BatLobster
Trailer Timewarper
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2012
- Messages
- 16,140
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I dig that take @Wolvieboy17. I think that whole line of thought also ties nicely with that look Obi-Wan gives Vader in ANH when Luke shows up. Here's my thoughts on his stance in ROTJ. Deep down, Obi-Wan does want Luke to "kill" Darth Vader. The same way Darth Vader "killed" Anakin. Half serious. But I think Obi-Wan simply did not have it in him to murder Anakin himself and it's that simple. Actually seeing his former brother's charred face under the mask was the game-changer there. Ewan's acting in that moment helped sell that for me, even if logically he absolutely should put Vader out of his misery.
Thing is, Star Wars logic has always been flimsy, endless retconned and certain point of view'd. I just accept it at this point as long as it's nothing too egregious.
I mean, the idea of Obi-Wan having interactions with Leia is a child is nice. It adds some additional color to "you're my only hope" and even the idea of Leia naming her child Ben.
BUT...it also makes it kind of weird that Yoda would be the one to say "there is another" and not Obi-Wan. Point being, there are always holes to poke and things you kind of have to work out in head canon to make sense. It's not a new thing, and I think it can be kind of part of the fun if let it be. Star Wars is in its sweet spot when it leaves just enough to the imagination, IMO.
Overall, I don't have much new to add about the series that hasn't been said. I agree with all who said it felt meandering at times and would've been better suited as a movie.
However, I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't get a lot of genuine enjoyment and emotion out of the finale. The show itself was a sometimes awkward delivery mechanism for some of these moments, and the story itself was entirely superfluous and I don't know that there was ever a way that it wouldn't be. But I think the great moments will stick with me as some damn good Star Wars for quite some time. I mean seeing Ewan and Hayden both delivering a really emotional performance, seeing Hayden actually play Vader...this is just stuff I never thought in a million years I'd see. There is a part of me that always feels a bit cynical about the sheer amount of content that Disney Star Wars is pumping out and how they're not doing enough to tell truly new stories in this universe...but at the same time, from the lightsaber rematch, to the heartbreaking exchange between Obi-Wan and Vader, to the surprisingly emotional payoff with Obi-Wan and Reva, to the tender moment with Leia, to the GOAT Ian popping up, and finally topping me off with the moment Obi-Wan Kenobi first meets Luke Skywalker and finally sees the manifestation of his master Qui-Gon....yeah, I felt some things. It was fanservice. 100%. But it just clicked for me. I was one freakin' happy Star Wars fan for that stretch, just allowing myself to drink it all in. It really reminded me a lot of ROTS, just in how it delivers a series of emotional payoffs all at the very end that makes the journey feel worth it, warts and all.
I think there is some nice poetry to the idea that Obi-Wan's journey in this series seemed to be one of letting go and it's only once he's gone through that journey is he able to finally commune with Qui-Gon. Because Qui-Gon's whole thing was kind of about going with the flow about being in the moment. It was brief and felt kind of like a tease, and I would've loved an entire series of Qui-Gon being a guiding presence...but narratively it felt like a nice way to put a bow on it. It scratched an itch that had been there since Yoda dropped that random line in ROTS.
Finally, I loved Ian's performance. Felt more in line with the cold, calm demeanor he had in ROTJ as opposed to the more bombastic turns in ROTS and TROS. Ate it up.
I'd easily watch a Vader series with Hayden and Ian co-starring.
Thing is, Star Wars logic has always been flimsy, endless retconned and certain point of view'd. I just accept it at this point as long as it's nothing too egregious.
I mean, the idea of Obi-Wan having interactions with Leia is a child is nice. It adds some additional color to "you're my only hope" and even the idea of Leia naming her child Ben.
BUT...it also makes it kind of weird that Yoda would be the one to say "there is another" and not Obi-Wan. Point being, there are always holes to poke and things you kind of have to work out in head canon to make sense. It's not a new thing, and I think it can be kind of part of the fun if let it be. Star Wars is in its sweet spot when it leaves just enough to the imagination, IMO.
Overall, I don't have much new to add about the series that hasn't been said. I agree with all who said it felt meandering at times and would've been better suited as a movie.
However, I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't get a lot of genuine enjoyment and emotion out of the finale. The show itself was a sometimes awkward delivery mechanism for some of these moments, and the story itself was entirely superfluous and I don't know that there was ever a way that it wouldn't be. But I think the great moments will stick with me as some damn good Star Wars for quite some time. I mean seeing Ewan and Hayden both delivering a really emotional performance, seeing Hayden actually play Vader...this is just stuff I never thought in a million years I'd see. There is a part of me that always feels a bit cynical about the sheer amount of content that Disney Star Wars is pumping out and how they're not doing enough to tell truly new stories in this universe...but at the same time, from the lightsaber rematch, to the heartbreaking exchange between Obi-Wan and Vader, to the surprisingly emotional payoff with Obi-Wan and Reva, to the tender moment with Leia, to the GOAT Ian popping up, and finally topping me off with the moment Obi-Wan Kenobi first meets Luke Skywalker and finally sees the manifestation of his master Qui-Gon....yeah, I felt some things. It was fanservice. 100%. But it just clicked for me. I was one freakin' happy Star Wars fan for that stretch, just allowing myself to drink it all in. It really reminded me a lot of ROTS, just in how it delivers a series of emotional payoffs all at the very end that makes the journey feel worth it, warts and all.
I think there is some nice poetry to the idea that Obi-Wan's journey in this series seemed to be one of letting go and it's only once he's gone through that journey is he able to finally commune with Qui-Gon. Because Qui-Gon's whole thing was kind of about going with the flow about being in the moment. It was brief and felt kind of like a tease, and I would've loved an entire series of Qui-Gon being a guiding presence...but narratively it felt like a nice way to put a bow on it. It scratched an itch that had been there since Yoda dropped that random line in ROTS.
Finally, I loved Ian's performance. Felt more in line with the cold, calm demeanor he had in ROTJ as opposed to the more bombastic turns in ROTS and TROS. Ate it up.
I'd easily watch a Vader series with Hayden and Ian co-starring.
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