Much like last week’s episode, what “Part IV” of Obi-Wan Kenobi lacks in plot progression, it more than makes up for with thrilling action sequences. This week’s episode features horrific interrogations, startling discoveries, and a barnstormer of a rescue attempt. If “Part III” showed Obi-Wan at his lowest point, then “Part IV” begins his gradual reemergence. It’s a fairly short, tight-paced episode that perfectly sets up the rest of the season for a (hopefully) stellar climax.
A Rescue Mission
As the episode begins, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) wakes up on Jabiim, having been taken there by Tala (Indira Varma) after barely surviving Vader’s brutal attack. Jabiim houses other members of the Path, an underground network that helps force-sensitive people and their families escape the Empire. There, Obi-Wan learns that Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) has been kidnapped once again, this time by Reva (Moses Ingram). And naturally, Obi-Wan sets off to try and rescue her. The only problem is that nobody else on Jabiim wants to risk their lives on a suicide mission. Nobody except Tala, that is, who can sense just how important Leia is to Obi-Wan. And so the two set off to rescue Leia from the Inquisitor’s fortress in the Mustafar system. Of course, such a rescue mission requires a fair amount of subterfuge. And, naturally, that’s where the fun begins.
This episode features Obi-Wan and Tala engaging in some pretty standard, yet deeply enjoyable, heist-like subterfuge. And honestly, the whole rescue sequence is super fun. Tala uses her Empire credentials to infiltrate the base, guiding Obi-Wan through its lower levels. On those lower levels, however, Obi-Wan encounters the base’s big secret. Not only is it the headquarters for the Inquisitors, but it’s also a tomb, of sorts. A tomb for fallen Jedi. It’s the kind of horrifying reveal that sticks with you long after the episode finishes, with Obi-Wan wandering past countless pods filled with dead Jedi. Eagle-eyed fans might even spot a few familiar faces, too. The whole sequence offers a great mixture of genuine horror and classic Star Wars fun. And it gives the episode a palpable sense of tension.
Reva Interrogates Leia
Meanwhile, Reva subjects Leia to a pretty brutal interrogation. Reva wants information on the Path – where they’re located and how they’re operating. And she believes that Leia just might have that information, given that Reva found her wandering around a secret Path-related tunnel on Mapuzo. Leia, to her credit, easily bats away all of Reva’s tactics – much to Reva’s surprise. For fans, it’s obvious how Leia’s resisting Reva – she’s tapping into the Force. And it makes you wonder whether or not Reva can sense Leia’s connection to the Force. The whole interrogation sequence offers a chance for Ingram to properly shine, far away from Darth Vader and the other Inquisitors. Here, Reva is as threatening as she’s ever been. And she almost relishes in how cruelly she treats Leia. It’s quite horrifying, honestly.
When traditional interrogation fails, Reva straps Leia into some kind of nightmare machine. Presumably, it’s gonna forcibly extract the information from Leia’s mind – either through some kind of a lobotomy or just more generic torture. And for a Star Wars show to put a literal child in such a viscerally dangerous situation feels quite dark. In a good way. We’ve always heard stories about how horrible the Empire was, so it’s good to see just a hint of their tactics. You really feel for Leia in these scenes, too. In part, that’s a testament to how well director Deborah Chow and writers Joby Harold & Hannah Friedman construct the scene. But it’s also a testament to just how good Vivien Lyra Blair is as Leia. She perfectly channels Carrie Fisher’s iconic performance, consistently delivering a pitch-perfect version of a younger Leia.
The Grand Escape
Just in the nick of time, Obi-Wan and Tala create the perfect distraction, luring Reva away from Leia long enough for Obi-Wan to rescue her. Tala’s distraction doesn’t work for very long though, as a droid quickly spots Obi-Wan and Leia running through the hallways, throwing the whole base into a high alert. Soon, the trio is surrounded on all sides by Inquisitors and Stormtroopers, with no apparent way out. And, to make matters worse, the windows of the underwater base begin to crack from poorly-aimed laser blasts. All hope seems lost. Except – Obi-Wan is finally reconnecting with the Force. Using all of his energy, Obi-Wan keeps the windows from shattering just long enough to trap the Stormtroopers in a wave of rushing water, allowing the three of them a chance to escape.
Despite Reva and the other Inquisitor’s best attempts, the trio does successfully escape – with the help of the Path, of course. Upon learning of Reva’s failure, Darth Vader goes absolutely ballistic, nearly killing her as punishment. However, she tells him she intentionally allowed them to escape. That she’d planted a tracking device on something that would follow Kenobi wherever he went. This earns her the briefest of reprieves from Darth Vader, in a startling moment of mercy. But man, this Vader continues to be absolutely brutal in the most horrifying way – and I’m loving it. As the episode ends, we learn Reva wasn’t bluffing at all. She did implant a tracking device – inside of Lola, Leia’s droid. Dun, dun duuuun.
Final Thoughts
I’m not gonna lie, I do wish Part IV of Obi-Wan Kenobi had progressed the overall plot a bit more. Four episodes in, it still feels like we’re barely scratching at the surface of whatever is really going on here. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that the series is far more interested in hyper-focusing on Obi-Wan’s journey from the wounded and jaded man he is at the end of Revenge of the Sith to the more hopeful, wizened man we find in A New Hope. And in that regard, this show remains wholly successful. But it’s a little bit hard to justify the show’s runtime as it continues to skirt around the edges of a bigger storyline that keeps creeping into the show. Character motivations remain a bit too obscured and it feels like there’s a big piece of the puzzle that’s not quite clicked into place yet.
As it is, Part IV of Obi-Wan Kenobi delivers a thrilling heist of a rescue mission. It perfectly sets up the remaining two episodes while offering tantalizing teases of the wider world surrounding the show. And honestly, the whole thing is just a lot of fun. Obi-Wan and Darth Vader have never felt as formidable as they do here. And the way the cast and creative team really delve into Obi-Wan’s mindset remains absolutely captivating. McGregor is delivering some of his best work as Obi-Wan in this series, and he remains the biggest selling point of this episode. After all, who doesn’t love seeing a beloved character overcome their darkest demons and rediscover who they truly are? Overall, Part IV may not be the most revelatory episode, but it never fails to be endlessly entertaining.
New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.
What Part IV of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" lacks in plot progression, it more than makes up for in thrilling action sequences. A short, tight-paced episode that sets up the final two episodes for a stellar climax.
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