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Nov 7, 2023 · The Way I Am Now. Paperback – November 7, 2023. by Amber Smith (Author) 4.4 2,114 ratings. Book 2 of 2: The Way I Used to Be. See all formats and editions. Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be that explores how to move forward after ...
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- Amber Smith
Nov 7, 2023 · Amber Smith. 4.13. 28,005 ratings3,259 reviews. Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be that explores how to move forward after trauma—in life and in love.
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4d ago - A smart but emotionally stunted sequel. 5d ago - A Satanic spin on The Silence of the Lambs. 8d ago - Compared to the average Jaws wannabe, this French thriller is practically, well, Jaws...
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- Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Great Moments
- Which Star Wars movie/show has the best Obi-Wan storyline?
- Verdict
- Obi-Wan Kenobi Two-Part Premiere Review
- More Reviews by Matt Purslow
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By Matt Purslow
Updated: May 27, 2022 3:26 pm
Posted: May 27, 2022 11:44 am
This review contains full spoilers for episodes one and two of Obi-Wan Kenobi, now available to view on Disney+.
Star Wars has often explored the burden of emotion and its complicated relationship with the Jedi. For Anakin, it led to the dark side. For Luke, it saw him abandon his duty. And in Disney Plus’ new Obi-Wan Kenobi show, we see Ewan McGregor shoulder the devastating toll of living through multiple nightmares. The two-part premiere opens a series that is surprisingly complex and unexpectedly mature; a slice of Star Wars that feels heavy and layered. It still comes with the big sci-fi moments you expect of Star Wars - this is a show with lightsabers and blasters from its very first moments - but it’s combined with what feels, at least so far, like the most well-balanced Star Wars story for quite some time.
Director Deborah Chow, showrunner Joby Harold, and the writing team make their vision clear from the very start. Opening as Order 66 is initiated, this is a show about living amid the death of one age, and the start of a darker one. George Lucas envisioned the Empire as a reflection of many things, but Obi-Wan Kenobi really leans into the Nazi parallels. The incredibly tense sequence in the cantina, in which the Grand Inquisitor intimidates locals for hiding a Jedi, evokes the Third Reich’s inhumane hunt for Jewish people. There’s even a little of Christoph Waltz’ Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds in Rupert Friend’s terrifyingly charismatic portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor; he too is an impeccably well-spoken and intelligent tyrant. It’s a shame he’s (seemingly) already been killed off, really, as his colleagues don’t carry anything close to the same level of menace.
While not the actual last of the Jedi, there’s a parallel between Obi-Wan’s journey here and the one Luke endures in, well, The Last Jedi. It’s a similar breaking down of a once sparky and hopeful character, and the rediscovery of their driving force. Obi-Wan’s arc has only just started, but across these first two episodes we see a man who abandoned the Jedi code begin to find his purpose again. On Tatooine he refuses to help another Jedi escape from the inquisition because he doesn’t want to risk his semi-selfish mission of watching over Luke. That Jedi’s corpse is next seen strung up in the streets in a shot that highlights Chow’s ability to bring darkness without being inappropriately violent for this kind of show. This moment is the first nudge; Obi-Wan needs to return to the ways of the Jedi. He needs to help people.
That arc begins in earnest when Obi-Wan agrees to rescue ten year-old Leia, kidnapped by gangsters as part of a ploy by Inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram) to capture Kenobi. This plotline works on so many levels. Firstly, this show is going places. In two episodes we’ve already visited three planets and accomplished the first major goal of the storyline. This is a pacey, focused, and energetic series despite its frequent pauses to let the emotion boil. Secondly, it’s a thrilling game of cat and mouse. Reva’s use of scum and villainy to maneuver Obi-Wan into a trap is genuinely fun and enjoyably twisty. The sequence in which she places a bounty on his head – where it's revealed that seemingly every fourth person on Daiyu is a bounty hunter now on the prowl – even feels like a nod to the exciting finale of John Wick Chapter 2.
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
Episode 4: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Rebels
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s premiere is a surprisingly emotional chapter in the larger Star Wars saga. It’s layered and weighted, paving well-plotted pathways for what could be a very satisfying journey for the last(ish) Jedi. While not as accomplished in the action department as The Mandalorian, and (maybe) killing off one of its best characters a few episod...
Review scoring
great
Obi-Wan Kenobi's two-part premiere is a surprisingly weighty introduction to an emotional Star Wars story.
Matt Purslow
- Matt Purslow
Dec 13, 2022 · To keep track of 2022's best new movies, we've compiled a list of every film that IGN has scored an 8 ("great"), 9 ("amazing"), or 10 ("masterpiece").
Format: ARC, Paperback. Source: Simon & Schuster. Book Rating: 10/10. Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be that explores how to move forward after trauma—in life and in love.
