Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 5 Review: An Impressive Return to Form

The penultimate episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi has arrived on Disney+. After a strong start and a disappointing fourth episode, “Part V” readies itself to set this series back on track with a powerful continuation of the series, albeit with a few rough edges. The episode opens with a flashback to a scene occurring before the events of Episode II – Attack of the Clones, when Anakin and Obi-Wan are having a practice lightsaber sparring session. This scene begins an intense episode that sets up an exciting finale and gives this show a turn for the better.

“Part V” makes the wise choice of putting Darth Vader front and center for a good portion of the episode. Vader and his Imperial forces close in on the people in the Path base, and a reprogrammed Lola seals the hangar roof. This storyline is quite interesting, as Kenobi must lead a large group of people and help them band together to face off against the Empire. The episode also has the opportunity to give Tala her backstory, making her a more interesting character. Her experience leads to a greater understanding of why she turned against the Empire after joining them.

The biggest draw that the Obi-Wan Kenobi series had going for it was that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, the two stars of the prequel trilogy, would be returning to reprise their roles. The show has given us loads of McGregor as Kenobi, but Christensen has spent most of the show in the Vader suit. This episode changes that by having a flashback sequence shown in pieces, where the two play a Master and a Padawan again. It was a phenomenal idea to have these two in a flashback where we could see more from a bygone era.

However, I wish the execution was better. De-aging technology has been rampant in Hollywood for the past few years, and most recently, a young Luke Skywalker appeared in The Book of Boba Fett. While McGregor looks more or less the same as he did in the prequels, Christensen is a 41-year-old actor playing a 19-year-old Anakin, and the noticeable de-aging can take you out of the immersion of the scene. Some shots look fine, but others feel reminiscent of the Dear Evan Hansen film. The best thing I can say about those flashbacks is that Christensen nails his role as Anakin again, both on a physical level and in recapturing that energy.

The episode, written by Joby Harold (Army of the Dead) and Andrew Stanton (Wall-E), takes the character of the Third Sister in a new direction. For much of the series, she has felt like a one-dimensional villain who cannot hold a candle to Darth Vader’s menace. However, this episode does what I had hoped for and goes into her backstory, showing how she was a youngling who witnessed Anakin murder her peers during Order 66. Full of hatred for him, she worked through the Empire in a long-running attempt to kill Vader. This is a fascinating backstory and is perhaps the most original idea the show has had so far.

A battle breaks out between the Path fighters and the stormtroopers, and it’s refreshing to finally see stormtroopers hit a few of their targets for once. Tala sacrificing herself to save the rest of the fighters hits home harder now that she has a backstory, as her entire goal is redeeming herself for her wrongdoings with the Empire. With her death, her arc is complete. When Roken asks Kenobi how he would fight Vader without a weapon, he responds, “There are other ways to fight.” This keeps the characterization of Kenobi consistent with what we saw in A New Hope, when an older Kenobi tells Han Solo, “You can’t win, but there are alternatives to fighting.”

In a flashback, Kenobi tells Anakin that his need for victory blinds him, showing how he is more intelligent than him. Then, Vader pulls a freighter down to the ground with the Force, which is a phenomenal display of his power. As the Third Sister finally attempts to kill Vader, he shows his skill again by overpowering her, first by not using his lightsaber and then by barely moving from one spot during their battle. He stabs her, and the Grand Inquisitor returns, leaving with Vader. The mystery here is why Vader would stab her in the chest and expect her to stay dead when the Grand Inquisitor was also stabbed and survived. It’s easy to feel like if Vader really wanted her dead, he would have done a better job.

For a while, it almost appeared as if the Third Sister would become a hero who would work with Kenobi. However, the episode’s ending suggests a different path, setting up a finale where she goes to Tatooine to go after Anakin’s son, Luke. All the signs are pointing to a phenomenal conclusion, and while this show has been much rougher around the edges than I had hoped, “Part V” offers some excellent Star Wars content with a delightful return to form for Hayden Christensen.

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

Disclosure: The critic watched the episodes on Disney+ for ComingSoon’s Obi-Wan Kenobi season one episode five review.