Following on from Episode 3’s rematch between Kenobi and Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi writer Joby Harold explains those horrific Darth Vader scenes. I’m sure you’ve seen the third episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi by now, but if not, we are going into SPOILERS here folks. Last warning!
When Darth Vader arrives, Kenobi senses his presence, likely Vader does also, but once he is close enough to know his old master is close to him, he begins to torture and kill innocent bystanders to lure Kenobi out. Just as the Grand Inquisitor tells us in the opening chapter, that’s how to catch Jedi. Jedi are bound to act to protect the innocent and thus reveal themselves. Clearly this is a technique these Inquisitors learned from their own master, Vader. After choking and snapping some necks, Obi-Wan does a runner to get Vader to follow him, away from anyone else.
Speaking with Vanity Fair recently Harold talked about why Vader was pushed to these extremes for the show.
“It was very gratifying to see Vader finally be unleashed in a sequence like that, so we wanted to try to trump [Rogue One] if we could,” he explains. “It was so important to define Vader’s anger and rage. There’s an emotionality to the choices he’s making that are a little further than we’re used to seeing with Vader. He’s pushed a little more than the Vader we know.”
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The scene with Vader in pursuit is definitely shot like a horror movie with the evil slow walking predator stalking its prey. One can argue whether that was effective with Kenobi on the other end? However that was definitely the intention as Harold says of the scene.
“The horror of the moment has an emotional weight because it’s calculated. And to your point, you don’t get to see the emotion beneath the stoicism of the silhouette. So it creates something that’s really scary. You are just hearing the breath and the footsteps and seeing the light of the red saber getting close. It’s the feeling of being hunted by that which hates you. It’s terrible.”
As for once they finally meet and Vader wipes the floor with Obi-Wan, Harold talks about why Vader doesn’t just go for the kill from his point of view.
“His choice is revealing the character beneath and the torture beneath – the pain inflicted and the eye-for-an-eye of it all. Vader can’t be talking about, you know, his feelings. So it has to be in action,” Harold reveals. “That comes from dragging people down the street behind you to try to pull the Jedi out of hiding, and that comes in inflicting the same pain upon the Jedi that he did to you. It’s awful, but he should be awful. He’s Darth Vader.”
What did you think of Obi-Wan writer Joby Harold’s comments about the horrific Darth Vader scenes. A few gripes aside I am enjoying this show immensely. However, I know not all fan are feeling the same way, as seems to be the destiny of the Star Wars fandom. Leave your thoughts below, or over on Discord if you can?
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