Obi-Wan Should Smoke Death Sticks In His New Show
One week from today, 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' debuts on Disney+ with Ewan McGregor back in the lead role, hiding out ten years after Order 66 was executed. Opposite Obi-Wan (for the first time since 2005's 'Revenge of the Sith') will stand Hayden Christensen, not as Anakin Skywalker anymore, though - as the ultra-menacing Darth Vader. Hopefully 100% less "NOOOOO!" moments in this series, though.
As Kenobi tries to keep Luke Skywalker safe on Tatooine, Vader's Inquisitors (Jedi hunters) start to discover clues that lead them there, and eventually that will boil over into Kenobi v Vader II: a rematch for the ages....
As a kid born in '98 who grew up thinking the prequels were the greatest coolest movies ever, I truly cannot wait for the return of McGregor and Christensen here, and love that Deborah Chow is in charge of the series. She's one of my favorite Mandalorian directors by far. She did 'Chapter 3: The Sin' which was the John Wick style episode where Mando goes back for Baby Yoda, and 'Chapter 7: The Reckoning' where Gus Fring backs our heroes up into the cantina in the penultimate episode of Season 1.
Clem and I recorded an unofficial official preview show for the 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' series while he was in town last week where we broke down Kenobi's whole life story up until the point this show starts, and I summarize a TON of backstory for Obi-Wan on the Clone Wars/comics side of things for those who aren't as hardcore. We couldn't call it the official preview show, because, well….
….but it's a great episode in my opinion, and we gave tons of predictions for the series here as well - so I'll share a few of mine below!
-Vader's helmet will be destroyed in battle or taken off at some point to reveal Anakin's face….
Something like one of those two images. Why cast Hayden if not, right? That's an easy one.
-Here's more of a longshot: Obi-Wan meets up with his old pal Dexter Jettster for a quick bite….
I say it's a longshot because this looks like all of the other Star Wars shows where, despite the inclusion of prequel actors, they're leaning into the look/feel of the Original Trilogy more than anything else.
-Obi-Wan is shown as a broken man smoking some death sticks….
Remember in 'Attack of the Clones' when Elan Sleazebaggano (yes, that's his canon name in the Star Wars universe) asks Obi-Wan to buy some death sticks? Obi-Wan uses a Jedi mind trick and replies, "You don't want to sell me death sticks", and then follows it up with, "You want to go home and rethink your life."
If I see Ewan in some shitty cantina drinkin and smoking death sticks in the first episode, I totally buy that this is a man who is broken and lost his way after what happened on Mustafar.
-Another easy one: we see Obi-Wan put Anakin's lightsaber in this box (maybe even in the final episode?)….
-Another longshot? We get Ian McDiarmid back as Emperor Palpatine.
Say what you will about the way he was used in 'The Rise of Skywalker', but the actual performance McDiarmid gave as Palpatine was awesome and the guy seems to love the role! I bet he'd come back in a heartbeat, and in my opinion, it'd be a missed opportunity not to include him (at least in hologram/voice form!)
….and finally, the longshot of all longshots, just for Clem….
-Darth Jar Jar shows up and takes his hood off like Vince McMahon and goes, "It was meesa, Obi! It was meesa all alongsa!"
Do I think it'll happen? No. Do I want it to happen? Still, no. Would I be happy as hell for my guy Clem? Yeah.
Nobody loves the Darth Jar Jar theory more than him.
Finally, I'm gonna close the blog out with the fact that Deborah Chow said to expect some more prequel-style lightsaber battles outta this show, and then remind you how awesome Anakin vs Obi-Wan was on Mustafar the first time around….
GET HYPED!!!!