Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3

Last week “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” arguably the most anticipated “Star Wars” series on Disney+ got underway. And honestly, things were a bit wobbly.

“Your pain has just begun.” Stormtroopers show up and flank Darth Vader. The non-Imperial officer lady shows up and starts shooting the Stormtroopers. She also ignites a much bigger fire, that now stands between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan (who is pretty messed up). The loader droid shows up and carries Obi-Wan away from the fire. This stuff is being cut to during the face-off between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader so for the sake of recap efficiency, we can say that she sees a Jedi symbol carved into the wall and finds the secret escape tunnel. Obi-Wan and Vader are having a full-on duel, meaning that the duel between the two of them in the first “Star Wars” movie wasn’t the first time they had squared off since the prequels. They tell him that they’re looking for a Jedi. He says he wouldn’t know how to even pick out a Jedi. Obi-Wan accidentally calls her Leia instead of the made-up name. In one of the nicer moments in the episode, Obi-Wan gives the Stormtroopers a sob story – he called her Leia because that was her mother’s name. Before they’re out of the woods, er, dusty plains yet, another transport vehicle shows up with even more Stormtroopers and a very severe-looking Imperial officer (Indira Varma, who played one of the Sand Snakes in “Game of Thrones”). Just as the Stormtroopers are about to unload on Obi-Wan and Leia, the officer shoots all the Stormtroopers. (This is like getting into somebody’s car and noticing a Trump bumper sticker.) When they get seated they realize just how into the Empire he is – VERY. (It’s a good line!) They flag down a truck that is being driven by a moleman, who we will call Hans, and who is inexplicably voiced by Zach Braff. He offers them a ride to the spaceport but as they’re climbing in the back that notice that he has a hand painted Imperial flag. It’s almost exactly the set-up of “The Last Jedi,” a “Star Wars” movie that caused such outrage that angry nerds are still posting about it on the Internet to this day. After slightly more discussion, she orders the probe droids to be unleashed – these are the same probe droids that searched for Luke on Hoth in “The Empire Strikes Back.” It was neat getting to see them constructed and sent on their way, out into the galaxy, searching for spies. He says that if she completes her mission, he will make her the Grand Inquisitor. And if not, well, she won’t be back for season 2! He says the Force is like turning on a light.