Kenobi Part V is the penultimate episode of the season/series! The “Empire Strikes Back” episode (see last weeks post if you’re confused by that) and it’s so good! By this point we have seen everything that is in the trailers. Which means everything from this episode on is completely unseen content! Knowing what we know from last week, confrontation is inevitable as the Imperials close in on his location.
The following content contains spoilers for Kenobi Part V.
The ESB Connection
As was discussed previously, each episode has paralleled the first six movies. This episode does draw inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back, just not the way I had hoped (i.e. still no Qui-Gon Force ghost). However, the homage they pay to the movie is fantastic.
The entire breach sequence into the base on Jabiim is an homage to the Empire breaching the base on Hoth. This culminates with Vader reaching the hanger just as members of The Path are escaping. I, absolutely, must have a wallpaper of Vader pulling down the transport. Also, it’s a fun way to link this series with Starkiller from The Force Unleashed, Ahsoka and Rey in The Rise of Skywalker.
Twists and Turns
There aren’t really any Easter Eggs in this episode, although they teased us with some lightsaber hilts and Jedi robes. Be that as it may, we do have a few twists so lets get into it.
We learn that Reva is, in fact, one of the younglings we see at the beginning of the first episode. Granted, most of us predicted that. She blames Obi-Wan for not protecting them and she seeks revenge on Anakin for slaughtering the others. In fact her desire for Grand Inquisitor isn’t for the glory, she just wants to get close to Vader to seek her revenge.
Obviously Vader thwarts her assassination attempt, in amazing fashion. We all were secretly hoping he would decapitate her like Dooku. Then the reveal we’ve all been waiting for, the return of the original Grand Inquisitor. We also expected this to happen at some point since he doesn’t actually die until Rebels.
It’s another fantastic episode. I only have some very minor grievances. During the flashback scene with Obi-Wan and Anakin, they could have done a little better de-aging Hayden Christensen.
As much as I love seeing Vader at the height of his power, I’m on the fence about whether he’s almost too powerful. The way he shreds that ship is both awesome but maybe too much.
Next week is Part VI, will Obi-Wan return to a Jedi? Will Reva turn? Is this going to be the epic lightsaber duel? I’ve heard various discussions about that line in A New Hope and it’s open just enough to interpretation that we may not necessarily need another duel. I may post on that later.
