darth vader is the most toxic man ever

"I (a 22 year old woman) am what you (2005 Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker) made me (an absolute Darth Vader simp)"

I cannot begin to describe to you the physical reaction I had to watching Darth Vader saunter through the streets of this farming planet HUNTING HIS FORMER MASTER.

My notes from the final 30 minutes or so of the episode include: “Ohmygod Vader is there VADER IS THERE,” “GIGGLING LIKE A MANIAC. ABSOLUTELY SQUIRMING,” and “I’m going to throw up.”

The absolute thrill that ran through me when Obi-Wan senses Vader’s presence was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I wish there was an option to see TV shows in a movie theater because I would’ve lost it even more seeing that moment on the big screen and in surround sound. If you had told me there would be a better Obi-Wan realization moment than what we were offered at the end of Episode 2 when Reva revealed Vader was alive, I would not have believed you.

And yet!

Let’s talk more pure reactions.

I love the subtle respect the series is paying thus far to Padme. It kind of sucks that she isn’t really talked about at all in the original trilogy, and I think they’re doing a great job of working her into the dialogue of this show without it being too much. Obi-Wan talking about how Leia reminds him of her mother was such an endearing moment. And then they hit you with the absolute HEARTBREAKER of her asking if Obi-Wan is her real dad and her clear longing to know her actual parents… yeah, I’d say the show is pulling on the heartstrings in a great manner.

Jumping around a little, seeing Mustafar again and Vader’s palace at the beginning was so thrilling. This is something that basically every Star Wars podcaster/critic/writer has been hypothesizing we’d see for months now, and to have it actually happen just made me so incredibly happy.

AND THEN TO HAVE VADER LIGHT THAT FIRE IN HIS BATTLE WITH OBI-WAN AND TOSS HIM INTO IT SO THAT HE WOULD BURN LIKE OBI-WAN CAUSED ANAKIN TO ON MUSTAFAR? My god. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t feel bad for Obi-Wan because I was too distracted by the absolute power and vengeance radiating from Vader.

Toxic? Yes. Do I mind? I plead the fifth.

Where are we going next?

My prediction from last week was that Reva is actually one of the younglings that escaped Order 66 at the beginning of the series. While there hasn’t really been much more to confirm that yet, it hasn’t been disproven, and I was incredibly validated to hear that some of my favorite podcasters (shoutout the Midnight Boys) also believe in this theory.

I don’t really have any new ~theories~ so I’ll offer up where I think the plot is heading next.

Leia is definitely getting taken to the Death Star. I wasn’t sure about this at first, but after having the day to think about it – and talking with my friend, David – I think this is possible without having to retcon Vader not knowing Leia is his daughter in the OG trilogy. Even without knowing that she’s his daughter, Leia would be a potential target for Vader and he would have reason to believe Obi-Wan was helping her. Her adoptive dad is a senator, and not just any senator but one of the ones who’s trying to start the Rebellion! Leia Organa is just as valuable as Leia Skywalker.

So with Leia on the Death Star, Obi-Wan obviously has to go rescue her and another (better, though I still liked the one in this episode) lightsaber duel would ensue. I think this would really patch up the dialogue during their meeting in A New Hope. That fight wouldn’t happen until Episode 6, so I would guess our next two episodes might potentially be Obi-Wan rounding up a team to help and possibly returning to Tattooine to check on Luke?

Oh, and we’re 100% going to finally get the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon conversation right as Obi-Wan has to go fight Vader for real. “Master, I can’t do it again. I did it once and I cannot do it again.” “His death will bring balance to the Force.”

Or something like that.

 Couple questions…

• So is the Grand Inquisitor really dead? Reeeeealllyyyy? It does not work with the Rebels timeline and I need an answer.

• Are we going to get Grand Moff Tarkin at all?

• ARE WE GOING TO GET ANY FLASHBACK SCENES? I swear if they brought back Hayden just to walk around in the suit I will be upset. Not as upset as if they hadn’t brought him back at all, but definitely upset.

That’s all until next week. I totally spaced that these episodes were coming out on Wednesdays after the premiere, so these will always be in your inbox or on your feed the day an episode drops. We’ll swap Fridays to being the deep-dive, longform newsletter day. This week’s will be on everything we found out at Star Wars Celebration.

And just cause it’s fun, here are all the notes I took during Episode 3: