era. You have the nostalgic rescue mission that evokes that A New Hope spirit, combined with the visual and fluid flow of the Jedi in the Prequels. Obi-Wan Kenobi is gradually regaining his former strength, and Reva has no idea what she has done. Part IV is a thrilling ride full of Star Wars goodness that has helped pave the way for what could be an unforgetable and gripping finale. Vader may be constantly on Kenobi’s mind right now, but Reva has proved her worth… She may be a bigger threat than Obi-Wan realises.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you watched Part IV yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Episode Four of Obi-Wan Kenobi is available on Disney+ right now. We’re in the endgame now. There are only have two episodes left… What awaits Obi-Wan in the finale? We’ll find out on June 22nd.
