The Big Picture
Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi has become one of the most memorable and delightful characters in Star Wars. While the character was previously introduced as a major figure in the Original Trilogy, played by Sir Alec Guinness, and quickly became a fan-favorite, it was McGregor’s younger version of the Jedi Master that really provided more depth and insight. Obi-Wan’s presence is and was direly important to the Star Wars universe — his relationship with the Skywalker twins, his mentorship of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), and his role as a general during the Clone Wars provided alternative glimpses of his personality across multimedia. In fact, there’s no question that Obi-Wan’s ability to become an outstandingly beloved character inspired Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. This original series welcomed back McGregor as a more tired and aged Obi-Wan, set on protecting Princess Leia Organa (Vivien Lyra Blair) ten years after Star Wars Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. While it’s richly nostalgic for McGregor and Christensen to reprise their roles, especially with Christensen assuming the role of Darth Vader, we don’t need Obi-Wan Kenobi to be renewed for a Season 2.
The first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi provided a look at the character’s life post-Mustafar, allowing him to cross paths with a vengeful Vader and confirm how he first met the Skywalker twins in their youth. But Obi-Wan Kenobi also works better as a one-off limited series that provides Star Wars with succinct closure about how Obi-Wan first coped with his Padawan’s ultimate betrayal. Turning Obi-Wan Kenobi into a series threatens to undo (or walk over) what the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy have already accomplished. The initial run of Obi-Wan Kenobi achieved everything it needed to — let Disney+’s Star Wars shows move on and explore other storylines.
Release Date May 27, 2022
Cast Ewan McGregor, Moses Ingram, Sung Kang, Hayden Christensen
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Rating TV-14
Seasons 1
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Provided Closure Post-‘Revenge of the Sith’
One of the most thrilling narrative tools used in Obi-Wan Kenobi was the continuation and reflection on the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Disney+ was able to incorporate Christensen into the series in a deeply memorable way, and that fateful confrontation provides much-needed closure between the Jedi Master and his former Padawan learner. McGregor’s return as the titular Jedi was originally exciting, but finding a means of tying Vader into the show was another electrifying aspect of the show altogether.
The show’s emotional climax gave the first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi purpose; it doesn’t just honor the post-Revenge of the Sith time period but welcomes Christensen back into the world of Star Wars in a chilling new way. The return of Christensen as Darth Vader is an incredibly satisfying moment, and the reunion between these two characters bears immensely bittersweet weight. Obi-Wan finally facing off with a younger Vader in the first season of the show eliminates any need for a second one. Obi-Wan Kenobi was able to dig deep into still-raw emotions and carry them over in a way that paralleled the devastation both Obi-Wan and Anakin were strapped with by the end of Revenge of the Sith.
Lines of dialogue that remain incredibly harrowing and unforgettable, such as “I am not your failure, Obi-Wan,” or “You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker, I did” could not be postponed to a second season by pushing back such a massive rematch to a later date and delaying the ongoing chase between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Obi-Wan Kenobi should remain close-ended because it was able to wrap up the story in a satisfying way, assessing its main protagonist’s grief and suffering while allowing that emotional strain to be addressed.
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Doesn’t Need To Tell More Stories In Season 2
Though the show itself was short in comparison to other longer-running series, Obi-Wan Kenobi told the complete story it wanted to share. A second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi could overshadow the efforts of the first and diminish the importance of short-form storytelling in the Star Wars universe. When looking back at the scope of the series, all major (and realistic) plot points were hit: Obi-Wan and Leia’s relationship was expounded upon, Vader was incorporated into the show as a major villain, the beginning of Obi-Wan’s relationship with Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely) was teased, and the jaded Jedi earned the reconnection with his old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), in the form of a Force Ghost.
It’s hard to imagine where Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 could possibly go if Lucasfilm and Disney+ see it fit to move with it. Acting as a limited series wouldn’t take away from what Obi-Wan Kenobi accomplished when contributing to Star Wars and its lore. On the contrary, limiting this show to one season makes it all the more memorable, and allows the story at its center to have greater significance over time. Adding onto the singular installment defeats the purpose of having Obi-Wan Kenobi stand alone and drains the strength and focus of the first season’s direction. The ending of Obi-Wan Kenobi satisfies the current state of its lead character’s journey. He completed his mission; now it’s time to move on and embrace a new era of Star Wars.
Via interview with Variety, director Deborah Chow has also confirmed that Obi-Wan Kenobi was written as a limited series. “I mean, you’ve still got 10 years. So, there’s definitely, I’m sure, more stories to be told. For this one, we really did conceive it as a limited [series]. It really was meant to be beginning, middle and end. But you never say never… For me, just getting to spend more time with the character and Ewan as that character would be the greatest joy of it.”
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Season 1 Already Perfectly Bridges the Prequels and the Original Trilogy
There’s so much love for Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Original and Prequel Trilogies — his impact on these first sets of films carved out a legacy for both McGregor and Guinness, despite Guinness having a complicated relationship with Star Wars. The Original Trilogy was a trailblazer for cross-genre science fiction, and in hindsight, the Prequel Trilogy really wasn’t as bad as it was first made out to be via audience reception. Obi-Wan remained a constant across these two arcs in the Star Wars universe, and in each, played necessary roles. Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t need Season 2 — the beginning and the end of his story have already been told. Season 1 of Obi-Wan Kenobi provides some insight into key and memorable moments between both the Prequels and the Original Trilogy. General Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) call for help intended for Obi-Wan through R2-D2 and Obi-Wan’s recounting of the Clone Wars to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) make even more sense now that these relationships have been developed further.
That fateful confrontation between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope now reflects similar showdowns in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Revenge of the Sith. Outside their meetings in combat, each crossing of paths marks significant moments in their complex relationship. There’s nothing more to be detailed there; Obi-Wan Kenobi took the liberty of expounding on these occasional encounters that reflect where each character is at in their life, personally. Furthering Obi-Wan’s journey even more could wear away at how these specific confrontations are viewed as series cornerstones.
Obi-Wan Kenobi stopped at a place that doesn’t warrant a second season but instead honors Obi-Wan’s adventures, both past and present. The Original and Prequel Trilogies were vital to Obi-Wan Kenobi making sense, and the show was able to support its source material even more. Introducing more of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ could feel less connected to its roots. The resurgence of love for the Prequel Trilogy in recent years has been long overdue, and the timing of this series in particular rests nicely between both those films and the Original Trilogy, acting as a bridge between them and neatly streamlining their continuation to flow more coherently. Anything beyond one season of Obi-Wan Kenobi would be too much.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is currently available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
Watch on Disney+
