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Recap / Obi-Wan Kenobi — Part IV

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Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode Recap Index

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

Obi-Wan Kenobi, part four of six.
With Leia captured by the Third Sister, Obi-Wan and Tala head to Fortress Inquisitorius to rescue her, but with the fort's high security and the Inquisitors after the old Jedi master, this mission may be one that is harder than it looks...

Tropes:

  • Bavarian Fire Drill: Tala bluffs her way into Fortress Inquisitorius by claiming to have classified intelligence for the Grand Inquisitor, thus allowing her to open an entry point for Obi-Wan at sea level.
  • Big Damn Heroes:
    • Tala interrupts the Third Sister just as she's about to start torturing Leia for information.
    • Just as Obi-Wan, Leia, and Tala are surrounded by Reva and numerous stormtroopers, Wade and Sully attack the docking bay with their speeders.
  • Blatant Lies: Reva tells Leia that Obi-Wan burned to death after his duel with Vader in an attempt to break her spirit. She also promises that no-one in The Path's network will be harmed if Leia tells her where they are hiding. Leia seems to suspect she's lying about the former and knows she's full of crap about the latter, since she killed the pilot that would have taken Leia to safety.
  • Bus Crash: As Obi-Wan finds out in the hall of preserved Jedi corpses, Tera Sinube did not survive the Great Jedi Purge.
  • Call-Forward:
    • To A New Hope:
      • This won't be the last time Leia is questioned by someone trying to get her to reveal the location of a secret base, nor the last time that Obi-Wan uses the Force to distract two stormtroopers. And it certainly won't be the last time Leia escapes with a secret Imperial tracking device in tow.
      • Leia resisting Reva's attempts to see into her mind evokes Vader commenting on her resistance to such tactics when he interrogates her in the future.
      • Tala leaves her comlink unattended just when Ben needs her help and they barely get reconnected in time, just like what happens between Threepio and Luke during the situation in the trash compactor.
      • An MSE-6 "Mouse" droid gets shot and runs away whimpering. Evidently this experience gets uploaded and shared around this series of droid, because it only takes Chewbacca roaring at one a decade later to make it do a Screw This, I'm Outta Here.
    • The T-47 airspeeders, as seen during the Gunship Rescue in the episode's climax, are the same type the Rebellion will adapt into snowspeeders for Rogue Squadron to pilot during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.
    • Reva shouting "Traitor!" at Tala evokes FN-2199 and Kylo Ren doing the same to Finn in The Force Awakens, since both Tala and Finn are former members of a fascistic organisation who defected out of conscience.
    • Vader giving Reva a Psychic Strangle only for her to reveal she's tracking Obi-Wan and Leia is similar to Snoke doing the same to Hux in The Last Jedi after the Resistance escapes and Hux reveals he has their ships "tied on the end of a string."
  • Chekhov's Gun:
    • Obi-Wan mentions that Roken has T-47 airspeeders that they could use to free Leia. Those same speeders show up at the end to help Obi-Wan and the others make their getaway.
    • Reva takes note of Lola while interrogating Leia. The episode ends with the reveal that Reva turned the little droid into a tracker, just in case Leia managed to escape.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Reva is about to do this to Leia when Tala calls her away, and orders it done to Tala to learn the truth, though the confusion caused by Obi-Wan's rescue allows Tala to escape.
  • Consummate Liar: Tala makes a noble effort at deflecting Reva's suspicions, with the Inquisitor even complimenting Tala's skill as a liar, saying she can't quite figure out if Tala is lying about being for the Empire or against it.
  • Continuity Nod:
  • Crazy-Prepared: Despite the seeming inescapability and unassailability of the Fortress Inquisitorius, Reva takes the precaution of converting Leia's droid Lola into a tracking device, just in case the Princess manages to escape. Her precaution, by sheer luck, also manages to save her from Darth Vader's rage... for now.
  • Dead Guy on Display: The secure level in the Inquisitor base has the bodies of all the Jedi they've slain, kept preserved in some kind of amber. This includes younglings.
  • Deadly Dodging: In the escape from the Fortress, Obi-Wan at one point sidesteps a blaster bolt that strikes a floating droid behind him.
  • Death by Origin Story: Roken's wife was a Force-sensitive (possibly a Jedi, considering Roken knows of and refers to Obi-Wan as his Clone Wars rank of General), and was discovered by the Inquisitors.
  • Defiant Captive: Leia refuses to cede an inch while Reva interrogates her, even mocking the Inquisitor. Even when faced with imminent torture, Leia, although clearly terrified, refuses to give up any information.
  • Drowning Pit: Thanks to a stray shot damaging the glass, the lower levels of the Fortress become this. Fortunately, Obi-Wan is able to redirect the water at the stormtroopers pursuing him before fleeing through a door just in time.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Reva angrily asks Tala if betraying the Empire to save "an old man and a child" was worthwhile.
  • Evil Is Petty: Fifth Brother smirks while Vader chokes Reva.
  • Failed a Spot Check: Scruffy-looking Obi-Wan and little Leia escape the Fortress by awkwardly sharing an Imperial Officer's trench coat and cap, passing dozens of officers, stormtroopers, and even the Fourth Sister and Fifth Brother without anyone noticing, as everyone is scrambling to the flooded lower levels.
  • Foil: The episode opens with Obi-Wan and Vader both recovering from their burns in bacta tanks. The difference is that Obi-Wan can recover from his emotional and physical trauma, and wants to. Vader can't and won't.
  • Gunship Rescue: Two T-47 airspeeders (the types that would be used on Hoth) appear to provide cover just as Reva has Obi-Wan, Leia, and Tala cornered in the hanger.
  • Healing Vat: Both Obi-Wan and Vader spend time in bacta tanks following their encounter on Mapuzo. For Obi-Wan, it's to treat the severe burns he received at Vader's hands on Mapuzo, while in Vader's case it's ongoing treatment for the injuries he suffered on Mustafar at Kenobi's hands.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Wade, one of Tala's friends from Jabiim, delays his exit to hold off the Third Sister while the others make their escape. This ultimately costs him his life when Reva flings a crate full of explosive ordinance at his speeder with the Force, destroying it.
  • He's Back!: In contrast to his performance against Vader in the last episode, Obi-Wan performs much better against Purge Troopers and stormtroopers. His lack of conflict and torment clearly help.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: The Empire's insistence on absolute and unquestioning loyalty bites them in the ass as Tala is able to intimidate Tytan Latimer into letting her into the Fortress Inquisitorius and open the way for Obi-Wan. She also leans on their pointless cruelty by threatening to report him to the Grand Inquisitor.
    Tala: And you are?
    Tytan: I'm the lead security officer on this level.
    Tala: Then I'm your commanding officer and you will address me as "Sir"!
    Tytan: Yes, sir, but...
    Tala: Perhaps I should just inform the Grand Inquisitor of your insolence.
  • Holding Hands: Once they're aboard the Path's ship, Leia reaches over and takes Obi-Wan's hand in thanks for rescuing her.
  • Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: One of the troopers, firing at a stationary Obi-Wan from ten feet away, manages to miss him by several feet multiple times. Bonus points for firing at the very man who would claim that "only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise" a decade later.
  • Implied Death Threat: Although he spares Reva after she informs him of the tracking device, Vader makes it clear that her next mistake will be her last.
  • Innocently Insensitive: When Roken declines to help rescue Leia, Obi-Wan tells him he has no idea what the Empire will do to her. Roken reveals how very wrong that is, with the story of his wife.
  • I Need a Freaking Drink: Tala can be seen offering a flask to the shaken speeder pilot as the Path's ship flees Nur.
  • Internal Reveal: Reva (and thus the Empire as a whole) learns that Tala is The Mole and working with the Path.
  • I Warned You: As Vader reminds Reva, he did warn her that failure to apprehend Obi-Wan would mean her death — and he's intent on honoring that "pledge", until Reva convinces him to spare her after revealing the homing device she planted in Lola.
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • Roken doesn't want to help Leia, and in fact just wants Obi-Wan to leave. He's right, though, that Obi-Wan isn't merely being hunted by the Inquisitors, he has Darth Vader after him, and his presence is a major threat to the Path.
    • The Fifth Brother complains about Vader letting the Third Sister off the hook after she reveals the tracking device she planted on Obi-Wan's ship, citing that Reva not only failed to capture Obi-Wan, but her taking Leia resulted in significant damage being done to Fortress Inquisitorius by Obi-Wan's efforts to rescue her.
  • Living Legend: Roken recognizes Obi-Wan and calls him "General". Even though he's reluctant to help, eventually he agrees to give Obi-Wan what he needs.
  • Living Lie Detector: Leia can sense that Reva is lying during what is supposed to be her interrogation. For that matter, she could sense earlier that Obi-Wan knew her birth parents, and she's able to resist Reva's Force-probing of her mind — justified of course in that her father is the Chosen One, so it seems this stems from her latent power with the Force that she isn't consciously aware of.
  • The Mole: Tala claims to have been one within the Path.
  • Mook Horror Show: Obi-Wan shuts down the lights in the torture chamber, then takes out two stormtroopers, appearing out of the darkness behind each in turn.
  • Mugged for Disguise: On the way out of the base, Obi-Wan grabs a coat and hat off a downed guard, hiding Leia under the coat.
  • Mythology Gag: The scene of Obi-Wan fighting stormtroopers in a pitch-black room, illuminated only by his blue lightsaber, is similar to the first teaser trailer of The Force Unleashed II. This was later acknowledged by Sam Witwer (voice of Unleashed's Starkiller as well as Darth Maul in The Clone Wars and Rebels) on his Twitter:
    And NOW that Kenobi guy — First, he steals m'legs. Now he steals my dance moves.
  • Neck Snap: Tala kills an Imperial officer by snapping his neck when he starts asking too many questions about her clearance. Obi-Wan also does the same thing to a stormtrooper while infiltrating Fortress Inquisitorius via an underwater entrance.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: Reva compares Leia to herself several times throughout her interrogation; they have both been left alone with no way to prevent the torment, and have had droid companions taken from them.
  • Oh, Crap!:
    • Obi-Wan knows there's no way out of the situation when he, Leia, and Tala are completely surrounded by stormtroopers and the Third Sister.
    • The Fifth Brother and Fourth Sister look visibly nervous when Darth Vader storms in and starts throttling the Third Sister, presumably out of fear he might turn his anger on them next.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Darth Vader is furious at Reva for her failure to stop Obi-Wan from escaping Nur. Not only does he grab her with a Force choke, but he starts yelling at her. Vader rarely raises his voice (his only other time doing so prior to this episode's air date was during the Tantive IV scenes in A New Hope, which is generally considered to be a case of Early-Installment Weirdness, somewhat justified by the fact that people are trying to lie to his face, with stupid lies at that, in the immediate aftermath of the Rebel attack on Scarif), letting the viewers know just how pissed off the Dark Lord really is. He's also always walked comfortably at his own pace wherever he goes. Here, he's storming into the room at an aggressive pace that the stormtroopers following his lead are having trouble matching.
    Vader: YOU WERE WARNED! WHAT DEFEAT! WOULD BRING!
  • Ominous Crack: After a stray deflected blaster bolt hits a window of the underwater fortress, the crack begins to expand in a spiderweb shape under the water pressure while making very ominous sounds.
  • Outrun the Fireball: Obi-Wan has to run to escape the rushing wall of water behind him after the windows separating them from the ocean cracks. As he reaches the threshold of a blast door, Tala closes it behind him just in time.
  • Percussive Maintenance: Roken has to tap a holo-display a couple times to get it to boot up.
  • Properly Paranoid: When Tala claims to have been The Mole working for the Empire inside the Path, Reva doesn't believe her and orders her tortured to reveal the truth.
  • Psychic Block Defense: Leia is able to resist Reva probing her mind, which impresses Reva.
  • Psychic Strangle: Vader Force-chokes Reva for failing to capture Obi-Wan, but she manages to calm his wrath by revealing she hid a tracker on Leia's droid Lola so she could track him back to the Path's secret base.
  • Pyrrhic Victory: Subtle instance. Far from being satisfied that Reva is about to get what she's had coming from Vader, the other Inquisitors look more terrified than smug. It's not just the full force of Vader's rage, but also the knowledge that Vader's likely going to punish them as well for failing to stop Kenobi.
  • Red and Black and Evil All Over: The exterior of Fortress Inquisitorius and much of the Inquisitorius' private facilities inside (including their conference room, torture chambers, and the level where they keep their "trophies") exude this aesthetic.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Lola's electronic eyes blink red in the final scene, revealing that Reva has indeed turned Leia's droid into a tracker, which will reveal where the Path's base of operations is when Kenobi returns to it.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Fortress Inquisitorius is unshielded because the idea that anyone would willingly attack an outpost of Jedi-hunting Force users with elite troops on hand and led by Lord Vader himself is practically unthinkable.
  • Shout-Out:
    • Obi-Wan entering Fortress Inquisitorius by way of sea and then proceeding to infiltrate it via stealth brings to mind Metal Gear Solid and Snake's mission on Shadow Moses Island.
    • Finding all the dead bodies in the Inquisitor basement, Obi-Wan exclaims, "This isn't a fortress. It's a tomb!"
  • Spiritual Antithesis: Fortress Inquisitorius on Nur is this to the Kaminoan city in Attack of the Clones, as Kamino manufactured clones/life sent out into the Galaxy, while the Fortress serves as an Empire death camp. Symbolically, both locations are on the surface of oceans, and Obi-Wan is the one who discovers the hidden secrets of both.
  • Throwing the Distraction: Obi-Wan uses the Force to make a couple of stormtroopers think they heard a noise outside the hall where they're patrolling.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Or Worf Took Cold Medicine. Obi-Wan rebuilds his connection to the Force and takes up his lightsaber, showing himself to finally be capable of fighting off two separate squads of stormtroopers and Purge Troopers, which have him pinned in a hallway, then holds off the weight of the entire goddamn ocean for several minutes until Leia's safe.
  • Traitor Shot: The Reveal that Reva has turned Lola into a tracking device is done in this fashion, with the camera ominously panning down from Leia to Lola, whose eyes suddenly blink red in the manner of a seeker droid.
  • Tranquil Fury: Averted for once (but not the last time) with Vader during his sole scene. It's a testament to how badly Reva screwed up (or so it seems at first) that Vader eschews his usual Tranquil Fury mode and is instead shouting and Force-choking her before he's even entered the Inquisitorial conference room. It is only when he realises it was part of her plan that he fully returns to his usual calm menace, while still making clear to Reva that things better work this time.
    Vader: It seems I underestimated you [walks up close to Reva] There can be no mistakes. Are you certain the tracker is with him?
  • The Unfought: Obi-Wan still hasn't fought any of the Inquisitors. Here, the force Reva brings against him in the hangar is so large Obi-Wan doesn't even try anything, not until Wade and Sully swoop in on speeders. In the ensuing chaos, Obi-Wan and Reva never face off.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Even as Reva is leading a squad of stormtroopers to face Ben, Leia and Tala at gunpoint, some Imperials are walking around like it's just another day at the base, including a couple right between the trio and the stormtroopers.
  • Villain Respect: After learning Reva has the prescience to slip a Tracking Device on Leia (and that it can allow them to get Kenobi and the Path in one fell swoop), Vader grudgingly admits he underestimated the Inquisitor.
  • We Need a Distraction: Obi-Wan needs a distraction to get to Leia, so Tala claims to have knowledge of the Path's base to draw Reva away.
  • Whole-Plot Reference: The majority of the episode consisting of infiltrating Fortress Inquisitorius is very similar to a toned-down version of Cal Kestis and Cere Junda doing the same thing (for a different reason) five years prior. References include the underwater entrance and the interrogation chair.
  • Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: As she prepares to torture Leia, Reva tells her that she's brought it on herself by refusing to embrace the Empire.
  • Would Hurt a Child:
    • Reva is willing to torture the location of the Path's secret base out of Leia. Tala interrupts before Reva can get started.
    • As if a reminder was needed, the Inquisitors' ghoulish display of their Jedi victims includes at least one youngling.
  • Xanatos Gambit: Reva knows Obi-Wan will come after Leia, so she kidnaps her (again) and holds her at Fortress Inquisitorius to draw him in. Then she plants a tracker on Leia's droid. Either they'll capture Obi-Wan at the fortress and be able to torture him and Leia for information on the Path, or they'll follow them back to the Path directly. Her willingness to keep doing this even when the rest of the Inquisitors continue to sneer at her actually makes Vader relent from punishing her with his signature Force choke, at least for the meantime.
  • You Have Failed Me: Vader almost does this to Reva, but she manages to talk him down by revealing that she still has a means of tracking Obi-Wan.
    Darth Vader: [in a towering rage] You were warned what defeat would bring! [coldly] I will tolerate your weakness no longer!

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