The newKenobiseries on Disney+ has unfortunately been receiving mixed reactions from both fans and critics alike. Many praised the show for its use of Ewan McGregor, while others derided it as being a sloppily written. In a much similar vein,The Book of Boba Fettalso received the same sort of mixed responses upon its conclusion. WhileBobais not currently rumored to be getting a season 2,Kenobimay very well see a second season due to how popular it was upon release.
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Bearing this in mind, it then becomes important to consider some of the criticism levied against the show, what was done wrong, what could’ve been done better and so on. As a result, any future season stands a greater chance of being stronger than its predecessor.
6Set Design, Aliens and Effects
Star Warshas always been known for its colorful worlds, impressive special effects and creative non-human characters. Even in the originalStar Wars, these were all seen as revolutionary advancements in film technology, and this persisted through the prequel trilogy for the most part as well.Kenobi, however, struggled to make its world design, effects and aliens look as impressive as the franchise’s reputation would indicate they ought to be. This was especially apparent in episode three where the settings literally looked like a generic desert in southern California.
It also became apparent at many times that the famous Volume set is limited in how much it is capable of creating the illusion of spacious environments. Combined with the lackluster alien design (especiallythe Inquisitors) and presence, all of this left the show feeling smaller than it ought to for aStar WarsProject.
5Cutting Down on Logic Gaps
Kenobihas, at times,blatantly nonsensical momentswritten into its narrative. While the show is free of real “plot holes” there are more than enough gaps in logic (often mistaken for plot holes by some) that go unexplained. For example, Darth Vader inexplicably leaving multiple characters alive for no reason, Reva somehow getting to Tatooine from Jabiim before Obi-Wan and Vader dueled in the season finale, or the infamous trench coat escape trick in episode four, the list goes on.
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These are scenes or narrative elements that take the viewer right out of the show. It is unclear if these were the result of poor writing in and of itself or of a rushed production, but either way are plenty of moments where it’s clear the script needed significant punching up before filming.
4Reva and Her Character Development
While Moses Ingram is absolutely a talented actress, her character, Reva seemed to be poorly thought out and executed in the show. From the character’s design to her motivations, Reva often left something to be desired whenever she was on the screen. If the goal was to create a mysterious character with a tortured past, the show fails at this because it telegraphed its intentions early on to the point where much of the online fan discussion over Reva was when she was going to turn good rather than “if.”
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The show also fails to endear the audience to her much of the time. Reva commits plenty of evil acts in the pursuit of her vengeance againstDarth Vader, which leaves the audience unsympathetic and ultimately disconnected from her change of heart in the end. Much of this could’ve been rectified had she not been mysterious at all and just been the star of her own show. This way, the audience could see her inner torture first hand and empathize with her, rather than having it exposited to them and feel nothing.
3Returning Musical Themes
Undoubtedly one of the stranger elements of the show was the deliberate choice to not use series staple musical themes until the very end of the show. Sometimes this can be an interesting choice, such as inThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett,both of which used mostly original music. ForKenobi, however, a show predicated on reverence for the prequel era of theStar Warsfilms, this choice is rather baffling. The prequels themselves constantly reused original trilogy music, in addition to bringing in some of their own iconic themes such as Duel of the Fates (used in the first trailer forKenobiby the way).
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This left the show’s music feeling unfamiliar and generic when it should’ve had the same reverence for the Prequels that the rest of the show seemed to have. There are some great musical moments in the last two episodes (mostly the final episode), however, many fans couldn’t help but feel robbed of tonal and nostalgic potential from including the classic themes.
2Action Scene Direction
One thing thatDeborah Chowbrought to Kenobi as a director was the persistent use of a gritty, “shaky-cam” style of camera work for action scenes. This style unfortunately clashes with the traditional look ofStar Wars, especially the visual style that was established by the prequels. It leaves the show having what some have described as a “fan film” aesthetic, meaning it makes the show look cheaper than it should. This is in addition to making things just plain harder to make out while on screen. Even in the final battle between Obi-Wan and Vader, the camera work was a bit of a thorn in the side of an otherwise excellent dramatic sequence.
Interestingly, the direction for normal scenes thankfully avoided this gritty style for the most part, allowing the scenes to breathe more. This is something the action scenes needed at times.
1Obi-Wan and Leia Dynamic
Bringing Leia into the show was potentially a brilliant idea for a variety of reasons. For one, It deepens the relationship between her and Obi-Wan that was hinted at in the originalStar Wars. Most importantly, however, Leia may be the vehicle that allows Obi-Wan to obtain closure on his relationship with Padme, her mother whom he failed to save inRevenge of the Sith.In saving Leia, he is able to move on from his grief. Unfortunately,Kenobionly plays with this idea, and fails to really take advantage of its potential.
The two characters have a lovely parting in the finale, but there’s an argument to be made that more should’ve been done leading up to this. Padme is mentioned a few times, but the message really needed an extra punch to be truly effective. Perhaps a flashback featuring a surprise Natalie Portman Cameo?
