- So, we're going
to do something a little bit different today.
Normally we bring you the latest news, reviews, and info
on streaming hardware, software, and services.
But today we're gonna help you with content.
Today, we're gonna talk to Uncle Ben.
- [Peter] Uncle Ben?
- No, not that one.
♪ Make it tonight, make it tonight, make it tonight ♪
- No, not that one either.
Yes, that's him.
With great fanfare, dropping the same week
as the big Star Wars Celebration convention,
Disney Plus's latest Star Wars spinoff, "Obi-Wan Kenobi,"
has been released and is the most watched release,
the most watched premier in Disney Plus history.
With so many good things to watch on so many services,
should you add this to your list?
Three episodes in, this is my spoiler free review.
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Now, one of the golden rules
of binging content is the rule of three.
You may have heard of it.
If you watch the first episode of something and you like it
but you're still feeling lukewarm, give it three episodes.
Some shows take a moment to develop the characters
or expose the conflict,
and by episode three, you should be into that.
So, here we are, Obi-Wan Kenobi,
or as he refers to himself in this series just Ben.
Let's use the three episode paradigm
and ask and answer three questions.
Number one,
do I need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this series?
Number two,
what of the Star Wars series should I have already watched
to understand what's going on in this series?
And number three, what are the themes and issues dealt with
in these episodes that may or may not be of concern
to an adult watching with children?
First question, at its core,
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is a space action adventure series.
And if that kind of content tickles your fancy,
then you don't necessarily need to be a Star Wars fan,
though it definitely helps.
But allow me to establish something
when it comes to the notion of Star Wars fan.
I, for instance, am a Star Wars cinema fan,
meaning I love the movies, well, most of them,
but I've never read the comic books
or graphic novels or any fan fiction.
I've watched only some of the cartoons,
like a dozen or more episodes of "Clone Wars"
and most recently "The Bad Batch" on Disney Plus.
Then there are the Star Wars fanatics.
They've seen each film, likely watched many of the cartoons,
and read the comics, books, et cetera, et cetera.
And that kind of gets us to the second question.
Should you have watched any of the previous movies
to understand the series?
Yes and no.
If you're a fan of the movies,
you'll be helped along with "Obi-Wan Kenobi"
because it takes place 10 years after the events
of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."
That means you don't have to have seen
those last three films,
which began with "Episode VII: The Force Awakens."
Now the beginning of episode one, called "part one,"
does briefly recap what happened
at the end of "Revenge of the Sith."
But if you've actually watched the movie,
I still think you're better off.
So, is it absolutely critical?
No.
It can be argued, but no.
But it absolutely helps you better understand
some of the more nuanced moments of character interactions
which happen through the course of the series.
Question number three,
and this is an important one for families,
is there anything you need to know about
prior to watching this show?
I absolutely think so.
After the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas,
you need to know that the first episode opens
with Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader,
turning Jedi youngling into hashtags.
It doesn't actually really show him killing them,
but it is a tense scene.
And given the proximity
to that recent mass casualty event in Texas,
this may be a tough sequence for younger viewers.
Then in episode three, there is some more killing
on a smaller scale, but it is fairly brutal,
not bloody just kind of coldblooded.
With that said it isn't any more violent
than any previous Star Wars properties.
So, if you have young ones who've seen any of the movies,
they'll be fine here,
except for that potentially sensitive
Jedi younglings killing scene.
Well, we don't actually see them killed in part one.
So, let's talk spoiler free
about these first three episodes themselves.
As a fan of Star Wars, I thoroughly enjoyed them,
but my wife was completely disinterested in part one.
She actually fell asleep.
She isn't a Star Wars fan
and was not really that into "The Mandalorian" even,
until the Grogu story arc developed.
With her, it was love at first sight
with the little baby Yoda creature
and that hooked her through the rest of the series.
Part one of "Kenobi" is methodic, paced.
For some that may mean slow.
We're going to get to know the Jedi
who went from being badass enough to dispatch Darth Maul
and go slap chop on Anakin.
- Soup, coleslaw, stuffing.
What, in five seconds?
Four or five seconds, it's done.
- And is now a broken man,
a man who eschews his Jedi way,
telling those who knew him as Obi-Wan to just call him Ben.
But get through episode one,
and in part two, you'll be rewarded with a few things.
You get to meet some villains
who are a joy to watch ply their trade.
One villain played by Moses Ingram
already has fans loving to hate her,
but not all for the right reasons.
We'll get to that in a moment.
The story definitely picks up the pace
and introduces a story arc which is a tad annoying at first,
but by episode three really settles in
and creates some moments of real connection
between the series lead actor Ewan McGregor
and his co-star, Vivien Lyra Blair,
who plays young Princess Leia, AKA Leia Organa.
Episode three delivers on the promise of the series
and will give you some very strong reasons
to keep on to part four when that drops.
Kinda like how Grogu came in
and really picked up the series for many people
with "Mandalorian."
Episode three really picks up.
There are some great moments in the episode,
and we really get to see
just how tortured a soul Ben Kenobi really is now.
He definitely needs some therapy.
And getting back to Moses Ingram's character,
it seems that when we've had actors of color
in recent Star Wars films,
the small minded but vocal fans
who take issue with that have caused a ruckus.
They did it with Boyega.
They did it with Tran.
And now that toxic element
of the fandom has been sending racist messages
to Ingram via her IG account.
But in a rare move, the official Star Wars account
and McGregor, one of the show's executive producers as well,
came out in full support of Ingram, saying in part,
"There are more than 20 million sentient species
"in the Star Wars galaxy, don't choose to be a racist."
- We stand with Moses.
We love Moses.
And if you're sending her bullying messages,
you are no Star Wars fan in my mind.
There's no place for racism in this world.
And I totally stand with Moses.
- It's way past time they took a hard line
against this kind of foolishness.
And I think it's past time that I get outta here.
So, shout out to Star Wars for taking a stand,
shout out to you for watching this review,
and shout out to me in the comments below
with your opinion of the show so far.
What do you like?
What don't you like?
Let's talk about it.
Hey, I'm Tshaka Armstrong for Reviews.org.
Don't take it lightly
that you've spent your time watching here with me today.
Again, if anything you wanna talk about,
leave it in the comments, we'll get into it.
I'll catch you on the next video.