By: Katherine Wu

Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered on May 27. The director, Deborah Chow, certainly directed a pleasing show starring Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor. I would give this show four out of five stars because of the magnificent acting and the presence of Darth Vader, but the sloppy writing ultimately gives out.

Although the show differs from the “Star Wars” films, McGregor excels in it. He does a great job of representing self-forgiveness and acceptance and performs Obi-Wan’s personal journey with skill. His performances always contribute to the success of different movies or shows.

Another reason why I gave Obi-Wan Kenobi a four out of five is because Darth Vader is in the show. I mean, who isn’t a fan of Darth Vader? He’s probably the most unifying part of the “Star Wars” franchise. His presence works especially well in Episode Six, when Obi-Wan tears through Vader’s helmet and the voices of the two actor’s blend. Obi-Wan’s relationship with Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) is a huge part of his story. Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains of all time, and he continues to be in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I did not give Obi-Wan Kenobi five stars because of its sloppy writing. The first episode is remarkable for its precision, but the second episode is rather worse than the first. In my opinion, this project would be more successful as a two-hour film than a five-hour television series. If that were the case, viewers would want to keep watching it. Instead, the television format extends the story to make it unnecessarily long. There are also little bits that just don’t make sense, like how there are no security cameras in the Fortress, or how everybody says secret things so loudly when they are around other people These are just small things, but these little bits can destroy everything. Additionally, there could have been much more action with which to draw viewers in.

I give Obi-Wan Kenobi a four out of five stars; not a five because of the sloppy writing, and not a three because of the spectacular actors, and Darth Vader, himself. I would say this television series is worth watching if you like “Star Wars.”