If you like my writing, please subscribe to my Letterboxd reviews or watch Sixteen attempts to talk to you about ‘Suicide Squad’, available on Youtube now. Previously I watched and wrote-up season 1 of ‘Invincible’, in reverse order.
It’s been years since I watched episodes 1, 2 and 3, and I was not ready for the sharp, disorientating culture shock I got from seeing them appear as the ‘previously on’ here; both conceptually in seeing a sort of professional fan cam version of Obi-wan’s origins and culturally, in seeing scenes that I associate so heavily with the arch, dramatic style Lucas put together for the Star Wars prequels replaced with the ruthlessly efficient edit style of modern TV and the bassy, minimalist music style these Star Wars Disney+ series are all bundled with. It felt wrong, but a little exciting.
The excitement drained slightly as we moved into another one of those bloody market square sequences. Rogue One was packed full of them and they’re shit. Skipping ahead, part of the challenge I think the show faces is integrating the dramatic, theatrical dialogue style of the prequels with the necessities of quick-turnaround TV writing, and the introduction of the Inquisitors is the worst of both worlds — artless, dramaless bloviating punctuated by nonsensical personal revelations. They look ridiculous, marching in formation scowling as they walk down the street. These are the avatars of Imperial power, untouchable by mere mortals by virtue of the system they represent — so why are they also crude outlaws rolling into town?
Ewan McGregor and Joel Edgerton are both delightful reprisals, and their scene together really shines. Tatooine is a dull, dark place that mostly looks like a Jakku set and I could have done with one less shot of Obi-wan riding his camel beast across the sands. Obi-wan’s life and his house and his interactions don’t tell us a great deal, another victim of the brutally efficient script if nothing else. A Jawa is stealing from him, he’s secreting away slices of fish monster to eat, and he has nightmares.
Leia’s Alderaan is where things get interesting, at least. The style of the prequels for the height of the republic is captured in at least a passing fashion, with a really nice nod to Padme’s habit of dressing her subordinates up as the Queen. This makes the tension between the critically-wounded old republic and the incoming matte drear of the Empire both textual and aesthetic, in the process somewhat justifying the latter (the single grey air traffic control tower silhouetted in the not-Mos Eisley that Obi-wan visits is mirrored by the rotunda that Bail Organa receives his guests in). The mercenaries who kidnapp Leia also have a modicum of actual menace that the inquisitors lacked.
All in all, as a first episode I would say “fine”. I’m willing to see where this one goes. My unfair demand for these new Star Wars is that they have the same passion and attention to detail that George Lucas put into the prequels — it is hard to imagine he would have signed off on the opening ‘escape from the Jedi temple’ sequence, which closes with children sneaking off down a bridge set against a background of indeterminate clashes between murky troopers and illuminated Jedi, tiny little figures facing off in small groups over a grid. I reckon Lucas would have had a tidal wave of crisp, brilliant white troopers marching in formation right to left, sweeping all opposition aside as the kids make their way into the shadows.
Ranking, best to worst:
- Flashback recap of the prequel trilogy
- Obi-wan: Episode 1
If you like my writing, please subscribe to my Letterboxd reviews or watch Sixteen attempts to talk to you about ‘Suicide Squad’, available on Youtube now. Previously I watched and wrote-up season 1 of ‘Invincible’, in reverse order.
