I thought the first two episodes were OK, but not great. So slow to get going - and it’s only six episodes total, I think? Ewan McGregor is great, as always, but, well, his charm and charisma weren’t enough to overcome the writing of the prequels. Despite the higher ratio of McGregor this time around, it still may not be enough.
The sadness he’s emitting, and sense of loss and post-war trauma: that’s fantastic. I also like the way they’re calling out that what happened to Anakin is partly Obi-Wan’s fault.
A few months ago, I’d have called the beginning of this series disappointing, but after Boba Fett, I wasn’t expecting much anyway. So … it’s meeting expectations.
Spoilers:
Plus, Leia is sometimes too annoying. And the timing and characters are weird - the Inquisitor was racing away from only a few rooftops away, but then gets there much later? The other Inquisitors are so cavalier about the insanely loose cannon under their command, in the Empire?! That seedy fake-Jedi makes such a massive turn-around to help, and in such a stupidly brave way? Plus Obi-Wan talks to one shady individual in a big city, and that shady individual knows exactly which building to enter in that big city to find a kidnapped girl?
I did love the call-backs / call-forwards to Luke in Return of the Jedi, with Obi-Wan hiding and knowing it’s the right thing to do, but wanting so much to not hide. I guess they’re trying to show a recovery for Obi-Wan, from an individual destroyed by the events of the prequels (not that we actually saw that happen to him in the prequels) to the wiser old man of A New Hope.