The June 6, 2022 installment of Jake Schoeneberger’s random observations
The first two episodes of this series have included enough intriguing plotlines to make me anxious for new episodes to be released every week. It’s a simple fact that Jacob Schoeneberger can never get enough Star Wars so I’m dying for it to be Wednesday every week!
With that in mind, here are some random observations Jacob Schoeneberger on the show.
The Jake Schoeneberger Random Thoughts about Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III)
This will contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet.
The third episode opens with Obi-Wan meditating while Vader is simultaneously being assembled. All this plays out with flashback memories of Obi-Wan’s interactions with Anakin playing through his mind. Obi-Wan is trying to reach out to Qui-Gon, asking him for strength to deal with the knowledge that Anakin lives and is now Darth Vader. The last thing he says is, “He’s coming, Master.” This means he knows Vader is on the hunt for him now. Though we know how the story will ultimately play out, it still hits a strong emotional note to see the moment that Obi-Wan knows Anakin is still out there and is coming for him.
The very next scene features Vader telling Third Sister that if she proves herself, she can become Grand Inquisitor. Of course, we all know the other side of that coin is what happens if she fails and Vader lets her know that in no uncertain terms. Uhhh, you don’t want to fail Darth Vader. It’s one of those well known rules in this galaxy.
While on the cargo ship along the trade route, Leia asks Kenobi what the Force feels like. First of all, I love that she’s asking this because we know she has the Force within her. Obi-Wan’s answer is perfect when he says it’s like being afraid of the dark, but then that feeling of being safe when you turn the light on. Quite a poetic way to describe it.
The ship lands on a mining system and Kenobi and Leia depart. Seems they’ll have to find new transportation on this planet. They’re heading to a rendezvous point to meet Haja’s contact.
Third Sister arrives at a base and even just leaving the shuttle you can tell she’s the boss. Moses Ingram is incredible in this role. She owns the character and she’s awesome in every scene. She has taken control of the hunt and the other Inquisitors are not happy. There’s more to Reva than we’ve seen so far. She seems to be on a personal mission, and I think we’ll learn a lot more about her soon.
When they arrive at the rendezvous point, no one is there. Against his wishes, Leia befriends a driver named Freck who promises to take them to the nearest port. On the back of his speeder there’s an Empire insignia, though. So we’ll have to hope this Freck is truly a friend and not an Empire agent.
Unfortunately, within minutes Freck professes his love for the Empire and picks up a platoon of stormtroopers. The troopers tell him they’re being reassigned on a hunt for a Jedi. Needless to say, Obi-Wan seems a bit nervous. He’s not the same Obi-Wan who fought in the Clone Wars and could seemingly take on an entire army himself. He’s been in hiding too long.
The trip to the port turns both dangerous and touching in a heartbeat. Kenobi accidentally calls Leia by her real name and a trooper calls him out on it. He then says that that was her mother’s name, and he says when he looks at her he sometimes sees her mother’s face. Yeah, that brought a tear to old Jake Schoeneberger’s eye. While he may have been trying to tell the troopers a cover-up story, we can clearly tell this part is the truth and he’s thinking of Padme. Ouch, very emotional.
And Leia is quick to pick up on that. After the troopers get off the speeder, she immediately asks Obi-Wan if he knew her mother. She can tell he’s been hiding something. She wishes she knew her parents. Obi-Wan tells her he knows the feeling because Jedi are taken from their families at a very young age. They’re really forming a touching connection.
At an inspection outpost, Freck tells the troopers he found a couple strays for them to check out. Seems his allegiance to the Empire means he’s no friend of Kenobi and Leia.
The troopers are questioning Obi-Wan when a probe droid appears, and the situation gets nice and tense in a hurry. The droid identifies Kenobi and a battle ensues. He takes out most of the troopers but then another speeder arrives with more. Just as he surrenders something unexpected occurs. The leader of the troopers shoots them all then leads Obi-Wan and Leia away. Was not expecting that! But because of that droid now Vader knows where he is.
The Imperial commander is actually Haja’s contact, Tala, in disguise; Obi-Wan just didn’t wait long enough at the rendezvous point for her. She leads them to a safehouse where those wishing to escape the Empire often come. She tells Obi-Wan he’s not the first Jedi to come through there. They even get Force-adepts through there safely because the Empire hunts them as well.
Just as they’re about to leave the safehouse, Kenobi has a vision. He looks out the window and there he is, the menacing shadow and mechanical breathing have arrived. Vader strolls down the road striking fear into everyone present. He must sense Obi-Wan’s presence. He’s torturing townspeople to draw Kenobi out. It’s Vader at his most terrifying.
As Kenobi flees town, Vader heads him off. “You cannot run, Obi-Wan,” he says and in this instance he’s right. For the first time in pretty much his entire run we see Obi-Wan truly afraid. He knows Vader is quite literally a machine of death. Kenobi knows he’s now outmatched and he’s not sure how to get out of this one. The lightsabers are drawn, and another duel of the fates seems imminent.
“What have you become?” Kenobi asks him. “I am what you made me,” is the reply. It’s like an old-fashioned Western showdown between these old friends. But still Kenobi refuses to engage. He knows the fight cannot end well for him. Meanwhile, Third Sister hunts for Leia.
When Vader surprises Kenobi and attacks him from behind, we can see the fight is one-sided. Vader closes on him like a cat on a mouse. “The years have made you weak,” Vader says. Only by slicing a hose that releases steam does Kenobi get away. Vader almost had him finished.
Tala tells Leia to keep running to another rendezvous point. Tala goes back to try to help Obi-Wan. Third Sister is in the safehouse and has found the hiding place. Reva knows which way Leia is now headed.
Vader catches up to Kenobi and Force-chokes him into the air while lighting a huge fire with nearby fuel. “Now you will suffer, Obi-Wan,” he says and drops Kenobi into the flames. His arm burns but just as Vader is about to capture him, Tala fires on the troopers from above and explodes a barrel of fuel. The explosion allows Kenobi the chance to escape. Tala now has Obi-Wan and she’s going to help him get off-world.
But the episode ends when Leia arrives at the rendezvous point. There waiting is Third Sister and now Leia is back in the clutches of the Empire.
The Jacob Schoeneberger Random Obi-Wan Kenobi Thought of the Day
Jacob Schoeneberger has a complaint. The thing is, Jake Schoeneberger hates magic. Mainly because it has no rules and the characters who use it don’t use it correctly. Let’s take the Force. Why is it that Vader can effortlessly Force-choke Kenobi, drag him through the fire, but then when it comes time to capture him, he lets him go and asks the stromtroopers to get him. Ummm Darthy, you have telekinesis. Why not just Force-push him anywhere you want him to go? Oh no, I guess you’d rather give him a chance to escape. Makes sense. And throughout the canon of this show we see numerous examples of Jedi fighting and then randomly using the Force-push. Say wha? If the Force-push is so effective at eliminating adversaries, why not Force-push all the time?
And Star Wars is certainly not alone in this. How about Gandalf riding out on Shadowfax and striking fear into the Nazgul with his staff’s magic flashlight, but then fighting them with a sword in the next scene. Yo Gandy, if the magic flashlight is so effective, why not stick with that? Makes Jacob Schoeneberger shake his head. Magic… bleecchh.
More Thoughts from Jacob Schoeneberger