Kathleen Kennedy’s Agenda Takes Center Stage In Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 4 As It Becomes The Tala Show
Part IV of the Obi-Wan Kenobi show is here, and it’s an improvement from the previous episode; however, the episode still struggles with in-episode and in-show continuity, basic plot details, and overall believability.
**Warning Massive Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi Part IV Below**
The show begins with Tala and Kenobi on a ship headed to Jabiim. One has to suspend your disbelief and believe the two made it off Mapuzo despite the Empire shutting down all the space ports and Reva killing their pilot.
After arriving on Jabiim, Kenobi is placed in bacta tank to heal from his wounds suffered in the battle against Darth Vader. The show attempts to reinforce the bonds between Kenobi and Vader as it flashes between the two. It felt like a cheap attempt to capture the emotion that Luke felt when he hacked Vader’s hand off in Return of the Jedi.
Kenobi quickly recovers from his injuries and attempts to recruit hose who are harboring him from the Empire into a rescue mission to save Leia.
The show characterizes Kenobi as clueless about what’s been happening in the galaxy despite clearly seeing the Inquisitors’ brutality on Tatooine in the first episode, being tasked with rescuing Leia from them, and the entire second half of Revenge of the Sith, where he discovers the Empire is summarily executing all the Jedi and is now controlled by the Sith lord Darth Sidious.
Not only do they paint him as clueless, but he lacks any empathy for those harboring him, telling the leader of the group, Roken, played by O’Shea Jackson Jr., “You’ve no idea what the Empire is capable of.”
The response to Kenobi’s statement is solidly delivered by Jackson Jr., who discusses his Force-sensitive wife and the Inquisitors discovering her, but it does hammer home just how little empathy Kenobi has for those who saved him.
Kenobi and Tala eventually convince Roken to help him rescue Leia given she knows about their location on Jabiim as well as how the Path operated on Mapuzo. However, his help also apparently involves knowing exactly where the Empire have taken Leia. It’s another moment of many where you have to suspend your disbelief to buy into the plot.
There’s a brief mention of intelligence, but it pertains to the whereabouts of Vader rather than the idea that Leia has been taken there instead of one can only imagine numerous other facilities the Empire could have taken her to.
For all Obi-Wan and Tala know Leia might not have even been captured by the Empire and she could be home safely on Alderaan, convincing the pilot she was supposed to rendezvous with to go there instead of Jabiim.
Nevertheless, Leia is apparently being held on Nur, a moon in the Mustafar system, at Fortress Inquisitorius. They have little intel about the base, and it’s made apparent they don’t even know how far deep underwater the facility goes or what the layout is.
While Kenobi suggests an attack run using T-47 speeders, the idea is rejected by a character named Sully, who informs them they are used for hauling sewage. Tala eventually suggesting infiltrating the base using her Imperial clearance albeit it’s unclear how they manage to get Kenobi inside.
As Kenobi and Tala are recovering and planning to rescue Leia, the Princess of Alderaan is being interrogated by Reva on the Path. The first two opening scenes of this interrogation are utterly ridiculous and don’t make any sense given we know Reva has a mind suck Force ability that she used on Haja Estree back in Episode 2.
By the third interrogation scene with Leia, Reva does finally use the ability, but apparently it doesn’t work because Leia is strong with the Force. However, Reva didn’t even need to use her mind suck Force ability to read Kenobi’s mind in the second episode. It shows that Leia, who has no training with the Force, is somehow stronger that Kenobi. It’s utterly ridiculous.
As Kenobi and Tala arrive on Nur, Tala gives him a pep talk as he struggles to use the Force to bring a small object to him. When they eventually arrive, Tala has to go through a checkpoint and dresses down a fellow Imperial, who is not going to give her access given she’s in the wrong sector.
Despite, his orders seemingly being that he doesn’t let people in who are from the wrong sector, her tongue-lashing changes his mind and he lets her through. One would think this lead security officer has rejected other higher ranking officers than him, but it gives Lucasfilm an opportunity to have a female lecture a male and they take advantage of it.
After she gets into the base, the Tala show really takes over and it’s all completely and utterly ridiculous. She’s communicating with Kenobi right next to a bunch of other Imperials and no one bats an eye. Apparently, no one notices her whispering into a communications device despite being out in the open.
On top of this, she is somehow able to track Kenobi, who is underwater. When opening an entry port, she tells him, “Ben, I’m overriding an entry port. It should be right ahead of you.” If she notices Kenobi on some kind of scanner, other Imperials must certainly have noticed. They don’t so you have to suspend your disbelief again.
There’s a missed opportunity when Kenobi finally enters the base and takes down a Stormtrooper. He doesn’t put on the suit at all to aid him in his infiltration. He just walks around the base in regular clothes.
The idea that Tala is able to track Kenobi via her station is again confirmed when he informs her a seeker droid in his path. She tells him, “I see it.”
However, she’s finally confronted by another Imperial about her being at the station. This confrontation is resolved by Tala killing this male Imperial behind what appears to be a stack of computers. The other five Imperials in the room don’t notice a thing.
On top of that, Tala even leaves the communications device at her station and these Imperials don’t even glance at it as Kenobi attempts to contact her.
While Tala is killing the officer, Kenobi is able to escape a pair of patrolling Stormtroopers using the Force to create a distraction, much like he did in the original Star Wars film, despite seemingly unable to even move an object to himself just minutes earlier. I guess his strength in the Force just magically returned do to the desperate nature of the mission.
Maybe the most interesting scene in the entire episode is when Kenobi discovers a number of dead humanoids including one being a Jedi youngling.
It’s unclear who any of these characters are, but it’s possible it could be assumed they are trophies that Darth Vader is keeping from his various missions for the Emperor. It’s an interesting mystery the show sets up, but doesn’t reveal.
However, after introducing this mystery, the episode jumps the shark as Reva has lost her patience with Leia and has put her into some kind of torture device. Kenobi calls for Tala to provide a distraction. Her solution is to report to Reva about the Path.
So Reva decides to stop torturing Leia just as the device is about to approach her because an officer informs her, “I was told it cannot wait.” At this point, Reva does not know it’s Tala or what the interruption is, or even who is summoning her, but she stops everything she’s doing.
It’s then revealed Tala has summoned Reva to report on the Path. She informs her the network is running out of Florrum and how they are operating. Instead of using her mind suck Force powers, Reva lectures Tala about the Path having spies embedded within the Empire.
While Tala is telling her yarn to Reva, Kenobi does his best Batman, cutting the power to the room where Leia is being held and then hacking down two Stormtroopers under the cover of darkness.
However, his decision to not put on the Stormtrooper suit comes back to bite him as a seeker droid identifies him and the entire base begins to converge on his position. A base-wide alarm goes off and an officer informs Reva that Kenobi is on the base. This is just after Tala told her Kenobi is Florrum. Instead of killing her there on the spot for clearly lying, Reva turns and goes to pursue Kenobi.
Tala is escorted by two Stormtroopers, but Kenobi then contacts her and she makes quick work of the soldiers, stealing a blaster and gunning them down.
As the Stormtoopers pursue Kenobi, we get to see him use his lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts. It’s quite fun and exciting albeit there is one point where he completely turns his back to a group of Stormtroopers as he looks to see if one of his deflected blasts killed a Stormtrooper behind him.
The fun goes away when Kenobi notices that a deflected blast put a crack in the window threatening to flood the area. Kenobi decides to attempt to use the Force to keep the water at bay. It’s unclear why and the entire act is rendered completely useless as he eventually flees behind a blast door as the water comes flooding in.
On top of this Tala also finds them as he attempts to stop the flooding water. That’s right Tala shows up before Reva does despite her being delayed by the Stormtroopers.
Remember my suggestion for Kenobi to wear a Stormtrooper outfit, well Tala finally suggests he put on an Imperial uniform and he does as the trio make their way to a ship. Surprisingly, Leia doesn’t talk or run away this episode. She quietly hides underneath Kenobi’s coat.
If you were wondering where the other two Inquisitors were the entire time, they finally show up with the Fifth Brother ordering the base shut down. Shutting down a base or port has worked out so well over the past three episodes, surely it will work this time!
Reva does eventually discover Tala and Kenobi right as they are about to get on a ship. With Kenobi, Tala, and Leia surrounded, there doesn’t appear to be a way out.
Fortunately, for them, Wade and Sully show up in the T-47’s and blast the entire hangar sending the Imperials running. It’s another moment where you have to suspend your disbelief that the Imperials were so flustered by Kenobi that they didn’t notice these two ships or the carrier hauling them entering the system and approaching their base. Not only do you have to believe the Imperials are so flustered, but Wade and Sully know just when to show up in order to give them a ride out. The timing is impeccable. How did they hit it at the exact time?
The trio eventually escape with Sully, while Wade is killed when Reva throws an explosive device at this ship. The base does not deploy any fighters or attempt to pursue them at all.
This is later revealed to be part of the plan as Reva reveals to Darth Vader that she has a tracking device on their ship and let them go on purpose. While some might buy this explanation, it doesn’t fit in with Reva’s characterization throughout the entire show. She’s been depicted as obsessed with Kenobi, now all of a sudden, she’s just going to let him go when she has him in her clutches. I don’t believe it.
The Verdict
Obi-Wan Kenobi Part IV has interesting premise, an infiltration and rescue mission akin to something like Mission: Impossible. However, every single Mission: Impossible film is vastly superior and makes far more sense.
This episode continues the numerous characterization problems the show has had with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but also adds Reva into the mix. Tala is a wonder character solving all the problems that Kenobi faces. The plot contrivances are also extremely glaring.
On the positive side, Kenobi fending off Imperials was slightly entertaining and the mystery of the seemingly dead bodies was intriguing.
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