Why 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Doesn’t Need A Second Season
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n 2019 Kathleen Kennedy (president of Lucasfilm) asked Ewan McGregor a very simple question, “Ewan are you going to play Obi-Wan again”? When he answered “yes” it broke the internet. It has been 14 years since he had last played the famous Jedi and many thought he was done forever. Three years later fans were ecstatic when Disney finally released a six-episode series simply called Kenobi. The series reception was mixed but overwhelmingly positive and while plans for a second season have already been rumored online, it would be a mistake to ruin the impact of his return by overusing him.
When we last saw Obi-Wan, he (like Yoda) was forced into exile after he and his brethren were betrayed by Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith. He and all the Jedi were forced into hiding or faced certain death from the newly formed Empire. He took solace in the fact that he still had a purpose in watching (and protecting) the young Luke Skywalker. Ten years later that peace is broken when Luke’s sister (Leia) is kidnapped from Alderaan and her parents reach out to him for help. He is reluctant at first but eventually concedes and sets out to rescue the Princess. His journey takes him across the universe and thrusts him back into the path of Vader, a vengeful Inquisitor, and back into the role of hero.
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Ben rescues Leia early on in his quest and eventually defeated Vader but the true story lies in him learning to forgive himself and move on from the grief and guilt he had lived with for a decade. When we first see Ben he is surviving on the bare minimum. He is living in a cave, at odds with Uncle Owen, and completely disconnected from the force. By the end of the series, all of this is rectified. Obi-Wan had healed his body and mind and regained his confidence. He was allowed to meet Luke (something that Owen would never have allowed) and had reconnected enough with the living force to finally communicate with the force ghost of his fallen master Qui-Gon. The series also showed the powerful connection Ben and Leia formed that allowed her to trust Luke Skywalker implicitly when he arrived to rescue her ( In A New Hope) from the Death Star. Simply by uttering “I’m here with Ben Kenobi” she was convinced. It also explains why years later she named her son after him.
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Kenobi also did more than just bring back Ewan McGregor. For many years Hayden Christensen had to deal with toxic Star Wars fans that left him feeling unwanted by the fandom. Thankfully, he was elated at the chance to come back. He even stated “It just seemed like a really exciting opportunity. It was a no-brainer.” Hayden returned and delivered a haunting performance as Vader and was able to have a little fun during a flashback where he and Ewan showcased their chemistry dueling lightsabers. The series helped heal the mistakes that occurred during the prequel era but now that those errors are rectified it wouldn’t be in the best interest of the overall story to have them return. Furthermore, it would also ruin the impact of their reunion if they made a season 2 just for content's sake.
Kenobi introduced us to amazing new characters and brought back two fan favorites many thought would never return. We got to see Hayden act as a young Anakin and finally give a full performance as Darth Vader and also finally see Ewan showcase his award-winning acting skills. This series in most regards did what it was supposed to do and to add another just because the first one did well would ruin the impact of what the first season accomplished.
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Source(s) NME