No wonder Obi-Wan Kenobi’s titular hero aged so rapidly between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. That man has not known a single day of peace since losing his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, to the dark side.
Thanks to Darth Vader being hella dramatic and attempting to burn Obi-Wan à la what happened to him on Mustafar, Episode 4 began with Kenobi being carried to a bacta tank for healing. And while the burns are pretty bad, Anakin remains his deepest wound.
It wasn’t a soothing bath but rather a total nightmare for Kenobi as he replayed scenes from their most recent encounter in his head. That is juxtaposed against scenes of Vader in his own bacta tank tending to his years-old burns from their battle on the lava planet. The thrashing Jedi eventually reached for air, and immediately asked where Leia was.
Cut to the young princess being held captive at the Fortress Inquisitorius, not fazed by Reva, who was demanding intel on the Path. The vengeful Inquisitor told Leia that Obi-Wan burned to death on Mapuzo, and that no one is coming for her. But Leia is too strong-willed, even thwarting Reva’s attempts to get into her mind and dropping this sassy line: “Is this a staring contest?”
Meanwhile, Tala’s associate, Roken (played by O’Shea Jackson Jr.), wanted Obi-Wan gone from their Jabim hideout, since the Empire is looking for him and that puts their whole operation at risk. The former Jedi Master is focused on finding Leia, who was taken to the Inquisitors’ base of operations on Nur, a water moon located in the Mustafar system.
Tala volunteered to help Obi-Wan get inside the Fortress, and was nearly caught while trying to pass through a security check. But after pulling rank and claiming to possess confidential intel, she made it through. (Empire security, man!) Kenobi, meanwhile, swam under the sea like Ariel towards an entry port Tala overrode to allow him inside. Their plans nearly went up in flames when Tala was confronted by a curious officer, but she secretly took him down and resumed her position. When passing stormtroopers overheard Tala’s comlink call to Obi-Wan, he used the Force to direct them elsewhere.
Back in interrogation, Reva tried a different approach with Leia and assured her young captive that they’re on the same side. Leia didn’t fall for it, though, so the Inquisitor opted for torture instead.
Walking through a dark room with dimly lit tanks, Obi-Wan realized the Fortress isn’t so much a stronghold as it is a tomb, as he passed body after body of those murdered by agents of the Empire — including Jedi Master Tera Sinube and a young padawan.
As Reva braced to torture Leia, she was interrupted by an urgent message from Tala and left the room. Cue Obi-Wan sneaking in and rescuing the scared 10-year-old, who was relieved to see that he’s in fact alive. In another room, Tala told Reva that Obi-Wan is on Florrum, but the Inquisitor was suspicious since Obi-Wan and Leia escaped through the alleged officer’s checkpoint, and she accused Tala of being a spy. When Tala insisted she was spying on the Jedi rebels and not working with them, Reva sent her for interrogation.
Leia’s escape, facilitated by a lightsaber-swinging Obi-Wan, sounded the alarms, and both she and her Jedi friend found themselves racing through halls trying to evade stormtroopers. Obi-Wan finally got his own epic hallway scene — take that, Vader! — deflecting blasters and taking down the uniformed soldiers with a confidence that seemed long gone. He even threw in his signature lightsaber twirl, bringing back memories of the old Kenobi.
Alas, an underwater window was cracked by blaster fire during the fight, and Obi-Wan used the Force to hold off its shattering until Leia and Tala, who fought her way back to them, were clear. Only then did he flood the hallway (and drown many a stormtrooper), making it out in time to join his companions. In all the chaos, no one noticed Obi-Wan’s terrible disguise while headed to egress: an officer’s hat with young Leia hiding under his oversized trench coat!
Reva caught the trio trying to escape via the flight deck and cornered them, until a pair of starfighters piloted by Tala and Roken’s pals opened fire. All three were able to get away inside one fighter, but not before Reva took down the other. Fifth Brother was not pleased, and neither was an arriving Vader, who held Reva in a force chokehold ready for the kill. But Reva managed to utter that she allowed Obi-Wan to escape, because she put a tracker on their ship which will lead them to the Path’s base of operations. “Where he goes, it will follow,” she said.
Aboard a freight transport, Roken was sad to learn that their friend Wade was killed in action, but that’s the cost of war. In a touching moment, Leia placed her hand in Obi-Wan’s and they sit in silence… unaware that Reva’s tracker is hidden inside Leia’s droid Lola. Clever Inquisitor!
What did you think of that hallway scene in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s fourth episode? Are you enjoying the series so far? Sound off below.